Sacred Sikh Scriptures Recovered, Brought Back to India from Qatar

Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has successfully retrieved the holy ‘saroops’ (scriptures) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib from the Doha police in Qatar. The sacred texts were respectfully preserved at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Gurbaksh Singh, located within the Golden Temple complex.

SGPC Secretary Partap Singh confirmed that the ‘saroops’ arrived at Sri Guru Ramdas International Airport in Amritsar on Wednesday night. Acting promptly, SGPC took custody of the holy scriptures and transported them with reverence in a palanquin carriage to the Gurdwara, where they were respectfully enshrined.

The SGPC has reported the incident to the Akal Takht, with details provided by the SGPC staff who received the ‘saroops’ at the airport.

The issue came to light after the United Kingdom-based Sikh organisation, Bhai Kanhaiya Humanitarian Aid, informed the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. Following this, SGPC engaged with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and the Indian Ambassador to Qatar.

SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed appreciation for the Ministry of External Affairs’ efforts in recovering the ‘saroops’. He acknowledged that the Centre acted promptly upon SGPC’s request to retrieve the holy scriptures from Doha police custody.

The situation stems from the arrest of a Sikh in Doha in December 2023. The individual practiced his faith with the local Sikh community at a gurdwara on his private property in Birkat Al-Awamer. He was detained due to Qatar’s stringent restrictions on non-Islamic religious practices, and while later released, the two ‘saroops’ were confiscated and held at the Al Wakrah police station. SGPC intervened to ensure the respectful return of the sacred scriptures.