AAP’s Rajendra Pal Gautam, Minister for Gurdwara Elections in Delhi, told The Indian Express that the Bill was introduced and passed as “DSGMC had approached the Delhi government for this”. It comes ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Delhi’s ruling party, has high stakes. But, practically it is a cosmetic change.” How politically significant is the move? Sentimentally, the correction has been made and it is a great thing for Sikhs. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said it was already recognised as the fifth Takht, and the amendment appeared only to be aimed at recognising it in consonance with the earlier amendment to the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925.įormer DSGMC president Manjit Singh G K, who fell out with SAD and has floated his own party, told The Indian Express: “I had first taken up this issue in March 2017 to make amendments to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act. Before that, an SGPC sub-committee had declared it the fifth Takht of Sikhs back in November 1966 after Punjab was carved out as a separate state through the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. It was back in 1999 that Takht Damdama Sahib was recognised as the fifth Sikh Takht by the Union Home Ministry, which included it as such in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 (Punjab Act VIII of 1925) with a notification dated April 23, 1999. Is it the first time it has been recognised as the fifth Takht? Ex officio members have no voting rights in the house. If the Delhi Lieutenant Governor gives his approval to the amendment Bill and it becomes a law, it will make the chief of the Takht Damdama Sahib, too, an ex officio member in the DSGMC house, taking its strength to 56. Prior to this, the DSGMC house was of 55 member: 46 elected, two co-opted, two chosen through lottery from among the gurdwara Singh Sabhas, one nominated by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and four jathedars of Sikh Takhts. Earlier, there were four ex officio members in the house - the chiefs (jathedars) of the other four Sikh Takhts. Simply put, it adds one more ex officio member in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managament Committee (DSGMC) house. Click here for more What does the amendment to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act mean?