Man Beaten To Death After Alleged Sacrilege Attempt At Golden Temple

[MenInG]

Chandigarh: A man was beaten to death by a mob after an alleged sacrilege attempt at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the police said on Saturday.

According to reports, the man had jumped over the railing inside the Golden Temple during the daily evening prayer and tried to touch the sword kept in front of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. He was stopped and killed by those present.

TV footage of the incident - the prayers are broadcast everyday - showed people rushing to stop the man:

The police confirmed the man was killed after the incident.

"This evening during prayers, a man jumped the fence and entered the enclosed area. The congregation was offering prayers and bowing down," Parminder Singh Bhandal, the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Amritsar, said.

"The man, about 20 to 25 years of age who had a yellow cloth tied on his head jumped the fence... the people inside held him and escorted him out to the corridor where there was a violent altercation and he died," he said.

"He was alone. All details will be revealed as there are a lot of CCTV cameras in the area and our teams are alert, sifting through footage. Postmortem will be done tomorrow. We will verify where he was from," Mr Bhandal added.

Desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh temples is a highly emotive issue in Punjab and among Sikhs, who view the holy book as their 11th guru. There have several instances of sacrilege in the recent years that have spawned intense outrage as well as political tumult.

The subject was one of flashpoints in the feud between former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu which ultimately resulted in an acrimonious resignation of the former.

The opposition Akali Dal was quick to attack the state's Congress government over Saturday's incident which, it said, was a "deep-rooted conspiracy".

"The state and the central government must look into this. It's a matter of great pain. It's an attempt to weaken Punjab which is the sword arm of India. Some people have made it a political game over the last five years," Akali Dal MP Balwinder Bhunder told NDTV

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/man...lden-temple-2658729#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

[MenInG]

Did he have to be killed?

 

[sweep_shot]

Disappointing to see.

Killing the guy was too much.

What was the guy trying to do though? Was he mentally ill?

 

[street cricketer]

Just read about it a few minutes ago. This incident comes after another man who was lynched recently for an alleged blasphemy incident by the armed tribe of Sikhs (think they're called Nihang Sikhs, who wear blue coloured dress and wield weapons) during the farmer protests. A lot of Sikhs on social media were saying that there's actual footage of him attempting to disecrate their holy book, as if that makes it an understandable reason to murder a man. Sure he was an utter idiot and probably a sad man to try and disrespect the beliefs of millions of people who follow the Sikh faith, but does it really warrant killing him..?

One thing I can't understand with religious people is this. Religious people often say religion teaches morality, ethics and how to conduct oneself in life. I've always wondered about the philosophical questions of life that everyone would've at some point - what's the purpose of life, why we are created, what's the meaning of our life after our death and things like that. Spirituality for me is something that makes us or at least try to make us understand the answers to these questions and feel at peace within ourselves during our short existence on Earth. How is something that pushes people to murder men and women because their beliefs are disrespected and justify those acts, any different from a cult that you see in those bizarre documentaries?

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Very sad incident.Looks like a mentally ill person. But it seems that religion in sub continent has just gone beyond spirituality and into another dogma where the only solution people look for is to kill someone.
Those defending killing him are idiots and heartless, there are other ways to deal with this.
Very very heartbroken and I am speechless.
We have lost it as humans.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

A very brutal and inhumane response

Just read about it a few minutes ago. This incident comes after another man who was lynched recently for an alleged blasphemy incident by the armed tribe of Sikhs (think they're called Nihang Sikhs, who wear blue coloured dress and wield weapons) during the farmer protests. A lot of Sikhs on social media were saying that there's actual footage of him attempting to disecrate their holy book, as if that makes it an understandable reason to murder a man. Sure he was an utter idiot and probably a sad man to try and disrespect the beliefs of millions of people who follow the Sikh faith, but does it really warrant killing him..?

One thing I can't understand with religious people is this. Religious people often say religion teaches morality, ethics and how to conduct oneself in life. I've always wondered about the philosophical questions of life that everyone would've at some point - what's the purpose of life, why we are created, what's the meaning of our life after our death and things like that. Spirituality for me is something that makes us or at least try to make us understand the answers to these questions and feel at peace within ourselves during our short existence on Earth. How is something that pushes people to murder men and women because their beliefs are disrespected and justify those acts, any different from a cult that you see in those bizarre documentaries?

Hypocrisy is life's one true constant

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Lynch mob culture is a trait in India despite the PR gurus on here continually talking up the economy. They are so pathetic they are reduced to referring to historical Indian areas as Pakistan as a means of defence.

 

[Dingolfy]

Mob lynching was even practiced in the West not so long ago. KKK used to lynch people even in the sixties.

 

[MenInG]

Police in the Indian city of Amritsar say a man suspected of trying to commit a sacrilegious act at Sikhism's holiest shrine has been beaten to death.

The incident took place during a prayer service at the city's Golden Temple on Saturday, according to local media.

The man allegedly barged into the inner sanctum, where Sikhism's holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is kept.

He then tried to touch a ceremonial sword placed next to the book, but was overpowered by guards and worshippers.

The scuffle took place at around 17:45 local time (11:45 GMT), and was captured on camera as evening prayers were being broadcast on television.

It is unclear exactly what happened next. Police said the man was found dead once officers arrived at the scene, and an investigation is under way.

In a tweet, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said he had ordered police to "zero in" on the "underlying motive and real conspirators behind this dastardly act".

The incident comes only days after another man was apprehended for allegedly throwing a small Sikh holy book, the Gutka Sahib, into a man-made pool surrounding the temple.

The desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib is a highly emotive issue among the Sikh community.

