|
|
|
|
|
N
E W S May 11, 2003 Kharak Singh, one of five members of the SGPC's Women's Seva Committee, said in an interview that the committee had received input from Sikh organizations and individuals who are both for and against allowing Amritdhari women to perform seva at the Darbar Sahib. At this time, however, it is unclear to him how things will shape up in the final report by the committee which is due May 15, 2003. When asked about members of the SGPC and
the Darbar Sahib Management manipulating and pressuring persons into giving
an opinion against allowing seva, Kharak Singh remarked that because he
did not have a first-hand experience of this, he could not make a comment
on it. He did, however, say that he felt persons on both sides of the
issue were equally responsible for manipulating opinions. On May 6, 2003, The Tribune reported that
Ajaib Singh, Manager of Darbar Sahib, admitted he had sent a circular
to Sikh organizations seeking their consent against the matter. He said
a majority of the organizations in their reports conveyed that the old
traditions, which prohibit women from performing seva or kirtan inside
the Darbar Sahib, should continue. The Darbar Sahib management was also successful
in gathering dissenting views from Sikh women's organizations. About 50
to 60 women deposed to the SGPC that allowing kar seva by women was against
tradition. This all came to a great surprise to Kiranjot
Kaur, a member of the SGPC, who said in a separate interview that the
women's groups had earlier agreed to present a voice in support of allowing
Amritdhari women to perform kar seva at the Darbar Sahib, "but they
changed their stand under pressure from SGPC employees." The venue
for the meeting was changed and not publicized, giving the employees enough
time to approach the women, she added. But according to Kharak Singh, "even
if there is any element of manipulation, it will have no effect on the
final decision because the problem has to be solved on its merit."
He emphasized that this was not a numbers game. Kharak Singh wanted to be clear with the
Sikh people that "there are no restrictions in the Sikh doctrine
on women's rights." This issue before the committee is an administrative
one. "We have to find ways to solve the 'practical problems' so as
not to give the impression the Sikhism discriminates against women,"
he urged. The "practical problems" of the palki seva that Kharak Singh referred to are: Time - the seva is performed at midnight which is not convenient for women; Weight - the palki
is too heavy for women to handle; Crowd - there is a lot of jostling among
the men who are present to do the seva and is not a good situation for
women to be in; and Duty - the people who
currently do the seva have come to feel that it is their right and don't
want to give it up. Other kinds of seva he talked about that
pose 'practical problems' are: Ishnaan - when the floors are washed after the Guru Granth Sahib is taken out for Sukhasan, the men traditionally wear kacharas which women cannot; Keertan - for which
a women's jatha (all women or mixed) would have to qualify under the same
requirements as men's jathas. "These are administrative problems that
have to be fixed while preserving the doctrine." says Kharak Singh.
In an April 25, 2003, letter to the SGPC,
Mejindarpal Kaur addressed these "practical problems." Weight - It is ignorant to suggest that no
Sikh woman would have the stature to shoulder the weight of the Palki
Sahib, assisted by other bearers. It is naïve to suggest that a Sikh
woman would attempt to do this seva unless she has the strength to do
so. Crowd - A Sikh woman is less likely to be
a victim of teasing at a Gurdwara, let alone at Darbar Sahib, than she
is at any other public place. Jostling should be brought under control
by the management by hiring properly trained and polite sevadars who can
ensure orderly conduct at Gurdawaras. Misconduct by Sikh men should not
punish Sikh women. There should be no disorderly conduct during any of
these ceremonies as it is unbecoming conduct at a holy place. The SGPC
management should engage suitably trained sevadars to ensure orderly ceremonies.
Therefore, if the ceremonies stewards do their job well, the question
should not arise about any risk to Sikh women during these ceremonies
Ishnaan - There is no need for Sikh men and
women to dress alike during seva. A Sikh woman could be asked to dress
in a manner which is respectful of her presence in the Darbar Sahib. Any
tradition which prevents a Sikh woman from exercising her right to do
seva has to be modified accordingly. Kharak Singh was concerned about how to satisfy
the group who currently performs the palki seva, who feel that it is their
right, while allowing others to do the seva also. He said that people
occasionally are allowed to just touch the palki while the usual sevadars
carry the palki. Kharak Singh did, however, acknowledge that outsiders
should be allowed to share the palki seva. There was no dispute that a women's jatha
would have to satisfy the same requirements as a men's jatha, although
there hasn't been one allowed in a long time. "The social setup is different here.
The people are bound by traditions and women, especially the older or
uneducated ones, feel that they are inferior to men," said Kiranjot
Kaur. Although the women in Punjab had not been able to make a stand on
the issue themselves, they blame the women from abroad for creating trouble.
She stated that the younger generation has the awareness to make the change. Kiranjot Kaur also remarked that the same
situation happened with the approval of the Nanakshahi calendar. Pal Singh,
the creator of the Nanakshahi calendar, also remarked in a separate conversation
that the very people who opposed the calendar are now opposed to the women's
seva issue. Although the SGPC approved it five years ago, it took that
long for it to be implemented. This is now happening with the women's
seva issue. Pal Singh, Kiranjot Kaur, Mejindarpal Kaur
and others involved in this issue have acknowledged that there is political
maneuvering taking place to influence the committee. But Kharak Singh insisted that the decision
will take place on the merits of the problems so as to preserve the Sikh
doctrine of equality. contributions by VoicesForFreedom
|