Restoration of credibility must along with organisational changes in Akali Dal announced by Sukhbir Singh Badal

 

Restoration of credibility must along with organisational changes in Akali Dal announced by Sukhbir Singh Badal

 

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

 

Under intense pressure to introduce drastic overhaul following total rejection by the people in February Assembly polls followed by Sangrur Lok Sabha by-election, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today took the first step to rejuvenate the organisational structure that includes limiting tenure of the party president to two terms and one ticket per family.

This positive move must be taken to the logical conclusion.

The basic issue that is confronting the party is the restoration of credibility that has been eroded over the years.  The leadership must look inwards to understand it. The politics and priorities came to be decided by the House of Badals. The gap between promises and practice started widening till this gap turned into gulf.

The Bargari tragedy relating to sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib that the party continues to ignore was the product of this style of functioning.

There are two dimensions, though overlapping, to the present existential crisis that this second oldest party in the country with glorious history and traditions is confronted with.

One of the dimensions is the survival of the Badals  while the other is that of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

The party had set up a committee after the rout to go into the reasons for the party facing such anger of the people that was reflected in the Sangrur Lok Sabha by-election too.

This panel recommended drastic changes including total overhaul, whatever it means.

One section within the party, though in subdued tone, has been calling for change in leadership at the top that means Mr Badal should quit as president after owning up the responsibility.

This drastic change might facilitate the salvage operations.

It must be understood that being Akal is one thing and voting for the Shiromani Akali Dal is the other. The people who constitute the  traditional support base of the Shiromani Akali Dal continue to be Akali but they don’t vote for the Akali Dal!

Mr Badal needs to recall that in one of his Lok Sabha elections, he was honoured at six places in Bargari village. He used to contest from Faridkot of which Bargari is a part. This region is predominantly Akali. It is this Akali region that turned into epicentre of strong current against the Shiromani Akali Dal. Responsible for this situation are priorities and politics of the top leadership. It is too well known that the rest of the leadership had virtually no role in decision making.

The situation can be better understood with another example.

The Shiromani Akali Dal and its then president Parkash Singh Badal had promised to take action against the police officials guilty of brazen human rights violations and probe into the militancy period.

However, Mr Badal the Chief Minister within months of take over backtracked from the promise of ordering inquiry.

In his next term, the Chief Minister Mr Badal rewarded the very those police officials against whom he had promised action. He went to the extent of appointing Sumedh Singh Saini his director general of police. This amounted to mocking at the Shiromani Akali Dal core base.

Sukhbir Singh Badal today again recalled the Anandpur Sahib Resolution in the context of demand for federalism that has been the party agenda. Interestingly, he said he remembered as to how this resolution was vilified by the Congress as being anti-national. He was a student at that time. This resolution was one of the demands on which the party had launched Dharamyudh Morcha on August 4, 1982.

The present agenda of the party of release of Sikh prisoners makes all the more easy to understand this opportunism. These very Sikh political prisoners were killers and terrorists when the Akali Dal was in power and this is part of the record. Not only that. One must recall comments of Badal senior when Bargari Insaaf Morcha launched indefinite dharna at Bargari from June 1, 2018.

The party used to put on backburner almost all such issues after coming into power.

These are the reasons that led to erosion in credibility of the leadership over the years.

And finally, the party was turned dynastic. Almost all the members of the extended Badal clan having been elected to the Assembly have been part of the cabinet. This dynastic transformation included almost every senior leader.

It is in the context of this background that steps need to be taken to restore credibility of the leadership.

Ironically, the party leaders continue to blame propaganda by opponents for the damage suffered due to Bargari sacrilege not realising that it is rooted in the very politics and practice of the party top leadership.

Akali Dal has history of struggles and sacrifices.

It is time for leaders to come forward following that very glorious tradition.

It would be difficult to restore credibility of leadership otherwise.