The organization has written a letter to Gurdwara Election Commissioner Justice (retd) H S Brar and Home Minister of India for immediate action and probe regarding non-Sikhs and apostate Sikhs being enrolled for the forthcoming SGPC elections in clear violation of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925.

Full text of the Letter:

The Chief Commissioner
Gurdwara Election Commission, Chandigarh

Hon’ble Justice (retd) H.S. Brar,

SAT SRI AKAL

In a very serious and sad development, not totally unexpected given the manner in which the Gurdwara Elections Commission has been functioning, the media (Hindustan Times, 16 September 2011) has exposed the flagrant use of office by the Gurdwara Election Commission, the various deputy commissioners of Punjab and the scores of Returning officers appointed under the provisions of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. All representations from various Panthic parties to you in the last many months regarding the violations of the provisions of the Act, has fallen on deaf ears and elicited no response.

Effectively, the cat is out of the bag. The ruling party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) with your tacit support has been including all those who are ineligible to vote in the voters list –so called Sehajdharis, Patits and as the media report shows, non-Sikhs (Hindus, Muslims), whom the Badal clan can influence to vote in their typical feudal style.

All your tall talk to various Panthic representatives, from time to time, regarding free and fair elections has been thoroughly exposed. While your neutrality has been questioned, the sanctity of the Gurdwara Elections has been compromised. As it stands, the conduct of free and fair SGPC elections has been radically jeopardised.

With less than 48 hours to go for the SGPC polls, it is time for you, the Ministry of Home Affairs and all deputy commissioners to ensure that those who have got registered as voters due to political interference and who are patently bogus voters are physically debarred from voting on election day.

Even a visually challenged person can make out the difference between a Sikh and a non-Sikh. Are all the officers associated with the elections purblind? Why were no checks done despite so many representations?

Let us blow the clarion call. Let us caution you that, should this not happen, it will have serious implications on the Sikh polity in Punjab. Your office, the Government of India and of course the ruling Akali-BJP government will be responsible for the consequences. This is crass and gross interference in Sikh Gurdwara management affairs and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

We demand that the following steps be taken, not only in Badal village –in the constituency which is the residence of the chief minister of the state, but in all the SGPC constituencies:

1. All registered voters, who are clearly non-Sikhs, like those who are Hindus and Muslims are not allowed to vote under any circumstances.
2. All registered voters whose names do not have Singh or Kaur as suffixes to their name are not allowed to vote under any circumstances.
3. All registered voters who have Singh and Kaur to their name, but are ineligible, as they do not fulfil the requirements of an eligible voter (for example, Patits, who are not eligible to vote) under The Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 are also not allowed to vote.
4. A direction must be given to all Returning officers with respective to the above mentioned points with immediate effect.

Apart from this, the Gurdwara Election Commission, with powers vested to it, under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 and other provisions of conduct of elections must initiate immediate and swift action against all returning officers in whose constituencies bogus voters have been registered without checking the antecedents of voters.

There is a provision under the Act to register some voters, who may have been left behind after the last date for submission of votes is over. A probe must be ordered as to how many such votes were made in all constituencies and what steps did the returning officers take to check the veracity of such votes.

The ball is in your court. Grave injustice will be done if you ignore this request.

We are also sending this note to the Home Minister of India for quick and urgent action, notwithstanding whatever steps you may or may not take up.

We hope that you will rise to the occasion and not hide behind the facade of formalities and rules or still continue to be influenced by the House of Badals. Sikhs worldwide have their attention riveted on you and we hope that you will not disappoint them.


With kind regards

Kanwarpal Singh
Spokesman
Dal Khalsa

ADDRESS: Office of the Dal Khalsa, Azad Bhavan, Railway Road, Amritsar.
Ph- +91-98149-07055

 

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