Decision in Sikh dispute

Directors of the Sikh Temple Gurdwara in Yuba City must wait three weeks after providing their addresses, phone numbers and e-mail contacts before meeting again, a Sutter County Superior Court judge ruled.

The decision by Judge Brian Aronson, filed in court last week, follows the legal bid by director Sukraj S. Pamma to require other directors to provide contact information.

Jaswant S. Bains, who supported Pamma's successful legal effort, said it's standard practice for board members to provide such information.

An attorney representing Pamma had said that temple directors who ran publicly for office must answer to members who elected them.

The temple, where an election in 2008 brought new directors who said they seek to reform the religious organization, had argued complying with the information request would violate privacy laws. The judge's ruling states that Pamma is not to disclose the list of directors to anyone other than his attorneys and other temple directors.

Tejinder Dosanjh, among 73 directors elected last year, said he does not see the court ruling as a win for those challenging the new directors.

"It's not a victory," Dosanjh said. "It's not anything."

He said the case reflects the strategy of those opposing new temple directors.

"Their whole idea is not let anything happen," Dosanjh said, "so they can come back into power."

He said legal disputes shouldn't be the focus of the temple.

"This is a place to have worship," Dosanjh said.

Bains agreed that's the temple's purpose — but said its actions by new directors — including extending their terms to four years and withholding contact information — that spurred the dispute.

"Their actions caused this," Bains said. "They're fighting us."