CCTV shows a member of the Gurdwara Committee ushering Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji without other members present doing Chaur Sahib -
:dateline:It has come to the attention of Sikh24 that on�Wednesday December 2, 2015, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Crawley, was shut down and Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s saroop were taken unceremoniously, without the wider consultation or knowledge of the local Sikh congregation.
Sources have revealed that 10 to 15 members of the committee entered the Gurdwara around lunchtime, and it is claimed, that the Gurdwara Granthi Singh was intimidated and harassed to unceremoniously move Guru Granth Sahib Ji�s saroops to a new location. We have learned that the Granthi Singh refused to carry out these orders which were not approved by the local congregation. Being concerned about these secretive and forceful actions, the Granthi Singh made contact with wider members of the Sangat to inform them of what was happening.
We now understand that this� new location was a refurbished pub, which the current Gurdwara Committee has purchased in a move to replace the current Gurdwara, situated on Spencers Road, Crawley.
The proposed new site has been registered under the name of community centre. There is controversy within the local Sikh community whether the current Gurdwara should be relocated to the new site. Therefore, on December 2,�a secretive and forceful shutdown, came as a shock to the local Sikh community.�
A local resident has told Sikh24 that, “there is no objection in improving the Sikh place of worship, however this move should be agreed upon within the local congregation. It is deeply concerning that this move was done in secrecy, on a weekday, when local congregation members could not participate.”
Local members of the Sikh congregation discovered that the�Gurdwara�Sahib had been locked without any prior notification and the Police were situated outside. Elderly citizens who regularly visit the Gurdwara�Sahib were left confused at what was happening.
The Gurdwara�Sahib’s CCTV footage has revealed that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s saroops were all taken without any due respect and Maryada. A picture from the CCTV footage, which has been circulated on social media, shows that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is being carried by a single individual, without anybody performing chaur seva despite there being committee members on site available to do seva.�
A local Sikh commented on the CCTV photo, “If Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is being taken to a new Gurdwara, shouldn’t this be celebrated on a grand scale, as other Gurdwara’s that relocate have done so in the past, with the whole of the Sikh congregation participating. With this whole relocation taking place in secrecy, it makes you wonder what the current management committee is trying to hide from the local congregation”.
Incidentally, there was also, what appeared to be, a very suspicious burglary at�this�Gurdwara Sahib only one month ago, where CCTV was coincidentally switched off during the exact time of burglary. Whether these incidents are connected or not remains to be seen.
As some one who has gone to this gurdwara every couple of months for the last ten years I am happy to comment / give my view. The new venue was discussed for some time as the site if the new gurdwara. So moving to the new site was always going to happen. Fact. The sangat is relatively small and this just people posturing, two people on each side and the whole community being made a laughing stock. All that will happen is those who come from outside Crawley will go to another gurdwara where they know how to behave. Shame on all of you. We all lose here.
I agree this act was wrong,but was taken so no trouble will be caused when moving.Most of the sangat have agreed to move to the new site.The vote of 91 percent to move must be implemented and the few that wish to remain should consider what is best for all the sangat and that the Sikh community is growing in Crawley.We also need some sort of income and by leasing the west green site it will also befit the Gudwara with an income.
This seems like a fair account. As told to the sangat today, the police were threatening arrest of persons that were in the gurdwara at the time. The police have since apologised for this. An “apology” was given today by the person in the picture, but none of the other accomplices appeared. There was no mention of reasoning for this cowardly act were given. Who knows what other divisive tactics these persons will do next. With two sites the damage has been done…
In agreement with everything Kulvanth Kaur and M Singh have said. As told to the Sangat today, the police were threatening arrest of persons that were in the Gurdwara at the time. The police have since apologised for this. An “apology” was given today by the person in the picture, but none of the other accomplices appeared. No mention of reasoning for this cowardly act were given. As everything has been kept close and private, who knows what is really happening or what other dividing tactics these persons will do next for their personal agendas. With two sites in use, in the damage has been done.
Watch the full report tonight on the Sikh channel
Sikhs are the only ones who can defeat ISIS
^you were probably exploding for years to make that comment. Well you will get a good nights sleep tonight lol.
There are some Committee members of this Gurdwara which local Sangat believe are linked to RSS or have RSS agenda.
Is there clear evidence of that..? or any clear indication? just curious.
So did the RSS or Badal do this also?????
This is a highly bias account taken from one side, agreed the sggs was taken out in the wrong way, but Noone was harassed.
So what is the other version of events.. there is NO censorship in play here. The Sangat missing? Being done on a week day? Coincidental switching off..cameras during burglary? Not inviting sangat or informing them? Having police put at the door? Not listening to the Granthi? Trying to compel him?
Is it all LIES? Annon?
How credible will your posting be.. with an anonymous ID?
Not only are you not a Sikh because you don’t have the courage to leave your name but you refer to Sri Guru Granth Sahib as ‘SGGS’! Your disrespect compounds their obvious sacrilege and God sees both.