Sikh Women Seek Equal Role in 'Panthic Seva'

          AMRITSAR: Though all the ten Gurus of the Sikhs held women in high esteem and sought their active participation in community work, they are more or less debarred from such service. For centuries together, they have been the victims of gender bias.

           The continuous apathy to the rights of Sikh women has led to a great degree of resentment among them, and lately they have launched a movement against the male-dominated society. Though some Sikh political leaders bestowed a few prominent seats to Sikh women in its prime religious institution, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), they continue to face retaliation from the orthodox section.

           Sikh women say that nearly 500 years ago, more than half the 'manjis' (important religious seats) which Guru Amar Dass Ji (third master of the Sikhs) appointed were awarded to women. These women were put in charge of spreading Sikhism, handle 'sangat' (community) issues and the administration in their community. According to them, by debarring them from performing 'kirtan' at Golden Temple and not allowing them to partake in the early morning and late night 'seva' in the sanctum sanatorium of the shrine "pains them considerably".

           Jathedar Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti admits that disallowing women devotees from participating in 'seva' to clean the sanctum sanctorum in the morning was "against the tenets of Sikhism", which did not preach discrimination on the basis of sex. Vedanti added that he would try to persuade all the concerned to allow women to perform 'kirtan' and other 'seva' inside Golden Temple's Harimandar Sahib that had been denied to women without assigning any reason.

          He further said that after the Gurdwara Reform Movement in 1920s, gender discrimination should have been stopped. Women are held in high esteem in Sikhism and there was no reason why they should be disallowed from participating in any kind of "seva" as per the Sikh tenets.

          The then SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, had announced that women would be permitted to perform kirtan and clean the sanctum sanctorum at the time of 'Amrit vela'. However, after she quit the office of SGPC chief, the move did not materialize. Women devotees are not allowed even to touch the 'palki sahib' (palanquin) while carrying Guru Granth Sahib from the Golden Temple to Akal Takht for 'Sukh assan in the evening. Jathedar Vedanti, however, is hopeful that his appeal to allow all devotees to participate in all kinds of 'seva' without any gender discrimination would be accepted.

          Gurbacchan Singh Bacchan, a former SGPC secretary, also holds a similar opinion. Former SGPC general secretary Bibi Kiran Jot Kaur urged the Sikh clergy to issue a directive to ensure participation of baptized Sikh women devotees in all ceremonies inside the sanctum sanctorum. She said women are comparatively well-versed with Sikh music and 'raagas', and they should be treated at par with the men while preparing the duty roaster of the Golden Temple. "Such a step could be taken even at the level of SGPC manager," she stressed.        
(January 10,  2003)