AMRITSAR: Akalis are apprehensive of the October 18th bhog ceremony at Akal Takhat in memory of Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda being converted into Sarbat Khalsa by ordinary Sikhs causing embarrassment to the traditional Parties, A few Akali leaders have SCNL secret messages to the state government asking it to arrest them On the eve of the event. The call to Sikhs to attend the bhog ceremony at Akal Takhat was issued by Parkash Singh Badal and Simranjit Singh Mann. According to official sources, the Akalis have been scared by the strong reaction against the executions among ordinary Sikhs who are likely to throng the holy place to offer prayers, Many Akali leaders feel that the emotionally surcharged atmosphere could be used by pro-militant Sikhs to propose a resolution in favor of Khalistan to further commit traditional leaders to an anti-India stance which they do not or cannot afford. Such a stance deprives them of the prospects of power for ever, it is felt.
Behind-the-scenes developments apart, at least in public a lot of fireworks are on between senior Akali leaders and chief minister Beant Singh. Mann and Badal in a statement here said that their parties are determined to organize the scheduled bhog ceremony at Akal Takhat. Mann said that the chief minister was interfering in the religious affairs of Sikhs. He called upon circle Jathedars of his party to get ready to accept the chief minister’s challenge. Badal in a separate statement said that Beant Singh was giving personal color to every issue. Bhai Sukha and Jinda had sacrificed themselves in pursuance of the best Sikh traditions and that a bhog ceremony would be held at all costs. Badal criticized Beant Singh for calling the three-day Akali bandh in Punjab as a failure and said that Congress (1) men had dismissed the 1975 movement against the emergency also as a non-event. Badal said the present Congress (I) government in Punjab was akin to a foreign government.
Beant Singh, on the other hand, stated at Jalandhar that the proposed bhog ceremony at Akal Takhat was in violation of the tradition of Akal Takhat because the two Sikh militants had been punished in accordance with law. He also lashed out at Badal for his statement that the present situation in Punjab was a lull before storm. Beant Singh said Badal knew the storm and was privy to it. The former chief minister was responsible for causing a setback to the improvement of the situation, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 23, 1992
