GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 24

The Chinese version of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is in the making. The multi-volume translated scripture will be in a descriptive format.

This was disclosed by Kulbir Singh Khalsa, chief of the US-based Sikh Dharma International (SDI) founded by his father Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi, popularly known as Yogi Bhajan.

A delegation from various countries under the banner of SDI is in Amritsar to take part in the celebrations chalked out by the SGPC to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Ram Das, founder of the holy city.

The SDI also launched its online SikhNet learning courses for the benefit of “digital sangat”.

Japuji Sahib has already been translated into Chinese. Khalsa said thousands of people from the UK, US, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Russia and India were associated with the SDI.

“We have members from at least 20 countries. Looking at Chinese people’s curiosity on Japuji Sahib and ‘Dhan Dhan Guru Ram Das mantra’, it was translated into Chinese. Experts are now making efforts to translate Guru Granth Sahib into that language. It will be in several volumes,” he said.

SGPC chief secretary Dr Roop Singh said it was good that the Gurus’ teachings were being spread across the globe.

“The translation or transliteration of the holy book can be done under strict supervision only and it cannot be in the single-book form. We have copies translated into English and Spanish, but now it’s going to be in Chinese too. The ‘parkash’ initiation can only be performed in the presence of the holy book in the Gurmukhi script in the single-book form,” he said.

SikhNet board member Dr Harjot Kaur claimed around 3,000 persons from various countries had already enrolled for the online digital learning course.

Foreign Sikh activists emphasised there should be no gender discrimination regarding the initiation of Sikh rituals.

They demanded that Sikh women should not be restricted from performing “kirtan” in the Golden Temple.