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Hall for dance,liquor, meat in gurdwara!
The sangat is dead against it
LIVINGSTONE, CALIFORNIA: Congregation of the Sikh Gurudwara here are
currently opposing a gurdwara—funded community center that would
allow liquor, meat, dancing and other activities at odds with their
religion. While such a development is almost unthinkable in India,
the sangat is
opposing the community center strongly though the incumbent
management is bent upon creating the facility.
The gurdwara management is arguing that the Community Center will be
separate from the religious building. Large sections of Sikhs are
wondering how can the gurdwara funds be used to
this end. Last Sunday there was some tension at the place of worship
but after the bhog of theAkhand Path, noisy arguments were exchanges but the situation
remained under control.
The $3.5 million reception halllike building is set to include a
stage, internet access, kitchen and
bar, and is expected to open to the public next fall. The sangat is
asking whether it was too much to ask for those running a Gurdwara
to uphold gurmaryada.
Among those who spoke on
behalf of the sangat on Sunday were Zora Singh, Mohni Kaur Thiarra
and Devinder Singh who
posed many pointed queries to Pargat Singh Samra, president, and
Harjinder Singh, secretary, of the managing committee. The two
maintained that they cannot stop this project of the board which
comprises 35 members.
While the sangat’s representatives wanted to
know which members of the Board were in favour of the controversial
community center, it was seen that no one was ready to assume
responsibility.
At one stage, Harjinder Singh said if the sangat wants, they were
ready to resign, but when Mohni Kaur Thiarra said that he should
first resign his own post, Harjinder Singh kept mum.
The new community centre will be available for the public, not just
the Central Valley Sikhpopulation. It will also be managed by a
separate board than the temple’s. Those arguing in favour of the
centre say Sikhs as far as Stockton and Fresno may use it. “The
board plans to
legally separate the community center by building it on its own
parcel and erecting a fence between the buildings”, said
Harjinder Singh, the board’s secretary.
President Pargat Singh Samra
maintained that Society is registeredas a non-profit body and it has
overcome many obstacles for the new project. He said the community
hall project was not new
and its plans were passed in 2001.
He told the Amritsar Times over
phone that some people were trying to take over the gurdwara by
blowing up the issue. He said those
who are opposing the community
centre do nothing to rustle up
funds. Secretary Harjinder Singh
now maintains that while the president’s
stand on community center
was correct, it would be wrong to
have a community centre if it was
not partitioned from the rest of the
gurdwara with a wall. He also said
he did not want any intra-community
clash on the issue. The Akal
Takht has now intervened in the
matter. The Takht secretariat has
written to committee president
Pargat Singh to explain his side following
the allegations. Meanwhile
a leaflet was circulated by those
opposing the community centre on
Sunday. It said the managers of
Sikh Temple 765 Peach AVE
Livingston are trying to carve out
an 8 acre piece of land from the 13
acres land of the gurdwara to construct
a community centre where
dance, eggs, meat and liqur will be
served. This will also reduce the
space available for parking at a time
when the populatin of the Punjabi
community was increasing.
It said if these people indeed want
such a community centre, they can
buy land at some distance and have
the hall there, but with their own
money, not with money from the
golak. For more information, call
Hardeep Singh Rai 209-678-6176
27 December, 2006
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