FATEHGARH SAHEB: Is the Badal Akali Dal on the comeback trail? Appears so from the proceedings of the annual political conferences held here on the martyrdom day of the two sons of Guru Gobind Singh last month. The rally organized by the Badal Akali Dal was quite well attended by the public. It could be compared with the rally organized by the Mann Akali Dal. According to an estimate, about 20,000 Sikhs attended the Badal function. Almost the same number of Sikhs were present in the Mann Akali Dal rally. A Mann Dal spokesman attenuated impressive strength at the Badal rally to the fact that the Indian government authorities deliberately allowed the council Site for the Badal group to hold its rally. The place was close to the sanctum sanctorum which every Sikh must visit first before turning to the rally. The Mannrally, on the other hand, was far removed. In fact, leaders of the Baba Akali Dal and the Babbar Akali Dal were not allowed to hold their rallies at the lodar Mal hall Some of the Sikh preachers and dhandic belonging to these groups were arrested by the police to prevent them from attending the rallies.
All the Sikh ‘radical groups therefore decided to attend the Mann function. Whatever the Mann group’s claims, the remains that the Badal grouprenumins the Indian government an is first love. But the B LA leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra used the opportunity skillfully to attack and undermine Mann’s position. Tohra said Mann had failed as a leader. He could provide no program to the Sikh masses. Badal assured Sikhs that his group had nothing to do with the Hindu fundamentalist “Kar scva at Ayodhia.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 8, 1993
