Chandigarh: The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) is once again grappling with internal discord, just a month after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar brokered peace after a protracted spell of infighting.
The latest clash stems from HSGMC president Baba Karamjit Singh’s announcement last week of sub-committees to perform various functions. This led to a disagreement with general secretary and long-term adversary Gurvinder Singh Dhamija, resulting in the two factions pointing fingers at each other.
Fifteen out of 38 members of the HSGMC demanded a meeting of the full house last Friday, alleging that Baba Karamjit Singh has not been functioning in a democratic way.
ThePrint contacted Gurvinder Singh Dhamija, but he did not wish to comment. However, a member of the HSGMC, who is said to be close to general secretary Dhamija, told ThePrint on condition of anonymity: “Despite counselling by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar last month, the HSGMC president has been functioning in an arbitrary manner and has been giving all the responsibilities to a select few members close to him.”
ThePrint reached Baba Karamjit Singh for comment via calls and WhatsApp messages, but is yet to get a response. This report will be updated if a response is received.
An HSGMC member from Singh’s purported camp contended that the formation of the sub-committees was long overdue, and was necessary for looking after functions such as langar sewa (community meals), transportation, and managing educational institutions. He said there was no dispute as such, but only a “difference of opinion” over the constitution of sub-committees.
Both sides have claimed that the other is disregarding the chief minister’s “advice” to them.
The HSGMC, which currently manages 51 of the state’s 52 gurdwaras, has had a tumultuous past. It was embroiled in a long legal battle with the Punjab-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over the management of Haryana’s gurdwaras until the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favour of the HSGMC last year. Subsequently, in December, the state government appointed a 38-member ad hoc committee to oversee the gurdwaras until formal elections could be held.
However, the ongoing discord between the HSGMC’s key figures, Baba Karamjit Singh and Gurvinder Singh Dhamija, has impeded smooth operations, necessitating Khattar’s mediation in June.
Also Read: After long battle with SGPC, Haryana gurdwara body now grapples with infighting. Khattar steps in
‘Disregarded CM’s advice’
The faction led by HSGMC general secretary Dhamija has accused president Baba Karamjit Singh of arbitrary nominations to the sub-committees, disregarding CM Khattar’s previous suggestion that all factions must be represented.
Furthermore, they contend that Dhamija and Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a Sikh leader of the BJP from Delhi, should have been consulted in the sub-committee formation, as purportedly suggested by Khattar.
Last Friday, the day after the sub-committee announcement, 15 members, headed by Gurvinder Singh Dhamija and former HSGMC president Baljit Singh Daduwal, convened a meeting at Chhevin and Nauvin Patshahi Gurdwara in Kurukshetra. This meeting coincided with Baba Karamjit Singh’s executive committee gathering at Nada Sahib Gurdwara in Panchkula.
The HSGMC member from Dhamija’s camp, quoted earlier, said that the president should have involved all the 38 members of the body in deciding the sub-committees rather than just the 11-member executive committee.
“We wanted that besides the 11 members of the executive committee, the others from the 38-member ad hoc committee should also be given some responsibilities so that they also feel involved. However, the president is not ready to listen to us,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the HSGMC member from the Singh faction, also quoted earlier, alleged that of the 11 executive committee members, only two were aligned with Dhamija and that no changes to the new sub-committees were expected.
He also claimed that Dhamija had acted unilaterally in the past and formed numerous subcommittees, which the CM had later advised against.
“Before Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar intervened and called both sides to his residence last month, the faction led by general secretary Gurvinder Dhamija had constituted nearly 30 sub-committees without taking the president into confidence,” he said.
“All our members were of the view that such a large number of sub-committees were not required and would cause confusion. The CM also was against the idea of 30 sub-committees and advised all of us to prepare a limited number of sub-committees,” he added. “The sub-committees were ready and were to be announced on 29 June, but it was delayed due to a bereavement in the family of a senior member.”
This HSGMC member also denied that there was any mandate to consult Sirsa in forming sub-committees, asserting that the latter is from Delhi and therefore lacks the authority to directly intervene in Haryana gurdwara affairs. The member further alleged that certain vested interests were “manipulating” Dhamija for their “own narrow personal gains”.
Different tussle, same players
On 13 June, Haryana CM Khattar summoned all the members of the HSGMC to his official residence in Chandigarh. The purpose was to resolve the escalating conflict between the president and the general secretary.
The tussle between the two had reached a critical juncture in May, leading to Dhamija being “relieved” of his position by Baba Karamjit Singh. A press note regarding this development was even shared on the official Facebook page of the HSGMC on 17 May.
At the time, Dhamija had raised serious allegations against president Singh, accusing him of purchasing three cars and employing personnel at hefty salaries. In response, the latter defended his actions, justifying them amid the escalating tensions within the committee.
Khattar had subsequently reversed the decision to remove Dhamija from his post. Back then Baba Karamjit Singh had told ThePrint that Dhamija had been given relieving orders because of his “negative attitude” but that the matter had been resolved with the CM’s intervention.
About the HSGMC
On 11 July 2014, the then Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Haryana government passed the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management), Act, 2014, in the assembly and constituted an ad hoc HSGMC under Sant Baljit Singh Daduwal.
This came after a prolonged battle for control over Haryana’s gurdwaras by members of the state’s Sikh community led by Jagdish Singh Jhinda, former president of the HSGMC. Gurdwaras in the state were then being managed by the Amritsar-based SGPC.
Having been granted statutory status, which it did not have before, the HSGMC managed to take charge of four gurdwaras, but the SGPC challenged the Haryana Act in the Supreme Court.
Finally, on 20 September last year, the Supreme Court dismissed the SGPC’s petition, clearing the way for Haryana to have its own panel to manage the 52-odd gurdwaras in the state. The HSGMC Act provided that the state government would nominate an ad hoc committee to manage gurdwaras till fresh elections are held, leading to the Khattar government nominating 38 members of the HSGMC on 2 December last year.
On 21 December, the HSGMC elected an 11-member executive committee from the 38-members ad hoc committee to look after its day-to-day affairs. Jhinda, who was also one of the 38 members, had boycotted the meeting that elected the executive committee.
The members also elected the office-bearers. While Baba Karamjit Singh is the head of a gurdwara in Yamunanagar, Dhamija is a Sikh leader from Karnal, the home constituency of Khattar.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
Also Read: SGPC, Haryana Sikh panel lock horns over gurdwara takeover — ‘broke golak with cutter’