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Women raagis hold the stage in Sultanpur Lodhi

At government stage, Dr Inderpreet Kaur recited kirtan, and several school girls, including Paramjit Kaur and group from Singh Sabha Girls School, Abohar (district Fazilka), performed gurmat sangeet.

Women raagis hold the stage in Sultanpur Lodhi Women perform kirtan at Sultanpur Lodhi. (Express photo: Gurmeet Singh)

While Sikh women are not allowed to perform kirtan inside the Golden Temple, women jathas have been holding devotees spellbound with their kirtan and kavishari on religious stages set up both by the SGPC and the Punjab government in the holy town of Sultanpur Lodhi to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

Last Thursday, the state Assembly had passed a resolution demanding for the first time that women be allowed to perform kirtan at the Golden Temple. The final decision on the matter now rests with the SGPC.  Former SGPC president Jagir Kaur, who is incharge of Sultanur Lodhi programmes for the Sikh body, said: “At our pandal majority of shabad kirtan, gurmat sangeet samagam, kirtan darbar and kavishari and other religious programmes are being performed by the women folk.” She added that the Gurus had always given equal opportunities and respect to women.

At government stage too, Dr Inderpreet Kaur recited kirtan, and several school girls, including Paramjit Kaur and group from Singh Sabha Girls School, Abohar (district Fazilka), performed gurmat sangeet. Also, around a dozen raagi jathas of women, including Dr Jasmeet Kaur from Jammu, Bibi Simran Kaur from Ludhiana, Bibi Jasleen Kaur from Delhi and Dr Gurinder Kaur from Delhi, have so far connected the audience with gurbani’s message at the government pandal. Bibi Jagir Kaur said that several women had played unparalleled roles in Sikh history, adding that Guru Nanak’s message was “so kyun manda aakhiye jit jamme rajan”.

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“Guru Nanak Dev ji’s elder sister, Bebe Nanaki, was the first disciple of guru when he got enlightened and also she looked after their parents, and the Guru’s family in his absence when the Guru moved from place to place to spread Sikh religion. She is also remembered as first Gur Sikh woman who had also played an important role in the spread of religion. Because of her contribution, among the seven historical gurdwaras of Sultanpur Lodhi, one is dedicated to her called Bebe Nanki Gurdwara which shows the equality in Sikh religion at that time,” said former SAD minister Upinderjit Kaur from Sultanpur Lodhi.

She added: “Even in the battlefield Sikh women got an equal chance and Mai Bhago is a great example of that. A woman saint-soldier who led Sikh soldiers against Mughals at the time of tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh. There is a Bunga (war tower) at Nanded Sahib and a Gurudwara Tap Asthan Mai Bhago in Karnataka.”

Festive offer

On the resolution by government, she said that she is against any discrimination against women but this matter should be decided by the Akal Takht and the SGPC. Meanwhile, a 600-strong Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, dressed in white, also joined the celebrations at Sultanpur Lodhi. Many professionals, doctors, engineers, and professors of this group from Canada, USA and Kenya are serving langar at Gurudwara Sant Ghat.

First uploaded on: 11-11-2019 at 09:59 IST
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