AI Generated Summary
- At a General House meeting held at the committee’s headquarters in Kurukshetra on Friday, members unanimously passed a resolution opposing the amendments, which are expected to be introduced in the upcoming Haryana Assembly session.
- The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) has formally rejected the state government’s proposed amendments to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Act, 2014, voicing strong objections over the lack of consultation with the committee before the changes were cleared by the Cabinet.
- The current provision allows the HSGMC to remove its own members by a two-thirds majority vote, but under the new draft, that power would be transferred to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission.
The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) has formally rejected the state government’s proposed amendments to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Act, 2014, voicing strong objections over the lack of consultation with the committee before the changes were cleared by the Cabinet.
At a General House meeting held at the committee’s headquarters in Kurukshetra on Friday, members unanimously passed a resolution opposing the amendments, which are expected to be introduced in the upcoming Haryana Assembly session.
“This Act was enacted in 2014, and the Cabinet did not consult the 11-member executive body of the HSGMC, which is unacceptable,” said HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda after the meeting. “We have decided to boycott the proposed amendments and demand that the government seek our approval before making any future changes.”
The meeting was attended by 32 of the committee’s 49 members. According to Jhinda, the proposed changes significantly alter the committee’s authority, particularly in relation to Section 17(2)(c) of the Act. The current provision allows the HSGMC to remove its own members by a two-thirds majority vote, but under the new draft, that power would be transferred to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission.
Jhinda also criticised another amendment concerning appeals against the Judicial Commission’s decisions. “Earlier, appeals could be filed in the district courts and then the high court. Now, the proposal limits appeals to the Punjab and Haryana High Court directly, bypassing lower courts,” he said.
In preparation for the Assembly session, the HSGMC plans to hold a Sikh Sammelan before August 22 to seek suggestions from the Sikh community. “We want to ensure the sangat’s voice is heard before any decision is made,” Jhinda added.
Although key figures such as Prakash Singh Sahuwal, an Independent member from Nathusari Chopta, and Didar Singh Nalvi, a senior member from Shahabad, were absent from the meeting, both leaders have previously voiced their opposition to the proposed changes.
The state government has not yet issued an official response to the committee’s resolution.
