Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to allow the state government to broadcast live the Gurbani recited at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
In a video message, the CM urged the SGPC to allow the state government to install the advanced broadcast technologies at Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar.

He said the Punjab government can provide all possible help in disseminating the ‘Sarb Sanji Gurbani’ across the globe with an aim to spread the universal message of ‘Sarbat da Bhala’ (welfare of all).

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This endeavour would go a long way in offering an opportunity to the Sangat to listen the blissful Gurbani besides having glimpse (darshan didar) of Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib, he said adding “We are ready to discharge any duty assigned by the SGPC in this behalf”.

In his video message, Mann said it is the need of the hour to propagate the message of Gurbani in every nook and corner of the world and thus appealed the SGPC to relay Gurbani Kirtan from Sachkhand Sri Darbar Sahib on various communication platforms including Satellite TV, Radio, FM, social media and mobile apps instead of limiting its reach to a single medium.

“We will provide the latest infrastructure/technology in this regard at Sri Darbar Sahib including latest cameras and broadcasting equipments to relay the Gurbani Kirtan through other digital platforms like YouTube, mobile apps, religious channels or any other channel which intend to telecast the same instead of relaying it only from one medium so as to enhance its reach across the world”, said the CM while adding that Punjab government is ready to bear the expenditure for the same.

The PTC channel, linked to the Parkash Singh Badal family, has currently the sole broadcast rights for Gurbani which is followed by the Sikhs in Indian and abroad. Mann’s appeal is being seen as a move to end the monopoly of the PTC channel.

Earlier on Saturday, Sikh scholars at the Kendri Singh Sabha had urged the SGPC to take up the job of reproducing standardised copies of Guru Granth Sahib in its own hands and debarred all printing and publishing companies from doing so and stop commercialisation of Gurbani through PTC channel.

The Sikh scholars’ meeting in which a detailed ‘investigation report’ was presented stated that the commercialisation of Gurbani has been continuing for the past two decades through another route and the Badal family-owned PTC channel, enjoying monopolistic control on the telecast of Gurbani from Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, has been relaying and selling the sacred Gurbani for promoting corporate business and for advancing their politics.