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SGPC embroiled in another controversy
Controversies, delays and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) go hand-in-hand. Electing its members after two-year delay, the SGPC has hit another controversy.
This time, it is running behind schedule to elect its office bearers.
Union Home Ministry had issued a notification on the new SGPC House on December 16, last after the elections were held on September 18. As per norms under the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, the office-bearers of the SGPC’s newly-constructed House should be elected within a month of the new SGPC House. In this case, it has to be before January 15. But, the process has been hanging fire.
On one hand, where the SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar is laying blame on the Centre to “knowingly” delaying the process, the Sehajdhari Sikh Party is claiming that the new House “stands nullified” in the wake of the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders of restoring Sehajdhari’s voting rights.
With this, the clouds of incertitude prevailed over the fate of the new House for which the Sehajdharis were barred from voting. The High Court had quashed the Centre’s 2003 notification barring Sehajdharis from voting in the SGPC elections restoring their voting rights.
The orders of the High Court and the Supreme Court had made it clear that the elections were subject to the decision of the writ petition. The elections were held in September without the participation of the Sehajdharis and the way for their right to vote was paved only after the conclusion of the polling process and the declaration of result.
It is believed that the uncertainty following the filing of a fresh petition before the High Court is contributing to the delay. The new House’s fate is still hanging in balance as the Sehajdhari Party, through its national president PS Ranu, has sought dissolution of the SGPC House and appointment of administrator to oversee SGPC’s day-to-day affairs following the upholding of Sehajdharis voting rights.
The constitution of the new House is expected to remain in limbo till the issue is decided by the High Court. The case is now expected to come up on February 8 and no decision of the constitution of the House is expected till the final disposal of the matter.
Blaming only the Centre for the “deliberate delay”, Makkar told The Pioneer, “The court orders didn’t say anything about quashing the House or the SGPC elections. What the court said that it is, simply on technical grounds, quashing the Centre’s notification.”
“The Bench said it was not touching who a Sehajdhari is, whether he’s Sikh or trimming his beard or whatever. It stated that it was not concerned about that…it was simply concerned about the notification issued by the Centre in 2003….What after notification is to be done, that has to be decided by the court. The Centre has to issue a separate notification that has to be passed by the Parliament,” added Makkar.
He asserted that the court order “specifically mentioned that the judgment confined only to the notification issued by the Centre”. Taking a dig at the Centre for causing another delay, Makkar said, “Gurdwara Commission is to function only when the Home Ministry is to cooperate…file is lying with the Home Ministry…They have to call for a date from the DC…they are knowingly delaying the process…like always.”
A look at the history of the SGPC, the Sikh’s mini parliament, it seems that delay is inherent with the panthic body.
The recently-held elections took place after the two-year delay of the set timeframe for the elections. Instead of five-year term, the current SGPC general body has served seven years in office after being elected in the body in 2004 elections.
Controversies, delays and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) go hand-in-hand. Electing its members after two-year delay, the SGPC has hit another controversy.
This time, it is running behind schedule to elect its office bearers.
Union Home Ministry had issued a notification on the new SGPC House on December 16, last after the elections were held on September 18. As per norms under the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, the office-bearers of the SGPC’s newly-constructed House should be elected within a month of the new SGPC House. In this case, it has to be before January 15. But, the process has been hanging fire.
On one hand, where the SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar is laying blame on the Centre to “knowingly” delaying the process, the Sehajdhari Sikh Party is claiming that the new House “stands nullified” in the wake of the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders of restoring Sehajdhari’s voting rights.
With this, the clouds of incertitude prevailed over the fate of the new House for which the Sehajdharis were barred from voting. The High Court had quashed the Centre’s 2003 notification barring Sehajdharis from voting in the SGPC elections restoring their voting rights.
The orders of the High Court and the Supreme Court had made it clear that the elections were subject to the decision of the writ petition. The elections were held in September without the participation of the Sehajdharis and the way for their right to vote was paved only after the conclusion of the polling process and the declaration of result.
It is believed that the uncertainty following the filing of a fresh petition before the High Court is contributing to the delay. The new House’s fate is still hanging in balance as the Sehajdhari Party, through its national president PS Ranu, has sought dissolution of the SGPC House and appointment of administrator to oversee SGPC’s day-to-day affairs following the upholding of Sehajdharis voting rights.
The constitution of the new House is expected to remain in limbo till the issue is decided by the High Court. The case is now expected to come up on February 8 and no decision of the constitution of the House is expected till the final disposal of the matter.
Blaming only the Centre for the “deliberate delay”, Makkar told The Pioneer, “The court orders didn’t say anything about quashing the House or the SGPC elections. What the court said that it is, simply on technical grounds, quashing the Centre’s notification.”
“The Bench said it was not touching who a Sehajdhari is, whether he’s Sikh or trimming his beard or whatever. It stated that it was not concerned about that…it was simply concerned about the notification issued by the Centre in 2003….What after notification is to be done, that has to be decided by the court. The Centre has to issue a separate notification that has to be passed by the Parliament,” added Makkar.
He asserted that the court order “specifically mentioned that the judgment confined only to the notification issued by the Centre”. Taking a dig at the Centre for causing another delay, Makkar said, “Gurdwara Commission is to function only when the Home Ministry is to cooperate…file is lying with the Home Ministry…They have to call for a date from the DC…they are knowingly delaying the process…like always.”
A look at the history of the SGPC, the Sikh’s mini parliament, it seems that delay is inherent with the panthic body.
The recently-held elections took place after the two-year delay of the set timeframe for the elections. Instead of five-year term, the current SGPC general body has served seven years in office after being elected in the body in 2004 elections.
