British colonizers deliberately altered the traditional Sikh system of Gurdwara management to weaken Sikh self-governance and control the process of leadership formation. In this exclusive conversation, journalist Mandeep Singh talks to S. Gurmeet Singh Ranchi, a Sikh researcher on the history of Gurdwara administration, who explains how the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 became a colonial tool to influence Sikh decision-making.
He further argues that the Indian state today continues to use the same colonial mechanisms—by controlling Gurdwara management elections—to manipulate Sikh leadership and limit community autonomy.
Watch this insightful discussion to understand the deeper historical roots of state interference in Sikh institutions.
