June 20, 2009
To: The Khalsa Council
The Phoenix Sangat
Re: Sikh Dharma Stewardship Dismissal of Sikh Dharma of Phoenix Board Members
Dear Khalsa Council and Phoenix Sangat Members
I am responding to the Sikh Dharma Stewardship dismissal of the Sikh Dharma of Phoenix Board Members and specifically to the letter of June 8, 2009 from Guru Kirn Kaur Khalsa spokesperson for SDS to Sikh Dharma of Phoenix Community Members. Her letter is posted on the Khalsa Council web site. I worked and lived within the Phoenix Ashram Community from January 2007 to September 2008 as the Volunteer Construction Manager for the Guru Nanak Dwara Project. I therefore feel qualified to give my opinion regarding the previous Gurdwara project management and the environments surrounding the greater Phoenix Sikh Dharma community.
First of all, I want to make it very clear that this is the information and perceptions that I compiled during my tenure and are my opinions only. I and others had requested that SDS talk with the entire Phoenix community before making a final decision and not cater to the wishes of a very small group. As stated by the recently deposed board during the last Khalsa Council meetings, they were committed to the process of building the community and willing to continue serving on the board. SDS did talk with the community, but in the end decided, in my opinion, to effectively hand over the assets and leadership to Jodha Singh and Guru Kirn Kaur.
Guru Kirin in her June 8, 2009 letter to the Phoenix community members makes the statement "The Phoenix Community needs a board where all of its members are fully engaged in the current processes". There are several leadership groups in Phoenix, and in recent months they have become more and more successful. I am assuming that being "fully engaged in the current processes", as Guru Kirn writes, means being active in this existing leadership. However to my knowledge there is no participation from the new board in any of the governing groups in the Phoenix Community. These current groups are:
1. Community Council
2. Resource Group (properties)
3. Gurdwara Committee
4. 3HO
5. Yoga Phoenix
6. Leadership Group
7. Khalsa Schools.
All of these groups had been significantly empowered by the recently deposed board and had made great progress in their specific functions under their leadership. It is my understanding that an effective board should not be involved on the ground level, but should be remain with the greater perspective of oversight.
Guru Kirn further states, "Additionally, members of the Phoenix Community have requested that there be local representation on their Board of Directors." There is little "local representation" on this new board. Three members live out of town and the two locals have never directly participated in community leadership. The one Punjabi representative of the new board is clean-shaven, and not considered a Sikh leader.
Guru Kirn states that the first reason for changing the board is "Due to conflicts of interests”" It is disturbing to me that most of the members of the new board, if not all--to the best of my knowledge, are family, clients, or close friends of Jodha. It is also interesting to note that a majority of the members of SDS are also family, members of Amar Infinity board, employees, or close friends of Jodha. It took many months of hard work for the deposed board to change that exact dynamic for reasons of "conflicts of interest", and it is sad for me to see this revert back to an interrelated situation that appears to me to have little fiscal fidelity.
So why would the Sikh Dharma Stewardship, acting under the auspices of Unto Infinity, take this action? I can give you a few possible reasons from my perspective:
1. Amar Infinity Loan: There was a loan made by Amar Infinity to Sikh Dharma of Phoenix of over $1,000,000. This loan was for construction of the new Gurdwara. This loan is secured by a lien on property owned by Sikh Dharma. This million dollar debt and lien was incurred when Guru Kirn Kaur signed documents, representing Sikh Dharma of Phoenix, for Jodha Singh representing Amar Infinity. To my knowledge, this loan was made and the lien incurred without any formal board authorization.
Since that time, Amar Infinity has demanded payment of at least half the loan from Sikh Dharma of Phoenix. The deposed board inherited this problem created by Jodha and Guru Kirn and this huge debt which has hung over the community. It seems to me that the path is now clear for the new board of Sikh Dharma Phoenix, since they are all interrelated to Jodha, to authorize the sale of Sikh Dharma assets to pay the debt.
