Separate gurdwara committee for Haryana will ‘further strengthen Sikh unity’: Khattar

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the state government had strongly defended the formation of a separate HSGMC in the Supreme Court while respecting the Sikh sentiments

: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said that formation of a separate body to run the affairs of Sikh shrines in the state will “further strengthen the unity of the Sikh community” and that an adhoc committee will look after the functioning of the gurdwaras till the elections of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC).

Separate gurdwara committee for Haryana will ‘further strengthen Sikh unity’: Khattar

The chief minister said that as per the order of the Supreme Court, the election of the HSGMC will be held in 18 months.

Addressing devotees at gurdwara Nada Sahib in Panchkula, Khattar said that the state government had strongly defended the formation of a separate HSGMC in the Supreme Court while respecting the Sikh sentiments.

“As a result of which the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict in favour of the Sikh sangat of Haryana by upholding the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014. The verdict will certainly further strengthen the unity of the community,” Khattar said, adding local committees are needed for the gurdwaras built at different places.

“The separation of the management system of gurdwara is certainly not going to affect the unity of the Sikhs,” said Khattar, pointing out that when separate gurdwara management committees can be formed for Patna Sahib, Hazur Sahib (Nanded) and Delhi, then why the same cannot be done in Haryana.

“The formation of the gurdwara management committee has been done only for making the governance and management system of the gurdwaras smoother. The religious system is supreme and there is no interference of the government in it,” he said. ENDS