DSGMC elections turn into clash of titans

Punjab Newsline : By Our Political Editor-

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC) elections are turning out to be the clash of titans as the senior Punjab politicians are fighting it out against each other for their supporters in Delhi. While the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Badal have directly taken on the incumbent DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna, he in turn is being supported by the Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh.

While both the Badals, alongwith most of their ministerial colleagues and officers, are camping in New Delhi for last few days, Capt Amarinder Singh and his wife and the Minister of State for External Affairs Perneet Kaur also joined the campaigning for Sarna, the Badals’ bête noir.

Capt Amarinder and Perneet Kaur addressed a few rallies in support of Sarna and his candidates today. The PCC president lashed out at the Badals, alleging that they had robbed and looted the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhik Committee in Punjab and were now eyeing the Delhi gurdwaras.

He cautioned the Sikhs of Delhi against the designs of the Akalis led by the Badals saying they had no business to interfere in Delhi affairs. He pointed out, while Punjab while they could not handle Punjab as lawlessness and law and order were at its worst and economy of bankrupt, they were dreaming of grabbing Delhi gurdwaras.

Since Congress being a secular party does not fight any religious elections, the party has however been openly supporting the Sarnas. However, Capt Amarinder made it clear that he was supporting Sarna brothers as a true Sikh. He said, as a Sikh he had every right and authority to watch the interests of the gurdwaras and save these from loot and robbery. He said, he will ensure that the Akalis led by the Badals were made to bite the dust in Delhi.

On the other hand the Akali Dal is directly fighting the elections to the DSGMC. The senior and the junior Badal are giving the Sarnas run for their money and for the first time they have faced a real challenge to their authority in Delhi Sikh politics.

The Badals at the same time seem to have taken a big gamble by getting so much involved with the Delhi elections as dethroning the Sarna brothers will not be an easy task. In case they are not able to dethrone him it will be a great setback since they have turned it into a personal battle of prestige against Sarna.

Although the DSGMC elections will not have any direct impact on the Punjab politics but it will certainly have an impact on the panthic politics in the state since Sarna has been taking lot of interest in Punjab. He has carved good influence among the urban Sikh community, which otherwise mostly identifies with the Akali Dal. If Sarna manages to win, it will mean a straight defeat to Badals at his hands as they have virtually made it a direct fight and embolden him further to take more interest in state politics. 

with thanks : Punjab Newsline : LINK

It is a close fight for the control of Sikh affairs in Delhi

Tuesday, January, 22 2013

By Jagtar Singh-
 
CHANDIGARH: With the national capital being virtually under siege of the Punjab government, temperature is rising in Delhi’s Sikh religio-political matrix. The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab is out to capture the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee for which polling would be held on January 27 in which the eligible Sikh voters would elect a 46-member House to manage their religio-political affairs. Apart from managing the Sikh shrines, the DSGMC runs a number of educational and health institutions. It is going to be a close fight. The stakes are much higher than just controlling this second most important Sikh body in the country after the Amritsar based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

The body is presently being dominated by the Delhi Akali Dal headed by Delhi businessman Paramjit Singh  Sarna. Being in power for the last two terms, the Delhi Akali Dal is also confronted with anti-incumbency. Sarna at one time used to be close to Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra who presided over the affairs of the SGPC for more than a quarter of a century. Presently, Sarna is considered close to the Congress.

The Shiromani Akali Dal campaign is being led by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Deputy Chief Minister son Sukhbir Singh Badal who also heads the party. The entire cabinet, besides senior party leaders, are camping in Delhi. Sukhbir’s brother-in-law and Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia is campaigning in Sarna’s constituency of Punjabi Bagh. The effort is to defeat Sarna at any cost who has his own strong and weak points.

