The Akal Takht, listened to various panthic scholars and Sikh parcharaks on Tuesday before reaching its decision against the US Sikh publisher.
The Akal Takht on Tuesday declared a US-based Sikh publisher, Thaminder Singh Anand, a “tankhaiya” (guilty of religious misconduct) for making distortions in the Gurbani and asked the community to boycott him till he appears before the Takht to apologise for his offence.
The distortion had come to light recently, leading to objections from Sikh bodies across the world. The Akal Takht, which is the highest temporal seat of Sikhism, listened to various stakeholders from the community on Tuesday before reaching its decision.
Pronouncing the decision, acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said: “Thaminder Singh is held guilty of making changes in the Gurbani on his own. Considering the sentiments of the Panth, Akal Takht Sahib bans offline and online publishing of Gurbani by him. He is directed to appear before the Takht, give his explanation and disclose the persons behind him within a month. He is also directed to present related records at the Takht. Until he does it, he will remain a ‘tankhaiya’. All the Sikhs are directed to shun all kinds of relations or cooperation with him.”
According to the SGPC, Anand is associated with US-based organisation Sikh Book Club that runs a website on Sikh literature. According to the allegation, he had added an extra “lagan-matravan” (suprasegmental symbols of Gurmukhi) by changing the original verses of Gurbani.
SGPC told to look into Gurbani apps
Another NRI Sikh, Onkar Singh, who was involved in an identical practice, has been directed to stop publishing the unauthorised text of Gurbani, both online and offline instantly. He, too, has been summoned to appear before Akal Takht for atonement and surrender all records.
The Takht also made the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)’s permission mandatory for common devotees to write the holy birs (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib. The SGPC is the apex gurdwara management body.
In another decision, the Takht underlined that it has gone through as many as 21 Gurbani mobile apps in which errors have been found. “The SGPC is directed to get these errors removed within one month or get these apps banned through legal measures,” said the Akal Takht acting jathedar who was accompanied by Takht Patna Sahib jathedar Giani Ranjit Singh and Takht Kesgarh Sahib jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh in the highest presidium of Sikhs.
1998 HukamNama
In order to halt the ongoing negligence and disrespect of Gurbani by commercial publishers and printers, Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh Ji on May 9th, 1998, issued a HukamNama banning the publishing of Saroops, Pothees, and Gutkays without the consent of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Currently, only the SGPC and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has the sole authority to print Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s Saroops.
“It needs to be stressed that the SGPC and Sri Akal Takht Sahib management have known since 2014 Thaminder Anand’s activities but declined to take act any against him.”
Thaminder Anand has reportedly published and distributed Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from China around 2014-16 and has also distributed a soft copy (PDF) version of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with certain text modifications without any involvement from the SGPC or Sri Akal Takht Sahib.