Several desecrations took place in 2014 and 2015, and it became a major political issue during elections in the Pujab in 2017 and 2019.

The ruling Congress party has been criticised by political opponents, and many Sikhs, for failing to bring justice to previous offenders of desecrations.

Balwinder Bhunder, an MP for opposition party Akali Dal, condemned the latest incident on Saturday, telling local outlet NDTV that it was a deliberate attempt "to weaken Punjab, which is the sword arm of India".

"Some people have made it a political game over the last five years," he added.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-59715937

 

[PakLFC]

Could have removed him peacefully had they wanted.

 

[MenInG]

Could have removed him peacefully had they wanted.

So it seems when it comes to mob violence - there is no rhyme or reason. People act in strange ways.

Am sure lots of people in the temple would be disgusted by what happened when they were there.

 

[MenInG]

And once again

==

New Delhi: A second man was beaten to death in Punjab today over an alleged instance of sacrilege, stoking tension in a state that has barely recovered from the shock of a similar incident in Amritsar's Golden Temple less than 24 hours before.
Residents of Nijampur village in Kapurthala district said they caught the man from a gurdwara early this morning. They alleged that he was seen "disrespecting" the Nishan Sahib (the Sikh flag) around 4 am.

Though the police team reached the spot and took the man into custody, Sikh groups insisted that he be questioned in front of them. The man was killed by the locals after a scuffle with the police.

Cellphone videos from the spot showed the man being beaten up with sticks. The police later took him to the hospital where he was declared dead.

In the Amritsar incident, closed circuit television footage showed the man in his early 20s, who had a yellow cloth tied on his head, jumping over golden railing into the enclosure where the Granth Sahib -- which the Sikhs call their 11th Guru -- is kept. He is then seen picking up a golden sword kept there as the priests sitting at the spot rushed to overpower him. He was beaten to death.

On Wednesday last week, there was another incident in which a man had thrown a holy book 'gutka sahib' into the lake at the Golden temple.

Saturday's incident at the Golden temple – considered the spiritual capital of the Sikhs -- created tension in a state where sacrilege is a highly emotive issue. Ahead of next year's elections, it has adopted political overtones, with the alleged failure of the state's Congress government to address the last series of sacrileges.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kap...om-amritsar-2659460#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

[PakLFC]

So it seems when it comes to mob violence - there is no rhyme or reason. People act in strange ways.

Am sure lots of people in the temple would be disgusted by what happened when they were there.

Sikhs are normally calm and reasonable people. They showed restraint recently when an ignorant Pakistani model took photo's at Kartarpur. It is very much against Sikh nature to act in such a way by killing a man for such a reason.

 

[NishanKonar]

Sikhs are normally calm and reasonable people. They showed restraint recently when an ignorant Pakistani model took photo's at Kartarpur. It is very much against Sikh nature to act in such a way by killing a man for such a reason.

That's bcoz it happened in Pakistan

If the model did that stunt in Amritsar - she wud have paid a very heavy price. Its all about who is in power - like Sialkot incident wud not have happened in India bcoz Muslims don't have that sort of power in India

 

[MenInG]

Sikhs are normally calm and reasonable people. They showed restraint recently when an ignorant Pakistani model took photo's at Kartarpur. It is very much against Sikh nature to act in such a way by killing a man for such a reason.

Spur of the moment type thing.

 

[PakLFC]

That's bcoz it happened in Pakistan

If the model did that stunt in Amritsar - she wud have paid a very heavy price. Its all about who is in power - like Sialkot incident wud not have happened in India bcoz Muslims don't have that sort of power in India

Yeah but the Sikh's could have reacted by attacking a Masjid in India. I do acknowledge their are much fewer Sikh's then Muslim's in India! In this case the man who attempted to desecrate the Sikh holy book was stopped in time then why kill him?

 

[NishanKonar]

Yeah but the Sikh's could have reacted by attacking a Masjid in India. I do acknowledge their are much fewer Sikh's then Muslim's in India! In this case I don't think the man who attempted to desecrate the Sikh holy book was stopped in time then why kill him?

Same reason Sialkot gang murdered the Sri Lankan instead of handing him over to the police. Indians and Pakistanis have this medieval mindset regarding religion and family honor. Which is why we have honor killings and blasphemy lynching. There is this burning thirst for instant justice. Most likely this perpetrator is not Punjabi - else he wud have known there was no way he could have survived after doing something like that.

For Hindus its cows, for Sikhs its Guru Granth sahib and more Muslims its Prophet. Any perceived harm to their sacred relic wud be handed instant justice

ps: There are very few mosques in Punjab - most of them destroyed during 1947 riots. Only 1 city survived - Malerkotla , thats bcoz Sikh Guru Gobind Singh specifically forbidden Sikhs from harming that city bcoz the Nawab of Malerkotla tried to save Guru's sons from execution by the Mughals

 

[Bewal Express]

Terrible and inhumane. Btw what has happened to our Ind friends on this murder?

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Same reason Sialkot gang murdered the Sri Lankan instead of handing him over to the police. Indians and Pakistanis have this medieval mindset regarding religion and family honor. Which is why we have honor killings and blasphemy lynching. There is this burning thirst for instant justice. Most likely this perpetrator is not Punjabi - else he wud have known there was no way he could have survived after doing something like that.

