:dateline:The current committee of Gurdwara Sahib Fremont,�the Sikh Panchayat slate, was victorious�once again in the elections contested at Fremont on Sunday, March 13. �The Sikh Panchayat members celebrated their win late at night by doing Chaupai Sahib in the Darbar Sahib as the election results were announced.�Over 4800�voters turned out�despite heavy rains.�
All five candidates of the Sikh Panchayat won�with a�margin of over 1000 votes against�the Jaswinder Singh Jandi and Bay Area Sikh Alliance Organization (BASAO) slates.�This triumph�will allow the Sikh Panchayat to remain in control of the Gurdwara for two more years, providing ample time to complete the much needed construction of the Khalsa School.
Jasdev Singh, a member of the winning Sikh Panchayat slate, told Sikh24,��The Sikh Sangat of the Bay Area very well knows of the malicious and false statements that were made about us.� Sangat is well aware of our ideology and seva, hence they chose to once again vote for us.� We see the management of Gurdwara Sahib as a seva, and everyone is welcomed to do seva here.� We value diversity, which is why we fielded youth and a woman in the committee, so they are able to connect with youth and other women.� We don�t want to monopolize seva hence diversity is really important in the management.�
The Bay Area Sikh Alliance Organization was criticized by many in the local Sikh community for indulging in unnecessary politics. �When asked�why they have been so distant from the gurdwara in the past, since�most of them are not active members of Fremont Gurdwara Sahib, the BASAO candidates had no response. �They had been accused of spreading lies about the Gurdwara funds, the rumors which since been cleared by Sikh Panchayat. �Jasdev Singh said, “BASAO had no clear agenda, they were just spreading lies, however Sangat knew their intentions very well.”
In regards to the�issue of�San Jose Gurdwara Sahib and Fremont Gurdwara Sahib�s committees meddling in each other�s elections,�Jasdev Singh said,��Sikh Panchayat as an entity has never interfered in the workings of any other Gurdwara Sahib.� Any individual from the Panchayat can support or take part in other Gurdwara Sahib affairs on their own wish.� Sikh Panchayat�s only focus is Gurdwara Sahib Fremont.”
Both of the losing�slates seemed to be�working together, or playing a �friendly match,� since core supporters of the�Jaswinder Singh Jandi Panthak slate were allegedly seen asking sangat members to vote for BASAO instead. However,�BASAO�s voter count dropped significantly this year, a blow which may affect their prospects for future elections.�
The election results are�as follows:
Sikh Panchayat
Arvinder Kaur: 2606
Harinderpal Singh: 2522
Jasdev Singh: 2520
Gurinder Singh: 2505
Parminder Singh: 2464
Bay Area Sikh Alliance Organization
Avtar Singh Dhami: 1338
Davinder Singh Channa: 1294
Dhanwant Singh Dhaliwal: 1250
Vikramjit Singh: 1236
Mohinder Singh Kaler: 1229
Panthak Slate
Jaswinder Singh Jandi: 1150
Nirmal Singh Khalsa: 1032
Harbans Singh: 864
Bhupinder Singh Randhawa: 844
Amarijt Singh Sarkaria: 837
Congratulations to Sikh Panchayat. I like their statements to treat everyone fairly and equally, as it should be in Gurdwara Seva. The real test of a society is how nicely we treat the helpless and weak. It hits conscious of every God-Fearing human being when we see our seniors struggling to sit on the floor. They should be treated not only fairly and equally but our society is geared towards respecting our seniors. I will admire this Sikh Panchayat group, if they can provide chairs for the seniors in Diwan Hall as well as Langar Hall.
I see no reason for not providing the chairs, especially for the older or physically challenged who can�t even sit on the floor. I, as a young student at Yale University , have attended congregation with chairs in New York . Many famous scholars had agreed with this practice for the west. Dharmik Sulaakaar Committee on 25 April 1935, comprising of: Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha, Prof. Jodh Singh, Prof. Teja Singh, Prof. Ganda Singh, Jathedar Mohan Singh passed the following resolution: �In Europe or America, where it is a standard practice to sit on chairs in religious places – there is no harm in sitting on chairs in Gurdwaras, provided that Guru Granth Sahib is placed at a higher elevation.�
I never understood why Sikhs in advanced countries like Canada and USA (especially parts of California) are going backward. The Sikhs visiting from Punjab laugh at our behavior. The gurdwaras in Chandigarh provide chairs for the langar, where as here in the west we are fighting over chairs. End my humble views written with respect and regards for all.