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New Fremont gurdwara panel exposes huge
bungling, sangat shocked
Recommending US visas, splashing
on self-promoting ads seemed fav past time of previous managers
WSN Bureau
 FREMONT:
In a shocking but not surprising revelation, the Sangat of Fremont was
informed by the present committee of the details of how hundreds of people
were sponsored by the former Fremont Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which
resulted in huge financial losses to the Gurdwara and also how it came under
scrutiny of the US Immigration authorities as well, while in the last ten
years the committee led by Bhai Jandi had barely sponsored some ten people.
The gory details of how checks were made without sufficient funds in the
Gurdwara bank account, graphic details of unnecessary expenditure and
advertisements to a newspaper owing allegiance to the Committee members,
were also shown to the Sangat the General Body meeting of the Gurdwara last
Sunday.
Surprisingly, people who were black listed for human trafficking, total
strangers, and non-Sikhs were also given sponsorships by the Gurdwara
Committee under the pretext of inviting Gurdwara personnel like Ragis,
Dhadhis and Kathakars.
The outgoing president made a last ditch attempt to write a letter to US
Congressman Denis Gardeja, complaining about the non-issuance of visa to
known criminal Lehmbar Singh Pabla, though the Amritdhari president of the
Gurdwara, Karnail Singh Gill knew the antecedents of this thug against whom
cases of misappropriation have been registered in Punjab.
In the year 2005, the erstwhile Gurdwara committee donated to their
favourite newspapers and radio stations $31,639, in 2006 $36,440 and in
2007, they donated $22,013, all basically meant for self promotion.
Similarly huge amounts of donations were given. Such "philanthropy" is
unmatched by any other Gurdwara in the US. As far as the donations are
concerned, in 2005, an amount of $1,18,247 was splashed, in 2006 $ 66,605
and last year $69,968 were dished out. And this does not include the account
for the period between Jan 1 to March 22, 2008 because the accountant has
still to submit the accounts for the first trimester to the new committee.
The comparison of visa sponsorships will be all the more shocking as the
total number of 'raahdaaris' recommended in the earlier ten years touched
merely 10.
Significantly, the new committee has paid off more than $ 46,000 dues of the
old committee and has so far garnered funds to the tune of $70,000 dollars.
Starting the meeting, president Harjot Singh Khalsa invited the treasurer
Harjinder Singh Waraich who presented the statistics to the general body.
The new committee also presented details of how the land deal was against
the rules and how thousands of dollars had been spent on a totally
unnecessary project.
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- Previous Fremont committee
sent 250 sponsorships for US visas to its favourites in just 3
years
- Thousands of dollars were
splashed on advertising in favourite newspapers
- Actions made Gurdwara a
suspect in the eyes of Immigration Authorities
- Cheques of amount far greater
than bank balance were issued by outgoing panel
- Visas were recommended for
those known to indulge in human smuggling
- Many unknown names were
recommended; thse include some of Hindu boys and girls
- Objectionable activity was
undertaken even after the task of electing a new Supreme
Council was over
- Sangat now wants a solution to
the issue of construction on land
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A member of the previous committee Gurcharan
Singh, who could not tolerate listening to the failures of his associates,
started hooting in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib and inspite of being
invited to speak and make his point, refused to do so. Another member, Ram
Singh too did not say a word before the general body.
Significantly, while the reasons for landing the gurdwara in a serious debt
are now becoming clearer, the new committee has not spent a penny on
advertisements in its one and a half month of trying to unravel the mystery
of financial profligacy. It hasn't recommended any 'raahdaari' either, a
favourite past time apparently of its predecessors.
The new committee resolved to ensure full transparency in Gurdwara work and
assured the Sangat of a turn around in the finances of the Gurdwara in the
coming months. The new committee thanked and acknowledged the donation by
Bhai Mohinder Singh Johal.
The congregation of May 11 at the annual general body meeting heard the
kirtan by Bhai Bhupinder Singh Ji of Delhi, Bhai Pritam Singh Preet of
Delhi, Bhai Rajinder Singh of Jalandhar and Bhai Jagmohan Singh ji.
Harjinder Singh Varaich, the treasurer, made it clear through the use of
slides how the gurdwara was rendered into debt. He also exposed the untruth
behind allegations that the new committee has stopped any project but
instead showed how it has rather put money in the bank so that the cheques
are cleared. He showed how the new committee has integrated the sangat with
the gurdwara and how the first month has witnessed a saving of $ 46562.44.
The total savings during 2005, 2006 and 2007 amounted to mere $254,820.00 of
$90092.00 were blown on just wasteful advertisements.
Jarnail Singh Ghuman, secretary of the Gurughar, also made it amply clear
how the strict laws of the city do not allow any construction on the
controversially acquired land and how no bank was ready to lend money
because of the huge debt that is there. When the data of sponsorships was
revealed, there was total shock among the sangat.
Significantly, the former president Karnail Singh Gill was absent on the day
of the general body meeting. When Gurcharan Singh Mann started hooting, and
asked for time, Harjot Singh Khalsa called out his name twice but he did not
bother to address the sangat. Obviously, the sangat did not take such
actions kindly
14
May,
2008
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