CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal (Amritsar) president, Mr, Simranjit Singh Mann, is apprehensive that the ultra-national non-Sikhs might capture the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in the forthcoming election to its general house in case the Sehajdharis were not debarred from voting.
Talking to media persons here, he wondered why the SGPC continued to sleep over the matter after passing a resolution demanding removal of the clause incorporated in the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, which entitled Sehajdharis to be enlisted as voters for the SGPC election.
He pointed out there was no reference to the Sehajdharis in the Rehat Maryada finalized by the SGPCs in 1945, Even in the Delhi, Nanded, Patna and Jammu and Kashmir Gurdwara Acts, there was no reference to Sehajdharis, He said in fact, Sehajdharis mainly referred to the Sindh is who were followers of Guru Nanak.
Mr. Mann appreciated the reported stand of the Minorities Commission to make recommendations to the Parliament to amend the Sikh Gurdwara Act. His party has demanded that Sehajdharis should be disenfranchised, the voting age be lowered from 21 to 18 years and 33% of the seats should be reserved for women. His party had earlier submitted a memorandum to the Center these demands.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 8, 1995
