LONGOWAL, SANGRUR (PTI): Polarization in Akali politics is becoming more pronounced after the recent public rally by Akali Dal (Longowal) here to mark the seventh death anniversary of Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, according to political circles.
By inviting speakers such as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Atal Bihari Vajpayee, CPI national secretary M. Farooqi, SIP leader Maneka Gandhi and CPI (M)s Mangat Ram Pasla, the Akali Dal (L) has once again proved itself to be a mainstream political party, they believe.
Hitherto, the six party alliance, including the Akali Dal (Badal), Akali Dal (Mann) and both the factions of all India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF), had been championing the Akali causes,
While, through a resolution passed at the “Shaheedi Conference” (Conference dedicated to Martyrs), the Akali Dal (L) fixed November 2,1992, as the deadline for the central government to implement various demands or face a “mass struggle,” the alliance of the other six Panthic organizations has decided to announce a new action plan on August 30 at Ludhiana.
“The Longowal rally has been an impressive show of following in terms of turnout given that not many are inclined to attend political rallies in Punjab in view of the far-from-normal situation,” said Baldev Singh Mann, a former Punjab minister and ad (L) leader.
All the speakers at the Longowal rally agreed on the importance of the Rajiv-Longowal accord signed inJuly,1985, barely a month before the Sants assassination.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 4, 1992
