The Issue of Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satikar Act: What's Way Out? Article by Parmjeet Singh Gazi

About this book

The Controversy Around the New Satikar Amendment Law: How Can the Present Deadlock Be Resolved? The “Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satikar (Amendment) Act, 2026,” passed by the Punjab Government during a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha convened at Sri Anandpur Sahib on the occasion of Vaisakhi, has created an atmosphere of confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government on one side and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) along with the acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on the other. The SGPC and the acting Jathedar have raised objections to several clauses of the amended law, describing it as state interference in matters of religious maryada (discipline and code of conduct). On the other hand, the Chief Minister of Punjab has clearly stated that it was the SGPC itself that had earlier passed resolutions seeking the 2008 law through the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, and therefore the Punjab Government fully possesses the authority to legislate in accordance with the “demands of the Sangat”. The acting Jathedar summoned Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and directed that a special session of the Assembly be convened to remove the objectionable provisions from the law. The government, however, maintains that the Speaker has no authority to independently convene a legislative session for reconsideration of a law. Subsequently, the SGPC President and the acting Jathedar held a meeting with the Governor of Punjab. As a result, the entire issue now appears increasingly entangled in technical and procedural matters, while the fundamental question itself has been sidelined. This article by Sikh Siyasat editor and former National President of Sikh Students Federation Parmjeet Singh Gazi was published on Daily Ajit Newspaper on 4 June 2026. Here is full text of the article:- ਨਵੇਂ ਸਤਿਕਾਰ ਸੋਧ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਦਾ ਮਸਲਾ: ਮੌਜੂਦਾ ਰੇੜਕੇ ਦਾ ਹੱਲ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੋਵੇ?ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਨੰਦਪੁਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਵਿਖੇ ਵਿਸਾਖੀ ਮੌਕੇ