Sehajdharis - How Can You be a Sikh Without Accepting Guru Ji's Amrit?

Sehajdharis are not Sikhs should be the clear stand of SGPC in the high court in the cases before it, as there are no categories in Sikhs. One is either a Sikh or not.
Those who violate the prescribed Sikh initiation and Sikh code of conduct are called patits and they can come in the mainstream of Sikh panth by re-initiation and observance of Sikh code of conduct.
The so-called Sehajdhari Sikhs do not take Sikh initiation and observe Sikh code of conduct, which are part of Sikh religion and they rather cut their hair. They thus obviously do not fulfill the prerequisites to be called Sikhs. If any person believes in Sikh religion, then there should be no hesitation to keep the hair intact and wear turban on the head to appear to be Sikh, to get Sikh initiation and remain in the Sikh code of conduct, to become and act as Sikh.
Confusion was created by making Sehajdhari Sikhs as voters in Sikh Gurdawaras Act by an amendment in 1959. They had not been given any recognition or made voters for SGPC elections in Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925. In the provisions of this Act, even Sikhs who did not keep their hair intact were declared patits and debarred to become voters. In 1959 the amendment was made in the Act to empower non-Sikhs with voting rights in the garb of Sehajdhari to oust Akali Dal from the SGPC as it had the full support of Sikhs and was in confrontation with the then Indian government on the issue of reorganization of Punjab along linguistic lines.
The president of SGPC, who was nominee of Master Tara Singh, Akali leader, was actually removed under no confidence motion with the support of Congress Government in 1959. The Master threatened to fast unto death.
Jawaharlal Nehru, prime minister of India invited the Akali leader, Master Tara Singh, for talks and said the government had no intention to interfere in the religious affairs of Sikhs.
A compromise emerged in their meeting named "Nehru-Tara Singh pact", vide which the government was to never interfere in Sikh religious affairs and no amendment of Sikh Gurdawaras Act was to be made without the concurrence of SGPC.
In the general elections of SGPC held in the next year in 1960, Akali Dal won 136 seats out of 140, while Congress sponsored board could get only 4 seats. Thereafter, Akali Dal won SGPC elections uptil now and retained its control over it. The amended provision was not exploited. The SGPC passed resolutions several times to repeal the 1959 amendment but it was not done. It even passed the resolution that there are no Sehajdhari Sikhs now.
In 2003, just before the 2004-SGPC elections, this amendment was undone by Government of India and Sehajdhari Sikhs were deprived of the right to be the voters for SGPC elections.
In the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Act, 1971, no Sehajdhari Sikh has been recognized to become the voter for the election of the management committee of the Gurdawaras and neither any patit Sikh who has cut his hair.
Now, no Sehajdhari Sikh can become voter for any statutory Gurdwara management elections. There is no recognition of Sehajdhari Sikhs in Sikh religion. Either one is a Sikh or not. If someone aspires to become a Sikh then he has to become a Sikh by coming under the Sikh code of conduct. There is a lot of difference to aspire and to become a Sikh. In every religion those persons who follow the code of conduct of that religion are termed to be the followers of that religion. There are no Sehajdhari Christians, Muslims or Hindus. Why an exception for Sikh religion, which is even more strict to its discipline and code of conduct?
In matters of religion, there can be no scope for personal discretions as the dictums of a religion are to be accepted without reservations. The considerations of majority and minority, to count votes, in such matters are irrelevant. The dictums of a religion are perpetual and cannot be altered on the whims of its followers.

The author is a retired judge based in the United States and known for his clear delineation of issues regarding Sikhism.