Sukhbir, considered to be expert in managing elections, is trying to replicate Punjab model in Delhi. Liquor is literally flowing freely. The Delhi Akali Dal is attacking the Shiromani Akali Dal on this very issue. It may be mentioned that money and liquor play a significant role in the elections in Punjab. Not only the Akali Dal,  almost every party has to resort to such tactics in the sensitive border state. A senior leader in Delhi, however, said the Sikhs in Delhi would not be influenced by such tactics adopted by the Shiromani Akali Dal. The Shiromani Akali Dal  tried to revive its fortune in Delhi when it brought in Manjit Singh GK replacing old war horse Avtar Singh Hit.

with thanks : PUNJAB NEWS LINE : LINK : for detailed news.

Mika Singh celebrates Sikh guru’s birth anniversary

To mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, Mika Singh organised a langar for people of different faiths and religions. In Mumbai, the langar was held at two gurdwaras and also at the Haji Ali Dargah. The singer organised a langar at a gurdwara in Delhi, too.

Says Mika, "Guru Gobind Singhji was a visionary who was also a warrior, poet, thinker and philosopher. His birth anniversary holds the highest honour in our hearts. With his blessings, I have got whatever I wanted, that too, in such short time. It's time to give back. By organising langars at different religious places of worship, I'm only spreading his message of love and peace."

The singer-turned-actor's charity organisation trains women to master skills — like stitching, tailoring or making novelty items — that can be pursued professionally, making them independent. There are also plans to come up with a 24X7 helpline for women in distress after the Delhi gangrape incident. "There should be instant action and, along with my organisation, I'm working towards it. The first helpline will start in Delhi, followed by other cities," informs Mika. 

with thanks :Times of India : link

SGPC to get Sikh history rewritten, forms five-member panel

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is referred to as mini Parliament of Sikhs, has decided to get Sikh history re-written following research in this regard. 

For this, SGPC has constituted a five-member committee, including Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh and historian Dr J S Grewal. SGPC Secretary Roop Singh will be the co-ordinator of the panel. 

“There has been a long pending demand from both across the country and abroad that a research should be conducted on Sikh history so that it could be written afresh,” SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said. 

When contacted, SGPC Administrative Secretary Dalmegh Singh said the idea aimed at look for comprehensive details about Sikh history so that doubts and confusions caused could be clarified. “Following the research, the book will be published by SGPC,” he added. 

“The panel will conduct a research by sifting through the archives and books on Sikh history. We will also seek feedback from scholars and historians who have already written books on Sikh history,” Dr Jaspal Singh said. 

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK

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Dal Khalsa to SGPC: After kumb mela, display Sikh exhibition during Eid and Christmas also

JALANDHAR: Dal Khalsa slammed Shiromani Akali Dal for pressurizing the "incompetent and inefficient" president of the SGPC, Avtar Singh Makkar, to pass a resolution favouring the participation of Sikh institution in the Kumbh mela despite three senior members of the executive lodging their dissenting views.

Party general secretary Dr Manjinder Singh and spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said after making the SGPC its extension counter, the Badals had now mortgaged the SGPC's authority to Hindutva forces.

Taking a dig at Makkar, they said the flip-flop in decision to display books on Sikh history instead of taking part in the mela was taken after the SGPC faced strong criticism from Sikh groups. "Makkar has been reduced to a puppet", they rued.

Quoting Makkar that the idea behind this move was to acquaint people of all faiths who take part in the Kumbh Mela about Sikhism and the valour of Sikh gurus and warriors, the leaders of Sikh hardliner group wondered what stopped the SGPC for resolving to display the same exhibition for people who takes part at 'Jama Masjid and Ajmer Sharif Dargah' during Eid and 'Se Cathedral' church in Goa on December 25. 

with thanks : Times of India : LINK

Sikh organisations oppose SGPC’s move to participate in Kumbh

The decision of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to participate in the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad has been opposed by various Sikh organisations, which criticised the apex body for “undermining the basic principles of the faith.” It is the first time the body has opted to participate in the event.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, in a recent interaction with journalists in Amritsar, disclosed the decision of the committee to set up a stall at the mela to display books and create “awareness” about Sikhism, its history, the teachings of the Gurus, principles and practice. The SGPC, which has decided to organise a photo exhibition and hold langar (community kitchen), has gathered its literature published in Hindi to be displayed at the mela.

