Gurdwara Management: It will be too long article to make the Sikhs aware of the degeneration in the understanding of Sikhism as a whole. However, it would be a good start to analyze the functioning of Gurdwaras. where the degeneration of Sikhism is being portrayed, and to find out its solution in the present paper.
Although most of the Gurdwaras in the Punjab arc under the control of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC). Still there are many that are under the control of Mahants and Sants. Outside the Punjab .e.g. in North America, UK, Europe and other countries I think none of the Gurdwara is under the control of SGPC. The Gurdwaras out of the Punjab are mostly controlled by the elected Sikhs of the particular areas under the names of different organizations. Every Gurdwara has its own rules and regulations, and code of conduct to administer the Gurdwara.
There are a few organizations, e.g., the Federation of Sikh Societies of Canada, Association of Ontario Gurdwaras, in Canada that could play the role of SGPC. Formation of another organization, Gurdwara Reform Committee, was reported by S. Sulantar Singh 22) about a year ago to check the malpractice in Gurdwaras of Ontario. S. Saran Singh. Editor of the Sikh Review, gave the following note on this report: “We publish this paper on Gurdwara reform in Canada in the hope that management everywhere will perform seva (service) in the spirit of humility and dedication, worthy of the best Sikh traditions of service before self. But one wonders how much influence these associations have over the associated Gurdwaras to improve their administration and the code of conduct. However, the idea of having such associations at state or federal level is commendable.
There have always been fights amongst various groups to take over the charge of the Gurdwaras. From political point of view, for certain groups of Sikhs it has become more important for them to have an absolute control over the Gurdwara administration after the attack on the Akal Takhat and the Darbar Sahib in June 1984. Consequently fights over control of Gurdwaras were intensified. However, the biggest attraction for certain Sikhs to have an absolute control over the administration of Gurdwara in their hands, is to control the huge funds being offered by the devout Sikhs. Therefore, brandishing of swords and presence of police are not uncommon scenes inside and outside of Gurdwaras. Because of the fights amongst various groups to take over the control of the management or Gurdwara many cases have been registered in the courts. So much so in certain cases some Sikhs took the had Guru Granth Sahib in the courts for administration of oath.
Another note on the article of Gurdwara Reform in Canada by S. Saran Singh is worth mentioning here (see reference #22): “But as observed in the February 1993 editorial, The Young & the Restless, there has been a growing tendency among office bearers of Gurdwara management everywhere to play power politics. Wrangling over control of funds is not uncommon Entrenched members consider the Gurdwara property as their freedom and adopt unethical practices to retain control, resulting, sometimes, in unseemly civil and criminal litigation.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 20, 1995
