Dudley Gurdwara Update

[Satkaar]

Press Release and Sangat Update

Birmingham, UK - 25 January 2011

Satkaar Campaign - next steps: Dudley Gurdwara approached

UK Sangat encouraged to continue approaching other offending Gurdwara committees

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

As a priority, the peaceful Satkaar Campaign is initially focused on implementing Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh and working to ensure that halls linked to Gurdwaras do not permit meat, alcohol, tobacco and parties. With Guru Ji's Beant Kirpaa and through the collective resolve of the Sangat, the Satkaar Campaign has had some early successes in halting certain anti-Sikh activities that used to take place in the the halls linked to the Gurdwara complexes of Grays, Edinburgh and Ramgarhia Sikh Temple Birmingham, and obtained a commitment from such Gurdwaras to comply with Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh. However, there are approximately 15 more Gurdwaras with linked halls currently allowing meat, alcohol, tobacco and parties, so there is a long way to go.

Although the Satkaar Campaign has been contacted by Sangat members from many different towns and cities in respect of Gurdwaras in their vicinity which contravene Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh, the Satkaar Campaign has prioritised and recently approached Gurdwara Guru Nanak Singh Sabha, Dudley, as we understand that the committee of this Gurdwara is currently considering burdening the local Sangat with a loan for the purposes solely of extending the party hall, so that larger/more frequent parties with meat, alcohol and tobacco can take place at the hall.

With Guru Ji's Blessings and the continued support of the UK Sangat, we intend to approach all Gurdwara committees contravening Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh in due course. However, as the 2006 Sandesh notes, it is the duty of every Sikh to ensure its implementation. We would encourage all members of the UK Sangat to peacefully, courteously and respectfully initiate a dialogue with offending Gurdwara committees with whom you may have any links and/or are in your area. Please do keep us updated via our email address of any developments/progress in your area and, although we will only be publicly approaching one Gurdwara at a time, we will be happy to assist members of the UK Sangat to the extent we can.

Please find attached the letter sent last week to the President of Dudley Gurdwara, Mr Ajit Singh Sandhu. He acknowledged receipt of this letter in a telephone call with him on Monday 24 January 2011. We impressed upon him in the call that it is in the beneficial interests of all involved to have a face-to-face meeting between Satkaar Sevadaars and the Dudley Gurdwara committee as soon as possible to resolve this issue, and we proposed a meeting either this weekend (29-30 January 2011) or the following weekend (5-6 February 2011). The President promised to revert to us upon further consultation with fellow committee members, though we pointed out that we will call him again later in the week if we do not hear anything further. As Sevadaars of the Sangat, we will keep you fully informed of developments.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

[dudley singh]

Press Release and Sangat Update

Birmingham, UK - 25 January 2011

Satkaar Campaign - next steps: Dudley Gurdwara approached

UK Sangat encouraged to continue approaching other offending Gurdwara committees

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

As a priority, the peaceful Satkaar Campaign is initially focused on implementing Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh and working to ensure that halls linked to Gurdwaras do not permit meat, alcohol, tobacco and parties. With Guru Ji's Beant Kirpaa and through the collective resolve of the Sangat, the Satkaar Campaign has had some early successes in halting certain anti-Sikh activities that used to take place in the the halls linked to the Gurdwara complexes of Grays, Edinburgh and Ramgarhia Sikh Temple Birmingham, and obtained a commitment from such Gurdwaras to comply with Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh. However, there are approximately 15 more Gurdwaras with linked halls currently allowing meat, alcohol, tobacco and parties, so there is a long way to go.

Although the Satkaar Campaign has been contacted by Sangat members from many different towns and cities in respect of Gurdwaras in their vicinity which contravene Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh, the Satkaar Campaign has prioritised and recently approached Gurdwara Guru Nanak Singh Sabha, Dudley, as we understand that the committee of this Gurdwara is currently considering burdening the local Sangat with a loan for the purposes solely of extending the party hall, so that larger/more frequent parties with meat, alcohol and tobacco can take place at the hall.

With Guru Ji's Blessings and the continued support of the UK Sangat, we intend to approach all Gurdwara committees contravening Akal Takhat Sahib's 2006 Sandesh in due course. However, as the 2006 Sandesh notes, it is the duty of every Sikh to ensure its implementation. We would encourage all members of the UK Sangat to peacefully, courteously and respectfully initiate a dialogue with offending Gurdwara committees with whom you may have any links and/or are in your area. Please do keep us updated via our email address of any developments/progress in your area and, although we will only be publicly approaching one Gurdwara at a time, we will be happy to assist members of the UK Sangat to the extent we can.

