Varinder Walia
Tribune News ServiceAmritsar, November 22
Avtar Singh was re-elected SGPC chief for the fourth consecutive term with a voice vote at Teja Singh Samundari Hall here today. He has become the 40th president of the SGPC, also called mini-Parliament of the Sikhs.
Out of 180, 164 members, including former SGPC chiefs Bibi Jagir Kaur and Kirpal Singh Badungar, were present at the general house meeting.
However, unpleasant scenes were witnessed when members from Haryana rose in revolt against the SGPC for ignoring their due representation in the executive committee. The SGPC then had to induct Baldev Singh Khalsa in the executive body. However, agitated over the reduction of their representation from two to one, Jagdish Singh Jhinda, a leader of the ad hoc committee of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (HSGPC), announced to boycott the visits of SGPC presidents and other office-bearers to their state.
An upset Jhinda alleged that discrimination with Haryana Sikhs had laid the foundation stone for a separate gurdwara committee. He announced to take over the control of historical gurdwaras in Haryana.
The SGPC president claimed that he had obliged them by inducting one member from Haryana in the executive body since they did not have enough strength in the general house.
Avtar Singh said the SGPC would not allow the HSGPC to take over the control of historic gurdwaras in Haryana at any cost.
Jathedar, Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh had a tough time pacifying the agitating members who sought his intervention. The Jathedar had to stand up to prevent members from creating a scene in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib.
To woo urban voters for the Lok Sabha and Delhi Assembly elections, the Shiromani Akali Dal decided to maintain near status quo in the executive body. Karnail Singh Panjoli, who recently joined the SAD, had to satisfy himself as one of the 11 members of the executive committee. Panjoli was embarrassed when SGPC member from Haryana Jagdish Singh Jhinda proposed his name for the post of president. However, Panjoli was quick to withdraw his name saying Jathedar Avtar Singh was more capable than him.
After Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who remained SGPC president for 26 times, Jathedar Avtar Singh has the maximum terms to his credit as SGPC chief. Otherwise, after the unceremonious removal of Tohra as SGPC president in March 1999, the SAD frequently changed his (Tohra’s) successors. Jathedar Avtar Singh who was considered ’greenhorn’ in panthic circles when he became 38th president of the SGPC in 2005 was the first urban Sikh to occupy the coveted seat after half a century. The last urban SGPC chief was legendary Master Tara Singh, who ruled the hearts of Sikh masses for more than four decades.
The others re-elected as office-bearers include Raghujit Singh Virk (senior vice-president), Kewal Singh Badal (junior vice-president), Sukhdev Singh Bhaur (general secretary). The executive committee members are Sant Tek Singh Dhanaula, Rajinder Singh Mehta, Dyal Singh Kolianwali, Surjit Singh Garhi, Bibi Bhajan Kaur Dogranwala, Nirmail Singh Jaula Kalan, Mohan Singh Bangi, Sukhwinder Singh Jhabal and one member from Haryana, Baldev Singh Khalsa.
Meanwhile, women were also given negligible representation since only one member Bibi Bhajan Kaur Dogranwala has been inducted in the executive body.
