
Haryana Sikh groups oppose Hry govt's nomination of Daduwal as HSGMC member
2
Ambala:
Haryana Sikh groups
, under the banner of
Akal Panthak Morcha
, on Sunday opposed the nomination of Sikh preacher and former
Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee
(HSGMC) president
Baljit Singh Daduwal
as a member of HSGMC by the state govt.The results of the HSGMC elections were declared on January 19, in which Daduwal, who contested from Kalanwali seat at Ward 35, lost by 1,771 votes.
He was defeated by Binder Singh, a relatively unknown face.The process of nominating nine HSGMC members was conducted at the PWD rest house in Sector 1, Panchkula, by the commissioner of gurdwara elections, Haryana. Nine members were nominated during the process by elected HSGMC members. Apart from Daduwal, other nominated members include: Balkar Singh of Mardon Sahib in Ambala district, Sewa Singh of Bhavdin village in Sirsa district, Bhupinder Singh of Panipat, Simranjeet Kaur of Munak village in Karnal district, Kartar Kaur of Shahabad Markanda in Kurukshetra district, Gurmail Singh of Shahnal village in Fatehabad district, Harinder Singh of Rajheri village in Ambala district, and Dilbag Singh of Bapoli village in Ambala district.Later, Sikh groups under the banner of Akal Panthak Morcha held a meeting at Gurdwara Nada Sahib in Panchkula. In this meeting, as many as 20 (including 4 nominated) out of 40 HSGMC members — including Baldev Singh Kaimpuri, president of Haryana Sikh Panthak Dal; Didar Singh Nalvi, president of Sikh Samaj Sanstha; and some independent elected members — issued a joint statement opposing Daduwal's nomination. "The nomination of Baljit Singh Daduwal is creating resentment among the Sikh community, as he was defeated by the Sikh Sangat of Kalanwali constituency by a margin of 1,771 votes. The mandate of the sangat is equal to the Guru's order. The BJP govt has taken a decision against the mandate of the Sikh sangat by nominating Daduwal," said Akal Panthak Morcha. They alleged that nine members were misled into forming a group in order to facilitate Daduwal's nomination. "The govt wants to do kabza (take control of) the HSGMC formed by Sikhs. The govt has indirectly nominated its five members today in the HSGMC. Today is a black day for the Sikh Sangat of Haryana, which will be noted in history," the Akal Panthak Morcha said in the joint statement.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Mother's Day wishes
,
messages
, and
quotes
!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Khalistani terrorist Pannun's endorsement of Trump's tariffs not pro-Punjab but betrayal: Report
Pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's support for US President Donald Trump's increased tariffs on Indian exports and even suggesting a 500 per cent hike aligns with economic harm to the Sikh community and implies that his anti-India theatrics take precedence over Sikh well-being, a report said. "For a man who claims to champion Sikh rights, backing a policy that directly threatens the lifeblood of Punjab's hardworking Sikh farmers and dairy workers is nothing short of bewildering. Or worse: hypocritical," the Khalsa Vox report stated. His support for Trump's tariffs is "not pro-Sikh, pro-Punjab" but a betrayal, it added. Punjab's economy relies mainly on agriculture and dairy. Its products, including basmati rice, textiles and processed foods, form an important chunk of India's exports to the US. The tariffs imposed by Trump would make these products expensive in the US markets. Furthermore, if India opens its agricultural markets due to tariffs, the American dairy and farm giants will enter Indian markets. Supported by heavy subsidies, American dairy and farm giants can undercut small-scale Sikh farmers of Punjab and cooperatives like Amul, according to the report. This does not have an economic impact only, but it also poses a threat to cultural traditions that link Sikh identity to the land and farming. The report said: "Consider the dairy sector, the quiet backbone of Punjab. Generations of Sikh families rely on it for sustenance and stability. If US dairy giants take over, what happens to these small farmers? The promise of Sikh self-reliance, often invoked by Pannun himself, collapses under the weight of cheap imports." Exports predict a 40-50 per cent reduction in Indian exports to the US if tariffs increase, and the Sikh community will be impacted the most. Khalsa Vox, in the report, stated: "Pannun's position exposes a troubling contradiction. His rhetoric drips with anti-India fervour, but his policy stance aligns squarely with economic harm to Sikhs themselves. By cheering on a trade war that undermines Punjab's farmers, he prioritises political vendettas over community upliftment. If his loyalty truly lies with Punjab, why endorse policies that jeopardise Sikh livelihoods? The answer seems plain: for Pannun, anti-India theatrics take precedence over Sikh well-being." Punjab's future lies in policies that protect farmers, bolster dairy cooperatives, and ensure fair trade and not in political grandstanding that sacrifices livelihoods for personal agendas, it said. "Pannun's endorsement of Trump's tariffs is not pro-Sikh. It is not pro-Punjab. It is, at its core, a betrayal."


