CHANDIGARH, Oct. 25, 2024 – The Global Sikh Council (GSC), an international body representing 31 national-level Sikh organizations, has passed a resolution calling for the removal of government oversight from two historic Sikh seats of authority, Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra and demanding greater autonomy within the Sikh bodies.
The resolution, ratified at the GSC’s annual general meeting in London, chaired by Lady Singh Kanwaljit Kaur, OBE, raised the importance of returning control of these Takhats to the Sikh community. “The governance of these revered sites should be aligned with Sikh sentiments and Sikh Maryada, free from external interference,” she said, seeking autonomy over religious practices at both Takhats.
According to Lady Singh, Sikh religious practices at the Takhats are currently conducted in ways that clash with core Sikh principles, primarily due to outdated legislation that restricts Sikh control.
She noted that while Sikhs are nominally appointed to Takhat committees, they have limited authority over worship practices and administrative decisions.
Jagir Singh, Chair of the GSC’s Legal Affairs Committee from Malaysia, presented a research paper detailing how 70-year-old laws—the Patna Sahib Constitution and bylaws of 1957, and the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Apchalnagar Sahib Act of 1956—grant the government broad powers over these institutions.
“These archaic laws enforce excessive state involvement in matters that should be handled solely by the Sikh community,” Jagir Singh argued.
While calling for immediate legislative reforms, she said: “After Baba Banda Singh Bahadur’s martyrdom in 1716, these Takhats remained out of Sikh control. The enduring effect of these laws has eroded Sikh authority over sacred institutions and interfered in religious practices, undermining our ability to self-govern.”
The GSC voiced strong opposition to any proposed All India Sikh Gurdwara Act that might further entrench government oversight. Instead, the Council advocated for reforms that honor Sikh religious tenets and ensure local Sikh communities, or sangat, have greater autonomy in governing their institutions.
GSC also urged Sikhs globally to resist any state interference and push for reforms of these colonial-era laws to restore Sikh self-governance, citing Article 26 of the Indian Constitution, which protects religious freedom.
Present at the meeting were prominent Sikh leaders, including Council Advisor Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon, Dr. Karminder Singh Dhillon from Indonesia, Paramjit Singh Bedi from the U.S., Dr. Jasbir Singh Puri from Ireland, Ram Singh Rathore, Harsharn Singh, and Harjeet Singh Grewal from India, Satnam Singh Poonia from the U.K., and Kirandeep Kaur Sandhu from Nepal.
