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Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne Honoured At Holy Sikh Shrine Amid Same-Sex Controversy In India
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne Honoured At Holy Sikh Shrine Amid Same-Sex Controversy In India
Culture & Lifestyle Feb 01, 2016
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was honoured with the "siropa" at the Golden Temple in Amritsar this past Sunday as she travelled through India… or was she?
This past Sunday, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne was presented with a ceremonial robe of honour during her visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar in India, according to photos from the Canadian commission. The honour came amid homophobia rumours, as reports had earlier suggested that Wynne would not receive the honour due to her sexuality.
Wynne, who is open about her sexuality as a gay woman, is seen as a gay rights advocate in Canada and respected highly for her work for the LGBTQ community in Canada and internationally.
Premiere Wynne receives the "siropa" at The Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Photo Credit: Hindustan Times
Prior to Sunday, Indian media outlets, according to CBC, initially reported "that the temple would not bestow the robe on 'pro-gay' Wynne because of her support for gay marriage." The temple's president, Avtar Singh Makkar, is quoted in the Hindustan Times saying that honouring Wynne with the siropa would violate Sikh ethics.
But Wynne was apparently presented with the orange cotton robe in a private ceremony at the end of a two-hour tour of the Golden Temple. She also prepared chapatis in the temple's massive kitchen, which serves 70,000 free meals to pilgrims every day.
Premiere Wynne prepares chapatis at The Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Photo Credit: Hindustan Times
Wynne took a trip to India to explore options for increasing trade between India and Ontario. In a statement, the premier said she was "honoured to receive the siropa" during her visit.
After Wynne's visit, temple officials denied that the Premier had received the robe. They suggested that she was instead gifted with other tokens, such as books and mementos, which could have been mistaken for receiving the siropa honour.
"If you consider these gifts as the 'siropa' then it's up to you. She is a Premier and it was our duty to welcome and honour her," said the Golden Temple's chief secretary to the Hindustan Times.
Following the premier's visit to the sacred site, Indian media continue to report that Wynne did not receive the traditional robe. But the photos released by the Canadian commission, and a statement by Wynne herself, suggest otherwise.
What do you think? Did Wynne receive the siropa or not?
Main Image Photo Credit: Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times
Daniel Pillai
Author
Daniel is the Digital Media Manager for ANOKHI MEDIA and the host for ANOKHI's entertainment channel, PULSE TV. As part of the dream team, Daniel manages all multiple channels under ANOKHI’s portfolio, while also training new on-air talent, and showing budding p...
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