SGPC honours Ontario premier, no ‘siropa’

Amritsar, January 31: Kathleen Wynne, the premier of Canada’s Ontario province known for her support for gay rights, today paid obeisance at the Golden Temple.
The SGPC, which had announced not to present a “siropa” to her, preferred to avoid any further controversy by “recognising” her visit. SGPC officials accompanied her to the information office at the shrine where she was reportedly honoured.
When she came out of the information office, she was not sporting a “siropa”.
However, a press release by the Canadian High Commission showed her sporting a “siropa” inside the information office. She was also seen holding a gold-plated framed picture of the shrine.
SGPC chief secretary Harcharan Singh said Wynne was presented with a gold-plated picture of the Golden Temple and a set of Sikh religious books, but not a “siropa”.
Kathleen’s visit was preceded by a controversy over the SGPC taking a stand not to honour her with a “siropa” due to her views on same-sex marriages, support for gay rights and being a lesbian herself.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar earlier said the Canadian leader was welcome to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple, but the SGPC would not honour her with a “siropa” as the Sikh religion did not legitimise same-sex marriages.
Another issue that strained her relations with the Sikh community in Ontario was that she had refused to provide an exemption on the helmet law for turbaned Sikhs. Her visit to the Golden Temple was being looked upon as an attempt to be accepted by the Sikh community in Canada.
Harcharan Singh raised the issue of exempting Sikh men from wearing helmets while riding a two-wheeler in Ontario. She assured him to review her earlier decision.
The Ontario premier was dressed in a firozi blue (turquoise) Punjabi suit with her head covered with a dupatta.
SGPC officials, meanwhile, apprised the premier of the Sikh history and shown the sites where the Indian Army stationed tanks and heavy artillery during the Operation Bluestar in 1984. She also visited the langar hall (community kitchen) and briefly helped in cooking food.
Kathleen, in her note in the visitors’ book, said she was humbled to visit the “beautiful sacred place”.
The Ontario premier arrived here yesterday evening amid tight security arrangements. She is on a 10-day trip to the country. She also met leading businessmen and industrialists here.