Sikh community looks for candidates for gurdwara management committee in Haryana polls

With the elections of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) expected to be conducted early next year, the Sikh community leaders have started preparing for the polls and identifying candidates for their respective groups.

Recently, Sikh community leaders held meetings with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Justice HS Bhalla (Retd), Chairperson, Haryana Gurdwara Election Commission, demanding early elections. The delegation members were informed that the election might take place in January.

The tenure of the previous HSGMC (ad hoc) was completed in May and the community leaders had been demanding the election but the government on August 14 nominated a new 41-member house of the ad-hoc HSGMC to manage, supervise and take over all assets of gurdwaras in Haryana.

Former HSGMC (ad hoc) chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda said, “We have decided to field candidates in all 40 wards of the state under the banner of Panthik Dal Jhinda Group, for which we have started obtaining names of interesting candidates. To strengthen the position of the group in the polls, we have started holding district-wise meetings and appointment of ward in-charges and office-bearers.”

“We met Justice HS Bhalla (Retd) and he has assured us that all preparations have been completed and only the announcement regarding the date of elections is to be made. We have also highlighted discrepancies in the preparations of votes, and demanded that only eligible Sikh persons should be allowed to get votes prepared. A large number of Sikhs are yet to get their votes prepared, we appeal them to get votes prepared at the earliest. The state government should announce the elections by December and conduct the same in January so that the elected members get the opportunity to manage the affairs of the committee.”

Didar Singh Nalvi, president, Sikh Samaj Sanstha, said, “We are hopeful that the notification regarding the elections will be issued in the second week of December and the election will be conducted in January. We have already started the process to identify suitable candidates to contest elections. So far, we have finalised 28 candidates and the remaining 12 candidates will be selected soon. We are hopeful that the government will conduct the elections in a transparent manner.”

“Since 2014, the committee is being run by the government-nominated members and the functioning hasn’t been satisfactory due to which people lack enthusiasm in getting votes prepared. We appeal to all the eligible Sikh community members to get their votes prepared and participate actively in the election process. Voters have the responsibility to elect good people who can perform seva in the gurdwara and keep politics away from religious places,” he added.

Haryana Sikh Ekta Dal member Amarjeet Singh Mohri, who also met the Chief Minister along with the delegation, said, “The prime objective of the Haryana Sikh Ekta Dal is to get the elections of the Haryana committee conducted at the earliest. The CM had assured that the elections will be conducted in January, however no final date has been announced yet. We are planning to hold a meeting in this regard to decide the future course of action.”