India with its unprecedented military might crushed the Sikh armed movement for freedom in the past two years. The resultant void was sought to be filled once again by the traditional Akalis. After remaining holed up in their cosy drawing rooms for a decade, the Akalis stirred out and organized marches basically on nonpolitical issues. The Akalis thought they might become relevant once again by raising dust on emotional religious issues rather than on problems of politics and freedom.
First, a march to Anandpur Sahib was organized and, later, to Delhi was planned. The Mann group of Akalis, too, joined the bandwagon. But the public refused to join the old, familiar drama. Consequently, leading Akali cadres came out of jails either through petitions to courts or by obtaining bail. A spokesman of the Badal camp announced termination of the movement claiming “moral victory” against Beant Singh but S.G.P.C. Chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra asserted to the contrary that the movement would continue. These statements show confusion and demoralization in the ranks of the traditional Akalis.
Todiyert attention from the fiasco of theirs called movement; the Akalis launched a concerned attack on Dr.Sohan Singh now in police custody. Focusing on nonissues on the one hand and attacking militant positions and their leaders on the other hand cannot extricate Akalis from the political trap of their own making. They must give up their obsolete, emotional slogans and Strategies a3 comer stone of Sikh politics which should revolve round issues of freedom and polities. That alone will retain the Sikh democratic movement.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 19, 1993
