WSN-Religio Political-Budget exercise a slur on democratic norms

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SGPC Budget exercise a slur on democratic norms
WSN Bureau

There is much that the SGPC can learn from the way the Diaspora manages its gurdwara funds. Hundreds of crores of money management is an onerous responsibility, given the fact that a sensitive issue like people's faith is involved

AMRITSAR: When a devout bows before the holy Guru Granth Sahib, kneels, and before saying his little prayer within, humbly places his little offering in the locked 'golak' often positioned before the scripture, he does so because he knows this is the gurughar's money and it will be used very very carefully for purposes so lofty that the community will be proud of these causes. Donations pour in all sizes, and not always in cash. And the so-called Mini Parliament of Sikhs now has a budget of Rs 387 crore. A whopping sum of money by any standards.

Obviously, one does assume that considerable democratic processes and debates would mark in decision making about how to utilise this money. Instead, the Sikh community watches the SGPC budget exercise being reduced to a joke year after year. There is much that the SGPC can learn from the way the Diaspora manages its gurdwara funds. Hundreds of crores of money management is an onerous responsibility, given the fact that a sensitive issue like people's faith is involved.

But the SGPC general house passed the Rs 387-crore budget with less than five minutes of discussion, the dissenters being given no option to debate and slogans of Bole So Nihal being used to drown out all voices of logic at the Teja Singh Samundari Hall here on March 29.

The SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur was one of most strident critic of the budgeting exercise during his years outside the Parkash Singh Badal-led Akali Dal but now that Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra is remembered only at a function in his village once every year and Bhaur is re-adjusted, he too seeks approval for the budget without any discussion. Members like Manjit Singh Calcutta and Karnail Singh Panjoli did try to start a debate but were stopped. It is a different matter that during his own time, Calcutta too was part of the similar budget exercises. The General House witnessed acrimonious scenes.

What was most sad was the acrimonious slanging match between Calcutta and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar. At one stage, Makkar even asked Calcutta to leave the venue. So much for the democratic traditions of mini- Parliament. Members from Haryana, including Didar Singh Nalvi and Jagdish Singh Jhinda, who have been demanding separate gurdwara committee for Sikh shrines in their state, also joined hands to boycott the proceedings.

The community must also think why our top community leaders like Jathedar, Akal Takht, Joginder Singh Vedanti, and Giani Gurbachan Singh, head granthi, Golden Temple, make themselves part of such partisan proceedings. Now, some are even threatening to move court against the arbitrary approach of the SGPC regarding the budget.

As for the discussion about how the community should make itself answerable to that poor farmer who travels several kilometres and deposits his fiver in the golak, that is something that will only seem like a joke to punny men running big institutions.

2 April 2008