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Darbar Sahib Rejects Plea to Allow Women to Serve

By STAFF

P.T.I., Amritsar, Sep. 22, 2005

Photo: Mejindarpal Kaur and Lakhbir Kaur, prevented from performing sukhasan seva at Darbar Sahib, Feb. 15, 2003

All the five priests of the Golden Temple today outrightly rejected S.G.P.C. chief Bibi Jagir Kaur's plea to allow baptised Sikh women to perform religious service inside the shrine.

At a meeting here, presided over by head priest Gyani Gurbachan Singh, the five priests in a resolution rejected Kaur's plea to allow amrit-dhari Sikh women to perform religious service along with male members inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple.

The five priests later submitted the resolution before Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti who is the ultimate authority to take a decision in this regard.

The five priests are Gyani Gurbachan Singh, Gyani Mohan Singh, Gyani Jaswinder Singh, Gyani Jagtar Singh and Gyani Mal Singh.

On August 17 this year, Kaur had allowed baptised Sikh women to perform religious service subject to final approval from Vedanti.

Earlier, Kaur, in her proposal forwarded to Vedanti, had favoured allowing amrit-dhari Sikh women to perform kirtan sewa (singing of religious hymns) in the Golden Temple.