Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has called for urgent central intervention following allegations that local authorities in Hyderabad moved to forcibly seize land belonging to a 19th-century Sikh shrine.The country’s peak Sikh religious body issued a sharp condemnation on Monday, accusing the Telangana administration of violating religious sentiments and legal principles at Gurdwara Sahib Barambala. The site holds significant historical value for the Sikh diaspora, and the reported incursion has sparked fears of a broader pattern of state overreach.SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami has warned that the attempt to take possession of the gurdwara’s property is a “deeply unfortunate” assault on the community’s heritage. The dispute centers on land deeded historically to the Gurdwara Sahib Barambala, an institution that dates back to the era of the Nizam of Hyderabad and serves as a vital spiritual hub for the city’s Sikh minority.Dhami said the local administration’s actions had ignored the fundamental principles of justice. The SGPC alleges the land was targeted without proper legal recourse or community consultation. The leadership claims the move “hurts the religious sentiments” of Sikhs worldwide, who view the land as inseparable from the shrine itself. The SGPC maintains that the property records clearly establish the land as the shrine’s endowment.The SGPC is now escalating the matter to the national stage, arguing that local protections have failed. Dhami said: “We urge the govt to withdraw this action and appeal to the Union govt to intervene.” The standoff in Hyderabad tests the balance between state-led modernization and the preservation of minority heritage sites.The Barambala HeritageGurdwara Sahib Barambala, associated with the Sikh soldiers who served in the Nizam’s irregular forces, remains one of the most prominent gurdwaras in Southern India, making any threat to its acreage a matter of high sensitivity for the SGPC, which oversees Sikh religious affairs across the country.MSID:: 129612454 413 |
