The proposal to constitute a separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee once again threatens to touch off a political controversy in Punjab. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has taken up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, dominated by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), has promised to oppose the move tooth and nail. What is the controversy about?

Dharmendra Rataul explains

•What is the SGPC? How is it constituted?

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, a representative body of Sikhs that manages the gurdwaras (Sikh shrines) in northern India, was constituted by an act of Parliament in 1925. It was preceded by the reform movement to free gurdwaras from the clutches of the mahants. Its 180 members are directly elected by Sikh voters for a five year term. Its annual budget is about Rs 350 crore.

•Why is the SGPC opposing a separate SGPC in Haryana?

The SGPC is of the view that a separate SGPC in Haryana will reduce its influence and control over the gurdwaras in the region. Its revenue, collected from ‘Golak’ (offering boxes) put up at the shrines, would also come down, affecting the religious body financially.

•Why is the Haryana Congress keen on having a separate SGPC?

Sikhs constitute a significant chunk of Haryana’s population — about 9 per cent — and the Congress evidently hopes to woo the community’s votes. During the last assembly elections in 2005, the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee included the promise of creating a separate SGPC in the state in its election manifesto. A section of Haryana’s Sikhs wants the money collected from the ‘Golak’ to be spent on Harayana’s gurdwaras only.

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