By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Aggravating factional quarrel that seems like a rebellion within Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) does not only underscore an unstable Akali politics in Punjab, but also the entire Sikh politics, a thing to be keenly watched for several reasons in the backdrop of its tumultuous history. The rebellious group led by Bibi Jagir Kaur is leading the Akali Dal Bachao Leher (Save Akali Dal Chorus) has demanded fixing accountability from the president of SAD Sukhbir Singh Badal. They even said that SAD won’t collapse if Sukhbir steps down.
Bibi Jagir Kaur is a former president of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex governing body of all the Sikh Gurudwaras in India and abroad. SGPC is also called the Parliament of Sikhs that works under the directives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. It should also be noted at the same time that Sukhbir’s father Parkash Singh Badal had as the patron of SAD exercised a strong influence on SGPC and also on Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee until his death in 2023.
Sukhbir became the president of SAD in 2008, but the party remained united under and contested elections under the leadership of his father Parkash Singh Badal as patron. After his death in 2023, the Lok Sabha election 2024 was the first occasion when SAD contested under Sukhbir’s leadership. Akalis just managed to win only one seat Bathinda, out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, where Sukhbir’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal won by a margin of 49656 votes defeating Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Gurmeet Singh Khudian. SAD’s share of votes declined to 13.42 per cent.
AAP is the ruling party in Punjab, but it could win only 3 seats and its vote share was only 26.02 per cent. Congress on the other hand was able to win 7 seats but could bag only 26.30 per cent of votes. BJP’s vote share remained at 18.56 per cent. The victory of two independent candidates has been a significant development in Sikh politics in the state. An extremist Amritpal Singh won from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha Constituency while himself lodged in a jail in Assam. Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of Beant Singh, the assassin of former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, won from Faridkot seat. These all are indicative of the unstable Punjab politics. The winning of the independents also shows the latest emerging trend in Sikh politics too, which is being keenly watched not only by India but abroad also.
Few other things are to be taken note of. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has ordered an NIA inquiry into the alleged terror funding to AAP which is ruling Punjab and Delhi. Killing of the Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar has already affected Sikh politics in India and abroad, and fingers have been raised against India having hand in it, which India has already refuted. Rise of extremist or separatist sentiments is therefore a matter of grave concern.
What is happening within SAD is therefore a serious development. SAD is the oldest regional political party in the country established in 1920, and survived tumultuous history of India, including the partition in 1947, movement for statehood of Punjab, and a decade of militancy in Punjab from early 1980s and the Khalistan movement. Amidst the troubled years in Punjab politics, Parkash Singh Badal had mobilised moderate Sikhs and strengthened SAD during his presidentship years 1995-2008, when his son Sukhbir became SAD’s president.
SAD was partner in National Democratic Alliance (NDA) during 1998-2020. The party left NDA in 2020 protesting the PM Narendra Modi’s three controversial farm laws that triggered a yearlong historical farmers movement. The latest setback to SAD in Lok Sabha polls 2024 has triggered a fresh infighting in the party, though about 100 members of the current SGPC and its chief have stood for Sukhbir. However, the immediate cause of aggravating of the quarrel is the upcoming Jalandhar West assembly by election, that has actually become a show of strength between the rebel groups.
In an interesting turn of events SAD candidate on the seat, left the party and joined the ruling AAP as a protest against leadership, but returned within 12 hours and is now getting support from the rebels. On the other hand, Sukhbir has extended support to BSP candidate. Election is scheduled for July 10.
Ever since Sukhbir became SAD president in 2008, he had to face several revolts. Even in 2009 there was a revolt by his cousin Manpreet Badal on his being appointed as Deputy Chief Minister. SAD was able to win Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections in 2012 despite severe infighting, but it cost the party a loss in 2017 assembly elections. SAD also miserably suffered in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections.
Now the rebels led by Bigi Jagir Kaur have demanded Sukhbir’s ouster, and appeared before Akal Takht seeking apology for “past mistakes” and religious transgressions during SAD regimes under Badals.
The lone SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur has now accused BJP for instigating rebellion in Sikh politics. Though Sukhbir has been able to get support from SGPC and its various wings, Bibi Jagir Kaur led rebel leaders’ move can’t simply be brushed aside. SAD’s former alliance with BJP is also under question because of latter’s Hindu Rashtra dream, which does not suit the current Sikh politics, especially the extremist and separatist elements or Khalistan supporters. The win of two independents is the result of such disenchantment from present SAD leadership, as well as for various other reasons, including support from anti-India and pro-Khalistan forces.
The rebel group within SAD has launched Akali Dal Bachao Lehar. “We want someone else other than Sukhbir to take responsibility for the party’s revival,” one of the rebel leaders Parminder Singh Dhindsa has said.
“From tendering apologies for sacrilege incidents and taking a lackadaisical approach in dealing with these cases to take them to logical conclusions, Sukhbir committed serious mistakes, which had not only demeaned the party politically but religiously and socially,” the rebel leaders have said. (IPA Service)
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