SGPC misusing Sikh quota seats: PHRO

Tuesday, 06/11/2012

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

AMRITSAR: The Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) has accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of “misusing” the 50% quota seats reserved for Sikhs in two institutes run by it here.

In a letter to the Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, the PHRO has claimed that SGPC-run Sri Guru Ramdass Institute of Medical Science and Research (SGRIMSR) and Sri Guru Ramdass Institute of Dental Research flouted rules by admitting a large number of Sikh boys and girls with shorn hair under the quota. The PHRO has asked the Akal Takht to scrutinise the list of candidates, who were admitted under this quota in the last few years.

In the letter, a copy of which is available with HT, the PHRO cited the Punjab and Haryana high court’s ruling in a petition filed by a student, Gurleen Kaur, against the SGPC after she was denied admission to SGRIMSR in 2008 as she had plucked her eyebrows. The court ruled that a Sikh girl, who cut her hair, could not avail of the quota.

The rights group alleged that the Sikh quota was being “misused” by the SGPC to collect funds. According to the group, Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh per seat for the MBBS course and Rs 80 lakh per seat for post-graduate courses were collected from Sikhs with shorn hair for admission under the 50% quota.

“All this happens behind closed doors and those who pay these heavy amounts never disclose the truth as they want to get admission,” a PHRO activist said on condition of anonymity. “A senior member of the Sri Guru Ramdass Trust, who is close to SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, is the main player in this ‘game’, which is nothing short of a scandal; the funds reach the top ranked officials.”

Attached with the letter were recent photos of 14 post-graduate students currently studying in SGRIMSR. The letter signed by the PHRO chairman stated that they had more photos of such Sikhs, who had cut their hair, but were enrolled in the MBBS and BDS courses in the two institutes under the quota.

Claiming that this practice had been occurring for years, the letter appealed to the Akal Takht head to depute the SGPC Flying Squad to verify the facts.

The letter points out a statement by Makkar in May this year in which he said that only Sikhs with unshorn hair were being admitted to SGPC-run institutes under the 50% quota.

“This is far from the truth,” the letter says. “We are hopeful that the Akal Takht will take action in the matter.”

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