Interaction

Mr. Makkar is quoted to have said that every religion must interact with other faiths. He said there was evidence that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, had participated in the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar. Gurdwara Gyan Godri Sahib stands testimony to the event, he argued.

Reacting to the development, radical organisation Dal Khalsa said that betraying the purpose for which it was formed after a major struggle, the SGPC first became the “extension counter” of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, which mortgaged it for petty political considerations to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “Participation in the Kumbh only denotes the complete saffronisation of the SGPC,” remarked the outfit’s spokesman, Kanwarpal Singh.

President of the All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) Karnail Singh Peermohammed said that by accepting the invitation of the RSS chief to attend the Kumbh Mela, the SGPC put a stamp of approval on “following superstitions” against which Guru Nanak Dev had preached so extensively and laid the foundation of Sikhism.

“Identity damaged”

SGPC member Hardeep Singh, while talking to journalists, said the body had only certified the stance of the RSS and other ideologues of the Hindutva stream that Sikhism was a mere extension of Hinduism. He said the decision of the SGPC had damaged the exclusive and distinct identity of the Sikh community.

Chief of the Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat Rajinder Singh said the SGPC’s decision was a setback to those Sikhs who were struggling to get an amendment to Article 25 and seeking to restore Sikhism as a separate religion.

The leaders have urged the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the apex religio-temporal seat of the community, to take a tough stand on the issue and protect its interests. They asked the SGPC leadership to concentrate more on the affairs within the community.

The leaders pointed out that the SGPC had done precious little when more than 85 per cent of the youth were becoming apostates and a large number of “Gursikhs” were being attracted to the proliferating “dera” culture.

with thanks : The Hindu : LINK

SAD faces Delhi Akali Dal in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee elections

 

The elections to the 46-member general house of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) have become crucial for Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal .

The SAD is pitted against the Delhi Akali Dal led by Paramjit Singh Sarna, who is also the incumbent DSGMC president.

The Delhi Akali Dal, which is said to have the backing of the Congress, has been dominating the Sikh religio-political affairs for nearly a decade.

The DSGMC elections, scheduled to be held on January 27, assume more importance in view of the fact that the assembly elections in Delhi are due later this year.

If the Delhi Akali Dal manages to stick to power, it would benefit the ruling Congress in the assembly poll.

On the other hand, if the SAD wins the gurdwara elections, it would enhance Badal's stature on home turf.

The DSGMC elections are a challenge for Badal junior as Sarna is entrenched in the Sikh religious politics for a long time. Sources in the SAD said that Badal had been taking care of the election management himself in a bid to unseat Sarna.

 

Badal has already proved his capabilities by steering his party to the second consecutive term in Punjab last year.

His strategy had divided or depleted the Congress votes in Punjab. In the same way, he has already started poaching the Delhi Akali Dal leaders.

The SAD president has already announced two lists of candidates for the DSGMC poll. The early declaration of the candidature is likely to give the SAD an edge over the rival party as the nominees have started canvassing for the elections.

Sarna has a tall stature in the Sikh politics and is believed to have the patronage of the Congress. The SAD is supported by its traditional ally, the BJP.

The DSGMC elections are being held following a direction of the Supreme Court.

The Delhi Akali Dal had proposed to amend the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, and wanted direct elections to the post of the president.

The Sheila Dikshit government has approved the amendment and it would be put up in the Delhi Assembly. The SAD had opposed the amendment.

with thanks : India Today : LINK

Happy Lohri to all of you

HAPPY LOHRI !

DSGMC elections: Sukhbir calls SAD leaders to Delhi

Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) president and Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday deputed senior leaders of the party, including cabinet ministers, members of Parliament, MLAs and district unit presidents, for the upcoming Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC)elections. 

Sukhbir asked them to reach Delhi by the evening of January 14. The elections are scheduled to be held on January 27.

In a statement issued on Friday, party spokesman Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said Sukhbir would preside over an important meeting at Delhi on January 15 to chalk out the strategy for the elections. Cheema said all SAD (Badal) candidates and leaders of the party's Delhi unit would also attend the meeting, during which duties would be assigned to leaders from Punjab.

with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK