Sikh Religious Rights

FIR Against 16 in 328 Missing Saroops Case After Five Years; Former SGPC Chief Secretary Dr. Roop Singh Also Booked

YouTube Suspends SGPC’s Official Gurbani Kirtan Channel for One Week

Beadbi Incident in Samba District of Jammu: Accused Arrested from Nagrota

Sikh Coalition Condemns U.S. Defense Secretary’s Remarks on Grooming Standards

Sikh Jathas to Pakistan: Permission Restored, But With Heavy Restrictions

WSO Condemns Shaving of Elderly Sikh Patient at Brampton Civic Hospital

Sikh Religious Rights

Roll Back Decision to Repeal Nanded Gurdwara Act: Global Sikh Council Warns Maharashtra Govt

June 27, 2026

The Global Sikh Council strongly condemns the Maharashtra Government's move to repeal the historic Nanded Gurdwara Act, calling it a direct attack on Sikh religious autonomy and warning against state control over Takht Sri Hazur Sahib.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Canada: Sikhs Permitted to Wear Kirpan at Toronto and Vancouver Venues

June 12, 2026

In a major win for religious freedom, FIFA World Cup 2026 venues in Toronto and Vancouver will accommodate Sikh spectators wearing the ceremonial kirpan, provided it meets specific size and safety requirements.

American Sikh Council Condemns Henry Nowak Murder & Defends Kirpan

June 11, 2026

The American Sikh Council has released a statement mourning the tragic death of Henry Nowak in Southampton. While welcoming the life sentence for perpetrator Vickrum Digwa, the organization urged the public and political figures not to weaponize the actions of one disturbed individual to stigmatize the broader Sikh community or ban the religious kirpan.

The Warning That Went Unheeded: How a 2007 Memorandum Foreshadowed Today’s Satikar Act Crisis

June 8, 2026

A major political confrontation has emerged in Punjab over the newly enacted Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satikar (Amendment) Act, 2026. The growing deadlock between the AAP-led state government and supreme Sikh institutions, including the SGPC and Sri Akal Takht Sahib, has revived a nineteen-year-old prophetic warning. A 2007 memorandum by the Sikh Students Federation cautioned that inviting a secular state to legislate on Sikh religious affairs would eventually undermine Panthic sovereignty—a foresight many observers argue has now materialized.

Historic Breakthrough: BC Ferries Ends Discriminatory Policy for Sikh Workers

April 30, 2026

Following years of advocacy by the WSO, BC Ferries has removed discriminatory clean-shaven policies, welcoming its first fully bearded Sikh marine engineer and turbaned Deck Officer.

Crown Court Acquits Three in Landmark Case Affirming Sikh Religious Protocols

February 10, 2026

A UK Crown Court has acquitted three individuals in a case relating to the transfer of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from a Hindi temple to Sikh Gurdwara Sahib, reaffirming the Sikh community’s right and responsibility to uphold Gurmat Rehat Maryada, according to a statement issued by the Satikar Committee UK.

Canadian Cities Officially Recognize ‘Saka Nakodar Day’ on 40th Anniversary of Massacre

February 5, 2026

In a historic move acknowledging a four-decade struggle for justice, multiple Canadian municipalities, including Edmonton and Brampton, officially proclaimed February 4, 2026, as "Saka Nakodar Day." The proclamations mark the 40th anniversary of the Nakodar massacre, a tragedy that remains a pivotal chapter in modern Sikh history.

FIR Against 16 in 328 Missing Saroops Case After Five Years; Former SGPC Chief Secretary Dr. Roop Singh Also Booked

December 9, 2025

he Punjab Police on Sunday (7 December 2025) registered an FIR against 16 persons, including the then Chief Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the former Secretary of its Dharam Parchar Committee (DPC), in connection with the case of 328 missing saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

YouTube Suspends SGPC’s Official Gurbani Kirtan Channel for One Week

November 20, 2025

On 19 November 2025, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) reported that YouTube has suspended its official channel, “SGPC, Sri Amritsar” (@sgpcsriamritsar), for one week.

Beadbi Incident in Samba District of Jammu: Accused Arrested from Nagrota

October 9, 2025

A shocking incident of beadbi (sacrilege) was reported from Kaulpur village in Vijaypur tehsil of Jammu’s Samba district, where a man set fire to five sacred Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji during the intervening night of October 7 and 8, around 1 a.m.

Sikh Coalition Condemns U.S. Defense Secretary’s Remarks on Grooming Standards

October 4, 2025

The Sikh Coalition has expressed “anger and deep concern” over remarks made by the U.S. Secretary of Defense earlier this week in Quantico, Virginia, regarding grooming and uniform standards in the military.

Sikh Jathas to Pakistan: Permission Restored, But With Heavy Restrictions

October 3, 2025

The Government of India has decided to allow Sikh jathas to visit Nankana Sahib and other historic Gurdwaras in Pakistan on the occasion of the Parkash Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, scheduled from November 4 to 13, 2025, after having imposed a ban on such travel last month.

WSO Condemns Shaving of Elderly Sikh Patient at Brampton Civic Hospital

September 13, 2024

In a written release dated 11 Sept, the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) that it has written to William Osler Health Systems CEO Dr. Frank Martino, expressing shock and outrage over a deeply troubling incident at Brampton Civic Hospital where an elderly Sikh patient was shaved without permission.