Please find attached the letter sent last week to the President of Dudley Gurdwara, Mr Ajit Singh Sandhu. He acknowledged receipt of this letter in a telephone call with him on Monday 24 January 2011. We impressed upon him in the call that it is in the beneficial interests of all involved to have a face-to-face meeting between Satkaar Sevadaars and the Dudley Gurdwara committee as soon as possible to resolve this issue, and we proposed a meeting either this weekend (29-30 January 2011) or the following weekend (5-6 February 2011). The President promised to revert to us upon further consultation with fellow committee members, though we pointed out that we will call him again later in the week if we do not hear anything further. As Sevadaars of the Sangat, we will keep you fully informed of developments.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

[Pyara]

Here are the charity details for whoever's interested (see link), you can see the submitted accounts of Guru Nanak Singh Sabha, Dudley on the following :

http://www.charity-c...sidiaryNumber=0

We see that the community centre generated £27k in the year ending 31 March 2010 (see attached accounts for 2010). As a percentage of the total gross income £142k, the Sikh Cultural Centre only generates a measly 19% of Guru Nanak Singh Sabha, Dudley's total income. The Gurdwara core activities generate £109k of income, which contributes 77% of the total gross income.

After expenditure, we get an even bleaker picture and see that the Sikh Cultural Centre makes a loss of £(16)k and is therefore subsidised by the Guru Ghar's core activities.

There is no justification this Committee can make in saying that the income from the Sikh Cultural Centre subsidises the Guru Ghar. If the Sikh Cultural Centre had zero income for year ending 31 March 2010 Guru Nanak Singh Sabha, Dudley would have made net income of £10k.

What skews the picture is the current loan the committee have with Natwest Bank, presumably taken for the refurb of the Guru Ghar (not the Cultural Centre). Without knowing the terms and condition of this specific loan it's hard to comment. Judging from the loan interest payments it does look like low interest loan. If the committee feel that they need immoral income from the hall to contribute to paying of the loan off, I would suggest that they remortgage, pay the loan off (as it's probably short term) and take advantage of a 20/25 year repayment plan. They could be comfortably subsidise the mortage repayments from the core Guru ghar activities without needing the meat, alcohol, party income stream...

Dudley Acc 31_03_10.pdf

[GurSa Singh]

There is no justification this Committee can make in saying that the income from the Sikh Cultural Centre subsidises the Guru Ghar

Did we not see a similar financial situation in RST Birmingham! The Golak funds the Guru Ghar adequately, so again why do these Committees keep telling the sangat that they need the sharabi party income stream!

[dudley singh]

This clearly shows what we all suspected for a long time!!

The cultural centre clearly belongs to the Gurdwara the rumour coming out of the langar hall is that the trustees and president are going to say that ownership of the centre belongs to the council not the gurdwara so the parties can continue regardless:

FACT: The building was used as the gurdwara for 2 to 3 years when the other gurdwara was being built

FACT: The gurdwara management committee has always ran the centre no council member has ever sat on the management committee of the centre

FACT: After recent plans to extend the centre where drawn a centre committee member (MOD EDIT) demanded that the gurdwara pay 2k of the 5k architects bill, I'm not sure if this has been paid but this 2k is sangat golak money and is being used to promote more parties and the extension

FACT: It will be impossible for the Centre with the income it generates to secure any loan on 70k the gurdwara will have to be the asurer.

FACT: If the Centre was closed tommorow the Gurdwara would actually better off.

FACT: IF the Gurdwara actually cared about the Youth and others they could actuslly do so much using the space to promote health and well being rather than a place where oldies can play thaash

These are all facts and not chuglia I congratulate satkar group of taking a interest in this and look forward to see what happens here.

[Pyara]

FACT: If the Centre was closed tommorow the Gurdwara would actually better off.

I agree, it seems to be a common scenario in many of the Gurdwara's with affiliated party halls. The accounts clearly paint a picture that the Guru ghar would be better off without the financial burden of the Community Centre (aka Sikh Cultural Centre) and as harsh as it sounds for the local sangat, selling off the Community Centre will put Guru Nanak Singh Sabha Gurdwara Dudley in a robust position.

As per the Charity Commission info, the current governance framework of Guru Nanak Singh Sabha Gurdwara Dudley shows that the Charity trustees (the Prabhandak committee) currently manage the Gurmat activities in the Guru Ghar and the Anti-Sikh activities in the Community Centre. This is in direct breach of the GNSS Charitable objects

"TO ADVANCE THE SIKH RELIGION IN DUDLEY AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBOURHOOD ("THE COMMUNITY")."

