WARNS BJP AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO BRING SIKH INSTITUTIONS AND GURDWARAS UNDER IDEOLOGICAL CONTROL, PRESERVE AND RESPECT SIKH AUTONOMY IN GURDWARA’S GOVERNANCE : KANWALJIT KAUR, GREWAL
Face2News/Chandigarh
The Global Sikh Council, representing national level Sikh organisations of various countries, has strongly condemned the Maharashtra Government’s hasty decision to repeal the 70 years old law “Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act-1956”, stating that the State dispensation should immediately withdraw this resolve in view of the religious sentiments and concerns of the Sikh qaum. The Council stated that no Sikh organization has ever made this demand, rather the entire management, including the Jathedar of Takht Sri Nanded Sahib, has openly opposed this move.
The Council further urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, State Governor Jishnu Dev Verma and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to respect the Sikh religious autonomy in all Takhat Sahib and Gurdwaras and abandon any policy of direct confrontation with Sikh qaum. The Council, in the letters to these leaders, have demanded that before introducing any new legislation on Sikh institutions and Sikh affairs, all governments must initiate open consultations with established Sikh institutions, Sikh scholars and representatives of the Sikh Panth, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Takht Sahib management.
In a statement issued by Global Sikh Council President Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur and Secretary Advocate Harjeet Singh Grewal, it was alleged that the BJP-led Mahayuti Government, with the objective of exercising greater control over the overall administrative structure of Takht Sahib, has approved the draft of a new bill by repealing the old legislation in a recent Cabinet meeting. The proposed legislation, titled the “Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib Abchalnagar Gurdwara Act”, is likely to be introduced during the forthcoming monsoon session of the state Assembly.
They stated that no government has absolute right to interfere or take decisions relating to the Sikh affairs and its institutions without the consent of Sikhs. The Council alleged that the saffron party, under various pretexts, hell bent to exercise greater administrative control over Sikh offerings (Dasvandh), this sacred institution and its management committee, similar to the concerns previously raised regarding developments connected with New Delhi, Patna Sahib and the Haryana Gurdwara Committee.
The Council leaders also alleged that the Maharashtra Government is proceeding on the basis of desired recommendations prepared through the Justice J.S. Bhatia Committee in 2014 for introducing a new Gurdwara law. The new act is being put up to reduce the representation of the SGPC, Chief Khalsa Diwan and Sikh Members of Parliament, they added. The Council further alleged that a similar attempt had earlier been made in 2024 but did not succeed due to opposition from the Sikh qaum.
The Council also claimed that the tenure of the present Takht Sahib Management Board, constituted in 2019, had ended in 2022, but despite the passage of several years, the government deliberately did not bothered to hold elections to reconstitute the board and instead decided in a self-willed manner to repeal the existing law and move ahead with fresh legislation.
President Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur and Secretary Advocate Harjeet Singh Grewal stated that due to insufficient collective response of Sikhs in the past, the Maharashtra Government had amended the historic law in 2015 to vest the authority of appointing the President of the Gurdwara Board with the government. As a result, they said, BJP had appointed its then MLA Tara Singh as President of the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board.
Issuing a warning, the Council stated that the BJP Government should refrain from bringing this sacred Sikh institution, its management committee and Sikh offerings (Daswand) under government control as a policy of ideological influence the Sikh faith. It appealed to all Sikh sangat, Sikh institutions and organisations to strongly oppose the move and press for withdrawal of the decision, and, if necessary, pursue legal remedies through the courts.
