SAD-Delhi promises setting of “Sikh helpline”, “Sikh FM radio station”, Sikh Chamber of Commerce

• Sikh University Also promises reopening of polytechnic and engineering college closed by incumbent Committee run by SAD-Badal and probe financial mismanagement of outgoing Committee

New Dalhi, 16 February (Gurkirat Singh)-  Shiromani Akali Dal-Delhi (SAD-Delhi) on Thursday released its manifesto for the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections scheduled for February 26 promising to bring complete transparency in the working of the Committee and to improve its finances so that management of Gurdwaras in Delhi could be improved and more welfare activities could be carried out for the Sikh community. In the DSGMC elections over 3.75-lakh Sikh voters in Delhi will vote to elect 46 Committee members. Releasing the manifesto, SAD-Delhi President Paramjit Singh Sarna said if voted to power, his party would initiate various measures to promote and strengthen the Sikh community. He also promised to start various new initiatives for the welfare of the Sikh community, particularly for the weaker sections, besides taking measures to improve financial condition of the Committee employees and those working in educational, health and other institutions being run by the DSGMC. Mr. Sarna said his party has envisaged many development initiatives which include setting up of Guru Harkishan Hospital, creating employment opportunities for Sikh youths, restarting medical insurance policy, besides constructing a memorial in the memory of Sikh martyrs of 1984 and those who laid their lives in various movements. This memorial will be in the lines of what has been created in Germany, France and England. Mr. Sarna said SAD-Delhi would also start a ‘Sikh helpline’ and a Sikh FM radio station to help the community and to proliferate Sikh religion and Sikh language Gurmukhi. His party will also publish Sikh religious material in various languages to promote the Sikh religion and ensure distribution of Guru Granth Sahib in all homes. To bring young Sikhs closure to the religion and promote Gurmukhi, the DSGMC will hold ‘Gurmat Chetna Camp’ and ‘Amrit Sanchar Samagam’. Alleging major misappropriation and mismanagement of funds by the outgoing DSGMC run by the SAD-Badal, Mr. Sarna said in its four-year rule, outgoing President Manjeet Singh GK and his team looted the ‘Guru ka gulaak’ (DSGMC collections) and made the Committee bankrupt. “We will make public all bank accounts and financial dealings of the outgoing Committee and take action against them for the loot and monetary misconduct. We will bring financial transparency in the functioning of the Committee for which we will set up a monitoring committee comprising eminent Sikhs who will keep a watch on all the expenses. We will improve and strengthen financial health of DSGMC,” he added. Other important welfare initiatives that SAD-Delhi plans to take include restarting Guru Teg Bahadur Institute of Technology (engineering college) at Rajouri Garden and Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Polytechnic Institute, Vasant Vihar that were shut by the outgoing Committee, besides setting up a Sikh University. SAD-Delhi will also improve condition of schools and colleges being run by DSGMC by pumping more funds and introducing new career-oriented courses. For employees of these institutions, they would implement the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and give other benefits, besides honouring retiring employees and giving them more retirement benefits. Mr. Sarna said to address employment needs of Sikh youths, DSGMC will open an employment centre, and to promote business a Sikh Chamber of Commerce will be set up. He also said changes will be made in the law so that 10% seats in the DSGMC could be reserved for women. Mr. Sarna further said DSGMC will work towards eradicating social evils like dowry and encourage Sikh youth to hold simple marriages without wasting money. He also said DSGMC will actively work to end the ‘black list’ of migrant Sikhs who are living abroad and efforts will be made to bring them back so that they could also join the national mainstream. “We have already written to the Union Government to take remove the list so that those Sikhs who were implicated for petty charges during the Khalistan movement could return to India with respect and dignity. We will also provide legal aid to such people and victims of 1984 riots and also ensure rehabilitation of families affected by it,” he said. Mr. Sarna also promised to build a grand memorial in the memory those who sacrificed their lives for the Sikh causes.  This memorial will be like the ones that have been created in Germany, France and England which remembers all Sikhs who have sacrificed their lives for the Sikh community and for the nation.

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