Badal ready with plan to wriggle out of crisis

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 6

The old maverick Parkash Singh Badal has his strategy ready to take on the new threat of a Sarbat Khalsa, called by various Sikh organisations on November 10.

With this call for the Sarbat Khalsa challenging his political and religious leadership of the Sikhs, the chief patron of the Akali Dal has decided to dig into the past to resolve the present crisis that has hit him.

With his own party’s cadres and even the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) standing discredited in the public’s eyes in wake of incidents of sacrilege and the grant of pardon to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Badal is now taking the leaf from Akali Dal history of using Sikh intellectuals, ‘dhadhis’, ‘raagis’, ‘katha-vachaks’ and ex-servicemen to spread his message.

The party is now strumming together its old faithful from amongst these groups who had remained loyal foot soldiers of the Akali Dal till the 1990s.

The last time this cadre was used by the party was in 1999, on the eve of the tercentenary celebration of the birth of Khalsa, to mobilise Sikhs. That had helped CM Parkash Singh Badal emerge as the religio-politico head of Sikhs.

“Under the current circumstances, it has been decided to use these cadres to spread the Akali Dal’s message on the ‘ideological attack’ on the Akali Takht,” said a senior Akali leader.

No wonder CM Badal has now taken complete control of the crisis management. The entire strategy to wriggle out of the crisis is being minutely planned by him.

Other than the CM, the party is once again banking on its senior hands — on leaders like Tota Singh and Ranjit Singh Brahmpura — and the past two days have seen a “new ray of confidence in the party” that has been missing since the incidents of desecration and the challenge posed by the radicals took centrestage.

SGPC baffled: Mann 

Fatehgarh Sahib: Lashing out at the SGPC for issuing advertisements terming the Sarbat Khalsa as illegal, SAD(A) president Simranjit Singh Mann said that the SGPC was baffled by the holding of Sarbat Khalsa.

Jathedar challenged 

Amritsar: Contesting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh’s statement that only Jathedar, Akal Takht, could convene the Sarbat Khalsa, the Dal Khalsa has said that even the Khalsa Panth during a crisis can call the Sikh congregation.

Akali Dal 1920 to attend

Jalandhar: Confirming his participation in the Sarbat Khalsa, former Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, and president of Akali Dal 1920 said that the final consensus on pending issues would be reached during a meeting to be held on Saturday. He said that the debate on whether or not to call the congregation Sarbat Khalsa was a non-issue.

SAD meeting today 

Muktsar: The SAD leadership in the Badals’ home district Muktsar has called a meeting of all its wings on Saturday. A senior SAD leader said, “All village units of SAD, YAD and SOI have been called to participate in the meeting. Their opinion will be sought there.”