FATEHGARH SAHIB: Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parkshadhak Committee (SGPC), asked the Center Government to organize elections to the Committee to establish the support enjoyed by the different factions of the Akali Dal.

Tohra said it was the duty of the Center and State Governments to implement the provision of Gurdwara Act under which it was mandatory to conduct elections to the Gurdwara Committee every five years. He blamed the government for spreading a vilification campaign against the Sikh institutions like the SGPC, the Akali Dal and the Akal Takht. He appealed lo the Sikhs not to be misled by false propaganda against their leaders.

He alleged that in the Gurdwara Act, the Center Government had made a provision that a single person could not continue as the president of the SGPC for more than two terms. He alleged that this clause was included so that no Sikh personality could emerge as the leader of the Sikh community.

The SGPC president welcomed the reports that leaders of various factions of Akali Dal had addressed at a convention held on Friday at Guru ki Dhab from a single platform. He said that it was need of the hour that Akali leaders shelve their differences. He said the senior leaders of various Akali Dals were sincere to achieve unity, but unfortunately, advisors of certain leaders were Creating misunderstandings among them. Tohra offered to play a vital role in bringing about a unity among Akali leaders, if the six Panthic organizations desired so.

He strongly refuted allegations againsthimand other Akali leaders about the misuse of gurdwara funds. He said the SGPC had an income of Rs.5 crore per annum from gurdwaras under its control. Tohra said the SGPC was running a number of educational institutions, including an engineering college at Ludhiana and a dental college at Amritsar. One more engineering college was being opened at Fatehgarh Sahib, the foundation stone of which was laid here recently by Inderjit Singh, former chairman of Punjab and Sindh Bank.

He said the SGPC president will be the chairman of the trust. The other members of the trust are Inderjit Singh, Dr.H.K. Manmohan Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University, Dr.Khem Singh Gill Vice-Chancellor Agriculture University and Pritpal of Ludhiana Engineering College.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 2, 1992