SGPC to withdraw 'sehajdhari' affidavit

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to withdraw its affidavit, submitted in the Punjab and Haryana high court last month, on the definition of sehajdhari Sikhs after coming under fire from various Sikh organisations.

The decision was taken at a meeting of SGPC executive members. The affidavit was reportedly contrary to the recommendations made by a seven-member committee constituted by the SGPC to thrash out the matter at the instance of the high court. The SGPC had then said it did not recognise anybody as a sehajdhari Sikh. Hence, they were barred from voting in the SGPC  election.

But in the affidavit, the SGPC said a sehajdhari Sikh need not sport a beard or wear his hair long as he was yet to be completely initiated to Sikhism. But once a sehajdhari becomes a keshdhari Sikh, he cannot claim, by cutting or trimming his hair, to be a sehajdhari.

The committee will file a fresh affidavit within a week.