Committee of gurdwaras in Canada ban entry of Indian officials

A group of Sikh Gurdwara management committees in Canada have banned the entry of Indian government officials in Gurdwaras operated by them. The decision taken by office bearers of 14 Gurdwaras in Ontario province is seen as a setback to India’s attempt to reconcile with the Sikh community of the country.

The decision to bar the entry of Indian officials, according to a report in The Indian Express, was taken during a meeting held last Saturday at the Jot Parkash Gurdwara situated in Brampton, Toronto.  “Pursuant to the Trespass to Property Act (1990), the management of these gurdwaras reserves the right to bar entry to officials of the Indian Government, including but not limited to Indian elected officials, Indian consular officials and members of organisations who seek to undermine the Sikh nation and Sikh institutions,” stated a press release by the committee that was quoted in the report.

It also accused that Indian officials were trying to pressure devotees into involving the Indian government into the activities of the gurdwaras. However, the gurdwara authorities behind the ban clarified that officials who are visiting the gurdwaras for religious purpose and paying a personal visit into the gurdwaras will not be barred.

While Giani Gurbachan Singh, Akal Takht Jathedar claimed he had not received any complaints regarding intervention by Indian officials, Amarjit Singh Mann, spokesperson of the concerned gurdwaras said that the law had already prevailed across the gurudwaras in the region like an unwritten rule for a long time.

The step is certain to hurt the Indian attempts to reach out to the Sikh diaspora who have been alienated from New Delhi since the days of Khalistani movement and ‘Operation Blue Star.’ Adding to this the recent rise of pro-Khalistani sentiments could be a worrying sign for New Delhi.