UK—At a meeting held at Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Southall, Gurdwaras today agreed on a number of issues regarding a consistent approach towards booking of Anand Karaj in Gurdwaras. Sikh Council UK facilitated a meeting in partnership with Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Southall of Gurdwara parbhandaks to discuss protocols regarding Anand Karaj ceremonies.
Over 180 representatives of Gurdwaras from across the UK attended in person with written submissions from many other Gurdwaras, organisations and individuals. In a session lasting over three hours and with contributions from over 50 representatives decisions were reached on several resolutions by consensus. Resolutions agreed allow Gurdwaras to develop a consistent approach towards booking Anand Karaj ceremonies. The meeting began with Sikh Council UK Secretary General circulating and announcing details of proposals that had been put forward and that were to be debated.
Resolutions agreed include:
- That all Sikhs, whether those involved in Gurdwara managements or those who have been involved in protests are all ultimately working to achieve the same ends.
- That only a Sikh in accordance with the Sikh Rehat Maryada definition is allowed to be married in accordance with the Anand Karaj ceremony
- That a person of non-Sikh origin who accepts the Sikh faith should demonstrate formal acceptance of this by including Singh or Kaur in their name.
- That any person of any community which has a historical tradition of following many tenets of the Sikh Faith and regularly engage in religious ceremonies and contribute to the Gurdwaras should be accepted for the Anand Karaj ceremony without question.
- Gurdwaras agree there should be put in place appropriate processes, procedures and resources to allow for education and reflection by couples prior to Anand Karaj booking being confirmed.
- Sikh Council UK is requested to coordinate the development of appropriate education processes, procedures and resources for use by Gurdwaras. Sikh Council UK will involve organisations and individuals including youth organisations in this developmental work.
- Those Sikhs who are involved in protests at Gurdwaras are requested to refrain from any further protests for a period of six months to allow education processes, programmes and resources to be developed and implemented by Gurdwaras.
Sikh Council UK will continue working with Gurdwaras, organisations and individuals to resolve community issues through dialogue in the best interests of the community.
More education and awareness is needed on marriages, grooming, diet, managements, etc. for an inclusive Sikhi Values to be upheld in this era of intolerance and misconceptions .
Regards for all who are taking part in these discussions.
My daughter is a sikh and wants to get married to a Pubjabi Hindu boy according to the Anand Karaj ceremony. Will the Gurudwaras in the UK allow it or do I go to a Hindu temple for the wedding.
By letting out such dictats about Sikhism marriages in Gurudwaras, the already dwindling population of sikhs, you are further alleniating them. And what about the clean shaven sikh boys, will you turn them away from getting married in the UK Gurudwaras.
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Now whose going to enforce these…. NO one. SGPC can’t enforce any of its edicts. A new Uk version will…. We don’t need anymore bureaucracy. Need to go after the root problem. Need to take back the SGPC.
Too much grey areas left – typical of Gurdwara committee decisions. Their second point (That only a Sikh in accordance with the Sikh Rehat Maryada definition is allowed to be married in accordance with the Anand Karaj ceremony) contradicts their fourth (That any person of any community which has a historical tradition of following many tenets of the Sikh Faith and regularly engage in religious ceremonies and contribute to the Gurdwaras should be accepted for the Anand Karaj ceremony without question.. That only a Sikh in accordance with the Sikh Rehat Maryada definition is allowed to be married in accordance with the Anand Karaj ceremony)!
It really is quite simple if you are a Sikh then you entitled to marry another Sikh through the Anand Karaj. If you are not a Sikh then you should be sitting in front of Guru Granth Sahib and circumlocuting him when you have no Sikh faith. I know this upsets those who just want Sikhism to a potpourri of convenience but Guru Gobind Singh himself created a definite identity for the Sikhs which cannot be countermanded by those who lack sufficient faith. This is clearly shown again in the point ‘That a person of non-Sikh origin who accepts the Sikh faith should demonstrate formal acceptance of this by including Singh or Kaur in their name.’ Formal acceptance should be a legal name change by deed poll – if someone isnt even prepared to do that shows the lack of commitment.