LUDHIANA: The Gurmat Sidhant Pracharak Sant Samaj has hailed the recommendations made by the National Commission for Minorities regarding the Sikh Gurdwara Act.
‘The supreme council of the Sant Samaj has appreciated the commission vice chairman, Mr. Balwant Singh Ramoowalia for ‘truly’ looking after the interests of the Sikhs through the “far sighted’ recommendations. However, the council felt that Mr. Ramoowalia’s criticism by Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees, was uncalled for and motivated political interests.
The Sant Samaj president, Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, said after the meeting that it was appropriate to lower the voting age for Gurdwara elections to 19 years. He said this step would check growing alienation of the youth from Sikh religions values. ‘They questioned Mr, Tohra’s criticism, saying that if youth could make sacrifices for their religion at a tender age, ‘why should they be kept out of the Gurdwara management.” Saying that Mr, Tohra felt that his hegemony would be threatened if the youth got the right to vote, the Sant Samaj called for channelizing the energy of the youth towards constructive purposes by ensuring their involvement in religious activities.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 6, 1996
