Punjabi University suspends 2 officials over disrespect of Mahan Kosh

PATIALA : Police have registered a criminal case against top Punjabi University authorities and the university has suspended two officials, escalating the controversy over the alleged disrespect of Mahan Kosh, the encyclopaedic Sikh reference work authored by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha. The University on Friday suspended Dr H P S Kalra (Incharge, Publication Bureau & Press) and Mahinder Bharti (Director, Environment & Biodiversity Department) for alleged lapses in the destruction of reprinted editions of Mahan Kosh. The university had republished Mahan Kosh in recent years, but scholars flagged numerous mistakes in the new edition.

Meanwhile, Patiala Police booked Vice-Chancellor Dr Jagdeep Singh, Dean Academic Affairs Dr Jaswinder Singh, Registrar Dr Davinder Singh, Dr Kalra, and an unidentified person under Section 298 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which penalises acts of defiling sacred texts. Police said the FIR was filed on the complaint of seven students. On Thursday, the students, led by Yadvinder Singh Yadu and Kuldeep Singh Jhinjar, had accused the university administration of showing "disrespect" to Punjabi language and heritage. They claimed that pits were dug inside the university campus, and bundles of Mahan Kosh copies were being dumped when student organisations intervened. They said that destroying the books in this manner amounted to "sacrilege".

Protests continued throughout the day despite the arrival of university officials. The row erupted after thousands of copies of the reprinted Mahan Kosh were dumped into water-filled pits on the campus, sparking outrage among students and Sikh bodies. Reacting strongly, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) sent a special delegation led by Surjit Singh Garhi to the University. The Jathedar of Akal Takht, which is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, also took serious note of the alleged disrespect shown by Punjabi University, Patiala, and on Friday termed this act highly condemnable and a clear expression of anti-Sikh mentality.

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The SGPC, which is the apex religious body of the Sikhs, slammed the administration for "violating Sikh Maryada" by burying the books instead of consigning them respectfully at Goindwal Sahib. Following SGPC intervention, the remaining copies were transported to Goindwal Sahib, where Giani Pranam Singh, head granthi of Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib, performed Ardas before proper disposal. Garhi said, "Mahan Kosh is not an ordinary publication. It is linked to Sikh heritage and must be treated with utmost reverence. The University's actions show gross insensitivity."

As an act of repentance, Punjabi University announced an Akhand Path Sahib at its campus gurdwara beginning Saturday, with 'bhog' on Monday. The University campus and affiliated colleges remained shut on Friday. Meanwhile, the Akal Takht Jathedar said that Mahan Kosh is an extremely significant Sikh heritage, containing references from the Gurbani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and important details about ancient history and sources. He said this work is a priceless treasure of Sikh literature, which continues to guide researchers interested in Sikh history. He emphasised that if the Punjabi University administration truly intended to handle Sikh literature respectfully, it should have coordinated with the SGPC to make proper arrangements, instead of acting contrary to Sikh tradition and maryada.