Dashmesh Sewa society welcomes supreme court decision to uphold validity of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara body

Delhi: 20 September : Dashmesh Sewa Society (Regd) welcomes the Hon’be Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the validity of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

While giving details in this regard, Mr Inder Mohan Singh, President of Society and former Member of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) said that as per received information, Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Vikram Nath of Hon’ble Supreme Court today dismissed both the petitions filed by a SGPC member Harbhazan Singh in the year 2014 and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in the year 2019 respectively challenging the constitutionality of the Act and upheld the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara
(Management) Act 2014. It is pertinent to mention that the petitioners challenged the Haryana legislation by arguing that the State Legislature lacked the power to create a body of Gurdwara Management as such power was reserved with the Parliament. The Haryana Law was challenged as violative of the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925, the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 as well as the Inter-State Corporation Act, 1957. He said that on March 29, 2022 the Court has overruled the preliminary objections raised by the State of Haryana regarding the maintainability of the petitions and decided to consider the matter on
merits.

President of Dashmesh Sewa Society (Regd), Mr Inder Mohan Singh said that the Sikh population in Haryana is reported to be about 15 Lakhs but till now the affairs of the Historical Gurdwaras of this State and institutions under them were being management by the SGPC, Sri Amritsar. He said that in view of allegations of taking away the offering and income of Gurdwaras and institutions to Punjab by the SGPC thereby ignoring the interest of these
Historical shrines and institutions, Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was constituted but the SGPC refused to recognize it. He said that after decision of the Hon’ble Court, now the Haryana Gurdwara Committee can manage Historical Sikh Shrines and its institutions independently whereas the management of Gurdwaras in Chandigarh and Himachal Pardesh still remain with the SGPC. However, there will be a big affect on the Gurdwara Funds of SGPC by losing the management of its Gurdwaras and Institutions in Haryana.

(Inder Mohan Singh)
President, Dashmesh Sewa Society (Regd) &
Former Member, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee
Mob: 9971564801