These gentlemen in the photo collage are the governors of the sacred Takht Hazur Saheb Nanded through the proxy of administrator Dr Vijay Satbir Singh. They mock the Sikh community in the face, loud and clear, proclaiming that they will continue to govern and meddle in the affairs of the the Sikh institutions by hook or by crook. Are you surprised? You should not be. The silence of Sikhs to major interventions by the government of Maharashtra over the last century has brought us to this situation. This week a new leadership of the Maharashtra government was elected. The Sikhs of Maharashtra did not vote en bloc and their votes were as scattered as they are. Sikhs in Nanded, though concentrated in an area, still do not have the numbers to make a dent in the results.  Hence no representation to the Sikhs seems possible. In this open letter to the new leadership of the state, WSN editor Jagmohan Singh examines the situation and makes a case for social, religious, human rights and judicial intervention in the face of political interference by the State of Maharashtra.

DEAR CHIEF MINISTER SHRI DEVENDRA FADNAVIS AND DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTERS EKNATH SHINDE AND SHRI AJIT PAWAR: The people of Maharashtra, including the Sikhs of the state, notwithstanding the numbers, have voted you to power to administer one of the biggest states of India.

Minister Fadnavis -this is your third term as Chief Minister and it is the second term for the two deputy chief ministers. At the very outset, I would like to state that throughout the earlier two terms as Chief Minister and the last term as deputy Chief Ministers, you have failed the Sikhs as you have continued the unholy tradition of open and flagrant intervention in the affairs of the Takht Hazur Sahib -one of the five holy seats of power of the Sikh religion by your predecessors.

While we are still reeling under the processes and steps followed by Shri Fadnavis in his earlier term in appointing administrators extrajudicially, it is time to end the interference of the State in the religious and administrative affairs of the Takht Hazur Saheb.

CM Fadnavis, Dy CM Shinde –you have failed the Sikhs as you have continued the unholy tradition of open and flagrant intervention in the affairs of the Takht Hazur Sahib -one of the five holy seats of power of the Sikh religion by your predecessors.

I fail to understand that the misdeed regarding melting of gold was carried out by the Fadnavis-appointee Bhupinder Singh Manhas, who ratified the gold melting eight months after the act. Why did the Fadnavis government not pursue action against him, his Vice-President and all other members of the Committee?

Subsequently, upon the complaint of Dr P. S. Pasricha regarding the unholy and patently illegal acts of Secretary Ravinder Singh Bungai, why was a public inquiry not held? Why is that even after three months, the Bombay High Court has not been given details of an inquiry report? What is the government appointed administrator Vijay Satbir Singh who rarely attends office in person upto?

What was the compulsion to make amendments to the Takht Sri Abchalnagar Hazur Sahib Act, 1956, without consultation with representations of the Sikh community?

How pernicious can the intervention be as Section 11 was amended in 2015 allowing the Government of Maharashtra to nominate the President of the Takht Board?

How many more years or decades will the government take to frame another Act replacing the old one? Will it once again attempt to appropriate power by assuming the authority to nominate 12 out of 17 members or will it go the extent of continuing with administrators forever? I am prompted to ask that why is the government keen to frame a new Act when it is not capable of doing so?

How many more years or decades will the government take to frame another Act replacing the old one? Will it once again attempt to appropriate power by assuming the authority to nominate 12 out of 17 members or will it go the extent of continuing with administrators forever? I am prompted to ask that why is the government keen to frame a new Act when it is not capable of doing so? 

Presently, I write to once again draw your attention to the deep concerns of the Sikh community regarding the prolonged delays in conducting elections for the Takht Hazur Sahib Prabandhak Committee and the through acts of omission and commission stopping the government’s interventions in its administration.

Since the enactment of the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Board Act in 1956, elections have consistently been postponed, compelling the Sikh Sangat to seek judicial intervention to uphold their rights. The most recent elections, due since March 2022, have yet to be conducted, despite  the direct intervention of the Bombay High Court.

The government’s pattern of appointing administrators, sometimes -Sikh and non-Sikh individuals, to oversee the Takht’s affairs has caused significant distress within the Sikh community. Such actions are perceived as arbitrary and disregard the community’s sentiments and traditions.

Since the enactment of the Sachkhand Sri Abchalnagar Hazur Sahib Act in 1956, in a rather surreptitious manner, the government of Maharashtra, at all levels, has deceived the Sikhs and resorted to loot of land and property,

Furthermore, attempts to amend the 1956 Act to increase government control over the Board’s composition have raised concerns about potential infringements on the community’s autonomy in managing their religious institutions. In February 2024, the Maharashtra government’s proposal to amend the Act, which would have reduced the number of SGPC-nominated members, and when it met with significant opposition from Sikh bodies, it led to its eventual technical withdrawal.

Hello Chief Ministers! it does not behoove you to humiliate the Sikh community in this  manner. While the Sikhs have the tenacity, patience and tolerance to withstand governmental onslaught, their reaction can have serious religious and social repercussions.

Hello Chief Ministers! it does not behoove you to humiliate the Sikh community in this  manner. While the Sikhs have the tenacity, patience and tolerance to withstand governmental onslaught, their reaction can have serious religious and social repercussions. 

If there is any iota of respect to Sikhs and to Takht Hazur Sahib, which is of historical importance to the Sikhs and to the people of Maharashtra, the least that you all can do is,

1. Immediate Scheduling of Elections: Conduct the overdue elections for the Takht Hazur Sahib Prabandhak Committee without further delay, in compliance with legal directives and the community’s expectations.
2. Respect for Sikh Traditions: Ensure that any administrative appointments align with Sikh traditions and sentiments, avoiding the appointment of non-Sikh individuals to positions of authority within the Takht’s management.
3. Transparent Legislative Process: Engage in open consultations with Sikh organizations and community leaders before proposing any legislative changes affecting the governance of Sikh institutions, ensuring that such amendments respect the community’s autonomy and traditions.

We trust that your esteemed leadership will address these concerns promptly, honouring the rights and sentiments of the Sikh community and upholding the democratic processes essential to the management of their sacred institutions.

While the Sikh leadership at Nanded may have committed frauds and sins unbecoming of their role and duty, however, it is still a fact, that they are emboldened to do so because of the flagrant intervention of the state authorities and the camouflage that political leaders provide them.

I will not be wrong to surmise that should the state government continue its underhand tactics, a time will soon come in the near future, when the Sikhs will draw up their own parallel authority, under the guidance of the Sikh Sangat in a Sarbat Khalsa -People’s Commonwealth.

I will not be wrong to surmise that should the state government continue its underhand tactics, a time will soon come in the near future, when the Sikhs will draw up their own parallel authority, under the guidance of the Sikh Sangat in a Sarbat Khalsa -People’s Commonwealth, should the authority of the Jathedar Takht Hazur Saheb and Jathedar Akal Takht Saheb and other Jathedars of the Sikh community not rise to the occasion.

History beckons your leadership trio not to mess with the Sikhs and their religious institutions. 

The rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in all its splendour, the rule of the Misls -Sikh chieftains and that of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur are ample proof that Sikhs are capable of throwing up their own leadership and are more than capable of managing their religious, social and political institutions.

The historic Sikh seat of authority of Takht Hazur Saheb should inspire the religious and political leadership of the state and not be treated in a malicious manner. History beckons your leadership trio not to mess with the Sikhs and their religious institutions.

Jagmohan Singh
Editor, The World Sikh News