Kabir Singh
Sacrilege at Sri Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple)
The incident of sacrilege at Sri Harimandir Sahib should be strongly condemned and without a second thought must be treated as a heinous act. But does that justify the mob lynching? It’s a question that not just Sikhs but every individual should ask themselves. Because Sri Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) is deeply rooted in the culture of India and it belongs to every human being. Not just Sikhs but Hindus too find themselves religiously attached with the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Book of Sikhi).
Do these acts have ties with Pakistan’s ISI? Is this happening under the agenda of Khalistan backed by Pakistan and its allies settled in different parts of the globe? There are many questions attached to this incident and it doesn’t seem to be a state issue anymore. This is, as per reports, a direct threat to India’s national security.
Many national security experts, military professionals, and even the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh have warned us of threats hovering on the Border State of Punjab. They have clearly pointed fingers at Pakistan’s ISI and at the groups associated with the Khalistan ideology.
Captain Amarinder Singh had, from time to time, warned for the threats across the international border.
How does killing impact the overall investigation?
If we think in a manner where we treat the culprit as a tool to reach the mastermind, killing the man who attempted sacrilege at Harimandir Sahib had made it difficult for investigation teams. Until now, the man committing the hideous act (as seen in the video) remains unidentified. Many controversies are also rising, stating that the plans to disturb the cultural harmony of India are even more severe. At this moment, we must utilize the power of social media and keep ourselves aware of any rumors spreading in the air.
THREE INCIDENTS OF SACRILEGE IN A WEEK
Under no circumstances and by no explanation, the act, as seen in the viral video, could be justified. So far, three incidents of sacrilege have been surfaced in Punjab in a span of one week. Two of these have resulted in the lynching of the accused within 24 hours.
On Sunday, a man was beaten to death in front of Punjab police officers for allegedly disrespecting the Sikh religious emblem, the Nishan Sahib. The event occurred at a gurdwara in Kapurthala, Punjab. On Saturday night, the accused was caught and confined to a room. A horde of Sikh youngsters stormed the room and murdered him. Three officers were also injured while attempting to save him.
While the link between the two has yet to be established, sacrilege was one of the most prominent issues in the 2017 Punjab Assembly election, in which the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance lost power.
The last Punjab elections went well for the Congress party. And by the end of their term, the Punjab Congress head, Navjot Singh Sidhu made it a point of contention, resulting in Captain Amarinder Singh’s departure as chief minister.
The police, on the other hand, claimed that there was no evidence of desecration in the Kapurthala gurdwara. In the hall where the Bir, a physical replica of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, was housed, everything was in working order.
According to the authorities, the trigger seemed to be a theft. The deceased was dressed in two jackets that he had taken from a room on the gurdwara’s ground floor. The Punjab administration, led by Charanjit Singh Channi, has ordered a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the occurrence.
This was Punjab’s second sacrilege-related lynching in less than 24 hours.
Incident at Golden Temple
A crowd of enraged devotees apprehended and killed a guy who had leaped the golden grills within the sanctorum of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Saturday evening. By jumping the grills, the deceased had obtained a sword and arrived at a Sikh priest who was performing hymns from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
EARLIER THIS INCIDENT
On Wednesday of the last week, a similar incident occurred in the premises of Harimandir Sahib. A man had thrown a copy of Gutka Sahib into the lake, a lesser version of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The individual, who was described as “mentally disturbed,” was arrested and imprisoned.
DURING FARMER’S PROTEST
During the protests against the three farm reform laws, a twin lynching in Punjab came uncomfortably close to an occurrence on the Delhi-Singhu border. A Dalit person was tormented by a group of Nihangs (a formed Sikh order of men to protect their faith) in mid-October 2021.
“Before the Prakash Prayer around 3 o’clock in the morning, he removed the cloth that is used to hide the sacred scripture. Also, the Pothi Sahib [translation book] was sacrileged. We chased him when he ran”, a Nihang leader told the media.
“We will punish anyone who commits sacrilege. We’re not going to the cops or the administration.”
“The individual was apprehended and attacked near a private hospital and the holy book was recovered from him,” according to the Nihang leader.
THE LAW OF SACRILEGE
In 2016, the then-SAD-BJP administration introduced a bill in Punjab to alter the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to address sacrilege crimes.
Some parts of the IPC and the CrPC can be modified by states to fit local practices and situations.
The new regulations made “any disrespect of the holy Guru Granth Sahib” life imprisonment. The Centre, on the other hand, objected to the change since it excluded other religions from its scope.
Punjab’s SAD-BJP administration lost power, and the bills were amended by the Congress government.
AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW
The Justice Ranjit Singh Commission was established by Captain Amarinder Singh’s government in April 2017 to investigate “multiple incidences of sacrilege of the holy Guru Granth Sahib and other religious literature.”
It was given the task of looking into instances from the “past two years, as well as police shooting at villagers protesting one such incident in October 2015.”
The commission suggested that the sacrilege law be broadened. The proposals were approved by the Amarinder Singh cabinet.
The Punjab cabinet adopted the modifications on August 21, 2018, with the stated goal of “taking a big step toward reducing such incidences [of sacrilege] and maintaining communal unity in the state.”
The approved amendments to the IPC and CrPC made the desecration of all sacred texts (of all religions) a punishable offense with a life sentence. The revisions were approved by the Punjab Legislative Assembly on August 28, 2018.
WHAT DOES THE SACRILEGE LAW SAY NOW?
These amendments resulted in the incorporation of Section 295-AA (Punjab State Specific) to the IPC, which states that “whoever causes harm, damage, or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, Quran, or Bible with the intention of hurting the religious sentiments of the people gets punished with life imprisonment.”
The penalty for “injuring or defiling [a] place of worship with the intent to insult the faith of any class” was also increased from two to ten years in prison.
WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW?
The three alleged sacrilege instances are yet to be adequately investigated. According to the law, sacrilege must be judged on grounds of the accused’s purpose. A Special Investigations Team (SIT) has been created.
In terms of their election campaigns in Punjab, the political parties, on the other hand, leave little room for an investigation into the alleged sacrilege.
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