CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Acting on the petition moved by Sehajdhari Sikh Party, the Punjab & Haryana High Court has issued notice to the Union government of India as well as the State government of Punjab to clarify their stance on Sikh Gurdwara Amendment Act, 2016. The High Court bench comprising Justices Mahesh Grover and Shekher Dhawan has sought response from the duo governments by August 10.
It may be recalled here that the BJP led Union government of India had ousted the Sehajdhari Sikhs from the voting process of apex Sikh body SGPC by cancelling their voting rights through Sikh Gurdwara Amendment Act, 2016. Near about 7 million Sehajdhari Sikh voters are learnt to have lost voting right in SGPC elections with amendment into the Sikh Gurdwara Act.
By moving a Public Interest Litigation in Punjab & Haryana High Court, the Sehajdhari Sikh Party argued that neither proper facts nor any figures were placed before the home minister Rajnath Singh to take such a hasty decision. The Sehajdhari Sikh Party further claimed that the decision to enact Sikh Gurdwara Amendment Act, 2016 was a politically motivated step.
The Sehajdhari Sikh Party contended before the Court that it was not borne in mind that by amending the Act, more than 70 lakh Sehajdhari Sikhs were being deprived of their voting rights. In the amendment bill, the “objects” were given but no “reasons” were forthcoming which were mandatory for the bill. It should have been mentioned why the exemption given to Sehajdhari Sikhs was being removed, especially when this right was conferred on them by competent legislature after due deliberations in 1944 by amending the Gurdwara Act, the petition further states.
The Sehajdhari Sikh Party has demanded quashing of the amendment by which the provision of Section 49 and 92 of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, has been changed retrospectively from October 8, 2003, by removing the exemption given to the Sehajdhari Sikhs.
“There ought to have been some material or cogent reasons or change in circumstance before the NDA government to undertake this action. It was a clear case of political expediency and appeasement,” the petitioner stated.
The petitioner has also party also sought direction for update of the voters list of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee by including the Sehajdhari Sikhs and to hold fresh elections for constitution of the SGPC.
Government agencies are planning to weaken Sikhs by dividing them by different techniques e.g. by the controversies about Dasam Granth, amrit sanchar banies, by dividing Damdami taksal, by attacking Sikh preachers by Sikhs, creating deras, using people like sauda saadh. This sehajdhari party is part of that. The Sikhs who cut hairs & shave from deep in their spirits & heart they are Sikhs, whenever there is attack on Sikhs, Darbar Sahib or Guru Granth Sahib ji, their inner self wake up & they fight. We have faith in our Guru these sikhs will come back to Guru & will live the life of Khalsa & get the blessings of Guru Sahib.
it is harder being a non sejdhari sikh- Post 911 where most of the west think sikhs are extremist muslim taliban.
Even if a non sejdhari sikh drinks alcohol and eats meat he will face more prejudiced
It is these no sejdhari sikhs who wonder why the image of the sikhs is not seen and promoted by non sikhs.
Many sejdhari sikhs do not understand the troubles of being a turbaned sikh-
Also the SPGC is corrupt anyway-
Punjab needs to be given special vatican status and to be called land of sikhs of india. But will the nazi nationalists hindus do this to help india and the sikhs?
The hindu nationalists have made it clear that to live in india you must be hindu- so they want to destroy the sikhs
Unless we follow our Guru Ji’s hukam and follow Sikhi Mariyada – we are not Sikhs and Hardeep Singh you are right in explaining the differences between sehajdhar & Patit Sikh. There is no such thing as sehajdhari anyway this is made up – you are either a Sikh or not not.
A person is good or bad according to ” karam or amal” he maybe Sikh, Hindu, Muslim or Christian. I am just explaining the difference between sehajdhari & patit Sikh. These people are just trying to devide sikhs, Guru Sahib has given a way of life & we are trying to change the path according to our will, if we have faith in our Guru, we should be Gurmukh not manmukh.
The organizers of sehajdhari Sikh party should understand the meaning of sehajdhari. A person who is born in Sikh family is sikh by birth, but if he do beadbi of romes (cuts hairs) is patit Sikh. They should ask for forgiveness to Guru Sahib. & should become puran Sikh or should change the name to ‘ patit Sikh party ‘ They want the privileges of sikhs, but don’t want to follow the Guru Sahib & be a sikh. SGPC is for preaching of Sikh religion, what type of religion they will preach? These people are attacking the spirit of Sikhi. 70 lakh people who became manmukh are not with these people, they will come back as they did during the period of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa & Sikh movement.
Is a good clean living Sikh who cut his hair, worse than the full amritdhari looking Sikh who drinks alcohol and eats meat?
Drinking Alcohol is a Bajjar Kurehit for an Amritdhari.
To allow sehajdhari sikhs to vote in SGPC election is matter for Sikhs to decide. We don’t need any government to tell us who can vote and who cannot. It is our duty to set up our bylaws that leaders of our organisation conform to the tenets of Sikhism which are well defined.