Other States - Haryana   

`Stay off our religious affairs'

Staff Correspondent

Sikhs warn Cong. Governments against `provoking'

CHANDIGARH: Unanimously rejecting a proposal to form a separate body to manage the affairs of Sikh shrines in Haryana, an emergency session of the general house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has warned the "Congress'' governments at the Centre as well in the states of Haryana and Punjab against provoking the Sikh community, which would not brook any interference in their religious affairs.

The resolution to this effect was moved by the SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, who chaired the session. As many as 154 members out of a total of 185 took part in the proceedings that spanned five hours in the Committee's headquarters located in the Golden Temple complex.

Later talking to reporters, Bibi Kaur claimed that the proceedings were conducted in an extremely peaceful atmosphere and denied any controversy. She said members were unanimous in expressing their view that the SGPC was the supreme body managing the affairs of the Sikh community. "The SGPC was established through an act of Parliament after a prolonged struggle by the Sikhs against the foreign rulers and its general house had representatives of Sikhs settled across the world."

Responding to queries, Bibi Jagir Kaur said she would lead a delegation of SGPC members to call on the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to apprise him of the sentimentality involved in the issue. She said the Haryana Assembly was not empowered to split the SGPC and create a parallel management system on its own.

About allegations of ignoring the demands of the Sikhs in Haryana, Bibi Jagir Kaur dismissed them as an attempt by the Congress to create confusion among the Sikhs and justify its "dirty tricks''. She said that some SGPC members from Haryana, who had never raised these issued in the past, were now dancing to the Congress tune.

A supporter of the proposal for a separate committee, Didar Singh Nalwai, who represents Haryana on SGPC's Executive Committee, stressed that the State Assembly could take a decision on the matter under Section 72 of the Punjab Re-organisation Act of 1966. He was categorical that there was no need to seek recommendation or acceptance from the SGPC to set up a separate committee for Sikhs in Haryana.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous | Engagements |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

`Stay off our religious affairs'
Haryana plans six new courses

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu