SGPC Attacks Rahul Gandhi's Golden Temple Visit Citing Family History, Sparks Debate Among Sikh Scholars

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a notable visit to the Golden Temple for the second consecutive day on Tuesday (3 October).

During his stay, he actively engaged in various acts of service, including vegetable peeling, food service to devotees, dishwashing, and assisting at the shoe house. Additionally, he paid his respects inside the sanctum sanctorum.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) expressed its cooperation with Rahul Gandhi during his visit to the Darbar Sahib.

However, concerns arose regarding the duration of his stay compared to other non-Sikh politicians.

Despite these questions, most Sikh organizations chose not to comment, with the Congress party characterising Gandhi's visit as "personal and spiritual."

According to Indian Express, Harcharan Singh Grewal, SGPC's general secretary, brought up past events and criticised Rahul Gandhi's family history, mentioning instances such as his grandmother's attack on Akal Takht and his father's response to the Sikh massacre in Delhi.

Grewal questioned whether Gandhi's visit represented repentance and called on him to address Congress leaders linked to the Sikh massacre who remain in the party.

He also noted inconsistencies in Gandhi's actions, such as visiting a woman incarcerated for his father's killing but not visiting the widow colony in Delhi. Grewal emphasised that true reconciliation hinges on addressing these questions.

Grewal's remarks were criticised by many Sikh scholars for their tone.

Ajmer Singh, known for critiquing state actions in 1984, acknowledged ideological differences but urged against cynicism.

Singh suggested that Gandhi might genuinely feel remorse and criticised SGPC for its criticism. Singh also pointed out issues within Akali Dal's politics on the matter and stressed that Gandhi's visit was personal, not political.

Paramjit Singh Sarna, Delhi unit president of the Akali Dal, welcomed Gandhi's visit and praised his selfless service.

Amarjit Singh, a professor at Guru Nanak Dev University, criticized SGPC for making a political attack and emphasised learning from Sikh history, highlighting that Sikh principles don't involve blaming individuals for their family's actions.

Prof (Retd) Dr Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, who authored a white paper for SGPC on the aftermath of 1984, commended Gandhi for his humility.

Dr Dhillon underlined that Sikh principles derive from the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib and viewed Gandhi's visit as an act of devotion rather than a political statement. He believed SGPC should have demonstrated more humility.

Grewal later clarified his statement, explaining Sikh principles of responding to attackers with arms and humble devotees with kindness.

He pointed out that Gandhi had been actively participating in selfless service at Darbar Sahib and hadn't faced disrespect from officials.

Grewal criticised some media outlets for labeling Sikhs as extremists and separatists, citing the positive response to Gandhi's visit as counter-evidence.