The principles of the Sikh Religion condemns the consumption of alcohol and the universally agreed Gurdwara Maryada from Akal Takht Sahib clearly prohibits meat, alcohol and non-gurmat/non-dharmik songs within the property of the Gurdwaras.

http://www.charity-c...sidiaryNumber=0

[Giani Sukha Singh]

This clearly shows what we all suspected for a long time!!

The cultural centre clearly belongs to the Gurdwara the rumour coming out of the langar hall is that the trustees and president are going to say that ownership of the centre belongs to the council not the gurdwara so the parties can continue regardless:

FACT: The building was used as the gurdwara for 2 to 3 years when the other gurdwara was being built

FACT: The gurdwara management committee has always ran the centre no council member has ever sat on the management committee of the centre

FACT: After recent plans to extend the centre where drawn a centre committee member named Anokh Singh demanded that the gurdwara pay 2k of the 5k architects bill, I'm not sure if this has been paid but this 2k is sangat golak money and is being used to promote more parties and the extension

FACT: It will be impossible for the Centre with the income it generates to secure any loan on 70k the gurdwara will have to be the asurer.

FACT: If the Centre was closed tommorow the Gurdwara would actually better off.

FACT: IF the Gurdwara actually cared about the Youth and others they could actuslly do so much using the space to promote health and well being rather than a place where oldies can play thaash

These are all facts and not chuglia I congratulate satkar group of taking a interest in this and look forward to see what happens here.

_/\_ Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki Fateh _/\_

FACT: by Dudley Singh (who are you!!! ManI am sure I know you) most of the facts he says are correct.

· The building was use as a Gurdwara for 2 yrs (whenbuilding the new Gurdwara)

· NO council member has ever sat on the management committee of the centre and the Centre Manager is part of the Gurdwara management committee.

· I have seen the plans to extend the centre in the centre and I don't know how they paid the 4 to 5k for the plans

· The gurdwara should try to get our young youth back in to the gurdwaras but i don't know will this ever happen in Dudley.

Ok Singh's and kaur's Have A nice day

" I know the dudley commettee will not be happy with me man! but truth is truth "

Giani Sukha Singh

[Pyara]

This clearly shows what we all suspected for a long time!!

The cultural centre clearly belongs to the Gurdwara the rumour coming out of the langar hall is that the trustees and president are going to say that ownership of the centre belongs to the council not the gurdwara so the parties can continue regardless:

Even if (for arguments sake) there was a "council" member on the management committee of the centre, I can't see Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council forcing the rest of the committee to serve alcohol or meat.

I suppose we can call Dudley Council up on 0300 555 2345 or contact the local councillors of the St James's ward () and ask them directly "if" they are enforcing alcohol and meat to be served at the Sikh Cultural Centre. The following councillors should be able to shed some light on this. We can feed their comments back to the local sangat.

cllr.khurshid.ahmed@dudley.gov.uk

cllr.malcolm.davis@dudley.gov.uk

cllr.mary.roberts@dudley.gov.uk

[TavPrasad Singh]

Even if (for arguments sake) there was a "council" member on the management committee of the centre, I can't see Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council forcing the rest of the committee to serve alcohol or meat.

I suppose we can call Dudley Council up on 0300 555 2345 or contact the local councillors of the St James's ward () and ask them directly "if" they are enforcing alcohol and meat to be served at the Sikh Cultural Centre. The following councillors should be able to shed some light on this. We can feed their comments back to the local sangat.

cllr.khurshid.ahmed@dudley.gov.uk

cllr.malcolm.davis@dudley.gov.uk

cllr.mary.roberts@dudley.gov.uk

Councils will be sensitive when dealing with Community Centres owned by religious organisations. I cannot imagine they will force a Muslim community centre to serve alcohol. It's a smoke screen and shows the attitude of the Committee who are hiding behind the council rather than implemeting Gurdwara maryada.

[SinghWarrior]

Since we are all taking about facts:

FACT: the committee are more interested in putting the Guroo-roop Sangat/Gurdwara's resources into subsidising their meat shraab jollies rather than pure Sikhi parchaar.

FACT: the committee are treating Guroo Jee's Golak for their selfish purposes rather than Guroo Jee's purposes.

FACT: the Dudley committee-wale, and people like them, should have absolutely no role to play in our Gurdwaras' management.