Newly-elected 11-member Haryana SGMC restrained from functioning
Issuing fresh directives, the Sikh’s highest temporal seat, Akal Takht, on Sunday restrained the newly-elected 11-member Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) from functioning.
The Akal Takht also instructed that the Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will continue to manage day-to-day affairs of some 25 big Sikh shrines in Haryana, with an average annual income to the tune of Rs 30 crores. It also directed all Sikh outfits and parties not to issue any statements to the media till the row over the creation of the HSGMC is “resolved amicably”.
The directions were issued by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh a day after the Akal Takht intervened in the standoff and directed that the congregations of Sikhs — scheduled to be held in Amritsar on Sunday and in Karnal on Monday against the formation of a separate Gurdwara Management Committee in Haryana — be called off even as the HSGMC elected its new office-bearers.
Following the Akal Takht directive, Punjab’s ruling Akali Dal called off its Sikh convention and the adhoc HSGMC in Haryana too followed suit.
A third convention called by the radical Akali Dal (Amritsar) was also called off.
While the meetings were cancelled, Akal Takht head Giani Gurbachan Singh on Sunday asked the Sikh leaders in Haryana not to disturb the previous administrative system run by SGPC to manage Sikh shrines in Haryana.
“A crisis was created recently which led to unrest among the Sikh community, especially after the formation of HSGMC by the Haryana Government,” said the Jathedar.
Virtually giving gag orders, he directed all Sikh organisations and Sikh political outfits not to make statements before the media till the SGPC row is resolved amicably.
“let the affairs of management of all Haryana-based Sikh shrines be managed by the Amritsar-based SGPC so as to maintain peace and harmony,” he said.
“The management of Haryana-based gurdwaras will be in the hands of Amritsar-based SGPC which was looking after these gurdwaras in the past and nobody would interfere in the previous management”, he directed.
With the fresh directives, the Akal Takht head has restrained the newly-formed committee, including president Jagdish Singh Jhinda and other office- bearers from functioning.
On July 16, the Akal Takht had excommunicated Haryana Sikh leaders, including State Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha, Jagdish Singh Jhinda and Didar Singh Nalwi from Sikh Panth (community) on charges of defying the directive of the Akal Takht.
The Haryana Assembly had, in its session on July 11, passed the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Bill, 2014, to which former State Governor Jagannath Pahadia gave his assent on July 14 despite opposition from SGPC leaders from Punjab.
The Haryana Government refused to pay heed to the Centre’s directive to revoke the law that Punjab has termed “unconstitutional” and “illegal”.
Meanwhile, taking exception to the Akal Takht directive, radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said that by asking the SAD to call off their conclave slated for Sunday here, the Akal Takht head had provided Shiromani Akali Dal leadership “an escape route”.
He said that it was strange that the Akal Takht head had also given the same direction to the organisers of the Karnal conclave (HSGPC leaders) who were excommunicated from the Sikh Panth few days back by him.
He said that the Akal Takht should withdraw the edict in which he had excommunicated three Sikhs of Haryana and only then he was entitled to issue directions to them.
Dal Khalsa leader accused the Akal Takht chief of being partisan in the whole issue and bowing to the diktats of the Akali Dal led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He urged the Akal Takht head to play the role of elderly person of the community to resolve the crisis and not act in a biased manner.
“Badals have been exploiting the Sikh sentiments and made the Jathedar their subservient. We all know that Badals have scant respect for Akal Takht, its principles, tenets and traditions,” he alleged.
Jhinda and Nalvi, who spearheaded the movement for the formation of SGPC for Haryana, were elected president and senior vice president respectively of the newly notified HSGMC on Saturday.