Uk Gurdwaras - Should We Give Them Money?

[Guest New Topic]

The UK gurdwaras constantly ask sikhs for dasvand (10% of earnings) money. At the same time the gurdwaras and sikh organisations like BOSS claim money from the government for 'community' projects. Often they supply the government with fake receipts that are 'building' their community. None in my opinion are beneficial - is having BOSS posters really going to help you progress?

Most gurdwara leaders do this to get prizes like OBE. The government is keen for 'ethinic' communities to get rid of problems like lack of education, lack of skills, integration issues and therefore they view the gurdwaras (with their mass sheep followings) as the solution to 'reach out' and educate you poor folk through the gurdwara leader. However objectively how many gurdwaras achieve this and does the work benefit people. Do you suddenly get good grades and get a good job or your parents get skills and a better job?

The gurdwaras in the UK are making a profit out of the system and in the process brainwashing and scamming Sikhs. They claim money from the government through false receipts and then they will ask you for donations and make you feel guilty. They will build wedding halls and generate more money from people getting married. Many gurdwara leaders take thousands of pounds out from the pot to pay deposit for houses for themselves and their families.

Also do you think giving money to the gurdwara is helping your social progression as the government views it. The government are not aware of this and when they see a huge mass of people at a gurdwara they think you are all going out to do free work for them save the nation and that the 'leader' of the gurdwara is the one who controls and teaches you. Therefore the government tries to be friends with the gurdwara leader. The gurdwara leader likes this as its closer to a prize and most people in the gurdwara will be happy and not realise that they are being sheep and adding to the numbers.

I have to still see a gurdwara that has actually changed and helped increase social mobility. I would be interested to hear others views - also please can you soho road people in Birmingham stop following the Soho Road baba around. He is wasting your time, taking your money so that he can get a prize. When the government see you following him around they think he is great when actually he is getting money from both the government and you. In my opinion it is time someone independently started regulating and checking the affairs objectively of each gurdwara. I would encourage everyone to not put any money into the golak. Its far better to save that one pence and send it elsewhere.

Finally is there any regulation of how a gurdwara works? As the sangat have you asked for a clear transparent honest report of all the income, funding, expenditure of your gurdwara? Do you ever get to see this, why is it normal for people to not know where the money is going and coming from?

[Barfi n Mithai]

Gurdwara management is an area that the sangat has little knowledge about or even in my opinion wants to know or discuss. Its a shame really.

The gurdwara on Soho Road also known as 'The Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (Birmingham)' collects millions of pounds in donations and charges for weddings, funerals (it has its own funeral facility) etc. It may not declare all its income but it declares 3 million pounds every year in sangat donations and it has 13 million pounds in investments. Click on the link to see this http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=508470&SubsidiaryNumber=0

I do agree however, is the sangat aware of what happens to their yearly 3 million pound donations?

[stingers12]

If all these donations from the Gurdwaras would be spent properly the Sikh panth would have been flouishing

[Guest Jacfsing2]

I would say give them some money just for paying the utilities. The rest of the Dasvand can go to Sikh Organizations such as, Basics Of Sikhi or Khalsa Aid. Maybe educational institutions such as Baru Sahib and Akal Academy, (both of which are led by Sant Attar Singh's teachings). Maybe you have a secular organization that help people in need so you can give Dasvand to them. But don't expect that money to a Gurdwara will provide lots of benefits to humanity, if the Gurdwaras used their money for people, we would be kings of the world.

[Bhagat Singh]

Gurdwara management is an area that the sangat has little knowledge about or even in my opinion wants to know or discuss. Its a shame really.

The gurdwara on Soho Road also known as 'The Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (Birmingham)' collects millions of pounds in donations and charges for weddings, funerals (it has its own funeral facility) etc. It may not declare all its income but it declares 3 million pounds every year in sangat donations and it has 13 million pounds in investments. Click on the link to see this http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=508470&SubsidiaryNumber=0

I do agree however, is the sangat aware of what happens to their yearly 3 million pound donations?

Hmm 3 million pounds minus the costs of maintaining a gurudwara, ragis, granthis, other sevadars, etc. What do you reckon that comes down to?

[JagsawSingh]

There are Gurdwaras and there are GURDWARAS.

Er' indoors knows my politics but 'er indoors would still like for us to have an akandh path in the Gudwara. Er' indoors would like for me to be earning what what my qualifications say I should be earnin but the fact is that I do NOT.

I constantly lift 30kg trays of onions on a 12 hour shift for a major supermarket distrubution centre whilst researching and writing my theisis.

But still we'd like to have an akahand path.

The 'price list' says (UK prices) $2500 for gas for 3 days. $1000 for 'chairs'. $500 for electricity and blah de blah amount of pounds of blah de blah.

Long story short ? I'm a Sikh on minimum wage. I can't do it. I'm too poor to do this seva that is my dream. Its a struggle. My struggle though, doesn't matter. We don't get noticed. Every Sunday, in every Gurdwara in every city on earth its the same old story.

And herein lies the paradox. Get rid of tables and chairs in the name of equality whilst forgetting how doing the seva of langar has gone beyond the price range of 75% of the sangat.

And so we're back to the old age question: 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' We all know that Gurdwara committee presidents and members seem to live in the best houses and have the most resources and even the best houses.

How did this happen ?

Its the chicken and the egg question. From Edmonton to Birmingham grom Dudley to Vancouver did they get into Gurdwara politics pricesley because they are rich or did they get rich because of Gurdwara politics ?

I would guess the answer lies somwhere between the two.

Either way, they're all rich and I am proudly working class and thus that world is not for me.

[Sikhistan]

ਪੈਸੇ ਦੇਨੇ ਬੰਦ ਹੋਣ ਤਾਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਪੰਗੇ ਤੇ ਕੋ੍ਟ ਕੇਸ ਵੀ ਸਾਰੇ ਬੰਦ ਹੋ ਜਾਨ ਗੇ.