Easy availability of Saroops on cards for Sikhs in US
Amritsar, Dec 27: With the return of a two-member SGPC delegation to India, the dream of Sikhs living in the US and Canada of getting copies of Guru Granth Sahib in their own countries may soon come true.The delegation, comprising SGPC senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk and secretary Joginder Singh, has already given its report to SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar.
Talking to The Tribune, Joginder said: “The land offered to us at Charlotte in North Carolina for printing of Guru Granth Sahib is quite suitable in terms of road connectivity with Canada and rest of the US. It will enable us to facilitate ‘birs’ and other Gurmat literature in two countries having the most Sikh population outside India.”
The project will cost the SGPC around Rs 5 crore. The 2.5 acre-plot having a double-storied building in Charlotte has been offered by SS Randhawa, an NRI, who was earlier running a motor garage from its premises.
He has also offered to renovate the building as per the requirements.
However, the SGPC is treading cautiously and says it will first consult the experts before making any changes in the structure. It intends to set up the printing facility on the ground floor and binding section on the first floor. The SGPC is also mulling the setting up of a distribution center for disbursal of Sikh literature in Canada.
The delegation also examined the land offered by Shamsher Singh in Washington, which the SGPC wants to utilise for establishing a Sikh mission. It also visited Vancouver in Canada to explore the possibility of setting up of a printing facility, but the land being offered there by an education trust houses a school and it could not be utilised for the purpose.
Makkar confirmed that the SGPC would acquire both pieces of land for the printing facility and the Sikh mission, adding that they would soon be initiating the next step in this regard. The SGPC executive also passed a resolution in this regard on Wednesday.
The SGPC had decided to allow printing of Guru Granth Sahib and other Gurmat literature in foreign countries in August this year following persistent requests from the Sikh Sangat residing there. Earlier, the SGPC used to send Guru Granth Sahib and Gurmat literature to the Sikhs abroad by air and sea.
However, maintaining of “maryada” (Sikh code of conduct) during travel was an arduous task. The SGPC has the exclusive and legal rights for publication of Guru Granth Sahib worldwide.