When Sikhstan on Jammu and Kashmir special status was agenda
of Akali Dal
History would judge the action of
Narendra Modi government to revoke Article 370 that provided special status to Jammu
and Kashmir and reduce the only Muslim dominated to two union territories.
This is the third such major intervention after 1947. The
first politico-military intervention under Indira Gandhi resulted in the
bifurcation of Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Pakistan’s subsequent
interest in Punjab was one of the fall-outs of that action. The second intervention
was the army attack on Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in June 1984 that
too was ordered by Indira Gandhi. The revocation of Article 370 is third such
intervention and like the earlier two, with far reaching consequences.
The resolve of the Bharatiya Janata Party to come up to its
ideological commitment is an example in itself. This was the issue that came on
the agenda of Jan Sangh, the parent body of the BJP, when it was formed in
early fifties. The abrogation of Article 370 was a poll promise of the BJP both
in 2014 and 2019 elections and the party has boldly implemented it.
Jammu and Kashmir is under curfew, like Punjab and
Chandigarh in first week of June 1984 during Operation Bluestar. Punjab is not ‘normal’
till date.
The action of the Modi government has been supported by BJP’s
alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal and there is nothing wrong in the party
taking this position. However, Shiromani Akali Dal is not an ordinary political
party and it represented a dominant minority for more than eight decades till
its character changed under the leadership of Parkash Singh Badal. Punjab is
the only state in the country where a minority is in majority and shares border
with Pakistan.
This unequivocal support has to be seen in the context of
the fact that autonomy to Punjab on Jammu and Kashmir pattern was the agenda of
Akali Dal for years.
The party contested the 1967 election on the demand for
Sikhstan on Jammu and Kashmir pattern.
Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal should at least have
basic knowledge of his party’s history and valiant struggles.
Here is Point No. 8 of the 1967 manifesto for Assembly
election demanding Sikhstan on Jammu and Kashmir pattern:
“8. Therefore,
after such bitter experience, the Shiromani Akali Dal has decided to articulate
its political aim as the setting up of Sikhstan which would include the region
as specified in resolution No. I of the 17th All India Akali Conference at
Ludhiana which states:
“This 17th All India Conference of the Akali Dal held at
Ranjit Nagar, Ludhiana on December 11, 1966 hereby ratifies and adopts resolution No. 2 passed at the
Delhi convention on July 20, 1966.
After going into the
miserable plight of the Sikhs in free India, the party has arrived at the
conclusion that the Hindu rulers are bent upon heaping indignities upon the
Sikhs and weakening them to push them out of the mainstream and it is under
this design that the state has been re-organised in such a way to create a
truncated Punjab to corner the Sikhs on the pattern of the treatment meted out
to the Jews in Europe in the middle ages and the subjugation of coloured races
by the whites even now.
Accordingly, the Sikhs resolve to confront such designs and
forcefully confront all such heinous attacks on the Panth. Therefore, the Sikhs
demand that the following steps be taken immediately so that the Sikhs can live
a dignified life as Indian citizens:
-The areas which have been deliberately kept out of Punjab
like Dalhousie in Gurdaspur district, Chandigarh, Pinjore and Kalka Sadar of
Ambala district, Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur district, the area of Nalagarh known
as ‘Des’, Tehsil Sirsa, sub-tehsils of Guhla and Tohana, Ratia block of Hissar
district, Shahbad block of Karnal district and Ganganagar district of Rajasthan
be merged with Punjab. This would pave the way for the creation of Sikh
homeland, that is Sikhstan, under the Indian constitution.
-This region should be accorded the same status as given
to Jammu and Kashmir under the Indian constitution in 1950.”
The Anandpur Sahib Resolution 1973 was essentially based on
this articulation and Batala resolution of 1968 on autonomy.
The Akali Dal launched its struggle on August 4, 1982 known
as Dharamyudh Morcha on the issues that included implementation of Anandpur
Sahib Resolution.
There is nothing wrong in party shifting its position as
Parkash Singh Badal subsequently signed the memorandum submitted to the UNO demanding
Khalistan and Amritsar Declaration was adopted as party’s political programme
in 1994.
The issue here is that of commitment to the cause like that
of the Sangh Parivar outfit.
Akali Dal has now come to be identified with politics of
opportunism.
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