By The Tribune

Date:03-08-05

Source: The Tribune

Haryana State Sikh Forum (HSSF) has demanded restoration of second language status for Punjabi, demarcation of Guru Teg Bahadur travel route and a legislation for the formation of Haryana SGPC (Sri Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee).

A decision to this effect has been conveyed by Mr Bhagat Singh Rahi, general secretary, HSSF, in a letter to Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, Haryana for action. Copies of the letter were made available to reporters here today.

Mr Rahi said that Mr Bansi Lal introduced Telugu instead of Punjabi but no one cared to learn Telugu in Haryana. During his second tenure as CM, Mr Bansi Lal, through an order, accorded Punjabi an optional status.

On the other hand, former Haryana Chief Minister O.P. Chautala got passed an Act in Assembly making Punjabi a second language. But due to lack of proper infrastructure, again Punjabi as a second language remained a non starter, added Mr Rahi.

Mr Rahi claimed that Punjabi Hindu population and Sikhs are 35 per cent of the population of Haryana. Therefore, Punjabi be accorded its pre-October 31, 1968 status in the current academic session and arrangements be made for recruitment and training of Punjabi teachers, Mr Rahi demanded.

Also Guru Teg Bahadur’s travel route should be demarcated, because moved by plight of Kashimiri Pandits, who were being converted to Islam and denied freedom of worship, Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib travelled through Haryana to meet Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi where he was martyred at Chandni Chowk and his martyrdom gave inspiration to Hindus to stand against Mughal tyranny. Thus, Guru Teg Bahadur’s travel route should be developed as a state highway and named as Guru Teg Bahadur Marg on the pattern of Guru Gobind Singh Marg in Punjab.

So far as demand for a separate Haryana SGPC is concerned, that has been forced on Haryana Sikhs by the Punjab Akali Dal. Mr Rahi has alleged that the Punjab SGPC had mismanaged and misused Haryana gurdwara funds. Thus the Haryana Sikhs are being deprived of Rs 22 crore gurdwara income annually.

Having control over its use, the funds can be used to complete medical colleges at Shahabad, open more engineering and fine arts colleges in Haryana and sports facilities can be provided to the Haryana students which Haryana needs.

Moreover, the Punjab SGPC has employed only Punjab-based persons in Haryana gurdwaras while a large acreage of Haryana gurdwaras agriculture land is not leased for contract farming but allowed to be cultivated by relatives of SGPC functionaries bringing very low income.
There are many such other discrepancies, Mr Rahi added.
The Punjab SGPC further did not, on purpose, appreciated the reality.
The Gurdwara Act, 1925 stood repealed after partition and Pakistan, rightly has their own SGPC. Again, in 1966, the Gurdwara Act, 1925 suffered another repeal.

Moreover, the Reorganisation Act Punjab/ Haryana/HP has provision for relocation of facilities for Sikhs to manage their religious places and institutions.

The necessary legislation might be enacted for the formation of Haryana SGPC, Mr Rahi asserted.
Mr Rahi pointed out that no doubt the Congress party had included this matter in their manifesto, and has now appointed Mr H.S. Chattha Committee for reviewing the matter in consultation with Haryana Sikhs so that necessary legislation could be enacted possibly over the next couple of months, the committee report might be expedited, Mr Rahi added.