DSGMC plans printing facility in Canada

Amritsar, Punjab: To provide “birs” of Guru Granth Sahib to the Sikh diaspora while following the “maryada”, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has initiated efforts to print Guru Granth Sahib abroad.

It committee would have its first-ever printing facility of the holy book in a foreign country. At present, transporting “birs” abroad is not easy as maintaining “maryada” during the transit is a major issue.

Talking to The Tribune after his recent visit to Canada, DSGMC president Manjeet Singh GK said he had taken stock of the property being offered to them at Vancouver for setting up a printing facility. He said they had sent a proposal in this regard to the Sikh high priests and once cleared, the work on establishing the facility would be initiated.

He said they were primarily eyeing Canada and the UK, but the SGPC was also evincing a keen interest in setting up a similar facility in the US.

“There are a large number of people who want to install Guru Granth Sahib in their homes. But it is difficult to maintain ‘maryada’ when the ‘birs’ are sent abroad via sea or aerial route,” he said.

DSGMC general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said their aim was to ensure that the holy book could reach the maximum destinations abroad through road route. He said they often find themselves in a tight spot when they received the demand for “birs” from foreign countries. “If we decline anybody’s plea, we face their wrath and if we accept it we have to face a tough time in transporting it as it involves serious concerns,” he said.

SGPC team meets Omar

Amritsar: A team of SGPC officials met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, urging him to initiate measures for rehabilitation of Sikh families hit by floods in the state. In a press statement issued here on Saturday, SGPC spokesperson Diljeet Singh Bedi said they had appealed to the state government to speed up the rehabilitation work as the cold wave was all set to tighten its grip in the state. The CM thanked SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar for the relief work being carried out by them in the state.

Source: The Tribune