For Hindus its cows, for Sikhs its Guru Granth sahib and more Muslims its Prophet. Any perceived harm to their sacred relic wud be handed instant justice

ps: There are very few mosques in Punjab - most of them destroyed during 1947 riots. Only 1 city survived - Malerkotla , thats bcoz Sikh Guru Gobind Singh specifically forbidden Sikhs from harming that city bcoz the Nawab of Malerkotla tried to save Guru's sons from execution by the Mughals

+1. Fully agree. Also there is a city called Qadian where Ahmadiyya sect originated and they are majority there. The only city I believe in Indian Punjab.

Another shameful incident in Kapurthala. I hang my head in shame today. There are multiple other ways to deal with this.

 

[PakLFC]

Same reason Sialkot gang murdered the Sri Lankan instead of handing him over to the police. Indians and Pakistanis have this medieval mindset regarding religion and family honor. Which is why we have honor killings and blasphemy lynching. There is this burning thirst for instant justice. Most likely this perpetrator is not Punjabi - else he wud have known there was no way he could have survived after doing something like that.

For Hindus its cows, for Sikhs its Guru Granth sahib and more Muslims its Prophet. Any perceived harm to their sacred relic wud be handed instant justice

ps: There are very few mosques in Punjab - most of them destroyed during 1947 riots. Only 1 city survived - Malerkotla , thats bcoz Sikh Guru Gobind Singh specifically forbidden Sikhs from harming that city bcoz the Nawab of Malerkotla tried to save Guru's sons from execution by the Mughals

Point I am making is that amongst the Muslim's, Hindu's and Sikh's I find the Sikh's to be the most tolerant and reasonable people. We hardly hear of them going mad unlike the pother two groups so it is surprising to see them act in such a way.

There are a good number of Sikh's and Masjid's in Delhi yet the Sikh's remained cool over the model issue. I don't think they remained calm over any command by one of their Guru's! Even in Islam the Prophet(SAW) urged us to respect all places of worship yet today's Madrassa educated illiterate Muslim's see blasphemy everywhere.

 

[NishanKonar]

Point I am making is that amongst the Muslim's, Hindu's and Sikh's I find the Sikh's to be the most tolerant and reasonable people. We hardly hear of them going mad unlike the pother two groups so it is surprising to see them act in such a way.

There are a good number of Sikh's and Masjid's in Delhi yet the Sikh's remained cool over the model issue. I don't think they remained calm over any command by one of their Guru's! Even in Islam the Prophet(SAW) urged us to respect all places of worship yet today's Madrassa educated illiterate Muslim's see blasphemy everywhere.

All I can say is you have not met enough Sikhs. You have no idea about the horror stories of he 80s and 90s and gruesome violence meted to people accused of insulting Sikh. If you are accused of beadbi ( Sacrilege in Sikhism ) - its as good as a death sentence for you. Someone will get you

Sikhs do have goodwill and soft power - bcoz they are kinds seen as model minority in India and do a lot of charity and langar service. But when it comes to bigotry and fanaticism - they are no better or worse than Hindus or Muslims

That's why Malerkotla survived horrific partition violence. Bcoz disobeying Guru Gobind Singh's diktat is beadbi and no Sikh wud dare to do it. Hence Sikhs took extra precaution to keep Malerkotla safe while wiping out Muslims from the rest of Punjab and Haryana in 1947

ps : Even Maharaj Ranjit Singh was once accused of beadbi and was sentenced to be punished by flogging at the Golden Temple

 

[PakLFC]

All I can say is you have not met enough Sikhs. You have no idea about the horror stories of he 80s and 90s and gruesome violence meted to people accused of insulting Sikh. If you are accused of beadbi ( Sacrilege in Sikhism ) - its as good as a death sentence for you. Someone will get you

Sikhs do have goodwill and soft power - bcoz they are kinds seen as model minority in India and do a lot of charity and langar service. But when it comes to bigotry and fanaticism - they are no better or worse than Hindus or Muslims

That's why Malerkotla survived horrific partition violence. Bcoz disobeying Guru Gobind Singh's diktat is beadbi and no Sikh wud dare to do it. Hence Sikhs took extra precaution to keep Malerkotla safe while wiping out Muslims from the rest of Punjab and Haryana in 1947

ps : Even Maharaj Ranjit Singh was once accused of beadbi and was sentenced to be punished by flogging at the Golden Temple

I know a good number of Sikhs. Sure they are sensitive about certain issues but I have never seen or heard of them beheading people or forcing others to chant certain things. From my experience they are not in to this kind of thing or forcing people to convert to their religion.

If you leave them alone then they will reciprocate. They also realise insulting other beliefs will mean a terrible backlash on them which is why they never insult the Holy book of other faiths. I also know they have a Nihang group similar to the Pathan's in Islam or Rajput's in Hinduism who consider themselves to be the warriors or hard men not to be messed with.

"Beadbi" or whatever every faith condemns it's believers from attacking all places or worship. I also realise that in the UK and Canada they are often against inter religious marriages especially when the bride is a Sikh. This has often lead to skirmishes at their temples. The are not perfect by any means yet better then the other two groups.

There was a Sikh actress Parminder Nagra accused of "beadbi" who is still alive and living. She married a white guy not giving a damn what her community thinks.

 

[NishanKonar]

I know a good number of Sikhs. Sure they are sensitive about certain issues but I have never seen or heard of them beheading people or forcing others to chant certain things. From my experience they are not in to this kind of thing or forcing people to convert to their religion.

If you leave them alone then they will reciprocate. They also realise insulting other beliefs will mean a terrible backlash on them which is why they never insult the Holy book of other faiths. I also know they have a Nihang group similar to the Pathan's in Islam or Rajput's in Hinduism who consider themselves to be the warriors or hard men not to be messed with.

