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Shiromani Akali Dal must maintain balance between Panth and Punjabiat

 


 

Shiromani Akali Dal must maintain balance between Panth and Punjabiat

 

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

The century old Shiromani Akali Dal is not only the first regional party in the country but can also rightly claim to be the first party in India of that time that included the present Pakistan and Bangladesh to be the first political formation constituted by the Indians and for the Indians to voice the concerns of the Sikhs at every level.

The first party that is Congress was founded by British national Allan Octavian Hume to act as a bridge between the rulers and the ruled.

The Akali Dal that organised its 101st anniversary conference at Killi Chahalan near Moga yesterday was born out of struggle for the liberation of gurdwaras and the tradition to launch struggles continued on issues concerning Punjab and the Panth till some years back.

At one level, the Killi Chahalan conference is characterised by ideological continuity that hammers federalism and socio-cultural diversity going by the thrust in the resolutions.

The added emphasis on Punjabiat for some years is rooted in the assertion of socio-cultural diversity that characterises Punjab, the state whose religio-political dynamics is different from all the other socio-cultural regions in present day India. It is perhaps because of this reason that this region did not get deeply communalised even during the worst of times relating to the narrative that is Operation Bluestar, the avoidable army attack on the Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) complex and the November 1984 genocide of the Sikhs.

The thrust of the ideological resolution at the Moga conference was federalism, the issue that the Akali Dal was the first to raise under free India going by its manifesto of 1952 elections. This was the major poll plank of the party. The 1967 and 1969 manifestos reflected this ideological continuity. The Batala Resolution of 1968 was the first formal articulation by the party on this issue followed by the more radical Anandpur Sahib Resolution in 1973 and its next version adopted at the Ludhiana conference in 1978.

The farmers struggle has brought the focus on this sensitive issue of federalism as the three farm laws that have now been repealed were encroachment on the rights of the states. The farmers struggle is the first formal victory led by Punjab on this issue. Of course, this struggle must be carried forward.

The resolution passed at the Moga conference emphasises that in order to see India emerge as the global power, respecting the regional assertions and cultural diversity is must.

The Shiromani Akali Dal maintained that  in association with other like-minded parties, it would carry forward this struggle vigorously for more rights to the states.

This is in consonance with the changing political environment as the emphasis at the national level is on homogenisation under which the minorities get culturally marginalised.

The Akali Dal should take the first step to give practical shape to this resolution by convening conclave of all the regional parties.

It is pertinent to mention here that there is little difference between the BJP and the Congress on this issue.

Yet another sensitive dimension is that of maintaining delicate balance between the Panth and the Punjabiat.

It may be recalled that although Punjabiat agenda entered the Akali Dal discourse with major emphasis only in 1996, party’s 1969 manifesto too talks of Punjabiat. The perception now is that the Akali Dal has distanced itself from the Panth.

The Panth is the foundation of the Akali Dal and the party would get further strengthened only in case the foundation remains strong. And Panth has no contradiction with Punjabiat as Sikhism is universal with emphasis on human brotherhood. The Golden Temple symbolises that openness.

The only issue is that of maintaining balance.

Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in his speech recalled the Anandpur Sahib Resolution in his speech while raising the issue of federalism.

It is time for the party to move forward despite the baggage that every historical party carries.

 


Comments

  1. Baldev Singh15 December 2021 at 17:24

    Peasants have not won but only retained the old position/situation . They could have done it legally in the Supreme Court because the 3 laws were enacted in violation of the Constitution of India and the court had stayed and had given hit to quash it ! But they wanted political mileage out of it !
    SAD was Panthic Party till 1930 when Baba Kharak Singh was removed and Tara Singh , real name Nank Chand Malhotra was replaced with the support of Pt MM Mallviya and the CONGRESS. SAD was merged with the Congress in 1948 and 1956 by Tara Singh !

    ReplyDelete

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