Jagdish Singh Jhinda elected Haryana gurdwara management panel president
Jhinda, who represents Assandh ward of Karnal, was chosen to lead the committee at a meeting convened in Kurukshetra four months after the HSGMC conducted its first elections on January 19.
Jagdish Singh Jhinda, 70, was elected president of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) on Friday.
Jhinda was chosen to lead the committee at a meeting convened at the committee’s head office at Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi in Kurukshetra, four months after the HSGMC conducted its first elections on January 19. Meanwhile, Akal Panthak Morcha, a body of independent members backed by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-affiliated Haryana Sikh Panthic Dal (HSPD), alleged that the members were not allowed to use their voting rights and Jhinda was declared as president “under government’s pressure”.
Apart from Jhinda, who is a former president of the ad-hoc committee, Gurmeet Singh Mitta was chosen senior vice-president, Harjeet Singh general secretary, Gurbir Singh vice-president and Balwinder Singh Bhinder joint secretary.
Rupinder Singh Panjokhra, Palvinder Singh Cheema, Tajinderpal Singh, Jagtar Singh Pipli, Karnail Singh Nimnabad and Kuldeep Singh Multani were named executive members of the HSGMC.
The decision was taken at the meeting in the presence of protem chairperson Joga Singh and attended by 49 members, including 40 elected and nine who were co-opted earlier this month.
Jhinda-Daduwal bonhomie
Former ad-hoc president Baljit Singh Daduwal, a co-opted member, also attended the meeting and endorsed Jhinda’s leadership.
A joint group led by Jhinda and Daduwal, once arch rivals, claimed the support of 29 members.
Daduwal said that their group proposed Jhinda’s name, while the name of Parkash Singh Sahuwala was presented by the Akal Panthak Morcha.
“Out of 49 members, we had the majority of 29 who supported Jhinda’s leadership, while Sahuwala group walked out in protest. Conspiracies were hatched to lure our members and break the majority, but they failed. Jhinda’s struggle has won today and the first-time executive body has been formed. I would like to thank chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar for ensuring a smooth process,” he added.
Won’t use car, fuel from committee’s funds: Jhinda
Thanked the Sikh community, members and the government, Jhinda said, “Earlier, the community endorsed my struggle and now the members.”
The Sikh leader refused to comment on the allegations of misconduct. Jhinda also pledged not to use any official vehicle, fuel or driver from HSGMC’s funds.
Jhinda chosen under “govt’s pressure”: Akal Panthak Morcha
In a statement, Akal Panthak Morcha said that after the name of Sahuwala was presented, it was said that the voting process should not be done as per the basic rules of the election, and Jhinda has the majority and he should be declared the president.
“We asked Joga Singh to follow the election rules as per the law but he supported the Jhinda group under government pressure, and voting was not held and in the holy presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib slogans were raised in the name of Jagdish Singh Jhinda, which is a violation of Sikh code of conduct,” it added.
The Morcha also claimed that as per the rules, the mobile phones of all the members were deposited with the poll officials, but Joga Singh, after using a phone, addressed the entire congregation at the behest of “someone under government pressure” and announced Jhinda’s name.
Significance of HSGMC
It is worth mentioning that Jhinda, who remained president of the HSGMC (ad-hoc) from 2014 to 2020, had spearheaded a 22-year struggle for a separate committee from Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to manage gurdwaras in Haryana.
In July 2014, months before the assembly elections, the then chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s government had brought a legislation paving the way for the formation of HSGMC and after formalities, it became a law known as the HSGMC Act, 2014.
Before the committee under Jhinda could take over all the gurdwaras, the law was challenged before the court.
On September 20, 2022, a Supreme Court bench of justices Hemant Gupta and Vikram Nath upheld the validity of the Act that later paved the way for the first elections. On January 19, elections were conducted by Gurdwara Election commissioner Justice (retd) HS Bhalla and the voters delivered a fractured mandate with no group in the majority.
Nine members were elected from Jagdish Singh Jhinda’s Panthak Dal (Jhinda) group, followed by six from the Haryana Sikh Panthak Dal (HSPD), three affiliated to Didar Singh Nalvi’s Sikh Samaaj Sanstha and the rest 22 Independents.
There are 52 gurdwaras in Haryana mentioned in Schedule 1, 2 and 3 of The Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Act, 2014.
As per the Act, of the total 52 gurdwaras, eight are historical and under Schedule 1; 17 under Schedule 2 and 27 gurdwaras are categorised under Schedule 3.
