Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s announcement that, subject to legal opinion, the state government would set up a separate Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on November 1 has reignited opinion on both sides of the issue. He has sought legal opinion on a committee his government had set up to examine the demand for a separate Haryana SGPC. The committee had recommended setting up the separate SGPC.

This committee was the result of a promise in the party manifesto — for the 2005 assembly elections — of a separate SGPC for Haryana. Thus the pressure on the government to act. But the announcement’s timing, and that the government would go by legal opinion with effect from November 1, that is, after the assembly elections likely in October, has provided some respite for the administration.

A section of Sikhs from Haryana, who constitute around 11 per cent of the state’s population, wanted an end to the SGPC control over the state’s gurdwaras. Their plea: the SGPC was “ignoring” their demands and the money collected in Haryana (about Rs 22 crore annually) was being added to the SGPC kitty, without utilisation in the state.

However, the committee’s recommendations and Hooda’s announcement led to strong protests from the Sikh clergy and the Shiromani Akali Dal. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and senior leaders called on the prime minister to register their protest. They cautioned the Centre that any interference in Sikh religious issues could lead to serious repercussions and open old wounds. Even senior Congress leaders from Punjab met Sonia Gandhi. Not wanting to invite a backlash from the clergy and radicals, a message was conveyed to Hooda to go slow.

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