wfn.org | WSC-AR Urges UNESCO to Drop Consideration of Siri Darbar

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

WSC-AR Urges UNESCO to Drop Consideration of Siri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar 
for World Heritage Status

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2005

Contact: Dr. Tarunjit Singh, Secretary General, 614-210-0591, 
contact@worldsikhcouncil.org

The World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR) has urged UNESCO and its 
World Heritage Centre to immediately drop the consideration of Siri Darbar 
Sahib, Amritsar for world heritage status.

In a letter addressed to Mr. Francesco Bandarin (Director of UNESCO World 
Heritage Centre), dated March 25, 2005, WSC-AR communicated that pursuing 
this project would entail serious protests by Sikhs around the globe as 
interference in their religious affairs.

The WSC-AR has been in touch with UNESCO since January of 2005. Having 
reviewed the response from UNESCO and the complete three volume nomination 
dossier made available by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee 
(SGPC) at its website, it is the considered opinion of the World Sikh 
Council - America Region that the request to nominate Siri Darbar Sahib as 
a cultural symbol of Indian civilization by the State Party of India is 
mischievous and wrong. The dossier submitted by the State Party in 
collaboration with the SGPC is misleading, has serious flaws, and is 
strongly objected to by Sikhs around the world.

Siri Darbar Sahib, located in the South Asian city of Amritsar, Punjab, is 
the central Sikh place of worship for 25 million Sikhs worldwide. It was 
established by the founders of the faith and holds deep historical and 
spiritual significance for the entire Sikh community spread across the 
globe. The Sikh Diaspora, including large Sikh communities in Europe, North 
America, and the Far East, has not been consulted in this proposal and in 
the preparation of the nomination dossier submitted to UNESCO.

The fundamental argument set forth in the nomination dossier that Siri 
Darbar Sahib represents the cultural heritage and uniqueness of Indian 
civilization is misleading and incorrect. Such claims undermine the 
religious importance of this site and are offensive. The status of Siri 
Darbar Sahib in the Sikh Religion is similar to that of the Kaaba in Islam 
and the Vatican in Roman Catholicism. Kaaba is not a Saudi Arabian cultural 
site but the center of Islam; the Vatican is not an Italian cultural entity 
but the center of the Roman Catholic faith. Neither of these two places is 
on the World Heritage List under Saudi Arabia or Italy. Siri Darbar Sahib 
is the heartthrob of a living faith; it is not an archeological relic or a 
symbol of Indian culture and it is not a cultural tourist site.

Emotionally and spiritually Siri Darbar Sahib has the greatest importance 
to Sikhs worldwide. It is managed by the SGPC as a representative body of 
Sikhs living in Punjab and Haryana states of India. The SGPC does not 
represent Sikhs outside these two Indian states. It certainly does not 
represent Sikhs living outside India. The nomination dossier claims on page 
I-160 and II-27 that "The SGPC is acknowledged as the highest authority in 
religious matters by Sikhs worldwide" and "It [SGPC] takes decisions on 
religious matters which are considered final by all Sikhs." Both these 
statements are false and we take the strongest exception to these claims. 
The SGPC is merely a managing body operating under the laws of the states 
of Punjab and Haryana in India. It has no jurisdiction in matters of faith. 
Siri Akaal Takhat Sahib is that authority.

Since the overall responsibility for the protection of a world heritage 
site lies with the state party, the placing of Siri Darbar Sahib on this 
list would effectively cede control of the site to the Indian government. 
This is an affront to Sikhs everywhere. The Indian Government interference 
in Sikh religious affairs is already considerable because the SGPC has to 
operate under laws made by the Punjab and Haryana state governments. The 
experiences of the Sikh community worldwide over the last two decades have 
shown that the Indian State is attempting to extend not only its control of 
Sikh institutions and places of worship but to rewrite Sikh history and 
undermine the Sikh faith. Sikhs cannot forget the bloody invasion of Siri 
Darbar Sahib in 1984 followed by the attempted reconstruction of Siri Akaal 
Takhat Sahib and the construction of Galiyara (corridor) around the complex 
to ensure ease of armed intervention in the future.

The importance of the highest authority in the Sikh faith, Siri Akaal 
Takhat Sahib, has been significantly understated in the dossier. Decisions 
by Siri Akaal Takhat Sahib taken through a Sikh community consultation 
process (Gurmatta) are respected and followed by all Sikhs worldwide. The 
SGPC has recently been highly politicized. Acting in collusion with and 
under directives from the political establishment in India, this committee 
has undermined the status of Siri Akaal Takhat Sahib and attempted to make 
it subservient. The international Sikh community has been opposed to these 
moves and seeks to restore the position of Siri Akaal Takhat Sahib as the 
supreme authority not subject to the SGPC or the local politicians 
controlling that committee.

In addition, the nomination dossier contains numerous historical 
inaccuracies, factual mistakes, and misinformation about the Sikh faith and 
its history.

We call upon Sikh organizations across the world to write to Mr. Francesco 
Bandarin, Director of UNESCO World Heritage Centre, expressing concerns 
over the proposed project and requesting that the consideration of this 
proposal be dropped.

The WSC-AR is a representative and elected body of Sikh Gurdwaras and 
institutions in the United States. Its members include 36 Gurdwaras (Sikh 
places of worship) and other Sikh institutions across the nation.

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Member Gurdwaras of WSC-AR:
1. Gurdwara Sahib Fremont, Fremont, CA
2. Guru Nanak Sikh Mission, Livingston, CA
3. Sikh Gurdwara of LA, North Hollywood, CA
4. Sikh Gurdwara Riverside, Riverside, CA
5. Colorado Singh Sabha, Denver, CO
6. Guru Singh Sabha of Augusta, Augusta, GA
7. Sikh Study Circle of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
8. Sikh Religious Society of Chicago, Palatine, IL
9. Sikh Society of South, New Orleans, LA
10. Sikh Gurdwara of Michigan, Rochester Hills, MI
11. Sikh Society of Michigan, Madison Heights, MI
12. Guru Nanak Foundation of Jackson, MS
13. Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina, Durham, NC
14. Garden State Sikh Association, Bridgewater, NJ
15. Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Delaware Valley, Sewell, NJ
16. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Glenrock, NJ
17. Sikh Cultural Society Inc., Richmond Hills, NY
18. Sikh Cultural & Edu. Society of Western NY, Buffalo, NY
19. Sikh Religious Society of Dayton, Dayton, OH
20. Guru Nanak Found. of Greater Cleveland, Richfield, OH
21. Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Society, Bedford, OH
22. Guru Nanak Religious Soc. of Central Ohio, Columbus, OH
23. Tristate Sikh Cultural Society, Monroeville, PA
24. Mid South Sikh Sabha, Memphis, TN
25. Sikh Center of Gulf Coast, Houston, TX
26. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Richardson, TX
27. Sikh Gurdwara of North Texas, Garland, TX
28. Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Fairfax, VA
29. Sikh Association of Central Virginia, VA
30. Sikh Religious Society of Wisconsin, Brookfield, WI

Other Sikh Institution Members of WSC-AR:
1. Siri Guru Granth Sahib Found., Anaheim, CA
2. Sikhs Serving America, Topeka, KS
3. Sikh Youth Federation of North America, White Plains, NY
4. Sikh Educational & Religious Foundation, Dublin, OH
5. Sikh Youth Federation of USA, Toledo, OH
6. Academy of Guru Granth Studies, Arlington, TX

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World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR)
P.O. Box 3635, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
Phone: 614-210-0591
Fax: 419-535-6794
E-mail: contact@worldsikhcouncil.org
Website: www.worldsikhcouncil.org

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