The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Educational institutions of Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis to get minority status in Uttarakhand
In a first-of-its-kind decision, the Uttarakhand Cabinet on Sunday (August 17, 2025) gave a nod to introduce the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025, which will extend minority status benefits to Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, and the Parsi community. Prior to this, minority status was only for Muslim educational institutions in the State. According to the sources in the government, the Bill aims to establish a transparent process for granting recognition to educational institutions set up by minority communities in the state while ensuring quality and excellence in education. The Bill will be introduced in the coming session of the Legislative Assembly, starting from August 19, 2025. The quality of education will be safeguarded along with the constitutional rights of minorities through the Bill and the State Government will have the power to monitor institutional functioning and issue directions as required from time to time. 'The Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016 and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019 will stand repealed from July 1, 2026,' said an official involved in planning of the Bill. Once enacted, the Bill will permit study of Gurmukhi and Pali also in recognised minority educational institutions, he added. Speaking about the key features of the Bill, the official said that it prescribes to form the Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education, which will grant the status of minority educational institutions. Also, any educational institution established by Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, or Parsi communities must obtain recognition from the Authority to qualify as a minority educational institution. 'The Act does not interfere in the establishment and administration of minority educational institutions but ensures that educational excellence is maintained. To obtain recognition, educational institutions must be registered under the Societies Act, Trust Act, or Companies Act. Ownership of land, bank accounts, and other assets must be in the name of the institution. Recognition can be withdrawn in cases of financial mismanagement, lack of transparency, or activities against religious and social harmony,' he added. The Authority will ensure that education is imparted in accordance with the standards set by the Board of School Education, Uttarakhand and that student evaluations remain fair and transparent, said the Bill.


Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Movies to politics, BJP to Congress: Former President Giani Zail Singh's grandson Inderjeet gets a second chance
The political journey of former President Giani Zail Singh's grandson Inderjeet Singh has come full circle. Four years after joining the BJP with much fanfare, he has returned to the Congress fold, calling it a 'homecoming' and blaming the BJP for not addressing people's concerns. The 63-year-old Inderjeet was born in Sandhwan village in Punjab's Faridkot district that is also the birthplace of his grandfather, the first Sikh to become President. Politically active since 1992, Inderjeet's career, however, has been uneven, shaped by both family legacy and personal choices. Before politics, he tried his hand in cinema after wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh spotted him at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the early 1980s. 'Dara Singh ji had come to meet Giani ji and he (his grandfather) was busy in a meeting, so I received him. I too was fond of wrestling and had worked a lot on my physique. So, I interacted with Dara Singh while he was waiting to meet the President. He suggested I try films. I moved to Mumbai and remained there for a couple of years,' Inderjeet told The Indian Express. He acted in three films — Hindi movies Belagaam and Kasam Vardi Ki and Punjabi film Vairi — but success eluded him. Politics beckoned in 1992 after Zail Singh's nephew and former MLA Basant Singh lost from Anandpur Sahib on a Congress ticket to a BJP candidate despite an Akali boycott. 'Giani ji called me back from Mumbai to be active in politics. He started making me meet politicians,' Inderjeet said. In a blow for the family, the former President was involved in a road accident in Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab's Ropar district in November 1994 and died the following month at PGIMER Hospital in Chandigarh. By then, Inderjeet had developed close ties with Janata Dal leader, and subsequently Lok Janshakti Party founder, Ram Vilas Paswan. 'Without formally joining his party, I remained associated with him. I worked as an advisor in the railway committee when he was the Railways Minister, in the telecommunication committee and other portfolios. I stayed connected with him in all the alliances he was part of,' he said. The association between the two continued till Paswan's death in 2020. Inderjeet's formal entry into politics took place in September 2021, at the peak of the farmers' protests against three central agrarian laws, when he joined politics in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. 'I was an actor earlier, but my grandfather introduced me to leaders such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani and insisted that I enter politics,' he said at the time, calling his move the fulfilment of Zail Singh's wish. He also accused the Congress of not treating his grandfather with respect. 'The Congress did not behave properly with my grandfather. His wish has been fulfilled today. He wanted me to be in the BJP.' That day, he even dropped a bombshell by questioning the circumstances of his grandfather's death, saying the 1994 accident remained a mystery. 'I cannot say whether it was truly an accident or something orchestrated,' he said. Asked about it following his return to the Congress on August 14, Inderjeet clarified, 'I had not pointed towards any political party but raised questions about the inquiry into the accident and why Gianiji was not shifted to a Delhi hospital in time.' The BJP never gave him a significant role in Punjab despite his lineage and his position as a prominent face from the Ramgarhia Sikh community, which is categorised as an Other Backward Class (OBC). 'After joining the BJP, I wasn't given any portfolio in the party. I felt they just used me as a Sikh face joining the party during the farmers' agitation. Later, talks were on to give me a chance to contest the 2022 Vidhan Sabha polls and 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Ludhiana, but I wasn't given any chance,' Inderjeet said. While his political career did not quite take off, Inderjeet, who has been living in Khanna in Ludhiana district for the past 15 years, has been active in social organisations such as the Vishvkarma Samaj and Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh. Following his return to the Congress, which he termed his 'ghar wapsi (homecoming)', Inderjeet accused the BJP of using the backward classes for optics and doing 'anything substantive for their welfare'. 'The country is facing many serious challenges, including inflation and poor economic conditions. Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress is fighting for social justice, and I want to be part of this struggle,' he said at his reinduction in New Delhi, adding that the Leader of the Opposition's 'commitment to OBCs' had impressed him. As he tries to get his political career going again, for Inderjeet Singh, this is a second chance to reclaim space in the Congress, the party where his family's legacy was built.