Nanded gurdwara: How Maharashtra govt has ‘taken control’
The Maharashtra government’s decision to amend The Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Apchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, has angered the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Here’s why
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The Takhat Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, is one of the five Takhats (high temporal seats) of Sikhs and is of great historical importance as the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, passed away here. (nanded.gov.in)The Maharashtra government’s decision to amend The Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Apchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, to increase the number of its nominees to the religious body’s board has drawn criticism from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami who said it was “sad, condemnable and a direct interference” in Sikh affairs “which cannot be tolerated”. Dhami has now written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, seeking an appointment to discuss this issue.
Here’s a look at the amendment and why it has irked the SGPC:
What is the Gurudwara Sachkhand Board, Nanded?
The Takhat Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, is one of the five Takhats (high temporal seats) of Sikhs and is of great historical importance as the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, passed away here. As per the 1956 Act, the Gurudwara Sachkhand Board, Nanded looks after the management of the Takhat Hazur Sahib. It has an annual budget of around Rs 100 crore and property worth crores.
What will the amendment change?
According to the 1956 Act, the 17-member Takhat Hazur Sahib board comprises four nominated SGPC members, four members from Sachkhand Hazur Khalsa Diwan, two Sikh members of Parliament, one from Chief Khalsa Diwan, three directly elected from the seven districts of Marathwada, one member each from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, and the Nanded collector.
According to the new amendment, out of 17 members, 12 will be directly nominated by the Maharashtra government, three will be elected, and the SGPC can now nominate only two. There will be no representation from Parliament or other organisations.
Critics say this move will allow the ruling party to appoint its members to the board and indirectly influence the board’s decisions.
The board members are elected and nominated for a three-year term. The last election to pick three members was held in 2019. Though the next election was due in 2022, it has not been held yet.
What happened in 2015 and why the SGPC protested then?
In 2015, the BJP government in power in Maharashtra had trimmed the powers of the Gurudwara Sachkand Board, Nanded by amending Section 11 of the 1956 Act to empower itself to directly appoint the president of the board. Earlier, the president was elected by the board members. BJP MLA Tara Singh had become the first government appointee to the president post in 2015. The SGPC had opposed the amendment in 2015 but to no avail.
In 2019, the SGPC had blamed the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for allegedly using the amendment to indirectly take control of Sikh gurdwaras.
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