Outraged at the saffronisation of the DSGMC, Jagmohan Singh -editor of the World Sikh News, writes an Open Letter to Lieutenant Governor Delhi seeking amendments to Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971 barring sitting members from contesting polls for political offices or holders of political offices from contesting DSGMC polls.

Shri Anil Baijal The Lieutenant Governor, New Delhi

Dear Governor:

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

I seek your indulgence to use powers vested in you under the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971 to get rules framed and amendments forwarded to the government, as recent developments arising out of the non-working of the newly constituted Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has raised the hackles of the Sikh community in Delhi and across the globe.

The Sikh population of Delhi recently elected 46 members to the General House of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. They were elected under your aegis, by the Sikh electors of Delhi in an election conducted by the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, Government of Delhi. They were elected as per provisions of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971, which was enacted to provide for the proper management of the Sikh Gurdwaras and Gurdwara property in Delhi and for matters connected therewith. The appointment of the 46 elected members and 9 nominated members is done in your name as per Section 3 of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971

As the editor of The World Sikh News, I write to you to bring forth concerns of the Sikh electorate in Delhi over recent developments concerning the conduct of certain members recently elected to the DSGMC. All members owe allegiance to the Shiromani Akali Dal, popularly known as the Badal Akali Dal. Their guilt is self-evident:

1. Manjinder Singh Sirsa elected from Punjabi Bagh constituency and made the General Secretary of the DSGMC is contesting by-elections to the Delhi Vidhan Sabha from the Rajouri Garden constituency.

2. Paramjit Singh Rana elected from the Dev Nagar constituency and appointed chairperson of the Dharam Prachar Committee of the DSGMC, is contesting the NDMC polls from the Rajinder Nagar constituency.

3. Amarjit Singh Pappu, elected to the DSGMC from the Fateh Nagar constituency, nominated as the Joint Secretary of the DSGMC, is contesting the NDMC elections from the Partap Nagar constituency.

4. Iqbal Singh Raja is the brother-in-law of defeated Badal Dal candidate -Capt. Inderpreet Singh (member in the last Committee) and is contesting the elections from Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar. His wife is a sitting councillor of the NDMC.

Apart from the above there are other examples of nepotism:
5. Manpreet Kaur is the wife of Harmeet Singh Kalkaji -the recently nominated Senior Vice President of the DSGMC elected from the Kalkaji constituency. She is contesting NDMC polls from the Kalkaji constituency.

6. Gurjeet Kaur is the wife of the recently elected member of the DSGMC -Kulwant Singh Bath, elected from the Navin Shahdara constituency. Kulwant Singh Baath contested the DSGMC elections even though he was the BJP Vice-President.

7. Raminder Singh Sonu -contesting the NDMC polls from the Tilak Nagar constituency, is the son-in-law of veteran DSGMC member and office bearer Avtar Singh Hit, who was elected from the Hari Nagar constituency.

By so doing, these members have not only ditched their electorate and Sikhs at large as they were elected for the very specific purpose of furthering the interests of the Sikh religion as specified under the Act. Rubbing salt on our wounds, they are contesting these elections as Bharatiya Janata Party candidates and doing all acts and rituals inimical to the Sikh faith.

Whether the Sikhs should have taken to political-style elections route for the management of their historic Gurdwaras in Delhi can be disputed, but presently that is a fait accompli. Till there is a major upheaval of understanding within the Sikh community, it is imperative that we improve the systems and rules as they exist today.

The Sikh community in its wisdom will evolve measures to prevent this slide into worldly affairs at the cost of religious authority bestowed by the people but till that happens, you have a significant role to play.

Through you, I seek the following amendments to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971:

1. Section 8 to contain a clause that a person who holds a political office -municipal, legislature or parliamentary cannot contest Gurdwara elections till he resigns from that office.

2. Section 10 (1) to contain a clause that in case a person after election as a member of the DSGMC committee chooses to contest any political election, he may have to first resign from his membership and then contest the political elections. The propriety of the Gurdwara elections and role of the elected members is at stake. The powers and functions of the Committee are clearly spelt out in Section 24 of the Act and this step of the members elected less than a month back does not help in furthering any of the stated objectives.

3. Section 26 of the Act clearly spells out that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee shall not make any financial contribution to any political party. Just as the committee cannot make a monetary consideration, similarly an elected member cannot devote even his private time to fulfilling his duties as required by a political party. The life of a Sikh, any ordinary Sikh and more so of a leader elected by the people, is seen in totality. He cannot be a split personality serving two different masters. He cannot be wearing the Turban as well as putting the vermillion tilak on his forehead extolling the right-wing elements in society. This is antithetic to the Sikh faith and detested by Sikhs.

Another alarming fear of the Sikh Sangat is whether or not these leaders will be elected to their respective political office, they will continue to meddle in Sikh affairs. They are using victory in Gurdwara elections as a stepping stone for their political careers. They are also known to use Gurdwara funds for political purposes. This dichotomy is against the spirit of the democratic functioning of Gurdwara committees. Instead of being role models for other committees at the regional level, these members by this misdemeanour are setting a wrong precedent and this has to be stopped in the ranks. Notwithstanding the result of their political actions, they should not be allowed to continue as members and there should be fresh elections to their respective seats.

Section 36 of the Act says that every member of the Committee, the Executive Board or any sub-committee, the Director Gurdwara Elections and every other officer and employee of the Committee shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a public servant as a government official or employee. The Collins dictionary defines a public servant as a person who is appointed or elected to a public office. It is absolutely wrong that they draw salary/perks/allowances/constituency funds from two offices. During the NDMC polls, they can be clearly seen using Gurdwara facilities for their elections.

As you are aware, each elected member has taken an oath as prescribed in Section 15 (3) wherein he/she has sworn on oath that they would “faithfully, honestly and conscientiously discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter in the best interest of the Sikh religion.” The interests of the Sikh religion are in jeopardy if they continue to trample on Sikh ideology through political office elections and violate the very principles for whose protection they were elected. This conflict of interest can be resolved by making the above-mentioned amendments to the Act.

Thank you for your kind indulgence.

Sincerely

Jagmohan Singh
Editor-in-Chief
The World Sikh News
www.theworldsikhnews.com
For reference and action to:

1. Giani Gurbachan Singh Ji, Jathedar Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar
2. S. Manjit Singh GK, President, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib, New Delhi.
3. Shri Manish Sisodia,
   Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Law Minister
   Government of Delhi
4. The Director, Directorate of Gurdwara Elections, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, Room No. 201-2015, II Floor, “F” Block, Vikas Bhawan, I. P. Estate, New Delhi -110002
5. Prof. Kirpal Singh Badungar, President, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Teja Singh Samundri Hall, Amritsar.