SGPC approves Rs 1,386.47 crore budget for 2025-26 amid protests and political undercurrents.....by KBS Sidhu

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today (28 March, 2025) passed a budget of Rs 1,386.47 crore for the financial year 2025–26. The general session, held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall in Amritsar, took place in the sacred presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami presided over the proceedings, while General Secretary Sher Singh Mandwala presented the budget. The session witnessed the participation of 123 SGPC members.

Importantly, the budget was passed by the SGPC general house elected in the year 2011 — a body whose extended tenure has become a subject of growing concern, particularly among the Sikh youth.With its five-year term long expired, many view the current general house as non-representative and lacking moral legitimacy.

This has sharpened demands for early SGPC elections, especially as the Sikh Gurdwara Election Commission nears completion of the revision of electoral rolls, having addressed most claims and objections.

The growing restlessness among the Panth for democratic renewal now poses a direct challenge to the continuity of the existing SGPC leadership structure.

Internal Discord Clouds Budget Session

Even as the financial blueprint was laid out, the mood within and around the hall was far from settled. Outside, protests erupted led by Damdami Taksal, Nihang groups, and other Sikh organizations opposing recent SGPC decisions regarding Takht Jathedars.

Inside, moments of tension surfaced when some members disregarded expected decorum, prompting President Dhami to call such conduct “unfortunate and inappropriate in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.”

He announced in-principle approval to establish a committee to formulate policy on the appointment, jurisdiction, and retirement of Jathedars — a contentious issue that remains unresolved within the Panthic polity.

Budget Priorities: Education, Preaching, Welfare

Presenting the Rs 1,386.47 crore budget — an increase of nearly 10% from the previous year — General Secretary Mandwala detailed allocations aimed at strengthening gurdwara management, religious propagation, and public welfare.

A massive Rs 1,062 crore has been set aside for the maintenance of historic gurdwaras, Rs 110 crore for the Dharam Parchar Committee, and Rs 295 crore for SGPC-run educational institutions.

The budget also includes Rs 8.40 crore for free education to Sikh children, Rs 3.09 crore for sports, Rs 1.50 crore for disaster relief, and Rs 44 lakh for healthcare dispensaries.

In line with SGPC’s commitment to Amrit Parchar and Panthic values, Rs 1.95 crore has been allocated for distribution of kakkaars (symbols of faith), while Rs 1.14 crore is reserved to support Amritdhari students. Other notable allocations include Rs 2 crore for free education to Amritdhari girls, Rs 60 lakh for the welfare of Sikh prisoners, and Rs 8 crore for Sri Guru Miri Piri Medical College, Haryana.

Sangat’s Daswandh Remains Lifeline

President Dhami reiterated that the primary source of SGPC revenue remains the Daswandh (voluntary contribution) by the Sangat.He pointed out that despite limited external resources, SGPC continues to maintain a large network of religious, educational, and healthcare institutions, with a renewed focus on prudent financial planning and efficiency.

Politics and Optics: A Silent Power Play

Notably, the budget was passed without opposition — a political signal in itself. Former SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur and other dissenting members failed to gather sufficient support to challenge the budget or move a resolution either questioning or annulling the executive committee’s decisions concerning the Jathedars.

This underscored the continued control of the Sukhbir Badal–aligned faction, which, despite being elected back in 2011, still holds sway over the SGPC — a body whose moral authority has waned in the eyes of many within the community.

Equally telling was the silence of members believed to be close to the Damdami Taksal, whose leadership was at the forefront of the protests outside. Their lack of opposition to the budget highlighted a complex interplay between internal politics and external optics — suggesting that while visible dissent persists, power within the House remains largely undisturbed.

Voter Enrollment: A Silent Crisis

Conspicuously absent from the day’s deliberations was the urgent matter of declining Sikh voter enrollment for the upcoming SGPC elections — the first revision of rolls since 2011.

With community interest flagging, particularly among the youth and diaspora Sikhs in places like Surrey who continue to demand voting rights, the SGPC’s silence on this front reflects a troubling disconnect from democratic concerns and long-term institutional legitimacy.

Looking Ahead

The Rs 1,386.47 crore budget stands as a testament to SGPC’s organizational scale and its stated commitment to seva and Panthic priorities. Yet, the undercurrents of internal dissent, growing external protest, and questions about representative credibility pose significant challenges.

As the SGPC moves forward, its ability to reconcile tradition with transparency, and politics with Panthic responsibility, will determine its place in the evolving Sikh consciousness.

The road ahead must include the holding of early SGPC general elections, in keeping with the democratic spirit of the Gurdwara Act, especially now that the electoral roll revision process is nearing completion.

Equally crucial will be the framing of a fair, just, and equitable procedure for the appointment and removal of Takht Jathedars, in broad consultation with Sikh organizations and Panthic bodies. Only through such reforms can the SGPC hope to regain the full trust of the Sangat and reassert its moral authority in Sikh affairs.

March 29, 2025