Dudley, UK – 16 June 2011
Dudley National Anti-Beadbi Rally media coverage and the Satkaar Campaign going forward
Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Kee Fateh!
The Sangat will be aware that there was widespread coverage of the National Anti-Beadbi Rally in Dudley on Saturday 28 May 2011, not only in the Punjabi media but also in the mainstream/English local and national media. The coverage was mixed with both positive and negative reporting of the rally. We attach below a flavour of the reporting with three articles from the Punjab Times, The Asian Today and the BBC News website.
The most disappointing element of most of the coverage was the failure to provide sufficient background or context as to the reason why large numbers of the UK Sangat (on only 12 hours notice) came to the rally, the misrepresentation of the rally as being violent and disorderly when in fact it began and remained in large part peaceful in nature and, in a minority of cases, the sensationalised reporting of the rally in which all Sikhs who attended were labelled as "militants" or "fundamentalists". We attach a letter (see below) that we have written to the BBC regarding its coverage of the rally.
The Satkaar Campaign Sevadaars were in dialogue with the media before the rally and have been subsequently too but realise that further and more sustained engagement is needed to effectively communicate the aims of the Satkaar Campaign to the Sikh and wider community. However, we also appreciate that certain sections of the media have only been, and will continue only to be, interested in reporting sensationalised stories, no matter how much we engage with them, as this produces a more interesting story for them. No matter how much the Sikh community dislikes this, we can continue to expect this from certain sections of the English media until the Sikh community more generally improves its influence within the media. However, we would hope and expect "Sikh" media to be more responsible and provide balanced coverage (which in certain circumstances, was not the case).
Since the Dudley National Anti-Beadbi Rally took place, the Satkaar Campaign Sevadaars have been overwhelmed with: (i) the positive support and encouragement that the general UK Sangat has provided, and (ii) the Panthic unity and momentum that is continuing to build amongst the UK Sangat to ensure that the 2006 Sandesh is applied in all UK Gurdwaras.
Going forward, the Satkaar Campaign, which is led and guided by the UK Sangat, will continue to remain focused on raising awareness of the gross sacrilege that a small minority of Gurdwara committees in the UK are continuing to commit by permitting the consumption of meat and alcohol on Gurdwara owned or related premises. The Satkaar Campaign will continue working positively with all Sikh communities to PEACEFULLY eradicate the consumption of meat and alcohol from all Gurdwara premises throughout the country.
The Satkaar Campaign has learnt many lessons from the Dudley rally on how to improve things for the future, and undoubtedly, different approaches will be necessitated going forward. As it is a Sangat-led Campaign, the Sevadaars continue to welcome the Sangat's constructive feedback and positive engagement in respect of the Satkaar Campaign and issues relating to the Satkaar of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaaj.
With Guru Sahib Ji's blessings and the continued support of the Sangat, to date, 5 Gurdwaras have stopped meat, alcohol, tobacco, dancing and parties at halls owned by or linked to such Gurdwaras since the Sangat collectively did an Ardaas on this issue at Grays Gurdwara on 16 October 2010. The Satkaar Campaign Sevadaars are in continued dialogue with further Gurdwara committees too, and we hope to bring further positive news to the UK Sangat in the near future.
Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Kee Fateh!
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Media articles:
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Media articles:
Letter sent to BBC Complaints
12 June 2011
BBC Complaints
Dear Sirs
We write in response to your coverage of a rally attended by members of the Sikh community at the Sikh Cultural Centre in Dudley on 28 May 2011 specifically your article titled "Pc and two others hurt in Sikh cultural centre protest" which you published on the BBC news website at
http://www.bbc.co.uk...ingham-13587198
We were disappointed with your coverage and concerned about the following errors, omissions and inaccuracies –
1. Your article misrepresented the nature of the rally which remained largely peaceful and was attended by Sikh men, women and children including representatives of various Sikh Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations from across the country. The rally lasted approximately six hours and involved those attending sitting down in front of the Sikh Cultural Centre and reciting prayers to raise awareness of the gross sacrilege that was taking place at the Centre. The vast majority of those who attended remained peaceful.
Your coverage of the rally can be contrasted with the way you have reported other protests for example the student protests in London earlier this year in which students were protesting in respect of increased tuition fees. These protests involved considerable violence and damage to property but you were rightly clear in differentiating the majority of peaceful protesters from the small handful that caused disorder.
2. Your article failed to mention that the element of disorder which broke out at the rally followed deliberate goading and provocation of the protesters by those attending the party at the Sikh Cultural Centre. Prior to that point the rally had been entirely peaceful with those attending sitting down and reciting prayers as mentioned. This is a factually accurate statement which has subsequently been confirmed to representatives of the Sikh community by West Midlands Police.
3. Your article failed to make clear the reason why members of the Sikh community attended the rally. Specifically you failed to mention that the Guru Nanak Singh Sabha (GNSS) Gurdwara Dudley which owns and administers the Sikh Cultural Centre had booked a party at the Centre on that day at which the consumption of meat and alcohol was going to be permitted. Your article further failed to mention that the consumption of meat, alcohol and other intoxicants in premises owned or related to a Sikh Gurdwara is a grossly sacrilegious act going against the fundamental tenants of the Sikh religion. Your article failed to mention that the rally had be called to raise awareness of the Sandesh (edict) issued by the Akal Takht (the supreme temporal authority of the Sikh religion) in 2006 which confirms that parties with meat and alcohol are prohibited on premises owned or related to a Gurdwara.
4. Your article stated by way of a quote that "a majority of the trustees are saying that at present there is no links between the temple and the community centre and it's a separate organisation". This is a highly misleading and inaccurate statement as there is irrefutable evidence that the Sikh Cultural Centre is an inexorable part of the Sikh Gurdwara in Dudley having been bought, administered and maintained by the Gurdwara. Your article failed to mention that the trustees and members of the management committee of the GNSS Gurdwara present at the rally confirmed in writing that the Centre was owned by the GNSS Gurdwara.
5. Your article failed to provide the background or context which led up to the rally. Specifically you failed to mention the numerous attempts made over a period of five months by a wide range of other Sikh Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations from the region and beyond to initiate dialogue with the GNSS Gurdwara management committee in respect of the use of the Sikh Cultural Centre. These attempts were made directly and by way of the West Midlands Police but all such attempts at dialogue were rebuffed with the GNSS Gurdwara refusing to even meet with members of the Sikh community.
6. Your article also failed to provide the background to the booking of the party at the Sikh Cultural Centre on 28 May 2011. The initial party booking was made by a family in respect of a pre-wedding function. A peaceful rally was originally called by the Sikh community to take place outside the Sikh Cultural Centre on that date to raise awareness of the sacrilege that was to occur in the sacred properties of the Gurdwara and how this is offending and hurting Sikh sentiments.
However, members of the family who had booked the party met with representatives of the Sikh community on 25 May 2011 and agreed to find an alternative venue and cancel the party. Having found an alternative venue the family duly cancelled its party booking at the Sikh Cultural Centre. This in turn led to the Sikh community cancelling the original rally.
However, for some reason which can only be interpreted as a defiant and deliberate attempt to play with the sentiments of the Sikh community, another party booking was arranged at the Sikh Cultural Centre by the GNSS Gurdwara to take place on 28 May 2011. This was confirmed by West Midlands Police to Sikh community leaders on the evening of Friday 27 May 2011. It is widely believed that the booking was made by a committee member of the GNSS Gurdwara itself although this has not been confirmed.
7. As far as we are aware you did not prior to publishing your article contact the organisers of the rally or representatives of other Sikh organisations who attended the rally. If you had done so you would have no doubt been made aware of the above issues and the background to the rally. As a national and publically funded broadcaster the BBC has a duty to ensure the accuracy of its reporting and not to mislead the wider public by inaccurate or incomplete reporting of events. You may be aware that your coverage was followed by grossly distorted and sensationalised reporting of the rally in the local and national press which used terms such as "militant Sikhs" to describe those who attended the rally.
All the above has disappointed and frustrated the wider Sikh community and we trust that you will investigate the concerns raised.
If you have any queries please feel to contact us. Our contact details and further information about us and the rally in Dudley can be found on our website http://www.satkaarca...gn.blogspot.com
We look forward to your response.
Yours faithfully
Satkaar Campaign
*Click here to download letter to BBC*
