National Sikh conclave in Delhi forms panel to discuss UCC with govt

A national Sikh conclave held here on Friday formed an 11-member committee to confer with the government on the Uniform Civil Code to ensure the community's rights and practices are not tinkered with, DSGMC office-bearers said.

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Harmit Singh Kalka said the draft of the UCC is yet to be released by the Central government so "there could not be a decision whether to support or oppose it."

A DSGMC statement quoted Kalka as saying that the conclave decided that it was wrong to oppose UCC without seeing the draft document.

An 11-member committee has been formed to hold discussions with the Union government to ensure that the rights and religious practices of the Sikhs are not tinkered with, Kalka told a press conference after the conclave at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib.

After a draft of UCC is put in the public domain, the committee will study it and compile the demands and objections of the Sikhs. A delegation led by DSGMC will then meet the law minister and apprise him of the general opinion of the Sikh community over the issue, the statement said.

Kalka and DSGMC general secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon said the DSGMC will not accept any "political compulsions" imposed on it.

The draft of UCC must come out first for DSGMC to take a stand on it, they said, adding the conclave also decided to take up with the government issues concerning the Sikhs, apart from UCC, and work towards their resolution.

People from the Sikh community, including former judges and bureaucrats from 13 states, participated in the conclave.