Amritsar-Taking serious note of the incident in which three sacred scriptures of Sri Guru Granth Sahib were consumed by fire due to an electrical short circuit at a Gurdwara Sahib in Bham village in Gurdaspur district, the officiating Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, personally visited the concerned village this morning.
He gathered complete information about the incident from the Gurdwara management and the villagers. The villagers stated that an electrical appliance inside the Gurdwara was left running, which led to a short circuit and caused the fire, resulting in the burning of sacred scriptures.
Jathedar Gargajj made the villagers and the management aware of the directives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the guidelines of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) regarding the proper care and protection of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He emphasized strict compliance with these instructions.
While strongly reprimanding the villagers and the management, Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargajj stated that 24-hour security at Gurdwaras is essential. If any management committee fails to ensure this, Sri Akal Takht Sahib will take immediate and strict action. On this occasion, Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib called a gathering of all regional Sikh Sangat on April 8 to discuss the measures required for the proper care of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Bham village and surrounding areas to prevent such incidents in the future.
Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargajj reiterated that the directives from Sri Akal Takht Sahib and SGPC are clear: round-the-clock security must be ensured at Gurdwaras, and all electrical appliances must be turned off in the absence of sewadars (attendants). He directed the entire Sikh community to maintain utmost respect and reverence for Guru Granth Sahib, ensuring the mandatory installation of CCTV cameras and security arrangements at Gurdwaras. Once again, he firmly stated that any violation of these guidelines regarding the care of Guru Granth Sahib will result in strict action.