"Beadbi" or whatever every faith condemns it's believers from attacking all places or worship. I also realise that in the UK and Canada they are often against inter religious marriages especially when the bride is a Sikh. This has often lead to skirmishes at their temples. The are not perfect by any means yet better then the other two groups.

There was a Sikh actress Parminder Nagra accused of "beadbi" who is still alive and living. She married a white guy not giving a damn what her community thinks.

Diaspora groups cannot do much - if they start killing people over blasphemy it will tarnish their image. And the British police wont show any mercy unlike in India where politicians and police are on the defensive

Bit like how TLP does so much nuisance in Pakistan over French cartoons but cannot do much in UK or France

Point is these things have happened in the 80s and 90s. There was 1 particular case in 1984 involving a lady whose body was found in pieces in the sewers outside the Golden Temple. Even the police were horrified at the level of torture. inflicted on her

Recently during farm protest a person was mutilated and tortured brutally before getting murdered over allegations of beadbi. Just google Lakhbir Singh Singhu border murder

My point is Sikhs are just like any other subcontinental group - no better or worse

 

[gazza619]

The killers were possibly those who were inside the temple and as such this makes it even more terrible.

They all need to be hanged!

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The sikh authorities and community generally support the killing.

They are saying the man is a terrorist and many are saying its a case of Hindus trying to cause religious violence.

There are many videos and statements from Sikhs detailing the above.

 

[NishanKonar]

The sikh authorities and community generally support the killing.

They are saying the man is a terrorist and many are saying its a case of Hindus trying to cause religious violence.

There are many videos and statements from Sikhs detailing the above.

These things happen every time before an election to create divide between Hindus and Sikhs and polarize voters

 

[Swashbuckler]

Whole world will change but subcontinent will remain this immoral, disgusting, bigoted, brainless garbage dump a 100 years from now. 1/6th of the world's population but you hardly hear positive stories from this part of the world. Barbaric, uncivilized, hopeless.

 

[MenInG]

A man was beaten to death after he allegedly attempted to commit "sacrilege" inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Saturday evening. The man hailed from Uttar Pradesh and was seen in a video, jumping inside a fence, to reach the Guru Granth Sahib in the Golden Temple.

The incident took place during the evening prayers (Rehraas Sahib). The man jumped from the golden railing inside the sanctum sanctorum, picked a sword and reached near the place where a Sikh priest was reciting the holy Guru Granth Sahib. The man was caught by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force members.

In conversation with Outlook, Harjinder Singh Dhami, President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (who are in charge of themnagement of the Golden Temple) gives us insight into what happened and how at the Golden Temple on Saturday night.


What does 'beadbi' or 'sacrilege' of Guru Granth Sahib Ji mean?

Beadbi means being disrespectful towards Guru Granth Sahib Ji. It can be interpreted in so many ways, ‘beadbi’is an insult to the Gurus, the maryada, Sri Dhan Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj. For instance, when you enter the premises where Guru Granth Sahib Ji or any part of it is kept you have to follow certain rules like covering your head, not wearing shoes, one should be clean, not be under influence of alcohol, should not have smoked or consumed non-vegetarian food. One always needs to wash hands, face and feet before touching Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Even the wrong pronunciation of Gurbani is regarded as ‘beadbi’. In simple words, ‘beadbi’ is being disrespectful and Guru Granth Sahib Ji is our 11th living Guru and being Sikhs, it is our moral responsibility to protect our Guru.

How can a person attempt sacrilege in Golden Temple despite such high security?

Golden Temple is one of the five takhts of Sikhism and a major tourist spot, each day lakhs of people come to visit the holy shrine. Like other days, yesterday too the shrine was fully secured but the accused didn’t come with any weapon. For us, he was part of the Sangat but he had malicious intent and no one we can smell that. He attempted to harm when the evening prayers were going on and everyone during this time are devoted in prayers, their guards were down. He jumped from the railing went for Shri Sahib (sword) and before he could take out the sword our guards took hold of him. This all was recorded on CCTV cameras and since the evening prayers are live telecast on a private channel, this incident was seen by everyone.

But why did the public kill the accused in place of simply handing him over to the police?

The accused was interrogated but he didn’t say a word, neither revealed his identity and we tried to take hold of the situation but the Sangat was too angry. If we tried to prevent something we would have been the culprits of the Sangat too. So, yes, the Sangat did try to interrogate the accused but he didn’t say anything and ultimately, he was killed because the Sangat was in large number and they were really angry.

How can you justify taking the law and order into your own hands?

I cannot justify the incident but we have to pay attention that over 300 cases of sacrilege have been reported in the past six years and the police have tried to investigate it but due to lack of evidence the charges were often dropped and when a person is charged with blasphemy, he/she can be booked only under section 295A of Indian Penal Code, which doesn’t offer strict punishment as blasphemy can vary person to person but sacrilege is the biggest sin in Sikhism. Three days back, a person was accused of ‘beadbi’ of Shri Gutka Sahib, we handed him over to the police... he’s in police remand. We trust the law and order but here in Golden Temple, the situation became volatile as it was done during the Rehraas sahib and there were thousands of angry pilgrims.

How do you think the government can help in this situation?

First of all, the government can help us identify the culprit by DNA testing so that we can investigate why he tried to hurt our religious sentiments. Second, we need strict punishment for sacrilege. There are over 300 cases and it is high time we addressed this issue because this is not just any crime...sacrilege is sin.

So, I demand that the government should introduce life imprisonment for sacrilege.

https://www.outlookindia.com/websit...shment-claims-golden-temple-management/405806

 

[mustang]

Seems like a despicable incident. Don't these temple complexes have cops present? They just stood by and let this happen? Even more horrible if so.

