Thursday, July 26, 2012

History repeats it self for Harpreet Sandhu

                                                  OPEN LETTER

To: Sikh Center Parbandhak Committee
From: J.P. Singh, Applicant for Vacant Parbhandak Committee Position
Subject: Protest to the Parbhandhak Committee Member Selection Process
Date: July 8, 2001

It is with a great pain that I am writing this letter. Such letters are not easy to write but there comes a time that somebody has to have the courage to expose the foul, flawed, mischievous and corrupt Sikh Center parbhandak committee member selection process.

Sequence of Events:

This year I applied for the vacant position on the parbhandhak committee. I got a call from an unidentified person (who I later identified from the caller ID as Malhar Singh) saying that “there is a meeting at Guru Ghar at 5.00 pm on Wednesday” (exact translation of the message). He did not identify himself or even have the courtesy to check about my availability at 5.00 pm on a working day. I had a feeling that the call probably pertained to the selection of parbhandak committee members. Using the phone number from caller ID I called Malhar Singh the next day to find out the details. In particular I asked him about the number of applicants being interviewed and the duration of the interviews. The answer was simple - there are 18 applicants, the interviews are short and not all the applicants show up.

I was planning to go for the interview but being on a working day (5.00 pm on Wednesday) I could not make it. A few days later I got a second call from Malhar Singh saying that the showing on Wednesday was poor and at the objection of some applicants who couldn’t come, the selection committee has decided to hold another round of interviews on Sunday at 2.00 pm. I told him that I would definitely be there.

I, among many others, showed up at the Gurudwara Sahib at 2.00 pm on Sunday. Malhar Singh informed me that the interviews were called off because they do not have panj pyaras to hold the interviews. The reason given to me was that Gurdial Singh had sabotaged the second round of interviews. Malhar Singh told me that one of the panj pyara had an emergency in the family and had to go to Vancouver but to cover his absence he had already arranged for Surinder Singh a standby pyara to be in attendance. However, because Gurdial Singh was against the second round of interviews he not only had turned in his own resignation just before the interviews but had also called and stopped one “pyara” from Santa Rosa from showing up for this interview. Malhar Singh went on to explain Gurdial Singh’s motives behind these moves. He said the two main reason for holding the interviews at 5.00 pm on a working day were (1) to minimize the number of applicant turn out and (2) to bring only a few favorite candidates to the interview to facilitate the premeditated selection by a few pyaras. The reason for second interview arose from the fact that even the minimal applicant turn out resulted in a dissention among the panj pyaras and because of complaints from the absent applicants who could not attend the Wednesday interview because of its timing. Malhar Singh said that Gurdial Singh was the primary cause of (1) the split decision of the panj pyaras at the first interviews because he wanted two of his candidates selected and (2) the derailing of the second interview because it would have further weakened Gurdial Singh’s position in getting his two candidates selected.

Protest to the Parbhandhak Committee Member Selection Process
July 8, 2001
Page 2

Analysis of the Parbhandak Committee Member Selection Process

It is amply evident from this year’s selection of parbhandaks to the vacant positions that the process is mischievous, foul, flawed, and corrupt.

Let us start with the selection of “Panj Pyaras”. I understand that there were 38 applicants for that position and 11 of them happened to be from one street address in Hayward. Were these multiple applications put in for negotiating the pyaras of different shades to the premeditated selection of the parbhandhak committee members. Are there any requirements spelled out in the by laws pertaining to the qualifications of the pyaras and, in particular, their contributions to the El Sobrante Gurdwara. Or is it just enough to be amritdhari? What are the requirements of these pyaras in terms of understanding the needs of the sikh sangat of the El Sobrante gurdwara? Do these pyaras understand the need of the sikh youth in particular when their “Amritdhari Symbols” are rapidly turning into “Gang Symbols”. I think the pyaras are only self-serving as you can see from the mischievous and conniving moves of the parbhandak committee selection process this year.
The El Sobrante Gurdwara that the amritdharis now claim to be their “homeland” was built at the time when amritdharis were rare species among the kesadharis and sehajdharis who had a dream and the dedication to build this gurdwara. Nobody is born Amritdhari. It is only with guru’s blessing that you take amrit. For heaven’s sake do not turn this blessing into fanaticism and hatred. Please inspire your kesadhari and sehajdhari Sikhs to take amrit through love rather than hatred. Your fanaticism is already turning off a lot of people and the number grows everday that goes by.
What do the by laws say about nepotism? Any and all pyaras whose relatives are applicants to the parbhndak committee should be disqualified from the selection committee.

Recourse:
1. There is ample evidence that the selection process to date has been mischievous. All selection process to date should be declared null and void by the parbhandak committee. All pyaras who are misusing the selection to their advantage should be disqualified. The process should be restarted all over again.
2. By Laws should be modified for the selection of panj pyaras that go well beyond in describing their qualifications than just being an amritdhari. There should be a list of requirements for their qualifications and, in particular, their contributions to and standing with the El Sobrante Gurdwara. This matter should be taken up at this year’s general body meeting.

My Protest Demands:
1. I am an applicant to the parbandhak committee vacancies this year. I want my interview with panj pyaras. Please call me with date and time.
2. I would like an interview time with the parbandhak committee. Please call me with date and time.