Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda): Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday appealed the Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh to direct the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee to immediately grant rights to all the TV and radio channels for direct telecast/broadcast of live Gurbani Kirtan from Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. The move aims at ensuring maximum outreach of live kirtan so that none of any devotee is deprived of viewing/listening Gurbani kirtan.

While personally handing over the letter to the Jathedar Sahib at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, CM Channi said that as the Sikh sangat had been craving since long for ‘Khulle Darshan Deedar’ of sacred places left in Pakistan after partition, likewise in the same spirit the devout Sikh sangat always nurtured a keen desire for open telecast of Gurbani kirtan around the clock from Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Meanwhile, CM Channi also assured the Jathedar Sri Akal Takht that Punjab government is ready to bear the entire expenditure of requisite infrastructure for the said purpose. Pointing out further, the Chief Minister said that the SGPC has given exclusive rights to a particular Punjabi channel having sole ownership by a single family, in lieu of partly sum of funds, enjoying absolute monopoly which is totally unfair and unjustified. He mentioned that SGPC with its decision by giving telecast rights especially to one channel has become an obstacle in the way of dissemination of Gurbani kirtan in every household, far and wide across the globe.          

CM Channi also apprised the Jathedar that even the Shiromani Akali Dal in its election manifesto of SGPC polls during 1996 and 2004 made a promise to Sikh sangat that SGPC would set up its own channel for 24×7 live telecast of Gurbani kirtan from Sri Harmandir Sahib. CM Channi implored the Jathedar Sahib to issue necessary directions to the SGPC on this extremely serious and important matter at the earliest.