 

[PakLFC]

Diaspora groups cannot do much - if they start killing people over blasphemy it will tarnish their image. And the British police wont show any mercy unlike in India where politicians and police are on the defensive

Bit like how TLP does so much nuisance in Pakistan over French cartoons but cannot do much in UK or France

Point is these things have happened in the 80s and 90s. There was 1 particular case in 1984 involving a lady whose body was found in pieces in the sewers outside the Golden Temple. Even the police were horrified at the level of torture. inflicted on her

Recently during farm protest a person was mutilated and tortured brutally before getting murdered over allegations of beadbi. Just google Lakhbir Singh Singhu border murder

My point is Sikhs are just like any other subcontinental group - no better or worse

Do Sikh's ever call for the murder of non Sikh's or force them to chant pro Sikh slogans like the RSS do? They are fine with people rejecting their Guru's providing it is without insults or abuse. Well Muslim's in the west seem to do plenty one way or another so yes minorities do have a voice too. Most people of the sub continent will get upset if and when their religious figures are attacked. I don't see the Sikhs burning their own houses or property like us Pakistanis do when the Prophet(SAW) is abused by non-Muslim's.

The TPL even RSS can not do much in the west coz they hardly have any representatives here. The few that support them are wise enough to keep their mouths shut. There will be sporadic incidents even amongst the tiny Sikh community in places like Indian Punjab where they live in large numbers, this is to be expected. Large protests also result in incidents that you mentioned such is human nature.

Sikh's are calmer then Hindu's and Muslim's partly because they are much fewer in numbers.

 

[Giannis]

That Pakistani model lucky she didn't do that stunt in India.

Close call.

 

[PakLFC]

So we have the Christian evangelical psycho's who want to accelerate the rapture so that their Jesus can come and murder the infidels.

Then the TPT, Afghan Taliban, Al Qaeda and hundreds more from various Muslim braindead groups who feel the greater the chaos the faster Mahdi will arrive to take us to heaven Not far behind are the RSS and BJP nutters waiting for the devta's to run down from the mountains to establish "Akhand Bharat"! For that to happen Muslim countries must be invaded

The Sikh's were feeling left out from this party so they invited themselves! It's a free for all now with "My merciful God is better then your one!")). To bad the believers have no mercy in their hearts at all.

The world does not even know any more what the Buddhists are doing to the Muslim's of China and Myanmar.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

One bad incident.


Sikhs are one of the most hardworking, loyal, fierce, and a supporter of moral values like equality, brotherhood, and humanity.

 

[PakLFC]

One bad incident.


Sikhs are one of the most hardworking, loyal, fierce, and a supporter of moral values like equality, brotherhood, and humanity.

That is true. It also has to be kept in mind that being so few in numbers it is easy for them to be the good guys.

 

[ExplicitAI]

Extremely sad to see beadbi being taken place, no person should ever have the experience of witnessing such a cowardly act which causes disrespect to their religion. At first I never knew Sikhs used the word beadbi, a lot of Punjabi Muslims use the word to describe sacrilege when it happens to Islam.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

A UK Sikh member of Parliament put out a tweet saying that the person who committed the sacrilege was a Hindu terrorist.

She deleted it quite swiftly.

 

[Stewie]

One bad incident.


Sikhs are one of the most hardworking, loyal, fierce, and a supporter of moral values like equality, brotherhood, and humanity.

Nothing against Sikhs, would just state my observations here: some of them are also known to be easily riled into a lot of violence such as Muslims witnessed during the partitions while trying to make their way to Pakistan.

Their faith teaches extreme patience and forgiveness and calmness… just like Islam does, but it’s the same deal here. The faith is not the one being judged here, it’s some of the adherents who, through their extreme actions being it a bad name. Whether it’s extremist Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs.. you will see this behavior in all sections of the population.

 

[TSA321]

A UK Sikh member of Parliament put out a tweet saying that the person who committed the sacrilege was a Hindu terrorist.

She deleted it quite swiftly.

It’s baffling how much support this lynching has amongst them. On Sikh forums online the vast majority of them seem to be in favour of it.

 

[street cricketer]

Religiously brainwashed justifying lynchings due to blasphemy happens in all religions. But one thing I noticed with this incident. Usually the men of all religions are the most brainwashed and fundamentalist while women tend to be relatively more tolerant. However I saw an almost equal number of Sikh women justifying the lynching, if not more than Sikh men, which was disheartening to see.

 

[MenInG]

Chandigarh: Amarinder Singh - the former Punjab Chief Minister - is the first major political leader to condemn the vigilante killing of two men over claims of religious sacrilege at gurdwaras in Amritsar and Kapurthala.

Mr Singh called the murder of the two men "illegal... absolutely unacceptable".

"Sacrilege is wrong but it is also wrong to kill a person. What is this way? There is the law. If you take the accused to the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, a pan-national organization responsible for the management of gurudwaras) office, interrogate and kill him... Is this the way? This is illegal and this is absolutely unacceptable," the ex-Congress leader was quoted by PTI.

"There is no justification for mob lynching whatsoever... it is condemnable," Mr Singh said.

Asked if the killings were a sign of frustration within the Sikh community over unresolved tension related to the 2015 sacrilege incidents, Amarinder Singh defended his track-record in the matter.

He said the state (when he was Chief Minister of the ruling Congress government) first had to fight a long legal battle to get the inquiry back from the CBI... when the investigation started 22 people, including police officials and civilians, were arrested (but they) are on bail now.

Two men - whom police have not yet identified - were killed by mobs at Amritsar's Golden Temple and a gurdwara in Kapurthala after allegedly desecrating Sikh religious sentiments.

