CHANDIGARH: The Maharashtra Government's decision to repeal the 70-year-old Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, governing Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib at Nanded, has drawn opposition from Sikh organisations worldwide, including the Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Sikh NGO Misl Satluj.
The Takht Sri Hazur Sahib has passed a religious edict (gurmata) opposing the proposal. The resolution states that the existing administrative framework is rooted in Sikh principles and the vision of Guru Gobind Singh, and the proposed legislation could undermine those foundation.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami termed the move a direct interference in gurdwara management and said any decision regarding the Takht’s traditions, administration and autonomy should be taken only after consultation with Sikh institutions, Takht jathedars and the SGPC. He urged the Maharashtra government to stop efforts aimed at increasing government influence in Sikh shrine.
Senior SAD leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to retain the autonomous character of the Takht Sri Hazur Sahib Board and withdraw the draft law.
In a letter to the chief minister, Harsimrat said the Sikh community was anguished over the proposed changes made without consulting the SGPC, Hazuri Sachkhand Diwan or other Sikh bodies. “Sikhs worldwide also perceive this as an attempt to take complete control of the shrine to the detriment of the community”, she told the chief minister.
She said there was unanimity in the community that any decision affecting the ‘maryada’ (code of conduct), management and religious autonomy of Takht Sri Hazur Sahib should not be taken unilaterally. She said earlier in February 2024 the Maharashtra government had amended the Act governing the shrine by giving the go ahead to nominate 12 out of 17 members of the Board through direct nomination by the government. “The representation of the SGPC was reduced and that of the Chief Khalsa Diwan and Hazuri Sachkhand Diwan was abolished altogether. Though this amendment was taken back after massive protests by the SGPC and local Sikh organizations, the government seems to have decided to bring similar changes in the structure of the Board in the new Act”.
Appealing to the chief minister to retain the existing Act, Badal said the Takht had also issued a gurmata against the government's decision. “Accordingly the old Act should be allowed to remain in force by withdrawing the new draft law. This will serve to diffuse the tension which has risen in the Sikh community which feels the Maharashtra government should desist from interfering in their religious affairs”, she added.
Requesting the Chief Minister to resolve the issue at the earliest, "The new proposed Act, which is slated to be taken up for approval by the State assembly in its forthcoming session, seeks to take away this autonomy and replace it with government control. This is being done against the sentiments of the Sikh community and should be reviewed,’’ she added.
Sikh NGO Misl Satluj chief Ajaypal Singh Brar alleged that the proposed legislation would allow the Maharashtra government to nominate 12 members to the 17-member governing board while reducing the SGPC's representation from four members to two. He also objected to the removal of the Chief Khalsa Diwan and Hazuri Sachkhand Diwan from the board, along with the abolition of reserved seats for Sikh Members of Parliament.
Describing the proposed amendments as an attack on the autonomy of Sikh religious institutions, Brar said the changes cannot be justified in the name of transparency or administrative reforms. He asserted that gurdwaras should continue to be managed according to Sikh religious traditions and Maryada without government interference.
Appealing to both the Centre and the Maharashtra Government, Brar urged them to respect Sikh sentiments and reconsider the proposed amendments. He warned that any attempt to weaken the independence of Sikh religious institutions would be opposed through democratic and constitutional means, adding that Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib is a symbol of Sikh history, faith and identity, and any move to place its administration under government control would not be accepted.
On June 22, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a proposal to repeal the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, and replace it with the Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara Act. The draft has received Cabinet approval and will be finalised in consultation with the law and justice department before being introduced during the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature. Fresh rules governing the administration, elections and bylaws of the gurdwara board will be framed after the Act is passed.
