A ‘saroop’ is a physical copy of the holy book.

The seizure of the scriptures in Qatar sparked a row in India last week. The Indian side had taken up the issue with Qatari counterparts in view of the sensitivity of the matter.

“We thank the government of Qatar for the same,” the external affairs ministry said in a brief statement regarding the handing over the copies of the Guru Granth Sahib.

“We also appeal to all Indian citizens residing in Qatar or other countries to scrupulously follow local laws and regulations in all matters,” the statement added.

On August 23, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had referred to reports of demands by the Sikh community for the release of the copies of the Guru Granth Sahib seized by Qatari authorities. The Indian government had taken up the matter with the Qatari side and the Indian embassy in Doha kept the Sikh community informed about developments, he said.

Jaiswal also pointed out that the two copies of the Guru Granth Sahib were taken by Qatari authorities from individuals and groups charged with running a religious establishment without the approval of the government of Qatar.

The Qatari side had given an assurance that the other holy scriptures would be treated with respect.

Qatar is home to 835,000 Indian nationals, the largest expatriate community in the country. Some of the Indians are engaged in professions like medicine, engineering, education, finance and business, and there are a large number of blue-collar workers. As in most West Asian countries, Qatar too has strict regulations for operating religious establishments.

Bring ‘saroops’ back to India: SGPC

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, on Wednesday welcomed the return of the two holy ‘saroops’ by the Doha Police in Qatar with the efforts of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and demanded that these saroops should be brought back to India.

Dhami said the SGPC received the information in this regard from a senior MEA official via an e-mail. Dhami said that while the Indian government has fulfilled its responsibility on this matter, now further action should be to bring both the holy saroops to India. “The saroops should be handed over to the SGPC so that they are examined and maintained with due respect,” he added.