Questions have been raised over the police's handling of each case, particularly after withdrawal of a statement announcing a FIR had been filed in connection with the killings.

Questions have also been raised over the lack of political leaders speaking out against the deaths.

The shocking murders have, so far, drawn muted (at best) reactions from the ruling Congress and major opposition parties - the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Akali Dal - with everyone reluctant to condemn the deaths for fears of a backlash from voters in elections due in a couple of months.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi did tweet today - he attacked the BJP saying "before 2014 the word 'lynching' was practically unheard of', but stopped short of naming the Punjab killings.

Mr Gandhi's tweet triggered a vicious counter-attack from the BJP's Amit Malviya.

SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami was more straightforward. "It is related to the Guru Granth Sahib and not just any social offense. We cannot bluntly condemn..." he told NDTV last night.

Sidhu, meanwhile, has been more direct, but in calling for "public executions" for those accused of religious sacrilege; it is unclear if he was referring to people simply accused of such a crime or those found guilty after being tried in a court of law.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister has called for stricter punishments - but again for those who are found guilty of religious sacrilege. He made no reference to punishments for those involved in mob killings.

Amarinder Singh quit as Chief Minister last month after a protracted and bitter verbal war with rival (and now Congress state unit boss) Navjot Sidhu.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pun...ob-killings-2663926#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

[BreadPakoda]

Shameful. The moderate Sikhs should condemn this.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

It’s baffling how much support this lynching has amongst them. On Sikh forums online the vast majority of them seem to be in favour of it.

Yeah - they are quite unanimous in their support. I was quite surprised at how there wasn't the slightest bit of condemnation towards the attackers.

 

[srh]

If Sikhs are really good people then why they kill so many innocent muslims during India partition in 1947 in India? All those muslims were normal folks who did not do anything wrong. Yet males were brutally murdered, women were raped heck some pregnant women's bellies were cut open and the unborn child was killed first and then those women, kids were killed. It was extremely horrible, the rivers had bodies, the trains had bodies. The Indian subcontinent had not seen such level of violence before.

 

[street cricketer]

If Sikhs are really good people then why they kill so many innocent muslims during India partition in 1947 in India? All those muslims were normal folks who did not do anything wrong. Yet males were brutally murdered, women were raped heck some pregnant women's bellies were cut open and the unborn child was killed first and then those women, kids were killed. It was extremely horrible, the rivers had bodies, the trains had bodies. The Indian subcontinent had not seen such level of violence before.

Partition violence happened both ways. An equal number of hindus and sikhs were killed by muslims. No community was an angel during the partition.

 

[MenInG]

Chandigarh: A man who was beaten to death for an alleged sacrilege attempt in a gurdwara in Punjab's Kapurthala on Sunday had over 30 injury marks on his body, likely inflicted by swords, according to the autopsy report.
The man, who is yet to be identified, had deep cuts on his neck, head, chest and hip, the autopsy report reviewed by senior medical officer Narinder Singh said, news agency PTI reported. The deep cut on the neck is believed to have led the man to become breathless, the report said.

Mr Singh said a five-member group of doctors from the local civil hospital conducted the autopsy. They have taken the man's viscera for chemical test to find out if he was intoxicated. His hair, teeth and blood samples have been taken for a DNA test.

The man was cremated after no one turned up to take the body. No murder case has been filed yet.

The police had on the day of the incident said there was "no visible sign" of sacrilege at the gurdwara in Kapurthala. The killing happened a day after another man was beaten to death over an alleged desecration bid at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

City police chief Surinder Singh told reporters that they have tried to best to find out the identity of the man, but no one came to claim to body. Mr Singh said the police will file a murder case based on the findings of an investigation which is at its early stage.

A case over hurting religious sentiments has been filed by the manager of the gurdwara, Amarjit Singh, who was detained for questioning and released on Sunday night itself. The gurdwara manager alleged he saw the man trying to disrespect the "Nishan Sahib" or religious flag.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/man...rom-swords-2667597#pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I condemn this cowardly act … Innocent people losing lives to vote bank politics and polarisation !! The politics of Hope and Unity must replace the politics of Fear and Division. Divisive force will be defeated by the indomitable spirit of Punjabiyat given to us by Great Gurus <a href="https://t.co/whAqO6DcBS">pic.twitter.com/whAqO6DcBS</a></p>— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sherryontopp/status/1474033982903754758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[srh]

Partition violence happened both ways. An equal number of hindus and sikhs were killed by muslims. No community was an angel during the partition.

False equivalency. This is disgraceful

 

[street cricketer]

False equivalency. This is disgraceful

Why false equivalency?

 

[NishanKonar]

Do Sikh's ever call for the murder of non Sikh's or force them to chant pro Sikh slogans like the RSS do? They are fine with people rejecting their Guru's providing it is without insults or abuse. Well Muslim's in the west seem to do plenty one way or another so yes minorities do have a voice too. Most people of the sub continent will get upset if and when their religious figures are attacked. I don't see the Sikhs burning their own houses or property like us Pakistanis do when the Prophet(SAW) is abused by non-Muslim's.

The TPL even RSS can not do much in the west coz they hardly have any representatives here. The few that support them are wise enough to keep their mouths shut. There will be sporadic incidents even amongst the tiny Sikh community in places like Indian Punjab where they live in large numbers, this is to be expected. Large protests also result in incidents that you mentioned such is human nature.

Sikh's are calmer then Hindu's and Muslim's partly because they are much fewer in numbers.