2. Gurdwara Project: When I took over the Gurdwara Project in Jan 1, 2007 the community spirits were very low, the Gurdwara building project had slowed to a snail's pace, was seriously over budget, the building permit had lapsed, and the building was uninsured! The original budget was $1.9 million, but when I arrived current expenditures were over $5 million. With all that money having been spent, there were still no utilities or basic infrastructure in place. By my estimates, and verified by our local construction consultant, $1.6 million was needed to finish and obtain a final certificate of occupancy. Please see the attached Jan 2007 New Gurdwara Construction Status Report.
Every construction project has its problems but under the management of Jodha and Guru Kirin the irregularities and lack of transparency were serious. However, Jodha was very upset that the control of the project was taken away from him, and I believe that under this new board that control will be returned to him.
3. 3HO and Yoga Phoenix: Sevak Singh and Yoga Phoenix have been a vital part of the Ashram Community and provide daily yoga classes and regular teacher's training courses at the old Gurdwara. Yoga Phoenix has done more to promote the Siri Singh Sahib's teachings and Sikhism in the greater Phoenix Community than any other group. I have heard that Guru Kirn has a contentious relationship with Sevak Singh, and Yoga Phoenix has been worried about being evicted from the Gurdwara for quite sometime. It seems that it has been the support of the deposed board that has prevented this. What will now become of Yoga Phoenix?
4. Khalsa School: Sat Want Singh has done an excellent job building the Khalsa School into a successful enterprise with considerable assets in land and buildings. Khalsa Schools actually won the "Top Charter School of Arizona" for 2008. Sat Want is planning to retire and in my opinion deserves a good severance, however Khalsa Schools is partially owned by Sikh Dharma of Phoenix. I have heard Jodha also has a contentious relationship with Sat Want, and it has been the support from the deposed board with has ensured that this situation has been dealt with an even hand. What will now become of the Khalsa Schools?
So there are four good reasons why SDS, acting with the authority of UI, would return Phoenix back to the management of Jodha and Guru Kirn. By ignoring the opinion of the Khalsa Council, I worry that SDS will rendered the Khalsa Council irrelevant. I have heard that very few people within the non profits and profits are willing to speak out and for fear of losing their jobs. This is not the Khalsa way and, in my humble opinion, SDS has not acted in the best interests of the Siri Singh Sahib and his mission.
I have written this letter on behalf of the Truth, and not for any group or individual.
Sat Nam
Tyaga S Khalsa
May 29, 2007
Guru Nanak Dwara, Phoenix Arizona
New Gurdwara Construction Status, Jan 1 2007
Project Permitted Sept 1999.
1. Certificate of Occupancy- none
2. Building Permit- Expired Sept 7 2005. Former Project Manager refused to turn over old Building Permit and other important documents despite repeated attempts by myself and Soul Singh Khalsa
3. Insurance Status- None. No Builders Risk (fire, theft, vandalism etc) and Workman’s Compensation.
4. Parking Variance- Never initiated.
5. Utilities- Permanent Utilities never connected. Electric Meter and Service, Domestic Water Meter and Service, Fire System Water Meter and Service, Landscaping Water Meter, Gas Meter and Service, Phone Line, Fire Alarm System, Sprinkler System and Air Conditioning System never completed.
6. Budget- No real budget existed. Money spent of over 6 million is three times more than the original budget. The New Gurdwara Sahib is not worth over 4 million in 2003 dollars when the majority of the work was finised.
7. Debt- Sikh Dharma of Phoenix incurred almost One Million in debt in the form of liens on Ashram Properties. This debt was secured without permission of the Sikh Community. A good portion of this debt still rests on the community.
8. Project Records. No real project records other than receipts. No Building Permit Set, As Built Drawings or Schematics, Contracts, Finish Schedule, etc.
9. Transparency- None. Checks and Balances never in place and no Competitive Bidding in evidence.
10. Project Manager- Paid almost 500,000 over a five year period including reimbursements as Superintendent and Project Manager. Present on site less than half the time he was paid for.
11. Labor - Treated as Contract Labor instead of Payroll. The legality of this is questionable. The amount of Workman's Compensation Insurance paid does not add up to the quantity of Payroll.
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