If sections of the Sikh community were at daggers - or kirpans - drawn just a few months ago, can their Hindu brethren be far behind? Passions at Brampton's Hindu Sabha Mandir at 9225 The Gore Rd (north of Queens), the largest in the region and reputedly the oldest in Canada, spilled over once again last weekend, with security personnel patrolling the premises 24 hours a day.

The Hindu Sabha Temple, Gore Road, Brampton that took place recently, the fact openly comes out that the root of issue consist of greed of leadership, misuse of charity money, misunderstandings about sexual exploitation of girl children. Broadly speaking, two groups are in fight with each other at present in temple.

These are groups of Mahender Gupta and Chairman Prabhat Kapoor appointed as head after the court orders. In addition, other groups around this 25 acre (which costs nearly 25 million dollars today) temple possession include Inderjeet Bagadia and Jatinder Sharma. Inderjeet Bagadia is a person who sold the whole temple ground in 2 millions and 98 thousand Dollars only and there is also news of important role played by him in the construction of temple.

The irony about the control of temple seems so entangled that it seems difficult to measure its string from one side. A letter was written by Prabhat Kapoor on 19 May to Mahender Gupta in which he was blamed to withdraw $4000 from the lawyer, making draft of $ 6500 from Nova Scotia Bank, getting membership forms printed and approval of membership list without authorization.

The copy of this letter was also sent to temple lawyer Claymen and Admundus, Peel Region Police, P. Dupper, B. Kakkar and Parveen Sharma. In reply to above claims, a letter was written by Mahender Gupta by sending a copy to Prabhat Kapoor, all directors and all people above mentioned. In this letter, Mahender Gupta asked why it was talked about $ 4000 but he had withdrawn $ 16,000 out of which he had distributed residual among directors as their share by keeping $ 12,000 for himself.

Mahender Gupta said that this money was given to the lawyer on consent that if they won the court case, the expenditure will be done by the temple and if they failed, it will be borne personally by them. They blamed Prabhat Kapoor talking about meeting the responsibility of making membership form as head, withdrawing $ 6500 to meet the temple expenses that he was violating the rules and regulations of temple and he has no right to keep any relation with this. Mahender Gupta has also questioned Prabhat Kapoor that the audit committee based on Prabhat Kapoor, Ajit Pahwa and Praveen Sharma which was formed to meet the temple expenditure in a right manner was not backed by Prabhat Kapoor and Parveen Sharma.

Mahender Gupta has said that Hindu Sabha temple is not a personal property of Prabhat Kapoor and he has no right to appoint anybody as its head. He has pointed towards a new formed committee in which Praveen Sharma was replaced by Mahender Gupta as head. This committee has the temple keys now days and was counted assize last days in the presence of Peel police. Mahender Gupta blamed that a gold bag and other things are made missing. The blames of missing or stealing have been associated to the temple long back.

Rajinder Chadda has raised many questions in a letter written to all board members of temple and trustees and expressed in his letter that Board members of temple and trustees are involved in strengthening their own ego instead serving the devotees of trustee temple. It is quite interesting that Mahender Gupta has also talked about grocery. It is explainable fact that sale of approximately $ 12,000 grocery was shown from the temple in one year where as sale of about $8500 grocery was recorded in 2 ½ months after forming a grocery committee.

Rajinder also blamed that office expenditure of approximately $ 93,000 was shown in 2008 in temple about which there was no evidence. According to Rajinder Chadda, when it was questioned, it was divided into two parts and $ 41495 was shown as salaries about which no T4 and other evidences are available. The case of sex scandal is associated to Pandit Dharamveer expelled from the temple in 2007. A 9 year old girl talked about her miss-happening with her parents first of all and then shared with her school teacher as a result, police came in temple and Children Aid Society had to interfere.

According to Rajinder Chadda, girls were tampered by priests on the festival of Holi too. Undoubtedly, claims are made regarding making the management of temple clean, priests to worship God in reality, managers and priest being pious ethically and to keep the calculation of money clear like milk, but nobody has its direct answer as how it will be possible except considering enemies the root of all problems.

Are the Hindus and Sikhs following Guru’s message? They’re too busy fighting. These fights at the Gurdwaras and Hindu Templs are a wake-up call for the Hindu and Sikh community to learn a lesson and make way for the new generations to come forward and take control. Only those who build the Gurdwara or Hindu Temple should be allowed to run its affairs. There shouldn’t be any voting or changing the management agenda, so there’s no risk of a fight to dethrone the management or trustees. No fighting to attain higher positions should keep the Sikh community in peace and harmony.