Recently there has been lot of news on worldwide websites and newspapers on a recent incident at Gurdwara Sri Santokhsar Sahib Amritsar, where SGPC objected to bibiyan who had dyed their hair being not allowed to do kirtan in the Gurdwara.
I am decidedly not offering a judgment in this matter but just adding into the pot for discussion. Beleive Me, This matter is not quite so simple.
At the same time this matter is not new as well nor is it unexpected, and there is more to it than meets the eye.
One point of view is that gurdwaras are open to all, not only to perfect or excellent Sikhs. Perfect people need no gurdwaras perhaps. In that sense there should be no bar to anyone – Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, or even an atheist – to attend a gurdwara and perform services. And non-Sikhs are allowed to perform some services – even distributing parshad. Why then a bar to the reciting of kirtan by those who are poor models of Sikhi or even non-Sikhs?
On the other hand, people would say that in a private function, such as a private home, there should be no limitation placed and no bar placed on the activity and service by a non-Sikh, but in a Sikh institutional place of worship like a community or Historical, only those who are role models of Sikhi should be allowed near the stage.
Their presence is not merely indicative of performing a needed service – like reading from Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, distributing parshad, singing kirtan or doing katha – but as role models their visibilty invites emulation. Hence those that are visibly not meeting the Sikh ideal should not be visibly promoted as Role Models.
In my personal opinions, Sikhi needs to set a proper example and follow some code of discipline. According to Sikh Rehat Maryada which clearly states in Chapter V, (a) – Only a Sikh may perform kirtan in a congregation.
While everyone is free to read gurbani or sing kirtan on a personal level, leading a Sikh congregation at a Historical Gurdwara has a different significance. We take our children to the Gurdwara so that they may learn our faith and all of the accompanying practices that occur during congregation. They need to see that a Bhai Sahib or Bibi ji that is speaking or singing is one who has accepted the outward appearance of a “Guru ka Sikh” as well. Else, they will question us. “The raagis singing don’t wear turbans. Why should I?” Will our children not ask why they can’t cut their hair if the person leading the congregation does so? Sometimes, we adults don’t see what our children do.
We need to preserve the central things in our religion. As we oppose “Brahmin thought”, we must also be careful not to water everything down in our practices. This will ultimately lead to anyone doing anything at anytime. That is not formalized religion. Soon we will be debating that we don’t even need to cover our heads in the sangat because God is everywhere. That is stated in the Gurbani also.
During the congregation however, the raagis and those performing the seva should be in the Guru’s roop. The stage in the gurdwara is not merely a stage but an honor that the sangat has given the persons on the stage, and vice versa. This honor from the sangat should be reserved for those that are of the Sikh faith and true practicing Sikhs.
In my view, in this particular incident where despite having given instructions to bibiyan to STOP dyeing their hair if they want to perform kirtan, SGPC has taken a right step in not allowing bibiyan with dyed hair to do kirtan at Santokhsar Sahib.
The Original News about the Incident can be found by Clicking Here