Growing Credibility Gap Between Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Diaspora Sikhs
ਕੂਪੁ ਭਰਿਓ ਜੈਸੇ ਦਾਦਿਰਾ ਕਛੁ ਦੇਸੁ ਬਿਦੇਸੁ ਨ ਬੂਝ ॥
The frog in the deep well knows nothing of its own country or other lands (SGGS Ang 346)
Leading Sikhs at the helm of central Sikh institutions remind us of the above Pankti from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. They seem to have lost any sense of Panthic mission or vision. They are no longer in touch with even Des Panjab Sikhs, let alone Sikhs in the diaspora.
The Guru and the Panth spoke through the historic Hukamnama announced by the Five Singh Sahiban from Sri Akal Takht Sahib on 2 December 2024. Sikh leadership confessed, in effect, that it was unfit to lead the Panth. That day, the world witnessed with awesome admiration the Sovereignty of the Takht of Akal above any state power.
The events before, and especially after the Guru-Panth parwaan Hukamnama from Sri Akal Takht Sahib have shown that the SGPC is no longer representative of the global Panth. I would like to quote below, a communication from Professor (Col) Nirmal Singh, a respected scholar active on Sikh forums. About the SGPC, he wrote:
SGPC seems to be a pack of contradictions. This becomes obvious if one visits the SGPC Website, where SGPC makes three claims viz: Firstly, that it is called Parliament of Sikhs secondly, that it is the Apex Governing body of all Sikh Gurwaras in India and Abroad and, thirdly that it works under the Directives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. (actual Website wording is underlined)
Professor Nirmal Singh suggests that SGPC is being compared with Roman Catholic Church which, according to AI search controls global churches through spiritual, political, and global realms. The Pope, as the spiritual leader of over 1.3 billion Catholics, holds supreme authority over the Church. The Church apparatus is organized for control, with the Roman Curia overseeing bishops, clergy, and laity.
He suggests that SGPC obviously have misconceptions far from the reality of their actually diminished and highly controversial role.
We should perhaps be more realistic and vigilant.
Let us remember, that this so called Parliament of the Sikhs allowed itself to be dictated to by one family for decades. Elections have not been held for many years and it is no longer representative of Panthic wishes. It remains in serious difficulties about its future role in global Sikh affairs unless it can be shown to be truly representative of the global Sikh nation. It is supposed to work under the direction of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. The reality is that SGPC has dictated to and hired and fired sewadar Jathedars of Akal Takht Sahib to accord with the wishes of one family. Where such a state of affairs has taken us is for all the Sikh Diaspora to see. SGPC control over Gurdwara is not even India-wide, let alone worldwide.
It will take some time, maybe years, for the fiasco after the Hukamnama to be sorted out through assertion of collective global Panthic Will. Sikhs in Panjab are facing divisive forces within and state political plots from outside.
The way forward is that global Sikh networks should lead through issues-based Panthic objectives. Diaspora Gurdwaras as theo-social centres, Sewa charities and political organisations working in the wider society should continue to promote Sikh ideology, institutions and identity. The Sovereignty of Sri Akal Takht Sahib should be expressed through global Sikhi activism.
Gurmukh Singh OBE
Principal Civil Servant retd (UK)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
Sikh ideology articles: https://www.sikhmissionarysociety.org/