Gurdwara legislation

Lahore, Thursday, November 13, 1924

WE have already referred in a general way to that part of Sir Malcolm Hailey’s speech in the Punjab Legislative Council which relates to the Sikh situation. There is, however, one aspect of the matter which requires a more detailed consideration — the question of enacting a suitable law for the management and control of Sikh shrines. The subject is of supreme importance because it is on the satisfactory solution of this question that a settlement of the Sikh problem largely, if not solely, depends. It is, therefore, gratifying to find that the Governor fully explained the position of the government on this issue, because hitherto it had made no definite public announcement on the subject beyond expressing its readiness to consider any “reasonable” legislative proposals of the Sikh members of the council in this regard. While recognising the fact that it is the views of the Sikh community itself which must be the principal determining factor in a matter of this kind, we are inclined to think that the general principles laid down by Sir Hailey, on which the proposed legislation should be based, are not open to any serious exception. To start with, the Governor has laid down the very wholesome proposition that “the primary requisite is that the legislation should be by agreement between various elements of the community who are mainly affected.” The admission of this fact on the part of the government is a distinct step in the right direction because the disregard of this ‘common sense view’ of the matter has been largely responsible for the present impasse.