Explainer: Infighting major challenge for new gurdwara management panel chief

Senior Sikh leader Jagdish Singh Jhinda once again took the charge as the president of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) last week, following the body’s first formal elections held on January 19. It is his second tenure and earlier he had headed the ad-hoc committee from 2014-2020 constituted by the state government. Jhinda’s election is being seen as a critical moment as the HSGMC is functioning with a democratically elected 40 members and nine co-opted members for the first time. However, the road ahead is not smooth. Amid internal dissent, political allegations and community expectations, Jhinda’s leadership will be tested on multiple fronts.