The Sikh Council UK is concernedby recent events at some Gurdwaras where Anand Karaj ceremonieshave taken place whereone partneris not of Sikh origin and also by the protests thathave taken place in an attempt to stop these ceremonies.
Sikh Council UK believes there is a clear distinction between the act of marriage in the UK which is a civil act and defined and carried out in accordance with the laws of the UK and the religious Anand Karaj ceremony which is pursued in addition by Sikhs.
The recent protests have resulted in increasingly acrimonious rhetoric which is damaging to relations within the community and will not assist in resolving these issues. Sikh Council UK believes there is no place for any behaviour or rhetoric in Gurdwaras that is aggressive and would ask individuals and organisations including Gurdwara managements to carefully consider the impact of their speech and actions on the wider community. Sikh Council UK believes there is no place for violent behaviour in Gurdwaras.
In October 2014, Sikh Council UK approved and published guidelines to help develop a consistent approach towards Anand Karaj ceremonies where one partner is not of Sikh origin. The guidelines were developed over two years and following four rounds of comprehensive consultation with all sectors of the community including Gurdwara managements, Sikh organisations and individuals.
The guidance was prepared in response to requests from Gurdwaras for assistance in reconciling different aspects of established Sikh beliefs with practices that had developed over a period of time. In preparing the guidance detailed consideration was given to four
key aspects:
1. The teachings of Gurbani and of the Gurus.
2. The requirements of the adopted Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of conduct and conventions).
3. The requirements of the Sandesh (clarifying edict) issued by Sri Akal Takhat Sahib (the temporal authority for Sikhs based in Amritsar) in 2007 on this subject.
4. The practice amongst some communities who have a historical tradition of following many tenets of the Sikh faith and regularly engage in Sikh religious ceremonies and contribute to Gurdwaras yet do not practice the use of ‘Singh’ or ‘Kaur’ in their names.
