As winter recedes in the coming weeks and election fever grips Delhi Sikh leaders, Delhi has started witnessing a season of turncoats. Diehard politicians in the garb of Sewadars of the Sangat are monkeying from one party to another on the basis of their assessment of who is likely to win the ensuing DSGMC elections, likely to happen in April/ May later this year. Gurmeet Singh of the Delhi Desk of The World Sikh News reports on developments in the prestigious Rajouri Garden constituency.

AT A RECENT MEETING OF THE JAGO PARTY at the residence of Rajouri Garden Singh Sabha president Harmanjit Singh in the heart of Delhi and the densely populated Sikh centre of Rajouri Garden, with the former leader of Badal Dal Paramjit Singh Rana in attendance, who was recently expelled from the Badal, JAGO party president Manjit Singh GK announced the candidature of Baldeep Singh Raja, the brother of former Badal Dal stalwart Harmanjit Singh as the official party candidate for the Rajouri Garden constituency. Does anyone smell old wine in a new bottle? Or old wine in an old bottle?

The President of the Rajouri Garden Singh Sabha Harmanjit Singh is an old Sirsa hand and a sitting member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee from the popular Rajouri Garden constituency. This marks his goodbye to the party. Speaking to WSN, a local Sikh youth activist said, “Incidents like these further increase disillusionment amongst the Sangat and wean them from participating in the Gurdwara Elections. The turnout in the last DSGMC elections from Rajouri Garden was very low and it is unlikely to increase this year.” That is the tragedy!”

Harmanjit Singh, who had started admonishing Sirsa publicly since the last year, honoured GK with a ‘Siropa’ and stated that “he had acquitted Manjit Singh GK of all corruption charges.” What an exoneration!

The Rajouri Garden constituency comprises an area of rich Sikhs, where the poor and the lower middle class also live largely ignored by the Sikh leaders at the local level as well as the state level, except at the time of elections like typing Indian political leadership. Anti-incumbency is likely to be high this year and the contest is likely to be close, though the turnout will be the key determining factor. Harmanjit Singh won the last election on the Badal Dal nomination which witnessed 46 percentage voting.

Even during the voter registration process, stalwarts from Badal Dal deserted the party and joined the parties of Paramjit Singh Sarna and Bhai Ranjit Singh. After spending 7 years with Shiromani Akali Dal of the Badals and with Sirsa as the head, Gurmeet Singh Shunty rejoined the Sarna-led Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi. A staunch supporter of the Sarnas, Jasmeet Singh from Raghbir Nagar is preparing to join the Panthic Akali Lehar of Bhai Ranjit Singh.

With the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections closing the process of fresh voter registration despite requests from the Sikh Sangat and social organisations to ensure the enfranchisement of more than 60,000 voters who stand disenfranchised for non-addition of the new provision this year of attaching photos to the existing voter lists, groups desirous of contesting elections are gradually getting into election gear, notwithstanding the Farmers Morcha at their doors on the outskirts of Delhi.

Turncoats add to more disillusionment among the Sangat and wean them from participating in the Gurdwara Elections. The turnout in the last DSGMC elections from Rajouri Garden was very low and it is unlikely to increase this year.” That is the tragedy!”

A Sikh Youth from Rajouri Garden

The registered parties are trying hard to get their hold into Delhi Singh Sabhas and gain a foothold amongst the Sangat. These Singh Sabhas were lying low throughout the voter registration process in Delhi for the last three months.

The Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi state with Harmeet Singh Kalka and Manjinder Singh Sirsa as the top leaders and the party owing allegiance to the Badal Dal in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi State led by Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother Harvinder Singh Sarna, the JAGO led by Manjit Singh GK, the Panthic Lehar led by Giani Ranjit Singh, former Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, the Sikh Sadbhavna Dal led by Darbar Sahib Kirtaniaya Bhai Baldev Singh Wadala and the Panthic Sewa Dal led by Kartar Singh Kochhar are swinging into action with their cadres and supporters. The Aam Akali Dal led by Paramjit Singh Saini seems silent so far.

Speaking on the occasion at the meeting, Manjit Singh GK said that in view of allegations of corruption, he resigned from the presidency of the DSGMC, whereas Manjinder Singh Sirsa continues to be in the driver’s seat of the DSGMC despite large scale corruption charges and even an FIR in matters of corruption. Reportedly, he also extolled the qualities and work for the Delhi Sikh Sangat of his late father Jathedar Santokh Singh, in whose memory he has set up the party.

The Rajouri Garden has been a safe seat for the Badals from the last 8 years. Sirsa also won as an MLA from Rajouri Garden in the by-election of 2017 defeating sitting MLA Jarnail Singh. Harmanjit Singh, who had started admonishing Sirsa publicly since the last year, honoured GK with a ‘Siropa’ and stated that “he had acquitted Manjit Singh GK of all corruption charges.” What an exoneration!

The Sikh youth in Rajouri Garden are angry with the manner in which Harmanjit Singh is running the Singh Sabha of the area and the local Guru Nanak Public School administered by the Singh Sabha.

The Sikh youth in Rajouri Garden are angry with the manner in which Harmanjit Singh is running the Singh Sabha of the area and the local Guru Nanak Public School administered by the Singh Sabha. WSN learns that salaries have not been to teachers for Covid times and the matter has gone to court. Like in all Gurdwaras, the Singh Sabha made no efforts to ensure that a maximum number of people registered as voters in the constituency.

Psychopathy, nepotism and a hunger for power are traits of the old Sikh leadership in Delhi and elsewhere too -in politics and in Gurdwaras. Unless there is an active intervention by well-meaning people, particularly the youth, such games are going to increase in the coming weeks.