DSGMC and SPCG in Race to Stop Religious Conversions

Wednesday, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) officially launched the state’s “Dharam Jagrukta Lehar” festival. The Delhi Sikh organization had announced earlier that its office in Amritsar would open on Aug 3. It has selected Manjit Singh Bhoma as its Majha zone in charge.

The DSGMC started the “Dharam Jagrukta Lehar” from the holy city of Amritsar yesterday, August 3. The DSGMC even established a “Dharam Prachar” branch office and sent activists for the Shiromani Akali Dal (Samyukta) Manjit Singh Bhooma to oversee the program.

The All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) activist Bhoma will also designate district in-charges for the Committee. He will further work in tandem with them to ensure that the campaign started to spread Sikh values is carried out smoothly. 

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on the same day launched a “parallel” campaign to promote Sikh values in the state. And the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) “Dharam Jagrukta Lehar” had started “Dharam Prachar Lehar,” respectively. This could cause tension between the two organizations.  

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) initiated another Sikh propagation drive in Punjab yesterday. And the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the foremost religious organization of Sikhs, is said to be facing competition for dominance. Anti-Badal organizations have stepped up to back the DSGMC’s action as the political landscape in the state has changed.

Baljit Singh Daduwal asserted that while neither the SAD nor the SGPC could be held accountable. The leaders in charge of the Sikh organizations should be held accountable for the sorry state of affairs. Baljit Singh Daduwal is the head of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) added.  

DSGMC’S Explanation

The members of the DSGMC committee further revealed information about their Dharam Jagrukta Lehar movement in the meeting held yesterday. They briefed that the preachers chosen by the DSGMC would travel throughout the Majha, Malwa, and Doab regions of the Punjab state. The Committee will work in collaboration with regional gurdwara bodies to increase their outreach to the populace. They would be instrumental in inspiring them and informing them of the illustrious Sikh history, culture, and principles.  

Along with the DSGMC, the gathering also included some representatives from the other prominent religious and political groups representing the Sikh community. It included SGPC, HSGPC, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s SAD (Samyukta), and Sikh Sant Samaj organizations.  

The SGPC, according to the DSGMC members, has failed to stop conversions in Punjab. Another representative from the community claimed, “It (SGPC) has continued to fail to spread the Sikh faith and principles in Punjab. And due to this many adolescents from the Sikh community are getting lured away to other religious groups. Also, religious conversions in remote regions are on the rise in the last couple of years.  

Previous Initiatives by SGPC

To spread Sikhism and prevent conversions in the state, the SGPC launched the “Dharam Prachar Lehar” approximately a month ago in June.  

The iconic gurdwaras in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh are traditionally run by the SGPC. While the gurdwaras in Delhi are overseen by the DSGMC, which is led by Harmeet Singh Kalka. Harmeet Singh Kalka also leads the SAD (Delhi State), an Akali breakaway faction that split away from the Badals previously. SGPC is also planning to begin National Campaign from Gurdwaras for the release of Sikh detainees.  

In Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) controls the SGPC. Sukhbir Badal is the figurehead of the SAD party now. So political and religious communities were interested to learn why certain group members of the SAD breakaway attended the DSGMC ceremony.