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Punjab govt should hold SGPC elections, demands group of Sikh bodies
Panthic Talmel Sangathan, a coordination panel of various Sikh bodies, alleged politicisation of the SGPC and accused the central government of not holding its elections for over a decade
Panthic Talmel Sangathan, a coordination panel of various Sikh bodies, on Wednesday demanded that the authority to hold elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) be given solely to the Punjab government, while alleging politicisation of the apex gurdwara body and accusing the Centre of not holding its elections for over a decade.
Addressing a press conference here, Takht Damdama Sahib former jathedar Giani Kewal Singh, who is the convener of the coordination panel, said: “Sikh concerns are not in the focus in today’s political scenario, thanks to politicisation of the SGPC that is under the control of one political family. To bring reforms in the gurdwara management, the Punjab assembly should pass a new Act to challenge the Union Government’s tricks that damage the Sikh interests.”
The convener said the current House of the gurdwara body was elected in 2011, and since then no elections have been conducted even as a gurdwara election commissioner was appointed recently. “This goes against the interests of Sikhs,” he said, while also demanding amendments to the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 to meet the present political and religious realities.
Advocate Jaswinder Singh, who is the co-convener, said: “Administrative structure of the highest Sikh temporal seat Akal Takht is under the control of the SGPC, which is under the control of one family. A system of sovereign structure should be evolved so that the Akal Takht jathedar addresses the concerns of the entire community.”
The coordination panel also announced to contest the elections by bringing various Sikh organisations together. Among others, the panel includes representative of Akal Purakh Ki Fauj, Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Gian Pargas Trust, Sikh Virsa Foundation, Giani Dit Singh Foundation, Sikh Sewak Society and different Sikh missionary colleges.
