NEW YORK: S. Jagjit Singh Mangat and S. Baldev Singh, President and Secretary respectively of Sikh Cultural Society, New York, have resigned from Sikh Council of North America Executive. S. Jagjit Singh and S. Baldev Singh were elected as President-elect and Secretary respectively of S.C.N.A. in May, 1986, in Cleveland. They have resigned under directions from the Sikh Cultural Society Trustees. In their resignation letter released to World Sikh News, they took strong exception to the continuation of Mr. H.S. Arjawat as President of S.C.N.A. despite categorical commitment by him to quit within two months of his election. Elaborating reasons for their resignations, they alleged that “Mr. ‘Ajrawat, as President-elect, went to the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C., and signed the condolence book after Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s assassination. It was she who ordered the army attack on the Golden Temple in which thousands of Sikhs died. After her assassination, thousands of Sikhs were mercilessly butchered by mobs organized by her supporters, in Delhi and other North Indian cities. Signing the condolence book in this environment was antipathy activity. Secondly, despite the rejection by the Panth of the RajivLongowal accord on Pun. jab, Mr. Ajrawat on television supported the accord. Not a single clause of the accord has beer implemented by the government In its rejection of the accord, time proved that the Panth was right. These two acts were against the interest of the Panth.

At the May, 1986 S.C.N.A. Annual Meeting at Cleveland, we were determined to redress the situation by removing from office Mr. Ajrawat, president-elect. A face-saving agreement was presented to us, AS. Chattha, Balbir Singh Brar and Davinder Singh Sidhu gave a commitment that Mr. Ajrawat would resign within two months, i.e. August, 1986. This agreement was reneged. Our continuation in the S.C.N.A. and the support of the Sikh Cultural Society of New York would give credence to political chicanery so obvious in this reneging of the pledge. We and our society do not want to be a party to such practices. We want to devote all our efforts to the service of the Panthic cause which remains our central concern”.

The Board of Trustees of Sikh Cultural Society, New York decided at their meeting on December 21, 1986, to withdraw its membership form’S. C.N.A. The full text of the resolution is given below:

 

THE RESOLUTION The Sikh Cultural Society (S.CS.) of New York, which was represented by its delegates at the annual meeting of the Sikh Council of North America (S.C.N.A.) held at Cleveland in May, 1986, in its meeting of the Board of Trustees, today, December 21, 1986, hereby resolves that:

Whereas verbal and written commitment was given to the large majority of the delegates attending the annual meeting of S.C.N.A. in May, 1986, by two representatives of Guru Nanak Foundation of Maryland and one representative of tractate S.CS. of Pittsburgh, that Mr. H.S. Ajrawat, the President of S.C.N.A. will resign within two months of his election instead of being voted out in no confidence motion against him in the above meeting for his anti Panthic activities during his term as president-elect.

Whereas the majority of the delegates in good faith and to maintain harmony and good relations with the above two Sikh organizations did not pursue the no confidence motion against Mr. Ajrawat.

Whereas seven months have passed since the above meeting, Mr. Ajrawat has not resigned from the post of president of S.C.N.A. Whereas the above mentioned societies, instead of persuading him to resign as agreed upon, they have asked him not to resign and strongly support him to stay in his position until the end of his term. Therefore, in protest of this act of betrayal by the above two societies S.CS.., hereby, withdraws its membership and support to S.C.N.A.

Therefore, we, in the best interest of S.CS. strongly urge that Mr. J.S. Mangat and Mr. Baldev Singh to resign from the Executive Committee of S.C.N.A. and all other representatives or members of S.CS. to resign from the other committees of S.C.N.A.

Therefore, we strongly condemn the un Sikh like acts of Dr. AS. Chattha, Mr. Balbir Singh Brar and Mr. Davinder Singh Sidhu who had made written and verbal commitment to the majority of the delegates but not only failed to fulfill the commitment but acted against it.

Meanwhile, S. Gurcharan Singh Dhillon informed World Sikh News that he was also resigning from his position as vice President (West) from the Sikh Council of North America for similar reasons.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 16, 1987