Ludhiana: The British government began working to law for Gurdwaras management in 1921, but this was not without hiccups and needed more than four years before agreed to give full control of Sikh.
Together with Mahants and several Hindu groups, the British government also did not want to submit full control to the Sikh community.
This was evident when Sikh Gurdwaras and Shrins Bill, 1921, were introduced at the Punjab legislative council.
Before the bill, the colonial government in Punjab had contemplated bringing regulations on this issue.
Mian Fazal-I-Hussain, Minister of Education Punjab, introduced a resolution on March 14, 1921, who asked the local government to take the first steps to introduce the bill and, waited this, moved the Governor General to announce the ordinance to change and reform existing management .
The resolution passed, but not without opposition.
Teja Singh’s Principal, in his book, ‘Sikh’s Gurdwara and Awakening Reform Movement, noted that when this resolution was brought, some Hindu members from the Legislative Council asked questions about sect in Sikhism and wanted adequate representation for them.
“(Member of the Legislative Council) Ganpat Rai, who is a legal counsel for Mahant Narain Dass and Sikh itself, the desired representation for Hinduism and Mohammedans (Muslim) too.” Sikh members protested the resolution and rejected the suggestion that there was a sect among Sikh.
The government cannot continue with procedures.
In April 1921, he introduced Sikh Gurdwaras and Shrins bills.
It was proposed to form a board of four commissioners – one non-Sikh appointed by the government as president, one Sikh was appointed by the government, and two Sikh was chosen by the government from the eight panel proposed by the majority of MLC Sikh.
Teja Singh wrote that SGPC explained several times that it had nothing to do with the temples or Hindu temples, but Hindu Punjab Sabha issued a circular on April 4 to the Orthodox Hindu Agency that there were no changes that must be permitted in the worship system in Gurdwaras, and a sufficient representation must be given to Hindus.
Resolution is forwarded to oppose Sikh’s demands, but this difference is avoided by timely actions by Hindu leaders such as Swami Shankracharya from Shardha Peeth and Lala Lajpat Rai.
SGPC depotations traveled around the country and they were enthusiastically accepted everywhere by Sikh, Hindu and Muslims, who passed the resolution to support the gurdwara reform movement.
Sohan Singh Josh is a participant in the Akali Movement.
In his book, ‘Akali Morchian Da Itihaas,’ which he lived through the secret paper of the British government from 1919 to 1927, Josh said that Mahantts received Hindu Sanatani to send hundreds of telegrams and letters to the government, while MLC Hindu and Sanatani also opposed the bill.
The government held a conference on April 23, 1921, between SGPC and Mahants, where the Mahak insisted that the President must be Europe and not Sikh.
The bill was dropped on November 10, 1921.
The 2nd Bill passed, but no notice: In 1922, the Punjab government made other efforts and brought Gurdwaras and Sikh Temple to apply, and it was an improvement in the 1921 bill.
Historical account shows Hindu MLC or community organizations do not oppose Sikh at this time.
Some Sikh, Hinduism, Muslims and the only Indian Christian members opposed it in the same spirit.
A member of the Executive Board and a minister also remained neutral.
However, the government got the bill passed even though there was this opposition.
Dr.
Kashmir Singh, a former Professor of Law at Teacher Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and who specialized in Sikh’s legal affairs, in his book comments about Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 ‘, noted the bill who received approval from the Governor of Punjab on November 24, 1922, and Governor General of England On December 8, 1922.
On December 22, it was published in Punjab Gazette.
The government has refused to recognize SGPC and this action, for the first time, recognizing SGPC as a representative from Sikh as one of the members in the council of three commissioners must be chosen by him.
The action came true with the issuance of notification by the government, but, because of the strong opposition from Sikh, the government did not issue a notice.
Last action: This action is valid until now.
It was introduced in a special session of the Punjab Legislative Council in Shimla on May 7, 1925, as a private member bill by Tara Singh, A Sikh MLC from Moga.
The bill was referred to the Select committee which submitted its report on June 20, 1925, and it was unanimously passed on July 7, 1925, after a detailed discussion.
Dr.
Kashmir Singh noted that the bill received the Governor’s Governor’s Agreement on July 29, 1925, and became an action.
It ended the Acali Movement.
SGPC @ 101: Law Gurdwara overcomes strong resistance
