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Tribunal allows gurdwara to limit m’ship along caste lines
WSN Bureau 

BRITISH COLUMBIA: The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has dismissed a complaint by two members of the Indo-Canadian community who were denied membership in a Burnaby Sikh Gurdwara because of their social ranking in India’s caste system. Gurshinder Sahota and Sohan Shergill said they were discriminated against by the Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Temple because they belong to a higher caste in the traditional system of social ranking than do gurdwara members.

The 900 members of the gurdwara belong to the lowest group, Dalits, formerly referred to as  “untouchables.” The complainants arefrom the jat caste, which is traditionally a land-owning class in the Punjab and now makes up much of Metro Vancouver’s Sikh community. The tribunal dismissed the complaint for two reasons: First, it found it does not have jurisdiction over gurdwara membership; and, second, it agreed that the gurdwara should be allowed to restrict membership to a minority group in order to promote the group’s welfare.  

16 July, 2008
 

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