Akal Takht edict on 'Langar' gets favour from Surry Sikh Youth
SURRY (Canada): The radical Sikhs group, Youth Slate, opposed to partaking 'Langar' (community kitchen) on Tables and Chairs has won in a pivotal election of North America’s second-largest Sikh temple here.

The winning group had contested election on the issue of taking 'Langar' on traditional mats instead of tables and chairs. The Sikh community in Canada is split over the issue. The Akal Takht highest temporal seat of Sikhs has through an edict banned sitting on chairs for partaking 'Langar'.

Members of a Sikh Youth slate say changes are coming at Surrey’s Guru Nanak temple following a decisive victory in Sunday night’s elections.

The Youth slate, headed by Bikramjit Singh Sandhar, received a total of 13,458 votes, while the incumbent slate of moderates received 7,257.

“The time for change has come,” Sandhar said in a news release. “We must all join together to save our children from drugs and gangs, to provide support and equality to women, and to ensure the best services for our seniors.”

The losing slate of moderates was led by businessman Harjinder Singh Cheema.

The Youth slate wants traditional mats on the floor at the 32,000-member temple, but has struck a compromise by saying elderly or disabled members will have the option of using tables and chairs.

The Youth slate billed itself as a group of progressive-minded Sikhs. Three female candidates were on the slate and the campaign was mounted on YouTube and Twitter.

Past-president Balwant Singh Gill stepped down last year after 11 years at the helm.

More than 15,000 Sikhs braved pouring rain and howling winds Sunday to cast their vote change in leadership and direction of Sikh temple.

At stake is the future direction of the 32,000-member temple, which has been riven by two factions — the moderates and fundamentalists — and a contentious debate over tables and chairs in the temple dining hall that erupted into violence 12 years ago.

The moderates, who have controlled the temple for the past decade are in favour of the status quo, allowing tables and chairs in the eating area.

The Sikh Youth slate wanted traditional mats on the floor, but struck a compromise by saying elderly or disabled members will have the option of using tables and chairs.

However, focusing on the tables and chairs dispute is “simplistic,” said Jesse Bains, 24. “People are trying to get past it. There are larger issues here.”

Last year’s elections saw an upstart youth group headed by Amardeep Singh win by an almost 6,000-vote margin over the moderates, which ran divided slates.

The results were thrown out by B.C. Supreme Court after allegations of fraud on nomination forms.

Instead of a costly court battle, the rival factions decided to hold a second vote.