The Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has strongly condemned the amendment in the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abhchal Nagar Sahib Act, 1956, done by the Government of Maharashtra recently.
The new norms of the board of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, one of the five temporal seats of Sikh faith, has opened the door for the government to directly nominate 12 members out of a total of 17 members of the board.
The number of members nominated by the SGPC has been reduced from four to two, whereas the nomination of Chief Khalsa Diwan and Hazuri Sachkhand Diwan has been omitted. Similarly the clause of including two Sikh MPs has also been abolished.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said that it was highly condemnable that Maharashtra government has increased the quota of government nominated members and reduce the members of Sikh organisations in Hazur Sahib Gurdwara Board. “It was a deliberate attempt to take the direct control of the historic Sikh Shrine by the Maharashtra government which could not be tolerated”, the Jathedar said.
Jathedar has ordered the SGPC to have parley with the Maharashtra government instantly to undo this amendment as it has hurt the sentiments of global Sikh community.
Expressing strong objection, the SGPC President has written a letter to the Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde and asked for an appointment to an SGPC delegation for consideration on this issue from all aspects.
The SGPC President said that the arbitrary proposed amendment in ‘The Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956’, by the council of ministers of Maharashtra Government is in a meeting on Monday, is a direct interference in Sikh Gurdwara affairs, which cannot be tolerated by Sikh community.
He said that the representation to members of Sikh organisations in the Nanded Gurdwara Board has a meaning to ensure functioning of Board in transparent and religious manner in view of the sanctity of Takht Sahib at Nanded, associated Sikh shrines and any distortion in the Act 1956 will damage this sentiment. “Maharashtra government’s decision to increase the number of government nominated members and reduce the members of Sikh organisations in Gurdwara Board (at Nanded) is an act to take direct control of Sikh shrines. No advance consultation has been done with Sikhs before proposing such an amendment”, said Harjinder Singh Dhami.
SGPC President appealed to Maharashtra CM Shri Eknath Shinde to immediately stop conspiracies to increase government influence in management and concerns of Sikh shrines besides the distortion of The Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956. He said participation of representatives of Sikh organisations should be ensured in the Nanded Gurdwara Board as earlier.
SGPC condemns changes in Takht Shri Hazur Sahib Act
