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Akali Dal has landed in controversy on issue of two constitutions - Panthic and non-Panthic

 



Tale of Akali Dal’s two constitutions, one Panthic and the other non-Panthic

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

There is nothing wrong with any political party including the Shiromani Akali Dal to  effect changes including in the constitution dictated by  the changing times and expediency.

In this context, there should be no objection to the Akali Dal opting for a new constitution.

After all, Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal recently raised slogan of Jai Shri Ram in the party office in Chandigarh that symbolised total transformation of the once Sikh party.

However, the problem can arise in case the party tries to take advantage of both the constitutions. At times, Sukhbir Singh Badal can be heard talking of the Akali Dal being a party articulating Sikh concerns.

The controversy regarding two constitutions has come under focus following direction issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to party patron, former president and former 5-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, former deputy chief minister and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and party secretary Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema to appear in  Hoshiarpur court and join the proceedings in the case relating to two constitutions.

The case in Hoshiarpur court was filed by activist Balwant Singh Khera against the Akali Dal alleging the party was using two constitutions and this amounted to fraud. The case has been on for years without making any progress.

The Shiromani Akali Dal contests elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee as a party. Both these bodies are engaged in activities that relate to religious domain of the Sikh community, mainly management of the gurdwaras under their respective territorial jurisdiction.

Both constitutions are different

It is pertinent to mention that the Akali Dal was created by the non-statutory SGPC on December 14, 1920 at Akal Takht, the seat of Sikh sovereignty created by Guru Hargobind, as its volunteer force for the gurdwara liberation struggle and evolved  over the years as the organisation to articulate aspirations and ambitions of the Sikhs.

The earlier constitution was adopted under this framework.

This constitution  was “Adopted by the Working Committee unanimously at its meeting on September 2, 1974 in accordance with the authorization from the general house on October 1, 1972 and amended in general house on October 28, 1978.”

Its first two objectives are very important:

Main Objectives:

1.         Propagation of Sikh religion and its code of conduct, denunciation of atheism and apostasy. To take steps for the management of gurdwaras and reforms therein.

2.         To reinforce the exclusive Sikh identity and strive for the creation of geo-political environment in which national sentiments and aspirations of the Sikh Panth are fully manifested and flourish.

(Translated from the 1978 copy)

The 1974 copy was released under the print line of party secretary Giani Ajmer Singh and the 1978 version by Giani Bhan Singh. Both these copies are available but the  main objectives remain the same.

Then there is another copy that has been downloaded from the Election Commission of India portal and it is undated.

It states:

“CONSTITUTION OF SHIROMANI AKALI DAL (ENGLISH VERSION)

The political principles on which the body is based.

The Shiromani Akali Dal is a political party, which is formed on the basis of democratic principles and to create an environment through democratic and peaceful means to secure better standard of living , equality and justice for all sections   of   society   and   especially   to   safeguard   the   interests   of   National Minorities in general and Sikhs in particular. The Shiromani Akali Dal realizes that India is a federal and republican geographical entity of different languages, religions and cultures. To safeguard the fundamental rights of the religious and linguistic minorities, to fulfill the demands of the democratic traditions and pave the  way  for  economic  progress,  it  has  become  imperative  that  the  Indian constitutional structure be given a real federal shape by redefining centre state relations and rights on the lines of the aforesaid principles and objectives.

AIMS AND OBJECTS

“ The Shiromani Akali Dal realizes that India is a federal and republican geographical entity of different languages , religions and cultures. To safeguard the  fundamental  rights  of  the  religious  and  linguistic  minorities,  to  fulfil the demands  of  the  democratic  traditions  and  to  pave  the  way  for  economic progress  it  has  become  imperative  that  the  Indian  constitutional  structure  be given a real federal shape by redefining the Centre and State relations and rights on the lines of aforesaid principles and objectives.”

“Shiromani Akali Dal has ever stood firm on this principle and that is why after very careful consideration it unanimously adopted a resolution to this  effect  first  at  All  India  Akali  Conference  ,  Batala, then  at  Shri  Anandpur Sahib endorsing the principle of Federalism.

As   such,   the   Shiromani   Akali   Dal   emphatically   urges   upon   the Government of India to take cognizance of the different linguistic and cultural sections, religious minorities as also the voice of millions of people and recast the  constitutional  structure  of  the  country  on  real  and  meaningful  federal integrity of the country and further , to enable the states to play a useful role for the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  Indian  people  in  their  respective  areas  by meaningful exercise of the powers”

 

These are the two different versions and the second one is focused on federalism. The religious dimension has been dropped in the version submitted to the poll panel.

However,  nothing is known as to when was this constitution adopted, as going by the earlier practice, it is first adopted by the working committee and then ratified at the general house meeting.

Importantly, the Panthic objective in the 1978 version is again significant as it is the same as resolved under the Anandpur Sahib Resolution adopted by the general house in 1977.

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