Jagir Kaur re-elected SGPC chief
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Nov 10 — Bibi Jagir Kaur was re-elected President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, known as the mini Parliament of the Sikhs, with a comfortable margin of 77 votes. She is the only woman to have been re-elected SGPC chief in the 74-year history of the committee.

Of the total 177 votes polled, Bibi Jagir Kaur secured 126 votes while Mr Surjit Singh Cheema, jointly fielded by the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal and the SAD (Amritsar), got 49 votes. Two votes were rejected. Six members were absent.

The occasion was marked with sloganeering. Bibi Jagir Kaur urged the members to unanimously elect the President and other office-bearers. This provoked slogans from Tohra and Mann members. Bibi Jagir Kaur had to make repeated pleas for discipline.

Mr Balbir Singh Naushehra Pannua, Mr Kewal Singh Badal and Mr Hardalbir Singh Shah were re-elected Senior Vice-President, Vice-President and General Secretary of the SGPC, respectively.

Veteran Akali leader Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Chairman, Disciplinary Action Committee (SAD), proposed the name of Bibi Jagir Kaur for the post of SGPC chief. It was seconded by Mr Balbir Singh Naushehra Pannua.

Mr Naushehra Pannua, a confidant of Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Cooperation Minister, was an aspirant for the post of the SGPC chief. However, he withdrew his claim when Bibi Jagir Kaur was re-nominated by Mr Parkash Singh Badal for the post.

There was commotion when Bibi Jagir Kaur insisted on unanimous election of the President. The SHSAD and the SAD (Amritsar) members, including Mr Tohra, Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and Mr Surjan Singh Thekedar, stood up to oppose the move. They said: "Our candidate is Mr Surjit Singh Cheema".

Trouble again arose when those loyal to Mr Tohra and Mr Mann insisted on a secret ballot. Bibi Jagir Kaur and her supporters opposed the demand. However, Mr Kulwant Singh, Secretary, SGPC, intervened and said as per the Shiromani Gurdwara Act, the election would be through voting. The secret voting, which started at 2 p.m., ended at 3.20 p.m.

Elaborate security arrangements had been made on the occasion. Senior police officials, including an SSP, were seen regulating the entry of SGPC members and other dignitaries to Teja Singh Samundari Hall, venue of the elections.

Giani Puran Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, performed ‘ardas’ before the election. Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, Giani Bhagwan Singh, Head Granthi, Akal Takht, Giani Mohan Singh, Head Granthi, Golden Temple, and Giani Charn Singh, Granthi, Golden Temple, were also present.

Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, could not be present due to some pre-occupation.

Mr Tohra made an attempt to talk on the issue of Akal Takht and "hukamnama" (edict) before the elections. He went up to the dais but was refused permission by Bibi Jagir Kaur.

With a strength of 49 members in the SGPC house, the SHSAD and the SAD (Amritsar) succeeded in getting three executive members out of 11 nominated to the house. In the previous house no rival faction of the Akali Dal had member in the executive committee.

The 11-member executive committee includes Mr Raghujit Singh, Mr Kulwant Singh, Mr Satnam Singh, Mr Suba Singh, MR Gurpal Singh, Mr Joga Singh, Mr Joginder Singh, Mr Pritam Singh Bhatia, all of the SAD, Mr Jagdhir Singh Katro, SAD (Amritsar), and Mr Harbans Singh and Mr Gurbax Singh of the SHSAD.

Interestingly, at least three members of the SAD voted for Mr Cheema. Yesterday Mr Badal had claimed the support of 131 members to the candidature of Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Before their entry into Teja Singh Samundri Hall, the venue of the election, pro-Tohra members raised such slogans as "Akal Takht mahan hai, Sikh Panth di shan hai".

The SHSAD and the SAD (Mann) were divided over the issue of contesting the election. Mr Tohra said Bhai Ram Singh, General Secretary, SAD (Mann), had approached him for not contesting the election as Mr Badal had agreed to have at least three executive members from the group without any contest. However, Mr Tohra insisted on a contest.

Mr Tohra argued that his party must contest the election to highlight the "denigration" of Akal Takht by Mr Badal and his coterie. He said we wanted to show the Sikh Panth that 49 SGPC members still supported the "hukamnama" issued on December 31 by the then Akal Takht Jathedar, Bhai Ranjit Singh, directing the Sikh leadership to maintain truce till April 13.

He said the "sarkari jathedar", Giani Puran Singh, had also endorsed Bhai Ranjit Singh's viewpoint that a "hukamnama" once issued from Akal Takht could not be withdrawn.

Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, SAD (Amritsar) President and member of Parliament, alleged that the state government as well as the Central Government were not giving the Sikhs their due place for the "sacrifices" made by them for the country.

He said he would highlight the issue on the floor of the Lok Sabha.