Sarbat Khalsa sets alarm bells ringing for Akalis

CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has all along been calling itself the true representative of the Sikh community, has suffered a setback with its core vote bank of the Sikhs, outraged at the recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, finding solace in the radicals’ fold at the Sarbat Khalsa today.

From left: Amrik Singh Ajnala, Baljit Singh Daduwal and former MP Dhian Singh Mand, who have been appointed jathedars of Takht Keshgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib and officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, respectively. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 10

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has all along been calling itself the true representative of the Sikh community, has suffered a setback with its core vote bank of the Sikhs, outraged at the recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib, finding solace in the radicals’ fold at the Sarbat Khalsa today.

The fact that these radicals have given a clarion call for a separate Sikh state, though they refrained from giving it a political name, and little objection was raised to this demand by the gathering at the congregation, has not only raised heckles of Akali leaders, but also that of the NDA government at the Centre. Most leaders feel the public dissent will have to be addressed as soon as possible so as not to fan radicalism.

The SAD and its ally BJP have blamed the Congress for helping radicals mobilise crowds. The ruling partners in the Punjab Government have also realised that they will have to deliver on governance and remove public resentment so as to keep the radical elements away.

The crisis in the Sikh community had been brewing for almost a month. Though the Akali Dal tried to respond to the crisis with cosmetic changes like removal of the state DGP, its response was considered too late and bereft of rational and reasonable response to the attack on the community’s faith. It is this public perception that nobody in the Akali Dal or the BJP could comprehend while devising the government strategy to deal with the threat of the Sikh congregation.

Top leaders in the party attribute the success of the Sarbat Khalsa to the support extended to radicals by their political opponents, mainly the Congress. Senior Akali leaders insist the presence of Congress leaders such as Ramanjit Sikki (MLA) and Inderjit Singh Zira on the same stage as radical leaders, was proof of how the Congress had helped them mobilise crowds for the today’s event.

But amidst this blame game, a visibly shaken Akali Dal leadership has finally understood that the support to the Sarbat Khalsa, especially from the young (25-40 age group) was a manifestation of the people’s anger against alleged “mis-governance” and the new corporate culture that this once-close-to-people party now seems to have adopted.

Most Akali leaders agree that today’s response to the Sarbat Khalsa is also a strong expression of people’s anger at the public perception of “mismanagement” of affairs of the Sikhs.

Many leaders also believe that the SAD leadership still has enough time to turn public perception in their favour before the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2017. With the BJP, seemingly having lost its sheen after the loss it suffered at the hustings in Bihar, now likely to stick with the Akali Dal, the Akali leaders see a ray of hope.

Akali leaders reject resolutions

“The gathering was called and managed at the behest of anti-Panthic elements who represent the traditional enemy of the Khalsa Panth— the Congress. The presence of Congress leaders, including Inderjit Singh Zira and others along with their workers, at the gathering gave their game away. We reject the resolutions as these are an attempt to vitiate the hard-earned atmosphere of peace and communal harmony, which remains a priority of the Shiromani Akali Dal as of all Punjabis,” said Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra. “The Sikhs stand for a federal structure in the country with greater autonomy to states,” they said.

It’s dirty politics: BJP

To grab power, the Congress has been playing dirty politics in Punjab for the past more than three decades and now again, actions of the Congress clearly reflect that it was hell-bent upon vitiating the peaceful atmosphere. —Kamal Sharma, Punjab BJP President

Amarinder for SGPC poll

It is the prerogative of the SGPC to make such appointments (of jathedars). At the same time, the present SGPC is under the arbitrary and authoritarian control of Badal. We need fresh and immediate SGPC elections under credible authority. —Amarinder Singh, Former Chief Minister