PM Modi should correct statement: Guru Gobind Singh has not authored 'Gobind Ramayana'

Sikh Council UK strongly condemns Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee, the founder of the Khalsa, authored ‘Gobind Ramayana’. The statement was delivered in a speech by PM Modi during the ‘Bhoomi Poojan’ event at the controversial and highly disputed ‘Raam Janmabhoomi’ at Ayodhya.

Sikhs in the diaspora community are concerned that such comments are motivated by the intention to assimilate India’s minority communities, such as Sikhs, into the fold of the Hindu religion. This concern is escalated when the Prime Minister shares the stage with the chief of the RSS. This organisation includes ‘Hindutva’ (the idea of Hindu hegemony) as its public objectives.

Gurbani (Sikh scripture) makes references to Rama, Krishna and many other deities, including prophets of Abrahamic faiths. However, Modi’s assertion that Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee authored a ‘Ramayana’ like Tulsi or others that eulogised Raama as God is false. Every day, Sikhs across the world listen to the ‘Arti Kirtan’ at Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar in which the following words of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee are recited:

ਪਾਇ ਗਹੇ ਜਬ ਤੇ ਤੁਮਰੇ ਤਬ ਤੇ ਕੋਊ ਆਂਖ ਤਰੇ ਨਹੀ ਆਨਯੋ ॥
Since I have clasped your feet (God), I have not even looked at another (deity).ਰਾਮ ਰਹੀਮ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਕੁਰਾਨ ਅਨੇਕ ਕਹੈਂ ਮਤ ਏਕ ਨ ਮਾਨਯੋ ॥
Raama and Raheem (Vedic gods and Abrahmic prophets) have come and scriptures such as the Quran and the Puranas have made many claims – But I (Guru Gobind Singh) do not accept any one of them.
(Rama Avtar, Sri Dasam Granth, Sri Guru Gobind Singh)

We urge PM Modi to issue a statement to correct the false reference made to the Bani of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee below:

“In Tamil, we have Kamb Ramayana while in Telugu we have Raghunath and Ranganath Ramayana. We have Ruipad-Katerpadi Ramayan in Odiya, while there is Kumudendu Ramayana in Kannada. In Kashmir, you will find Ramavatar Charit while Ramacharitam in Malayalam.In Bangla, we have Krittibas Ramayana while Guru Gobind Singh has himself written Gobind Ramayana.”

Source: https://www.narendramodi.in/text-of-prime-minister-narendra-modi-s-speech-at-bhoomi-pujan-ceremony-of-shree-ram-janmabhoomi-mandir-in-ayodhya-uttar-pradesh-550821