Laws of Sikh Gurdwaras in India

The book is aimed to impart knowledge and understanding about the management of Sikh shrines throughout India. It comprises comprehensive, a critical and comparative study of all the Gurdwara enactments in easily understandable language. It is the only compilation including all the existing Gurdwara Acts, that too in their latest updated versions, applicable in the different States and Union Territories of India. Judicial pronouncements from various High Courts and the Supreme Court are duly incorporated.

Dr. Kashmir Singh has been Professor, Head and Dean of Law Faculty in Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. His research focuses on law relating to the Sikhs. His other publications include Commentary on the Sikh Gurdwaras Act (GNDU 2017); Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras: Law & Practice (Universal 2014); Sikh Gurdwaras Legislation - All India Perspective (Singh Brothers 1991); Law of Religious Institutions: Sikh Gurdwaras (GNDU 1989). He has contributed to the drafting of All India Sikh Gurdwaras Bill, Pakistan Sikh Marriage Ordinance 2008 and a few amendments to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act 1925.

The contribution of Dr. Kashmir Singh in his Commentary on Sikh Gurdwaras Act 1925 (2017 Edition) has already been of immense value but Doctor Sahib has now done a yeoman service for the community in further undertaking the task of writing another book and getting this work published entitled as Laws of Sikh Gurdwaras in India.

It has been a great pleasure for me to go through this comprehensive and wide-ranging work. The author has done justice to the unique significance of management of Sikh Gurdwaras by statutory enactments. This book is another step forward and an effort to provide comprehensive information of the management and control of Sikh Gurdwaras and that too in a very simple manner. The Author has combined the historic events with the legislative enactment and sanction that culminate to the compilation of the work with the modern interpretations.

The endeavor of the Author and the publisher would indeed go a long way in helping the scholars, historians and students of Sikh history and the background and contents of the legislative enactments.

The anthology in hand is in furtherance of this author's endeavour to disseminate the knowledge and understanding regarding the management of the Sikh Gurdwaras in different parts of India. Besides brief narration of history of various Gurdwara managements, it is a comprehensive study of their existing legal set up. The book incorporates up-to-date description of the provisions of the statutes and the rules framed thereunder alongwith reference to latest legislative and judicial developments on the subject. Application of these legal documents and the working of different organizations constituted under them have been discussed and duly commented upon. It is an analytical, critical and comparative study of the laws governing the management of shrines of a sensitive religious community. Legal provisions are presented in simple and easily understandable language. Appreciable provisions in different enactments are duly highlighted and the defective ones are pointed out fairly and frankly. Suggestions for the rectification of defects are also put forth to upgrade the administrative machinery so that the Gurdwaras, the centres of spirituality and welfare of humanity, play their role in a better and more effective manner.

It is an authentic and easily understandable commentary on the managements of Sikh Gurdwaras. The bare Acts of all the Gurdwaras statutes in India including the latest amendments are attached in the later part for ready reference.

The author is highly grateful to Hon'ble Justice (retd.) S.S. Saron, Chief Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections for sparing the time to write the Foreword of the book.

My thanks are due to S. Jagjit Singh Jaggi, Chief Administrator, Takht Sri Patna Sahib and Dr. Jasbir Singh Sarna for helping me in acquiring the necessary material.

**Contents and Sample Pages**