Sikh ethos, do not permit statue installation in the vicinity of Gurdwara Sahib : Bir Devinder Singh
Shaurya Sharma
Fatehgarh Sahib. November 24, 2020 : Sikh ethos, do not permit statue installation in the vicinity of Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Jayoti Saroop Sahib, said Bir Devinder Singh Former Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha here today.
Bir Devinder Singh visited the disputed site today at Fatehgarh Sahib where department of Archeology Govt. of Punjab was raising structure to construct a theme park against the wishes of the SGPC.
Speaking to the media after the visit of the disputed site he said that there are strong apprehensions in the mind of Sikh Community of District Fatehgarh Sahib that Kuljit Singh Nagra Congress MLA from Fatehgarh Sahib is planning to install the statue of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur at the T-Junction of the road connecting Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, Sirhind and Gurdwara Jayoti Saroop Sahib.
Bir Devinder Singh asserted that he wish to make it unmistakably clear and understandable to the State Government and the District administration; that as per the Sikh ethos, the installation of Statues is not permissible in the vicinity of Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib and Gurdwara Jayoti Saroop Sahib, where two younger Sahibzadas (Sons) of Guru Gobind Singh ji have made a supreme and unparallel sacrifice, 316 years ago to uphold the dignity of the Sikh Faith . Any move in this direction shall be strongly resisted and opposed, he said. He further said that any kind of development under the aegis of beautification of the town is welcome but any regressive initiative in contravention of Sikh spirit, which is violative of its philosophical code, shall not be permitted at Fatehgarh Sahib under any circumstances.
It is a matter of common knowledge that basic postulates of Sikh Religion do not allow worshiping of idols or statues, therefore no such contemptuous attempt be made by any individual or by the Government that vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the town and generate unnecessarily the bad feelings among the Sikh community. Mr. Bir Devinder Singh strongly disapproved the site chosen by the archeology department for the construction of the theme park he rather contended that it’s a brazen encroachment on the entire area especially reserved to serve langar to the millions of Sikh pilgrims who throng this place in the fourth week f December every year to pay obeisance to the martyrdom of the Sahibzadas and Mata Gujri Ji.
He demanded from the district administration that the encroachment be removed forthwith to smoothen the surface for setting up langars (Community Kitchens) on the disputed site.