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Makkar retained as SGPC chief

PHOTO: PTI

ANOTHER INNINGS: Newly-elected Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar with his supporters at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Friday.

CHANDIGARH: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar retained his position for a third consecutive term on Friday by being elected unopposed by the 181-member house that assembled in the Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar on Friday.

Mr. Makkar is considered a close confidant of Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal. His name was proposed by another former SGPC chief, Kirpal Singh Badungar, and cleared by a voice vote amid loud slogans in the presence of the Akal Takhat Jathedar.

Except for two members of the executive committee, the outgoing SGPC team was retained. Raghujit Singh Virk, Kewal Singh Badal and Sukhdev Singh Bhaur were elected senior vice-president, junior vice-president and general secretary, respectively, the positions they held in the outgoing set-up.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Makkar urged the Governments of India and Pakistan to work jointly for constructing a corridor for Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, a shrine associated with the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak Dev, in Pakistan close to the international border. He also demanded visa facilities at Amritsar for devotees who want to use the Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service.

Among 22 resolutions passed unanimously on the occasion, the SGPC demanded that the Union Government amend the Act to allow the committee, which is referred to as “the parliament of the Sikhs” to co-opt 10 non-resident Indians (NRIs) as members.

It also sought permission and rights to repair and maintain the historic Sikh shrines in Bangladesh, many of which are in a dilapidated condition.

The SGPC reiterated its demand for return of historic documents, books, rare manuscripts and other articles , some of which were associated with the lives of the Sikh Gurus. These had been taken away by the authorities when the Army conducted “Operation Bluestar” in 1984 to flush out militants holed up in the shrine. The SGPC also demanded action against the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee for “desecrating” Guru Granth Sahib by attempting to send 100 copies through a cargo container.

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Makkar retained as SGPC chief

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