Birmingham, UK – On Saturday 28th May 2011, the programme 'Sikh Reports' was aired from 9.30pm to 10pm on the UK’s Sikh Channel (Sky 840) that discussed the Dudley Sikh rally against Guru Nanak Singh Sabha Gurdwara which had arranged a meat and alcohol party in its Sikh Cultural Centre knowing well that UK Sikh community would not tolerate such sacrilege. Although the guests on the show explained the rally and what happened accurately in its correct context, the Channel itself showed a short video clip lasting less than a few minutes from the six hour peaceful rally that portrayed the rally in a negative light. From the actions of Sikh Channel it seems as if their interests are against the sentiments of the Sikh community who are attempting to uphold the sanctity of Sikh institutions.
The half an hour programme aired on Sikh Channel presented by Jagjit Singh, had three guests that were present at the peaceful rally. The guest speakers explained how the rally had been initially called off on the afternoon of Thursday 26th May, after the family that had booked the meat and alcohol party realised that it was against Sikh ethics. The peaceful rally was called again after the community found out that the Gurdwara Committee had arranged another party to defy the Sikh religion and invoke outrage in the UK’s Sikh community.
Protestors Demanding Ban on Meat
(Click to Zoom)
and Alcohol
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Barrels of Alcohol Stored in
the Gurdwara Compound
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The six hour rally was attended by 500 Sikhs which was a mix of young children, men, women and the elderly from across the country. However, the Sikh Channel video footage aired on Saturday night showed small group young Sikhs having a confrontation with the Police. It is beyond belief how irresponsible the Sikh Channel has been in ignoring the Simran, Shabad singing and recital of Chaupai Sahib that happened throughout the protest and instead portray a negative light of the protest in the eyes of viewers through a small clip showing a small element of disorder.
From the clip shown on Sikh Channel, which was shown without the awareness of the guest speakers, the impression given was that the whole rally was aggressive, unruly, and violent, which is far from the truth. We received an email sent to Sikh Channel from Bibi Surinder Kaur Dhesi, former Mayor of Banbury and Councillor, who attended the peaceful rally stating:
If you were going to stoop so low, you could at least shown footage of the party people goading and insulting the Sangat, Police pulling the beard of a Singh, the Police taunting protestors and the Police bringing their dogs very close to the Sangat who were sitting down and reciting Chaupaai Sahib and doing Simran"
Bhai Mandeep Singh from London, who attended the protest stated:
Having been there myself, I didn't even witness that violence, nor violence of any kind. But my mums first impression and fear was that I must've been involved in that violence if I was there. I was then left to explain to my mum that nothing like that occurred while I was there, but her first impression was hard to change.”
If Sikh Channel had planned to show the short video clip of disorder then they should have had enough moral integrity to explain the context that led to the small element of disorder.
The Sikh Channel failed to show the provocation of the Sikh Sangat from the Gurdwara party side which led to a small number of youngsters to charge at the party hall, these include:
2. The party people purposely opened the door and starting blasting Bhangra to drown the sounds of Chaupai Sahib that the Sangat were reciting.
3. The party people came in front of the Sangat sitting on the road and taunted them by saying “Go to the Gurdwara and do your Paath and let us have our party” whilst jeering.
4. The party people roaming freely in the Gurdwara car park threw stones and swearing at the Sangat wanting them to react.
5. After the numerous taunts and disrespect of Gurbani and the Sangat, some youngsters charged at the party people, the party people hid behind the gates of the Gurdwara community hall and began to swear at the Sangat.
6. One of the party goers brought a plate of meat out and starting eating in front of the Sikh Sangat that had come to rally against the sacrilege to invoke further rage.
7. One person from the party purposely came out and said “Come on Singhs take a good photo of me” to provoke the Sangat even more.
8. Two so called "Amritdhari" ladies that wearing Patke were used by the Gurdwara Committee to make meat inside centre for party people.
9. Men drinking alcohol inside the hall, continued to drink alcohol when some of the Sangat entered the hall and began swearing and using obscene language against the Gursikhs.
Secondly, the provocation and mishandling of the situation of the West Midlands Police caused disorder, and added to emotions. In particular:
2. Sikh men had their turbans knocked off by the Police.
3. The Police were using excessive force of pushing and striking people with their baton’s to move the Sangat back.
4. Eye witnesses from the rally witnessed some Police officers saying racist comments to the Sikh Sangat protesting. One officer shouted “This is the Queen’s country. You will follow the Queen’s Rule. This is the Queen’s country…”
5. At least two Police officers who were handling the dogs in front of the Sangat sitting in the road reciting Simran were wearing no number badge to identify them which is illegal.
6. Sikh men were given a dead leg after receiving blows with the Police batons by the stairs leading to the rear entrance of the hall.
7. One Police Officer told an Amritdhari Sikh “What you wearing?” whilst pointing at his Kirpan which was could be slightly seen through his clothes. He said he is wearing a Kirpan (a small Kakkaar Kirpan worn in a Gatra). The Police Officer said, “I am going to take that off you.” Showing the lack of religious training the Police Officers had.
8. The Police were disorganised and were not able to promptly arrange dialogue between the offending party people and the Sikh community.
9. Some of the Police Officers didn’t know what the protest was about and were confused what is happening, which is very dangerous. As a result of this some of the Police were handling the situation insensitively and heavy handily which people found intolerable.
If the Sikh Channel relies on the financial support of the Sikh community then they have a moral and ethical duty to portray a true picture of events and in its appropriate context. To add further fuel to the fire the Sikh Channel’s Official Facebook status showed support for the party goers and condemned the rallying Sikhs.
The Sikh Channel which does countless appeals for donations and direct debits has countless times disrespected the Sangat and played the Sikh community. It has aired controversial programmes that have gone against Sri Akal Takht Sahib’s Hukamnamas (edicts), they have had shows where the presenters have raked up controversial Panthic issues to hurt the sentiments of Sikhs within the community, they have shown Katha that insulting Gursikhs, Panj Pyaare and Sri Akaal Takht Sahib over Mool Mantar, they had a RSS affiliated person presenting a weekly programme, and now they have back stabbed the Sikh community with their video footage and Facebook official comments.
We have received emails from several members of the public who were disgusted at Sikh Channel's behavior, one of them warned:
It is sad that the mainstream media are calling the Sikh community that attended the peaceful rally “Sikh militants” and yet when there were student violent protests in London this year the mainstream media labelled them as a “small minority of troublemakers” and “a small hand of people that caused disorder”. It is interesting that although the students protesting in Central London smashed windows, attacked the Police, graffitied walls and attempted to break into Government buildings they were not brandished “hardliners” or “militants.”
Where the minority Sikh community has little influence on the bias reporting of the mainstream media Panthic.org hopes that Sikh Channel realises its Panthic responsibility and portrays accurate news. Furthermore we hope that Sikh Channel sorts it self out before it is too late and loses all support from the Sikh community.
I am glad that this issue has been brought to light. It is shame that where the Sikh Channel has been doing so well that it keeps making these blunders with the aim of increasing viewers.
I have cancelled my direct debit.
There is no denying that there was an element of disorder at the protest by a small group of lads but the press coverage has just shown how Sikhs will always be portayed in the media. It's too easy to get the "militant" label, even our own Sikh Channel is willing to do it.
I attended the protest and so did hundreds of others. I know what it was like in general, it was a peaceful day of Chaupai Sahibs and Naam Simran.
The Sikh channel has always been surrounded by controversial issues. Their focus has always been more on how to make money. When Sikh charities or organisations ask them for help, their first response is always "it will cost you X pounds". I think we need to identify the channels that will represent Sikhs in the correct light, and stop supporting Sikh Channel. After all, their agenda doesn't seem to match or honour the Panth's best interests.
Shame ! Shame !!
How can anyone continue to associate with such a news channel? And that too when they call themselves the Sikh Channel. Do they at all have any idea Who a Sikh is?
Congratulations! Mr. G. Singh on stopping ur direct debit.
A SMALL SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE : for any such events and protests do remember to depute some volunteers with camcorders who can record such events and post them on YouTube also apart from facebook etc.
With presence of such recording personnel am sure the police too will be a little cautious as how to behave and conduct themselves
waheguru ji ka khalsa, waheguru ji ki fateh !!
Great article, however, you forgot to mention that the sikh channel handed over the footage of the protest to the police, to have the Singhs arrested!!! The police asked Sikh TV, and Sangat TV and they refused because they aren't willing to backstab their own community!
Not even the BBC hand over their footage to the police when their is a protest, because even they have some respect for the viewers!! ... waheguru... I used to be a fan of the channel... still love the "youth show" on every sunday... however i would( if i had one ) cancel my direct debits to them.... the maya (money) is better spent at SOPW website or Khalsa Aid :) .
I'm no vidhvan, but even i can smell something fishy.
I demand to see a reduced number of Direct Debits!
Boycott Sikh Channel.
We were sitting at home that night and watching Sikh Channel, we got ashamed!!!!! Ehe report was very very bad, something that the anti-Sikh Indian media would report in India! Sikh Channel done the job for them, people already call us violent terroists and Sikh Channel has given them priceless fuel, which will cost us in the future, sangat needs to wake up!
This is a money making channel from day one!! Nothing more and nothing less, but bad fate of the sikhs were sucked in, they have brought " millions of sikhs togther" and taken millions of pounds and beat you up at the same situation, but we will never learn, its to late, are so called 'Khalistani groups' are in the game to with them.
Sikh Channel have done some very positive work for the Sikh Community. However, I strongly feel that the coverage was very bias and portrayed the whole issue negatively.
Our Gurdwara is fully supportive of the Satkaar Campaign to stop meat and alcohol on the premises of the Gurdwaras in the form of party halls. No representative from our Gurdwara attended the protest, that is not to say we did not support the fellow Sikhs who did go an protest against the sacrilege occuring in Dudley.
I fully understand that there was some commotion and damage to the property which is inexcusable. However, I strongly object to the coverage our own Sikh Channel gave to the protest. All they have done is shown that this media will always be bias and never really represent the Sikh voice.
I have been reading your website for the last 4 yrears approximately. I think you have been doing a good job.
Recently you have been encouraging Sikhs not to support Sikh channel. Sikh channel has been only been in existance for 2 years only and has done millons times more than you have done for Sikhism. You have made a big issue of Sikh Channel about there coverage about the Dudley Gurudwara protest.
They showed the main parts. They can not show the full 5 hours peacefull programme? So try to unite the Sikh and not disunite?
What has Sikh Channel done 4 us?
Slow poison! And very Panthic at the same time?
This is the reason why Sikhs cannot unite. They jump up and down very quickly. Did anyone actually speak to Sikh channel to express the concerns and sort them out? I have seen them mention that they are ready to take on the fines and help anyone embroiled with that day's protest.
Also has anyone communicated concerns with the local police there as they appeared so disorganized? There is so much being done about 1984, etc openly which no money making channel would risk doing. So to err is human but to sort things out between each other is above that especially now so needed Sikh brotherhood.
Let's not jump to criticize even if it may be valid. I agree with Bhajan Singhji ....see how much coverage there is on important issues.
Thanks for revealing the truth- just goes to show the bigger enemy than the Sikh channel is our own people who have lost the plot and want to eat meat/drink alchol in Gurdwaras- shame, shame. By the way any organisation that want to screw the innocent Sikhs for money should be boycotted- my DD is cancelled too.
It is difficult to tell who is biased in the reports.
There are a number of negative reports about the SC840 channel although it has had a few scoops which the other channels have missed. The comments here raise more doubts.
I feel one of the ways to resolve this is to request the three channels to set aside about half to one hour a week or fortnight where the channel head or representative answers viewers questions either sent by post or email or another way. This could help their cause and if they are genuinely doing something good for Sikh community then the direct debits will increase otherwise not.