CKD authorities in a fix ahead of elections slated for March 25

‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ As there are many nonbaptised candidates in the fray, baptised members have objected to their candidature

AMRITSAR: Controversy over nonbaptised members of the Sikh socio-religious organisation, Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD), refuses to die down and it has put office-bearers of the organisation in a fix.

The controversy arose a few days ago in the wake of elections being held on March 25 for three top posts of president, vice-president and general secretary.

As the constitution of the 115year-old organisation that runs more than 50 schools, besides some social welfare institutions, does not allow non-baptised and patit (the Sikhs who trim hair or cut their beard) Sikhs to join the CKD as members and Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh had also issued a directive a few days ago to endorse the constitution.

As there is sizeable number of non-baptised candidates in the fray for elections, many baptised members have raised objections over the candidature of the nonbaptised Sikhs. Election observers — former Guru Nanak Dev University vice-chancellor (V-C) Surinderpal Singh, principal Baljinder Singh (retd) and Iqbal Singh Lalpura, IPS (retd.) have also got formal complaints against them from a few members.

Acting president Dhanraj Singh, while addressing a press conference, stated that election observers can take a decision in this regard on their own. However, the latter have thrown the ball in the court of the acting president and of honorary secretary.

In a letter to Dhanraj Singh and honorary secretary Narinder Singh Khurana, a copy of which is available with HT, observers not only refer to the constitution, which disallows non-baptised members to join the CKD, but also urged them to call an emergency meeting of the CKD executive committee to take a decision on the matter and then send them the final list of members to be prepared in the light of the constitution.

Source in the office of the CKD said that identifying baptised members is very tough and it has put the top office- bearers in a fix. Meanwhile, Khurana said revising the list of the members is not possible at this stage and these elections would be conducted as per the existing list.

“Yes, we would take measures to address the issue for the general elections being held in February 2019”, he added. Acting president Dhanraj Singh, Dr Santokh Singh and former Akali MP Rajmohinder Singh Majitha are contesting the polls for the post of president.

CONSTITUTION OF THE ORGANISATION DOESN’T ALLOW NONBAPTISED SIKHS TO JOIN THE CKD AS MEMBERS