As the Prime Minister Stephen Harper was visiting the Sikhs Holiest Shrine Harmandar Sahib (Golden Gurdwara) Sikhs feel he should have shown a great understanding of the protocol of such a Holy Shrine.
Prasad is sweet flour based oily vegetarian food that is offered to all visitors to the Durbar Sahib in a Gurdwara (Sikh worship place). This is regarded as food blessed by the Guru and should not be refused. Prasad holds a lot of importance in Sikh faith.
If Prasad some Sikhs consider this an insult to Sikhism.
On the advice of the large Sikh community in Canada the PM did make the effort to travel form Delhi to Amritsar to pay obeisance at their Holiest Shrine
Contrary to media reports suggesting that he might skip Punjab during his business tour to India causing anxiety among the Sikhs in Canada.
Although the Sikhs were relieved after it was announced that Harper will indeed go to Amritsar, yet it appears some in Punjab were not impressed and there have been comments in the India press about this.
To add to the troubles, there were scuffles between the Gurdwara officials looking after his security and media persons. They had formed three rings of human chains around Harper.
Sources in the Canadian government clarified that Harper had donated money for prasad, but instead of taking it he had offered it to the priests.
Some feel that he should have been better briefed.
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