“This is not a small thing. If it wasn’t for the discovery of this document they would still be denying it. If they hold the name of the Khalsa Diwan Society in high regard and respect as does the rest of the community then they need to apologize and suspend all those individuals that supported this action. In addition, they need to tell their friends in Surrey to change the name. If that doesn’t work? Legal action always works,” said Sikh Youth Group Sikh Sangat Society, which wants the name given to a private Surrey Gurdwara taken back, urging legal action if the name is not given back voluntarily.
By R. Paul Dhillon
VANCOUVER -The Sikh Youth Group Sikh Sangat Society is asking what is the current management of the Khalsa Diwan Society of Vancouver is doing after giving away the name to the oldest Sikh community society to a private Gurdwara.
Khalsa Diwan Society was founded over a hundred years ago and its name was held with high regard and great respect. The name was used by several Gurdwara Societies serving the needs of the community in Vancouver, Victoria, Abbotsford and New Westminster and thus was recognized by various levels of government.
However, something strange happened earlier this year when the name was used by a private Gurdwara in Surrey.
After news was broken of this violation by the Punjabi and Indo-Canadian media, Khalsa Diwan Society executive attempted to downplay the damage done by their bad judgment that allowed a private enterprise in Surrey which is run by the former Guru Nanak Gurdwara president Balwant Gill and his group which took over the York Centre’s privately run Gurdwara earlier this year.
“This came as a big surprise to the community as he had always advocated against the privatization of the sacred place of worship. He ridiculed and condemned those that had opened up these private “shops”. However, after losing two elections the idea of a private shop seemed to be no longer such a bad idea. If the takeover was not enough the new name chosen sent shockwaves. The community was baffled as to how the Gill group obtained the sacred name of Khalsa Diwan Society Surrey?,” said a press release from the Sikh Sangat Society, which is seeking to dethrone the current committee at Ross Street Gurdwara at elections to be scheduled for later this year.
Well to use the name, firstly an application must be made with the registry and there must not be any other organization using that name. If there another organization using the name, then permission must be sought from that organization.
“Who in their right mind would give permission for the desecration of this name which has been held sacredly for over a hundred years?,” asks Sikh Sangat Society.
Well, it seems that Gill’s friends in Vancouver at the Ross Gurdwara (Khalsa Diwan Society) provided that permission. The discovery of a letter from the Corporate and Personal Property Registries dated April 16, 2014 from the Khalsa Diwan Society of Vancouver provided that proof. The letter was addressed “private and confidential” and stated “…give consent to register and incorporate Khalsa Diwan Society of Surrey BC (NR#9823860)”.
Sikh Sangat Seva Society said when they questioned the management, at first they denied any knowledge or the fact that they gave permission and when this discovery was made they tried to make excuses.
“Now one person is being made a scapegoat who allegedly acted alone and mysteriously no one else knew anything. How convenient to tag “private and confidential” on a document that is public property. This was very sneaky,” said Sikh Sangat Society.
Sikh Sagat questioned the legitimacy of the “no one knew” claim.
“If that was true then why is that person still sitting on the executive? This was not a small thing. If it wasn’t for the discovery of this document they would still be denying it. If they hold the name of the Khalsa Diwan Society in high regard and respect as does the rest of the community then they need to apologize and suspend all those individuals that supported this action. In addition, they need to tell their friends in Surrey to change the name. If that doesn’t work? Legal action always works,” they said.
Members of the Khalsa Diwan Society in New Westminster were also outraged that the name was used without their permission. They have contacted the Ross executive and expressed their dissatisfaction and demanded that they write to the Registry to reverse the permission. “We want them to take the name back. If they do not we are prepared to take legal action”.