This is true. Sikhs do not do stuff like forcible conversions in Pakistan by islamist groups or church attacks in India by Bajrang Dal. They are very tolerant in that respect. They will never attack anther faith or religion just like that.

In 1984 when thousands of Sikhs were murdered in Delhi after Indira Gandhi's assassinations - there were no revenge killings in Punjab where Hindus were minority. Even after what happened in the 80s - there is no bitterness towards Hindus

But when it comes to sacrilege or beadbi as they call it - all hell breaks lose. Then there is no mercy

 

[MenInG]

On Saturday, a man jumped over the railings of the sanctum sanctorum of the Golen Temple, Amritsar, picked up the ceremonial sword and reached near a place where a Sikh priest was reciting the holy Guru Granth Sahib. He was caught by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force members. When he was being taken to the SGPC office, the angry "sangat" (congregation) thrashed him badly, which subsequently led to his death. The incident and the lynching of the man has now created a political stir in the poll-bound state.

The incident was condemned by leaders across the political spectrum. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Sigh Channi termed the act "heinous and most unfortunate" and ordered a thorough probe into the matter.

2. 'Nishan Sahib'

Following the incident at the Golden Temple, another man on Sunday morning attempted alleged 'sacrilege' by trying to remove the sacred flag, Nishan Sahib, from atop a gurdwara in Kapurthala district, Punjab. The incident took place in the village of Nizampur where the man was caught and beaten to death inside a room by a gang of youth. However, later the police clarified that it was not 'sacrilege' but an attempt 'to steal'.

3. Earlier in Golden Temple

Last week, another man was apprehended inside the Golden Temple for throwing the 'Gutka Sahib' (smaller version of the Sikh holy book) into the shrine lake. The man was caught by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members and sent to jail.

What is 'beadbi' or 'sacrilege' in Sikhism?

Speaking to Outlook earlier, Harjinder Singh Dhami, President of SGPC said that 'Beadbi' meant being disrespectful towards Guru Granth Sahib Ji. "It can be interpreted in so many ways, ‘beadbi’ is an insult to the Gurus, Sri Dhan Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj," he said, adding, "For instance, when you enter the premises where Guru Granth Sahib Ji or any part of it is kept you have to follow certain rules like covering your head, not wearing shoes, one should be clean, not be under influence of alcohol, should not have smoked or consumed non-vegetarian food. One always needs to wash hands, face and feet before touching Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Even the wrong pronunciation of Gurbani is regarded as beadbi."

A few past incidents of sacrilege

1. Sacrilege in Haryana village

In June earlier this year, a man in Haryana’s Kaithal district was booked for allegedly desecrating the Bir (a physical copy of the holy book) of Guru Granth Sahib at a gurudwara in Paharpur village. During the course of the investigation, CCTV footage revealed that the man had entered the Gurudwara carrying a stick and wearing his shoes. He then lifted the sword kept in front of the palanquin and then kept it back. Further, he threw away the ‘Chaur Sahib’ (the whisk waved over the Granth) and ran away from the gurudwara. Following the sacrilege, the man was identified and a police case was registered against him.

2. Dalit man killed during farmers' protest

Lakhbir Singh, Dalit labour, was lynched, his hand chopped off and the body tied to a metal barricade at a farmers' protest venue at Kundli near the Delhi-Haryana border on October 15. The killing was carried out by a group of Nihangs. In a video clip that had gone viral on social media platforms, some Nihangs were seen standing as the man lied on the ground in a pool of blood with his chopped off left hand lying next to him. The Nihangs claimed responsibility for the attack and said that it was a punishment for disrespecting the holy scripture Sarbloh Granth (sacred text of the Sikhs). The Nihangs later claimed that the government had consistently failed to protect Sikhism from the numerous cases of sacrilege in the past, and hence, they took the law to their own hands to punish the man for committing the "ultimate act of crime".

3. Dera Sacha Sauda chief sacrilege case

Dara Sacha Saud chief Ram Rahim Gurmeet was questioned for the first time in November, early this year, in a sacrilege case dating back to 2015. The Dera head has been accused of theft of the Bir of Guru Granth Sahib from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village on June 1, 2015. The self-styled godman has also been convicted of rape and murder.


What does the law say?

Following the incidents, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has recently written to the central government seeking the approval of President Ram Nath Kovind on two Bills passed by the Punjab government that mandate strict punishment for sacrilege cases.

In 2016, under the pressure of Congress, the then SAD-BJP government brought in a Bill to amend laws of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to deal with sacrilege crime in Punjab.

The amended laws sought to make any sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib punishable by law with life imprisonment. However, it received a backlash from the Centre for excluding other religions.

When Congress came to power, Captain Amarinder Singh set up the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission to investigate the sacrilege incidents of the Guru Granth Sahib along with other religious texts.

With the Commission's recommendations, the amended law was extended to cover all religions.

On August 21, 2018, the Punjab cabinet approved the amendments and on August 28, the same month, the Punjab Assembly Legislative passed the amendments.

The amendments led to the insertion of Section 295AA (Punjab-specific) into the IPC that states “whoever causes injury, damage or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people, shall be punished with imprisonment for life”.

What does the data say?

For the past couple of years, Punjab has consistently topped the chart of the highest number of sacrilege cases. The National Crime Bureau (NCB) data between 2018 and 2020 shows that the number of crimes reported in Punjab under Sections 295 to 297, that deal with sacrilege cases, have been the highest.

https://www.outlookindia.com/websit...s-of-sacrilege-reported-in-recent-past/406399

 

[MenInG]

Chandigarh: There is no evidence of sacrilege in the mob-killing of a man in Punjab's Kapurthala, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said today, shortly before a case of murder was filed against a Gurdwara caretaker.

