Daduwal, Jhinda in race for prez post, loser likely to be patron
New ad hoc committee constituted to facilitate transfer of assets
CHANDIGARH: Arch rivals, Baljit Singh Daduwal and Jagdish Singh Jhinda are once again in contention for the president’s post of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee following the constitution of a new 38-member adhoc committee by the state government.
Daduwal and Jhinda who were locked in an internecine battle for the control of the Haryana body have been nominated to the committee that will be in place for 18 months. Former ad hoc committee senior vice-president Didar Singh Nalvi, also an aspirant for the president’s post, has also been nominated.
The 38 members of the ad hoc committee can elect their president. The foremost task for the state government will be to settle the power struggle among the factions. It is learnt that the state government may nominate one of the two arch rivals, Daduwal or Jhinda, as patron to placate the loser in the president’s race. An amendment in the HSGMC Act was made to this effect in October by promulgating an ordinance. The patron shall also be a member of the elected executive board.
The constitution of the new ad hoc committee was required to facilitate the transfer of assets of 48 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) controlled gurdwaras to the HSGMC. Following the Supreme Court’s order validating the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014, all 52 gurdwaras of the state will come under the control of the HSGMC. These include eight historical gurdwaras, 17 gurdwaras having an annual income of more than ₹20 lakh and 27 gurdwaras having an annual income of less than ₹20 lakh, as per the schedule I, II and III of the Act.
The new 38-member ad hoc committee under the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014, will facilitate transfer of assets of Haryana gurdwaras, including moveable and immoveable properties till elections are held for constituting a new committee. The ad hoc committee will be in place for 18 months. However, as per a recent amendment in the law, it can be constituted on more than one occasion if the elected committee to manage the Haryana gurdwaras could not be constituted.
The committees that were constituted earlier under the Act will cease to exist and stood superseded, said the December 1 notification
Earlier, only four gurdwaras were under the control of the HSGMC, namely the sixth and ninth Patshahi at Cheeka in Kaithal, ninth Patshahi and Dayoddhi Sahib ninth Patshahi, both at Thanesar in Kurukshetra and ninth Patshahi, Jagadhri in Yamunanagar.
Power tussle in HSGMC
In 2014, a 41-member HSGMC team was set up by the then Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government. Jhinda was appointed president, while Nalvi was given the post of senior vice-president. Since then, the HSGMC has witnessed a power tussle between Jhinda and Nalvi on several occasions.
In April 2017, Nalvi claimed that he had been appointed president of the HSGMC as the member of the general body had removed Jhinda. But a few days later, Jhinda claimed that he has enough members to continue as the HSGMC president. In January 2019, Jhinda resigned on health grounds and Nalvi was appointed acting president of the HSGMC.
In August 2020, Daduwal was elected president for two-and-ahalf years. In September this year, Jhinda claimed he had been elected HSGMC chief at a general house meeting at Gurdwara Neem Sahib in Kaithal. Daduwal had termed his election invalid and unconstitutional.