Thaindian News

Chandigarh, July 2 (IANS) The Sikh clergy and religious leaders in Punjab Thursday protested a Delhi High Court ruling decriminalising homosexuality in the country.
“This verdict of Delhi High Court is clearly against the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib that guides us in every situation, right from our birth till death,” Giani Gurbachan Singh, head priest of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, told IANS.

“It is also against the law of nature. We strongly condemn this verdict, and appeal to the central government and judiciary to rethink the decision. We also appeal to Sikh community to boycott this unacceptable ruling.”

In a judgement Thursday Delhi High Court struck down section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that terms homosexuality a criminal act.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages the affairs of Sikh shrines around the world, also condemned the court ruling.

Hardeep Singh, a SGPC member, said: “This decision of the court is the testimony of the fact that despite achieving so many landmarks we are still under the clutches of westerners. It is really sad that we are ruining our values and beliefs by blindly following other people.

“This will destroy the dignity of civilised society and the future of our youngsters.”

A member of radical Sikh group Dal Khalsa said on condition of anonymity: “This day should be remembered as a ‘black day’ in the history of mankind. We are unable to understand that how our judiciary can push the whole humanity towards deterioration, just to make happy a handful of eccentric and wayward individuals.

“This is intolerable in our society and our central government should immediately appeal in the Supreme Court against this decision.”