SAD veteran Gobind Singh Longowal hopes for Akali unity when rebels choose new chief
Talking about the upcoming session of the rebels on Aug 11, he said they will elect the new president, and the five-member committee leading the reorganisation had extended an invitation to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal to attend the session. "We have always been votaries of unity. Even the Akal Takht has called for panthic unity. That is our guiding principle," said Longowal.
Asked about SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar backing out of the seven-member committee formed by the Akal Takht on Dec 2, 2024, and reducing it to five members, Longowal said they had only bowed before the directions of the Akal Takht.
"We will continue to follow the Sikh clergy's decision," he said.
Longowal did not rule out the possibility of a truce between Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD and the rebel faction, stating that unity was in the best interest of the panth. He added there was no harm in reaching a mutual understanding, as long as core principles and values were upheld.
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an hour ago
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The ECI, then concerned about inflated rolls and the potential for bogus voting, introduced an innovative method to deal with the problem of 'SAD' voters — an acronym for Shifted, Absent, or Dead voters. Instead of deleting these names, which could have led to controversy or large-scale disenfranchisement, the ECI prepared a separate list of such voters for each polling station, based on door-to-door verification. These lists were handed over to the presiding officers, who were tasked to do a thorough check when such voters came and record how many of them actually turned up to vote. The result was telling: In most constituencies, only 2-3 per cent of these SAD voters appeared at the polling station. (This practice was followed up in other states, too, but the result was not the same. In Gujarat, about 24 per cent of the voters from the SAD list turned up.) With the list in the hands of the presiding officers, impersonation became impossible. 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News18
7 hours ago
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Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill introduced in assembly
Agency: Gairsain, Aug 19 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government on Tuesday introduced the Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill 2025, which aims to extend minority status benefits to institutions run by the Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian, and Parsi communities, in the state assembly. At present, the minority educational institution status is granted only to the Muslim community. Once the Uttarakhand Minority Education Bill 2025 is implemented, the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019, will be repealed, effective July 1, 2026. When the Act comes into force, the study of Gurumukhi and Pali languages will also be possible in recognised minority educational institutions. This bill provides for the formation of an authority, making it mandatory for educational institutions established by all minority communities to obtain recognition from it. This authority will work to facilitate and promote educational excellence in these institutions so that the children of the minority community get quality education and their educational development can take place. Under the bill, the authority will grant recognition to a minority educational institution only if certain conditions are fulfilled by the applicant. If any condition is violated or the funds received from fees, donations, grants or any other funding source are found to be misused, the recognition of that institution can also be terminated. The authority will ensure that education is imparted in these institutions as per standards set by the Uttarakhand Board of School Education and the evaluation of students is fair and transparent. PTI DPT SKY SKY (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
