Sydney, Apr 16(ANI): The Sikhs in Australia have decided to set up a separate Australian Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (ASGPC) on the pattern of American Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee.
The Sikh body was formed after the apex Sikh shrines management body in India, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), failed to address the issues of the community in Australia.
The Sikhs in Canada and Germany have already set up separate Gurdwara management committees to protect the rights of the community. Many other countries are expected to follow the suit.
Dr. Pritpal Singh, convener of the American Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, who is in Australia to mop up support for the cause of the Sikh community, said that 20 leading Sikh Gurdwara Management Committees in Australia decided to form the Australian Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee during a meeting held at Gurdwara Rivesby on Saturday.
He informed that an ad hoc committee has been set up to finalize the constitution and frame of the new Sikh body.
The committee will prepare the draft of the constitution within three months for approval by the 20 Gurdwara Managements.
Mohinder Singh, President of Rivesby Gurdwara, has been appointed President of the ad hoc committee, Parshotam Singh, President of Gurdwara of South Wales, was made Vice-President and Gurbux Singh, from Malbourne Gurdwara, will be the General Secretary.
Dr. Pritpal Singh said that the Sikhs in foreign countries were unhappy with the present Sikh leadership in India, which is holding control over SGPC.
He said that Sikhs living abroad had high hopes from the Sikh leaders, but corruption and nepotism in the Sikh body is not serving the purpose of community.
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