Jhinda elected HSGMC chief, Nalwi is senior vice-president

Kurukshetra, Haryana: As expected, Jagdish Singh Jhinda and Didar Singh Nalwi were unanimously elected president and senior vice president, respectively, of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management committee (adhoc) here on Saturday.

Election to the executive body of the gurdwara panel was held peacefully at Dera Baba Charan Singh Ji Kar Sewa.

All members were elected by the voice vote. The only woman member, Rana Bhatti, remained absent from the meeting and the adhoc panel is an all-men team.

The elections were held in the presence of deputy commissioner Nikhil Gajraj, superintendent of police Ashwin Shenvi and other district officials. City magistrate Gagandeep Singh convened the meeting at the gurdwara.

Ex-president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna was also present on the occasion.

However, the maiden meeting of the gurdwara panel witnessed internal bickering as of 41 members nominated by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government, stayed away from the summit.

Harpal Singh Pali was elected unanimously as the vice-president in absentia. A resident of Machhonda village in Ambala, Pali is a sitting member of Shiromani-Gurdwara Parbandhak committee (SGPC). An Independent candidate, Pali had joined Sikh convention at Patti Afghan in Kaithal earlier this month and supported the bifurcation of the SGPC.

Sources said Pali was annoyed as he was offered a lower post and stayed away from the meeting to lodge his protest.

Addressing the gathering, Nalwi urged the Akal Takht to issue a ‘hukamnama’ (edict) to all those who were “illegally occupying” gurdwaras of Haryana.

“The HSGMC team reiterated commitment and full faith in the Akal Takht. We reassure the Sikh sangat world over all Sikh institutions will be given due respect,” he said. Nalwi lauded the role of the Hooda government for fulfilling the long pending demand of Sikhhs of haryana on the formation of an independent gurdwara panel.

Source: HT