LUDHIANA: The SGPC chief, Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, last week called upon the Sikhs to be ready to face the onslaught of the United Front government against them. The UF government was interfering in the religious affairs of the Sikhs, alleged Mr. Tohra. Mr. Tohra said the Congress government had adopted an “anti-Sikh”’ attitude and now the Deve Gowda government is also following in the footsteps of the Congress rulers: This was because the Deve Gowda government had a “Sarkari Sikh” who was misleading the government as was done in the past by the “Sarkari Sikhs” in the Congress regime. He was apparently pointing towards Mr. Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Union Welfare Minister.
Mr. Tohra alleged that he has the information that the UF government was going to promulgate an ordinance making reservation for women in the SGPC elections. “What is the justification of making reservations for women when there is no bar on giving ticket to them, Mr. Tohra asked. Mr. Tohra said all amendments in the Gurdwara Act had to be made in consultation with the president of the SGPC. Citing the latest example, Mr. Tohra maintained that Justice Harbans Singh, Chief Commissioner for Gurdwara Elections, consulted him on the issue of delimitation of the SGPC constituencies. Mr. Tohra maintained that SAD was not against the reservation for women in the SGPC elections and said “let other parties put up 140 women candidates for the SGPC elections and we will also do the same.”
The SGPC president said the Election Commission had no jurisdiction over the Election Commission for the Gurdwaras setup by the Union Home Ministry to conduct the SGPC elections; it was a conspiracy that the SAD was being denied the symbol of scale on which its nominees had contested the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections. Why two different yardsticks were being adopted, he asked. Mr. Tohra said he had impressed upon the government to include 27 gurdwaras in the jurisdiction of the SGPC which was not accepted. He had also asked for the reduction in the number of seats of the SGPC because 140 seats were too heavy a burden on the SGPC exchequer. Mr. Tohra refuted allegations of corruption in the SGPC and offered to face any inquiry. Mr, Manjit Singh Calcutta, secretary of the SGPC, who was also present on the occasion, claimed that the SGPC had done a lot for the Sikh community under the leadership of Mr. Tohra during the past 20 years. The SGPC had set up a publishing house at a cost of Rs 4 crore where volumes of the Guru Granth Sahib and other religious scriptures were being published. For the first time in the history of the Harmandir Sahib, kar seva of the “Sarovar”’ had been done thrice, he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 28, 1996
