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08 December, 2003
VNN PRESS RELEASE: Chandigarh 24 Nov 2003: TOHRA REFUSES TO ACCORD FULL RIGHTS FOR SIKH WOMEN TO DO SEVA
BUT
AGREES AT THE PERSONAL LEVEL ON THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY PROPOUNDED BY SIKH GURUS.
VNN Chandigarh: Newly elected SGPC president, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, says he will not change the status
quo in order to implement full and equal rights for Sikh women to do seva at Darbar Sahib, Amritsar in
an interview to VOICES FOR FREEDOM News Network.
He also said there was no need to ask for an overdue report from the 5 member committee, which
was especially constituted, by the SGPC under the leadership of Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, to submit
a report by May on Sikh women’s right to undertake all types of seva at Darbar Sahib. The committee
had convened a public meeting in April to “establish public opinion on the issue”.
“I did not set up the committee and I am not bound by the decisions of my predecessor nor am I
responsible for the workings of that committee.”
“Committees are set up when noises are made about an issue to quieten down the issue.”
“In any case I do not agree with Sikh women’s right to do all seva, maybe we could consider their
right to do keertan at Darbar Sahib,’’ Mr Tohra said.
“ I will not violate the Maryada which does not allow Sikh women to do certain seva at Darbar Sahib,’’
he said during the interview.
At a personal level, I agree with the principle of gender equality propounded by the Sikh Gurus, and
I am confident that one day Sikh women will enjoy equal rights to do seva. But I am not prepared to
change the status quo,’’ he added. This itself has some hope on the sewa issue.
“How is change supposed to come about if leaders do no take the lead?” VNN asked Mr Tohra.
“All those who are passionate about Sikh women’s right to do seva should stand for the SGPC elections
next year and make it an election issue,’’ Mr Tohra replied.
When asked why does tradition prevail when there is contradiction between a Sikh tradition and a
Sikh principle, such as gender equality he said:
“These traditions were made by the Sikh gurus, we cannot change them,’’
He made no answer when it was pointed out to him that Sikh Gurus could not possibly have created
traditions which were in conflict with their own principles and that there is no evidence that the
Sikh gurus had excluded Sikh women from certain seva.
"It is a fallacious argument to suggest that absence of Sikh women from certain seva during the Guru
period and beyond was due to a prohibition by the Gurus. Instead Sikh women may not have undertaken
certain seva due to the prevailing social norms,” Mejindarpal Kaur told VNN in Chandigarh on 24 Nov 03,
in an interview organized by a Human Rights organization, VOICES FOR FREEDOM (VFF).
Harjindar Kaur (New Delhi), the president of Sikh Nari Manch also said that “It will take time before
the issue gets addressed and would like to see the effort successful by taking the people masses into account and to educate them to the grass root levels. But Sikh women should carry on the struggle”.
Mejindarpal Kaur who has remained in Panjab, since February, to give succor to the campaign, expressed
hope that the newly appointed 21-member committee could take this issue in its true form and implement
the sewa issues as per the doctrine. She suggested that after visiting various parts of Panjab, the
realization is that a lot of work needs to be done to educate the masses at the grass-roots level
and especially in villages.
“However, I am confident that the transitory arguments and stand taken by the honorary SGPC for
momentary gain will not prevail ultimately,’’
“If the Guru’s teachings of more than 500 years ago have not borne fruit who are we to be
disheartened by a mere 10 month effort,” she said.
Sardar Kuldeep Singh from Toledo, Ohio (USA), a member of the 21-member Religious Advisory
Board (RAB) created by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said “All decisions
related to the Sikh women’s sewa issue have to be taken on the basis of Sikh doctrine”.
He also said that “ Sardarni Mejindarpal Kaur has been a pioneer in this field and that
more Sikh women like her should come out to bring the Panthic issues to the forefront”.
Explaining his thought on this issue, he said. “We have planned an academic conference
on the rights and responsibilities of Sikh Women on December 13th, at Oakland University,
Rochester Michigan that will be moderated and addressed by prominent educated Sikh women
from USA and Canada.” VOICES FOR FREEDOM activist Sardarni Rupinder Kaur (Toronto) will
be moderating the Conference and updating the audience on the sewa issue.
Sardar Kuldeep Singh in an interview also said that “There are so many so called "Sewas"
performed at Darbar Sahib that are not in conformity with the Sikh principles. What good
it will do even if they are assigned to us and we start performing those sewas ourselves.
However it will be worthwhile to educate the masses about some of the sewas that are nothing
but baseless rituals. That will be the greatest sewa.”
At a women’s seminar sponsored by VOICES FOR FREEDOM in Maryland (US) on May 3, 2003, Sikh
organizations worldwide had agreed to set up an International Sikh Women’s Forum to promote
development issues for Sikh women globally. The aim of such a forum would be to ensure that
the rights granted to Sikh women by the ten Gurus and the Sikh scriptures, the Guru Granth
Sahib, are implemented in their entirety. Furthermore, such a forum would also tackle social,
political and gender oppression related issues.
This issue of gender equality has been outstanding since February 13th when two UK based Sikh
women, Mejindarpal Kaur and Lakhbir Kaur were refused the right to participate in the Sukhasan
procession at the Darbar Sahib. The following day they lodged a complaint with the Akal Takht
Jathedar and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) requesting an immediate
restoration of the right of Sikh women to undertake all types of seva at Darbar Sahib
VOICES FOR FREEDOM spearheaded a campaign for Sikh women to undertake all types of seva at
Darbar Sahib after the incident in February. Soon after the incident, VFF started a petition
campaign for implementation of gender equality at Darbar Sahib and other Gurdwaras, addressed
to the Jathedar of the Akal Takht and the President of the SGPC. This petition has been sponsored
by more than 300 Sikh organizations globally.
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