Tarn Taran Diary: Akali politics in throes of crisis

After its defeat in the Vidhan Sabha elections held in 2017, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has been facing new challenges every day both from within in the form of revolt by its own leaders and outside too. The recently concluded Lok Sabha election has proved to be a severe jolt for the party in which 10 of its 13 candidates lost even their security deposit. Sacrilege incidents that took place in 2015 during the SAD regime which led to the firing incident at Bargari and the pardon episode involving the head of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim are the major issues which the Akali Dal finds difficult to dissipate. The formation of Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar by senior SAD leaders has become a new headache for the party, especially SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. It is a fact that the party has been facing serious challenges, especially groupism in Akali politics for decades. There were times when the Akali politics faced a vertical division between Master Tara Singh and Sant Fateh Singh, both of whom carried equal weight. The workers of both leaders often came close to violent clashes in the 1950s and 1960s. After the defeat in recent Lok Sabha elections, the rebel Akalis who themselves have been facing ‘defeat’ in the election of SGPC president, thought it was an appropriate time to unite on the current issues against the party leadership, especially against Sukhbir Singh Badal, who controls all levers of power in political and religious affairs dominated by SAD and the administration of the historical gurdwaras under the command of SGPC. The organising of a congregation in Tur village on the death anniversary of SAD president Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur on Tuesday (July 30) was an indication of a perpendicular split in the SAD. There was a time when there were Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Parkash Singh Badal, Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Surjit Singh Barnala and Mohan Singh Tur as top SAD leaders who had equal say in the party. In the election of sixth Lok Sabha held after the lifting of Emergency in 1977, these leaders defeated Congress candidates easily from their respective constituencies. Slowly, Parkash Singh Badal succeeded in establishing himself among farmers and other sections of society. He managed good relations with the then Jan Sangh (renamed as BJP in the 1980 Lok Sabha election). It is the first time when Akali politics is facing a serious threat within and outside the party. As the congregation held in Tur village on July 30 was attended by many top leaders of the rebel Akalis, including the representatives of certain established Sikh faces in different fields, it has shown that the present threat to the SAD leadership is of a resinous nature. The presence of Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, Faridkot MP and the parents of Amritpal Singh, Khadoor Sahib MP, were an additional boost for the rebel Akalis. All these incidents were an indication of an upright split in the SAD which the party had faced after the state came toward near normalcy from militancy and it was evident in the Lok Sabha election of 1996 when three to four candidates were seen as belonging to factions led by one or the other Akali leader. It is yet to be seen if efforts of the rebels would succeed or become a serious challenge for the SAD leadership.

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Library gains popularity with readers

Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid Yadgari Library, Tarn Taran, opened in Dharamshala Gandan in the heart of Tarn Taran town in spite of new technological challenges. Started in the year 1989 with the efforts of Tara Singh and Baldev Singh Mauji with free Sikh religious literature, it has its registered society now with NRI Dr Surinder Kaur Narula (settled in Canada) as the patron and Tara Singh as the president with an 11 member committee.

Surinder Kaur Narula is the daughter of Bhai Sukhbir Singh Vaid from the family of Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid who was of a tall stature in Punjabi literature. The library is affiliated to Punjabi Sahit Sabha, Delhi. The library has 9,000 books on history and all religions. Readers from 43 nearby villages besides from Amritsar, Ramdas and Majitha are regular visitors to the library. The library has 783 registered readers who pay Rs 100 as yearly fees. The library is a special attraction among the educated sections of the area.
(Contributed by Gurbaxpuri)