On Sunday, a man accused of trying to remove the Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag) at a gurdwara in Kapurthala was chased and beaten to death by a mob in the presence of the police.

The caretaker of the Gurdwara, Amarjit Singh, has been arrested and charged with murder. Around 100 unnamed people are also listed in the case; 25 to 30 of them were armed, the police said.

The incident took place a day after another man was beaten to death at the Golden Temple in Amritsar over an alleged sacrilege attempt.

"We did not find any sacrilege attempt in Kapurthala or any evidence to back it. One person ran the Gurdwara. This thing has moved to murder and the inquiry is on. The FIR (already registered in the case) will be amended," Mr Channi told reporters.

The police had also said earlier that it appeared to be a case of theft and that there were "no visible signs of a sacrilege attempt."

The man who was killed has not been identified. His body was taken away in a police gypsy and he was cremated by the city's civic authority.

According to the post-mortem report, he was attacked with a sharp weapon and there were 30 deep cuts on his body.

Initial reports had claimed that this was a second case involving sacrilege in a matter of 48 hours in poll-bound Punjab.

The day before, a man was beaten to death at the Golden Temple after he jumped into an enclosure where the Granth Sahib, revered by Sikhs as their 11th Guru, is kept. He was seen in a video picking up a golden sword as priests rushed to stop him.

As campaigning peaks for state elections early next year, the lynchings in Punjab have caused tension as sacrilege has been an emotive issue in the state.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is campaigning aggressively for his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, has alleged that the killings are an attempt to disturb peace ahead of polls. He has also accused the state's ruling Congress and Mr Channi of failing to address these incidents and punish those responsible.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kap...ingh-channi-2668880#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

[MP2011]

More bigotry on display. Be it Congress ruled or a sanghi ruled, bigotry is still the same. Will we ever manage to win this evil over?

Will the authorities be intelligent enough to treat bigotry as number 1 enemy of humanity?

 

[Major]

If Sikhs are really good people then why they kill so many innocent muslims during India partition in 1947 in India? All those muslims were normal folks who did not do anything wrong. Yet males were brutally murdered, women were raped heck some pregnant women's bellies were cut open and the unborn child was killed first and then those women, kids were killed. It was extremely horrible, the rivers had bodies, the trains had bodies. The Indian subcontinent had not seen such level of violence before.

All three communities were involved in those killings. You cant blame one community. It was a failiure of the british administrative system

 

[Major]

Lynching is a sad part of the culture in subcontinent. Interestingly, you cant do anything you want, but when it comes to religion than people are ready to kill each other

 

[PakLFC]

This is true. Sikhs do not do stuff like forcible conversions in Pakistan by islamist groups or church attacks in India by Bajrang Dal. They are very tolerant in that respect. They will never attack anther faith or religion just like that.

In 1984 when thousands of Sikhs were murdered in Delhi after Indira Gandhi's assassinations - there were no revenge killings in Punjab where Hindus were minority. Even after what happened in the 80s - there is no bitterness towards Hindus

But when it comes to sacrilege or beadbi as they call it - all hell breaks lose. Then there is no mercy

That applies to people of all faiths. There is a line that if crossed will lead to extreme violence for example Muslim's don't tolerate any insults towards our Prophet(SAW). Hindu's have their sensitives as well.

There are no forced conversations in Pak but yes I agree the madrassa educated narrow minded fools do use certain underhand tactics to convert people. These days India is a much worse place for religious minorities then Pak is. I have never heard these madrassa type students to call for the killing of non Muslim's in Pak. It is in India where such things are on the increase.

 

[ex-q-zit]

2 Arrested Over Sacrilege Incident In Gurdwara In Punjab's Jalandhar

Chandigarh: Two persons have been arrested in connection with a sacrilege incident in a Gurdwara in Punjab's Jalandhar district, police said on Monday.

The incident took place in the Gurdwara located in Mansoorpur village in Phillaur on Sunday night, police said.

Two persons, who were said to be migrant labourers, have been arrested for the sacrilege incident, they said.

“Today, the accused related to the sacrilege incident at the Gurdwara Sahib of village Mansoorpur, PS Goraya District Jalandhar (Rural) have been arrested. The case has been registered and investigation is ongoing, the situation is under control,” the Jalandhar Rural Police tweeted.

The accused allegedly tried to break the 'gloak' (money box) and spit tobacco in the Gurdwara.

On learning about the sacrilege incident, villagers reached the spot and demanded strict action against the accused.

Senior Superintendent of Police of Jalandhar Rural, Swarandeep Singh along with other police personnel reached the Gurdwara to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, the incident drew strong condemnation from various political leaders who demanded strict action on the matter.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal dubbed the incident as unpardonable and demanded stringent action in the matter.

“Strongly condemn the heinous act of #sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Gurdwara Singh Sabha in village Mansurpur. I urge CM @bhagwantmann to direct @DGPP DGPPunjabPolice for taking immediate & stringent action against the culprits. This painful act is unpardonable,” Mr Badal tweeted.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also condemned the incident. “We strongly condemn the incident of sacrilege in village Mansurpur near Goraya. Culprits must be accorded exemplary punishment. This is a deliberately provocative act which is unforgivable,” Warring tweeted.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the incident. “Deeply pained to see sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Vill Mansurpur near Goraya. A man spat tobacco after chewing it on the seat. @AAPPunjab is deliberately giving signals to anti-social elements to indulge in communal acts & destroy peace. The worrisome situation in Punjab!,” Mr Sirsa tweeted.

NDTV