Avtar Singh Makkar: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Avtarsingh.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Avtar SIngh (Makkar)]] | |||
'''Avtar Singh Makkar''' was elected as the 39th president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) - the mini-parliament of Sikh religion. | |||
'''News on 10/09/2002''' | '''News on 10/09/2002''' | ||
All elected SGPC members attended the election that took place at the SGPC headquarters in Amritsar's Golden Temple complex. | All elected SGPC members attended the election that took place at the SGPC headquarters in Amritsar's Golden Temple complex. | ||
Revision as of 10:28, 3 November 2007
Avtar Singh Makkar was elected as the 39th president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) - the mini-parliament of Sikh religion.
News on 10/09/2002
All elected SGPC members attended the election that took place at the SGPC headquarters in Amritsar's Golden Temple complex.
The election of Makkar, a retired Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) officer, came as a surprise for most SGPC members. Makkar, who hails from Ludhiana, was a senior vice president of the SGPC in the outgoing set-up.
His unanimous election was announced by outgoing SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur.
Makkar's election shows that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Prakash Singh Badal, a former Punjab chief minister, has tried a new experiment by putting up a completely new face to head the most powerful Sikh politico-religious body.
The SGPC manages hundreds of gurudwaras - Sikh religious shrines - spread across Punjab and has an annual budget of over Rs.1.8 billion.
After his election, Makkar, while thanking Badal, said he would ensure the smooth functioning of the SGPC.
The SGPC election this time was considered politically important as Punjab assembly polls are due in Feb 2007 and the SGPC is said to be controlling a large Sikh vote bank.
The SGPC had been plagued by controversy in recent years.
Despite becoming its first woman president, Bibi Jagir Kaur, who took charge in March 1999, had to relinquish office a year later after her name figured in the murder of her daughter Harpreet kaur.
Harpreet was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Phagwara in early 2000 after she married a boy of her choice secretly, which Jagir Kaur opposed.
Jagir Kaur was, however, re-elected president in September last year.
The court decision on Jagir Kaur in the murder trial is expected soon and that is one reason why SAD did not opt for her for a third term.
The 11-member SGPC executive committee was also announced Wednesday with delegates from Haryana being accommodated in the body.
Sukhdev Singh Bhaur was named as the SGPC general secretary.
