Kirpan or khukri? SGPC & T-Series cross swords over ‘Sikh symbol’ in ‘Yaariyan 2’ song
Chandigarh: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and film giant T-Series have locked horns over the video of a song in an upcoming film Yaariyan 2 which shows a clean shaven, non-turbaned actor sporting what they claim is a kirpan (sword), a prominent symbol of Sikh faith.
While the SGPC has lodged a formal complaint against the company with the Amritsar Police for hurting religious sentiments, the directors of the film — Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru — say that what the SGPC is claiming to be a kirpan is actually a ‘khukri’.
A kirpan is one the five sacred symbols (kakaars) for Sikhs and which every baptised (initiated) Sikh is expected to carry on his person. According to the Sikh code of conduct, a non-baptised Sikh or a non-Sikh cannot wear a kirpan.
A khukri, on the other hand, is a small weapon with no religious significance.
The SGPC manages historical Sikh shrines in Punjab, Himachal and Chandigarh besides monitoring any instances of disrespect to the Sikh religion.
Yaariyan 2 has been produced by T-Series and is expected to release in October this year. Its song ‘Saure Ghar’, released on T-Series’s YouTube channel Sunday, is the one that has become the subject of this controversy.
The song features actor Meezaan Jafri wearing a “gatra” (a special strap used to hold the kirpan) with a knife attached to it. Jafri, who is clean shaven in the song, is wearing the gatra over a white kurta pyjama akin to the way it is worn by baptised Sikhs. The song has already clocked over 15 million views.
In a post on X Monday, the SGPC expressed its objection to the video and threatened “legal proceedings” if it’s not taken down.
“This has seriously hurt the religious sentiments of Sikh community across the globe. Only an initiated Sikh has the right to wear Kirpan as per Sikh Code of Conduct of Akal Takht Sahib and the right given by the Constitution of India. This video song is public at the official @YouTube channel of @TSeries, which must take it down with immediate effect. If any other platform is used to publish this video song with the said objectionable scenes must also take it down…. We request @MIB_India and @GoI_MeitY to ensure this objectionable video or any of such unacceptable scenes of the said film are not cleared for release by the Censor Board of Film Certification @CBFC_MIB @CBFC_India @prasoonjoshi_,” wrote SGPC.
Speaking to ThePrint, Amritsar’s Commissioner of Police Naunihal Singh said his office had received the SGPC’s complaint. “We are looking into the matter,” he said.
