TOI Correspondent from London: A govt minister from Pakistan travelled to London for the launch of the first ever UK Gurdwara Alliance, set up to improve relations between gurdwaras and the UK govt.The Alliance, a UK-wide gurdwara body providing a collective voice for over 200 UK gurdwaras, was launched in a UK Parliament committee room this week at an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs.Ramesh Singh Arora, Pakistan Punjab minister for minority affairs, who travelled to London for the event, described the alliance as an “excellent initiative.”“Having a collective voice is extremely powerful and will be helpful for not only UK govt engagement but will improve links between gurdwara bodies across the globe,” Arora said.The alliance will liaise with the Akal Takht and institutions like the SGPC in Amritsar and PSGPC in Pakistan. It will issue statements, call meetings and support Sikh community campaigns.Twenty-five leading gurdwaras across 12 regions will be responsible for consulting with and coordinating all gurdwaras in their region. They will focus on issues that impact the running of gurdwaras and also engage with the UK govt on matters concerning gurdwaras, the Sangat and faith-related issues.One of the alliance’s first actions after its launch was to call on the Charity Commission to “understand and work differently with gurdwaras.” Gurdwaras in Britain have to register with the Charity Commission if their income exceeds £5,000 (Rs 5 lakh) per year.Kuldeep Singh Deol, former president of Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Smethwick, said: “The Charity Commission’s current approach to gurdwaras is outdated and out of step with the growing challenges these institutions face. It continues to rely on advice from individuals who lack the necessary understanding and experience of how gurdwaras operate.”He said gurdwaras up and down the country at the local level are recognised by the authorities as key Sikh institutions with a massive reach to the community. “The UK Gurdwara Alliance has been established at the national level to address a disconnect that exists between central govt and gurdwaras,” he said.“The UK govt must make a step change in the way it engages with the Sikh community,” said Gurpreet Singh Anand, president at Central Gurdwara (Khalsa Jatha) London.
