Formation of HSGMC: Jathedar raps Centre for ‘conspiring to split SGPC’

Patiala: Expressing his unhappiness over the formation of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGMC), the officiating Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, blamed the Centre for conspiring to divide the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)-- the parliament of Sikhs. In his address on the concluding day of the 3-day Hola Mohalla festival at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, on Wednesday, the jathedar said: "The Sikhs of Haryana have not taken over the reigns of HSGMC, but it is the government who has taken its control in reality. The central government knew that major support during the farmer agitation had come from ‘Langar’ (community kitchen) of gurdwaras... The British also adopted this same policy by taking the control of gurdwaras through ‘Mahants’. But Sikhs fought back and freed their gurdwaras,..."
He said the SGPC has been “broken” as it is the backbone of the Sikh community.He wondered how a “a country that put efforts to keep its Parliament undivided, did not feel ashamed while dividing the parliament of Sikhs". He then went on to curse the government, saying, "If they have divided the Sikh parliament into two through the Supreme Court, the Almighty would divide such (country’s) Parliament into several pieces...”
The jathedar had begun his address by castigating the incident of hooliganism at Manikaran Sahib and a death at Anandpur Sahib. He said that negative publicity against Sikh institutions has resulted in making Sikh youth directionless and also hit the credibility of Sikh institutions.
Meanwhile, the SGPC has termed the arrangements during Hola Mohalla at Sri Anandpur Sahib as “the worst so far”.The SGPC officials also blamed the murder of a young Sikh on the negligence of the administration and the police. - Bharat Khanna