• Post the unfortunate attack on Sukhbir Badal, articles were written about cause of attack, failure to revive Punjab, Badals are moderates, positive role of Akal Takt, suffering farmers. This article is a rejoinder and focuses on key issues in Punjab.

Ever since the unfortunate attack on Akali leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, there are a series of articles on Akali Dal (AD) & its diminished national status, failure of governments to revive Punjab, violence might return, radicals being upset with AD for welcoming non-Sikhs, how AD may go back to being a pure Panthic party and Akal Takt’s actions should be seen as an attempt to hold leaders accountable to the Sikh community’s shared moral and spiritual values 

First here is the gist of what four articles say.

Yogendra Yadav wrote in the Indian Express How the Akali Dal was diminished. How the Akal Takt had to intervene to solve the crisis in the Akali Dal (AD) caused by a series of electoral defeats and disintegration. So the Akal Takt summoned Badal, found him guilty and sentenced him to symbolic sewa. He expresses concern at the possible extinction of a regional force like AD and believes it might spawn extremist voices. After all, Sikhs have not forgotten 1984. “The presence of the SAD in state and national politics, with all its flaws and failures, is a soothing signal to the community.” How can a registered party submit to a supreme religious authority? The jathedars of the Akal Takht are appointed and removed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Yet that does not answer how this purely religious institution acquired the authority to order the restructuring of a political party.”

Respected Gurbachan Singh wrote in the Tribune Chandigarh Why Punjab has fallen deeper into the abyss Punjab countryside has unemployed youth who indulge in petty crimes or become part of crime syndicates. Youth are unemployed as farming is a failing proposition esp. for marginal farmers and education system has failed. “Punjab alone is not at fault, Delhi also is missing in action. There is no acknowledgement of our problems. A proxy war was waged on the country through instigating, funding and promoting militancy in the state by Pakistan for two decades.” Terrorism was defeated but there was no ‘master plan’ to rebuild Punjab at the Centre or State levels. Inspite of Partition and displacement caused, Punjab was thriving again in a couple of decades through sheer grit, political foresight and hardworking administrators. The Green Revolution helped the nation but “tertiary industries in food processing which should accompanied an agrarian economy never came up. Today, as Punjab declines further India runs the risk of being attacked, like earlier, from its western frontier i.e. Punjab. The state and Central leaderships must chart a plan.”

C S Dogra wrote in ThePrint, Sukhbir Badal attack highlights SAD’s dilemma—endorse Punjabiyat or go back to roots The attack on Badal has revived fears that Punjab might be back to its violent ways. The radical stream in AD is angry that AD opened its doors to non-Sikhs read as Hindus, poor followers of Dera Sacha leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim. It allied with the BJP to woo the Hindu voters starting 1997. AD was now moving away from its developmental agenda to a Panthic one.

Retired IRS officer Poonam Sidhu wrote in the Hindustan Times A moral compass for redeeming Sikh legacy where she said that the Akal Takht’s directive to the AD required resignation of its senior leadership and ordering a series of penal actions represents a historic stance. The Takt’s initative shows how a religious institution could restore the community trust and “address the root causes that have enabled various forms of misconduct in gurudwaras, which lack robust oversight. The Takt’s actions are an attempt to hold leaders accountable to the community’s shared moral and spiritual values.  It should not be treated as an authoritarian directive but a reminder to strengthen the moral fibre of governance.

Whilst raising some praiseworthy issues the authors skirt the main problems facing Punjab. For easy understanding the article format is point made in above articles followed by my comments. First, my background.  

I was born in a Punjabi family. My Dadi (father mother) was Sikh and Ma’s Dadi and Nani were Sikhs. Ma passed out of Amritsar Medical College around 1954. Dad moved out of Lahore Medical College during partition. We worshipped Guru Nanak till the 1980s when terrorists made us Punjabi Hindu. My Nankas was Abohar in Punjab. In the 1980s, for three years, I worked in Punjab when terrorism was at its near peak. 

Charan Paduka Khadavas, footwear of Guru Nanak & Baba Srichand at Lakhpat Gurdwara, Kutch. 2018.

1. Claim in the Tribune of Sikhs defending North India

It is true that starting with Maharaja Ranjit Sikh, Sikhs protected North India from the Afghans and Punjab has borne the brunt during wars with Pakistan.

What is not spoken often is this-Khushwant Singh wrote in History of Sikhs Volume 2, “It could be said that the battle of Panipat that was fought between the Marathas and Afghans was really won by the Sikhs.” Pg. 145 This is echoed by Col Anil Athale (retd) who wrote in Rediff.com “The weakened Afghans could no longer hold Punjab and soon a powerful Sikh state came up and ruled from Lahore.” 

The Sikhs benefitted because of supporting the British in the 1857 War of Independence and their fighting qualities vs. the Afghans. Thus, post mid-19^th century, the British wooed Sikhs, made caste the basis of land ownership and tacitly supported the division of Punjab into Sikh and Hindu. Read   How the British Divided Punjab into Hindu and Sikh

2. AD is part of the Sikh identity was written in the Indian Express

It is a myth that the Akali Dal represents all Sikhs. How did the Akali Dal become an important player in Punjab?

