AMRITSAR: The Akali Dal (Badal), if voted to power in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections, will strive for formulation of an all India Gurdwara Act with a view to bring all Sikh historical shrines within the country under the SGPC authority. According to the SGPC election manifesto of the Badal Dal, the need for the Act is necessary so as to centralize and improve the management of gurdwaras in the country. Presently, the SGPC only has control over the shrines in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. The Badal Dal, in its manifesto, also observed that in order to bring about an improvement in the management of Sikh shrines presently under its control, certain clauses in the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1952 need to be amended as these clauses have outlived their purpose. The manifesto mooted the idea of setting up of a special committee which would go into the Act and identify the clauses to be amended.
The manifesto favors a greater degree of centralization in the working of the SGPC. For this purpose, the manifesto suggests setting up of a Gurdwara service commission, a planning and service commission and a Gurdwara building, and art and cultural commission within the Shiromani committee. The manifesto also proposes to raise the standards of primary education in its institutions, particularly in rural areas. Laying a great deal of stress in the educational field; the manifesto proposes setting up more medical and technical education institutions. Besides, an institution would also be set up for training Sikh boys and girls for all India competitive examinations. The Badal Dal, in its manifesto, proposes to celebrate the 300th year of the birth of the Khalsa in 1999.
The proposal for setting up of a world Sikh university has also been mooted in the manifesto.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1996
