CHANDIGARH: The ruling Congress leadership in d Punjab is understood to have planned a new offensive against the Akalis by a using the latter’s favorite arena of Gurdwara politics.
The move, if it materializes, may give an interesting dimension to Akali politics which is already in shambles.
Beant Singh is understood to have already held preliminary discussions on the issue with senior state government officials.
The Akalis may find it difficult to j Oppose the proposal for enacting an All India Gurdwara Act as not only the draft Bill stands approved by the SGPC and senior Akali leaders but also forms part of the Rajiv Longowal Accord of 1985.
The implication of such an enactment will be that ail historic Sikh Gurdwaras in the country will be managed by an All India Gurdwara Management committee to be elected democratically by the Sikhs from all over the country. The All India Act will supersede the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 and will end the Punjab Akalis domination over the historic gurdwaras in the northwestern region which yield crores of rupees annually in the form of offerings by devout Sikhs.
The latest plans of the Congress leadership’s offensive acquire importance in view of the recent controversy over holding elections to the SGPC general body. The Akali leaders have been asking the government to hold these elections as they hope that with the militants Nov. virtually out of the arena, the field is open for them to acquire legitimacy by maintaining theircontrol over the SGPC through fresh elections which have not been held for over 12 years now.
But the enactment of an All India Gurdwara Act, a demand for which Akalis had been pressing for long would result in virtually scrapping the 1925 Act by giving a say to the Sikhs in the entire country in the management of the historic Sikh gurdwaras.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 9, 1993
