While the Badal Dal led by Manjinder Singh Sirsa is banking on the humanitarian activities DSGMC has done during COVID19-times and the Farmers Morcha, the Sarnas-led Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi has released its manifesto promising change in governance and education policy and with a new thrust for sports and health.  Gurmeet Singh of WSN Delhi Desk reports.

THE SHIROMANI AKALI DAL DELHI-LED BY Harvinder Singh Sarna and Parmjit Singh Sarna, which has managed the DSGMC prior to 2013, and is contesting the current 2021 election with a pre-poll alliance with Panthic Akali Lehar of former provost of Akal Takht Bhai Ranjit Singh has promised to alter the “deteriorated” image of DSGMC by bringing in major reforms in the governance of the august Sikh body, uninterrupted educational reforms and bringing in state-of-the-art health services for the Sikhs of Delhi if voted to lead the body.

The five-page vision statement-cum-manifesto released in English, Hindi and Punjabi has covered the area of Education, Sports, Good Governance, Health Services and Sikh Culture and Tradition.

In the last decade and primarily in the recent past, educational institutions run by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, especially the various Guru Harkrishan Public Schools, have seen a qualitative decline in effectiveness and efficiency when it comes to academics, finance and administration. The woes of the educational institutions increased during the Covid19 lockdown and have caused extreme stress to teachers, students and parents of the children studying in these DSGMC-run schools.

The DSGMC has received a lot of flak on social media last year for its handling of various administrative, financial and educational policy issues. Social media activists have taken the Badal Dal to task for the deteriorating trend. It is ironic that while the Badal Dal and especially the President of DSGMC was engaged in pushing new projects and going all out to publicise them, the various pending issues, especially in the field of education were left virtually untouched. There was a total disdain for substantive issues.

The policy statement of the Sarna brothers -Harvinder Singh Sarna and Paramjit Singh-led Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi assumes significance as it concentrates on revamping the education structure of the institutions run by the DSGMC. Pledging an overhaul of schools run by the body, the manifesto highlights determination to improve the education system with the introduction of modern tools and technology, the introduction of the study of foreign languages, courses from Cambridge and job-oriented skill development.

The Sarna group has also promised the moon to the poorest of poor Sikligar Sikhs by assuring them jobs in foreign lands after training them in various skill-sets required in western countries.

The Sikhs of Delhi are eagerly watching to see which party focuses on Education and Good Governance.

For the first time in many years, a group contesting DSGMC elections has committed that in its endeavour of good governance in schools, there will be no interference of politicians and vested interests. All dues to teachers and other staff will be paid on time and innovative retirement benefit plans will be prepared for all sections of employees of the DSGMC.

The party has also proposed to start a decadal plan to bring out the sporting talent of Sikh students and Delhi.

Poor and middle-class Sikhs have always rued the fact that there is no subsidised health system by the DSGMC. The Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi has proposed the completion of a world-class 550-bed Bala Sahib Hospital. They have also talked about annual health insurance of Rupees 10,000 to poor Sikh families.

As the 400th birth centenary of the Ninth Master falls in the first week, soon after the results of the current DSGMC elections scheduled for 25 April, the Sarna group has announced to make the year 2021 a historic year to celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib, with unforgettable events, and programmes spread out throughout the year.

The policy statement of the Sarna brothers -Harvinder Singh Sarna and Paramjit Singh-led Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi assumes significance as it concentrates on revamping the education structure of the institutions run by the DSGMC.

The Sikhs of Delhi are eagerly watching to see which party focuses on Education and Good Governance and for the moment at least the Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi has taken a lead with their announcement. Speaking to the media while releasing the document, party leader Harvinder Singh Sarna, who is also a candidate from the Punjabi Bagh constituency against Manjinder Singh Sirsa highlighted the anomalies in DSGMC under the Badal Dal over the last eight years. He pointed out that while the schools and other bodies were in surplus in 2013, presently they do not have funds to pay salaries on time.

The proof of the pudding lies in its eating. Sikhs of Delhi hope that Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi will honour its public commitment as made out in their manifesto.