The Akalis entered into a dispute with the British for the control of Sikh gurudwaras. In 1925, the Sikh Gurudwaras Act was passed which gave Sikhs (primarily Jat Sikhs) control over all the Gurudwaras in undivided Punjab. By virtue of its control over gurdwara affairs and revenue, SGPC became an important body.  The Akalis are yet to relinquish control since 1925. 

The control over gurudwaras heralded the irrevocable tradition of mixing religion and politics in Punjab.

The Akalis and Congress have ruled for decades since it became a state in 1966. Their leadership should be questioned for the current state of Punjab. Blaming the Centre is easy. We forget agriculture is a state subject and education is essentially looked after by states.

3. About diminished national role for Akali Dal in the Express 

It is the Akali Dal that broke relations with the BJP when the farm laws were introduced. It is not as if Sikhs are not represented in Delhi. Hardeep Singh Puri, a Sikh, is doing a fine job as Minister at the Centre.

It appears that some are pitching for an AD-BJP tie up again. The Akalis might have realized that the Hindu vote has shifted to the BJP/AAP.

4. Who appoints the jathedars of the Akal Takt in the Express 

Yadav wrote that the jathedars are appointed and removed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Note that SGPC is controlled by the Akali Dal.

So indirectly, the AD appoints jathedars of the Akal Takt. It is the latter who gave AD leader Sukbir Badal a sentence. Does it sound as straight forward?

Read   Rebel Akali leaders meet Akali Jathedar

5. Wish readers were told why the Akali Dal lost successive assembly elections.

The Akalis ruled from 2007 to 2017, till the Congress defeated them in 2017 and AAP in 2022. What development agenda did the AD government pursue?  Their reputation suffered esp. during 2012-2017.

6. Yadav referred to 1984 but will he ask the Sikhpanth to apologise for killings of innocent Hindus all through the 1980s-early 1990s.

Internal security expert Ajai Sahni wrote in The Tribune, “A total of 21,532 persons were killed between 1981 and 1995 in connection with Khalistani terror. About 65 per cent of all civilians killed by the Khalistanis were Sikhs, the community the terrorists claimed to be fighting for.”

No proxy war can succeed without local support Paji. Fortunately, most Sikhs in India have seen through the political game and do not support Khalistan.

7. ThePrint referred to anger for AD opening its doors to the backward class followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim

Wish someone asks why have Gurmeetji’s deras, to which Punjabis flock, become popular?

It is due to domination of Sikh affairs, by Jaat Sikhs, that backward classes in North India have flocked to Deras who made the poor feel secure, cared for, loved and provided a support system with no caste bias. It is for the same reason that the Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram, a Ramdasia Sikh, chose to pursue a social revolution in Uttar Pradesh.

Read  Why Dera Sacha Sauda draws followers

8. Reasons for economic decline of Punjab are many.

Here are a few - One, the Law of Karma is at work. Two, senseless exploitation of ground water by farmers! Three, resident Punjabis have lost the risk-taking and entrepreneurial spirit.

A rational farmer would ask for: A time bound district wise plan for increase in irrigated area, Large-scale implementation of micro irrigation schemes, Selective Scrapping of APMC across markets (Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee) and Growing of crops that are compatible with the soil. But Punjab farmers want freebies like free power.

The Tribune article referred to tertiary industries in food processing. Was that not one of the intent of the Farm Laws?

Ajay Vir Jakhar wrote in the Tribune, “Everyone is on the take-the arhtiya, the miller, the procurement agencies and the administration.” Due to regular protests and blockage of highways, farmers have lost the support of the non-farming classes.  

9. SGPC is more concerned about stating that Sikhs are not Hindus

Whilst the decision on whether a Punjabi is a Sikh or not is personal, we forget that Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated gold to three temples namely Hari Mandir (now Golden Temple), Kashi Vishwanath and Jwalamukhi. “The Lion of Punjab wished to donate the Koh-i-noor diamond to the Jagannath temple, Puri.” Source 

Until religion and politics are delinked, Punjabi society and politics will not be at peace. Introduced by Guru Har Govind ji in the 17^th century, the concept of Miri and Piri was relevant during Mughal rule but today!

Look within and change my fellow Punjabis. Punjabis rebuilt their lives post partition and are successful.  

Punjab needs a leader who thinks beyond vote-bank politics and stops farmer appeasement whilst addressing genuine concerns. If Punjab fails, it would be a sad day for Punjabis worldwide. The starting point could be, stop blaming others. Instead, change yourself first.

Author wrote a mini book ‘How the British sowed the seeds for the Khalistani Movement before the Indians took over’ and numerous articles on History of Punjab.  To read all his articles

Also read

1. Why are Punjab farmers protesting

2. Guru Nanak’s Paradigm of Divinised Living

3. Decoding Scrapping of Farm Laws

4. Why Mandatory MSP is a bad idea

5. Regulatory Framework for NRI owning agricultural land

6. What is the problem in Punjab

7.  Damage caused by Free Power

8. Is Punjab dying

9. Is SGPC trying to become a Sikh VATICAN

10. Life and teachings of Sant Ravidas

11. Album Hari Mandir, Amritsar

12. How California Gurudwaras have cemented the Hindu Sikh divide

13. Is Punjab the Land of Five Rivers

14. Why do Sikhs wear Turbans

15. What were the events that led to Bluestar

16. The real butchers of Punjab were Khalistanis not KPS Gill

17. Rebel Akali leaders meet Akali Jathedar