Govt set to amend Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras Management Act; draws criticism

The state government’s approval of amendments to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras Management Act, 2014, has drawn criticism from several members of the newly elected Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC).

As per the members, the government has amended Section 17 (2) (c) of the Act, which empowered the gurdwara committee house to remove its own members with a two-third majority, but now the power has been transferred to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission.

They stated that the government was going to pass the amendments in the upcoming Assembly session. Upset over the move, they have decided to convene a meeting in Kurukshetra before the session to discuss the implications of the ordinance and strategise their next steps. However, HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda has called a general house meeting on August 8 in Kurukshetra to discuss the amendments with all the members.

Prakash Singh Sahuwal, an independent member from Nathusari Chopta and a key leader of the Akal Panthak Morcha, alleged that the government was attempting to weaken the committee and exert control from behind the scenes.

“The Delhi Gurdwara Committee and the SGPC still function under the original provision of their acts. No such change has been made to their respective acts. The power to remove members remains with the house instead of the commission and the government should reconsider it,” he said.

Most committee members criticised the government for not consulting the general house before approving the amendments. “The government should have held a meeting with the house and tabled the proposed changes for discussion,” he said, adding that a meeting would be held in Kurukshetra to chalk out a future course of action.

Didar Singh Nalvi, former senior vice-president and an elected member of the committee from Shahabad, said the proposed amendment was violative of the basic character of the Act 22 of the HSGMC 2014. The legislature had been given full powers to manage its gurdwaras with autonomy without amending its basic character.

Nalvi said in the amendment, the government had made another change in the appellate process. Earlier, appeals against the judicial commission’s orders could be made in district courts, and then to the high court, but the proposed provision allowed direct appeal only to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

On the other hand, HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda did not openly speak on the amendments, even though he acknowledged the concerns and confirmed that a general house meeting had been scheduled for August 8. “The government should have constituted a joint committee of HSGMC members, legal experts, and government officials before making such changes. We will take up the matter in the upcoming meeting. If the house disagrees with the amendments, we will approach the government,” he said.