Balancing Miri Piri: Before Punjab’s Anti-Sacrilege Law, Akal Takht Objected To These Legislations

Last Updated:June 30, 2026, 12:20 IST

Has the Akal Takht objected to any other law before? What is Miri Piri? News18 explains.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj on Monday directed the Punjab government to remove objectionable clauses in the anti-sacrilege law in keeping with Sikh sentiments within a month, as Sikh MLAs, including ministers, from the state appeared before the highest seat of Sikhism after being summoned.

Has the Akal Takht objected to any other law before? News18 explains.

THE AKAL TAKHT’s STANCE: WHAT IS MIRI PIRI?

The Akal Takht has repeatedly objected to state and Central laws when it believes they infringe upon Sikh religious sovereignty, traditions, or the autonomy of Sikh institutions. As the supreme temporal seat of Sikhism, the Akal Takht operates on the principle of Miri Piri. It has maintained that state legislation affecting Sikh affairs should not be enacted without consultation with Sikh religious institutions.

Miri Piri is a foundational Sikh doctrine establishing the inseparable balance between temporal (worldly) power and spiritual authority. Introduced in 1606 by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, the sixth Sikh Guru, the philosophy dictates that a complete life requires both active societal engagement and deep spiritual devotion.

Miri: Derived from the Persian word Amir (governor or king), representing political power, social justice, and governance.

Piri: Derived from the Persian word Pir (saint or spiritual guide), representing spiritual wisdom, devotion, and moral integrity

THE LAWS AKAL TAKHT OBJECTED TO

1. THE ANTI-SACRILEGE LAW (2026)

The Akal Takht objected to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, passed by the Punjab Assembly. While the clergy backed harsher punishments for desecration, it strongly opposed clauses that brought granthis, gurdwara committees, and sewadars (volunteers) into its legal framework.

The Objections: The Akal Takht rejected the state’s use of the term “custodian" for caretakers, stating that humans cannot be custodians of the Guru. It also opposed assigning unique electronic identification numbers or maintaining a central digital registry of copies (birs) of the Guru Granth Sahib, citing privacy and security concerns.

Addressing the lawmakers at the Akal Takht, Jathedar Gargajj pointed out several objections to the law and asked the state to keep the implementation of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, on hold until suitable amendments are made.

Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Jathedar gave the Punjab government one month to examine the proposed amendments and suggestions. The proposed amendments and recommendations would be formally communicated through the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

“Once the proposed amendments are received from Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the government will examine them in detail and, after due deliberation, take an appropriate decision," he said.

2. THE SIKH GURDWARAS ACT AMENDMENT (2023)

The Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) strongly opposed an amendment pushed by the Punjab government to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. The state government sought to mandate the free-to-air telecast of Gurbani from the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) to end a commercial monopoly.

The Objection: The Akal Takht termed this direct “state interference" in Sikh religious affairs. It argued that, according to the 1959 Nehru-Tara Singh understanding, any amendment to gurdwara management laws requires the explicit consent of the SGPC general house, which the government had bypassed.

3. COLONIAL-ERA GURDWARA BILLS (1920s)

During the Akali movement, the Sikh clergy and leadership continuously opposed British-legislated bills regarding shrine management.

The Objection: In 1922, when the British government introduced the Sikh Gurdwaras and Shrines Bill, the Sikh leadership objected to the state’s proposal to reserve the right to appoint board members.

Persistent Sikh resistance led the colonial government to abandon earlier proposals before eventually enacting the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, which vested the management of major historical Sikh gurdwaras in an elected Sikh body.

4. Overreach of Preventive Laws

The Akal Takht has routinely issued formal objections and hukamnamas (religious edicts) against Central and state security laws when they have been applied allegedly indiscriminately against Sikh youth. It has also demanded that governments stop using laws such as the National Security Act (NSA) and the now-repealed Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), alleging that innocent people were falsely implicated.

With PTI inputs

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Manjiri Joshi

At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci...Read More

News explainers Balancing Miri Piri: Before Punjab’s Anti-Sacrilege Law, Akal Takht Objected To These Legislations

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