Golden Temple’s picture on flour packets sparks row

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, April 19

The use of Golden Temple’s image on wheat flour packets by a Canada-based company has sparked a controversy here. The company, Smucker Foods of Canada Corp, has even named the atta “Golden Temple Atta”, further making a slogan “Make golden moments happen with Golden Temple atta.”

Terming it against the religious code, some politicians and religious people have sought a ban on it. For instance, former MLA Kotkapura Ripjit Singh Brar has tweeted, “Sikh sentiments have been hurt by this. The SGPC should take notice immediately, get this banned and punish the culprit.”

Further, speaking over the phone, Brar said, “The company should have avoided the name Golden Temple for its products. Besides, the image of Golden Temple is printed on the packets. They did not even bother that the empty packets of atta may amount to disrespect of the shrine. I demand the SGPC should initiate action against the company.”

When contacted, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said, “It is morally wrong to print the picture of Harmandar Sahib or any other religious place on the packet of any eatable product. Someone had earlier brought this matter to our notice and the company had agreed to remove the photo from the packets. Thereafter, we did not receive any complaint. I am not sure whether they have removed the photo or not.” SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar could not be contacted.

The SGPC had recently objected to the promotional trailer of an upcoming Punjabi movie, “Once Upon A Time in Amritsar”. The trailer had depicted actors pointing guns at each other inside the Golden Temple. The SGPC had then lodged an objection with the movie’s director, asking him to get the objectionable scenes of the Golden Temple removed from the film.

Courtesy: The Tribune