JALANDHAR: The decision by three principal Akali Dal factions to merge under the leadership of Mr Simranjit Singh Mann was described as “a big tragedy” by the Mehta-Chawila faction of the Sikh Student: Federation (SSF).
A federation policy statement released by General Secretary Amarjit Singh Chawla here said: “A big conspiracy was working to revive the Akali leadership rejected by the Sikhs.” The SSF made it clear that it would not recognize any such unity which undermined the faith of Sikh masses and weakened them by putting them in a dilemma.
The three-page statement said: “Todays the Akalis like Mr Tota Singh Mr G.S.Tohra Mr P.S.Badal and Mr Kabul Singh who had been trying to plunge the Sikhs into darkness by trapping Mr Simranjit Singh Mann have succeeded” with the merger decision.
The statement by SSF President Rajinder Singh Mehta Senior Vice-President Sukhbir Singh and General Secretaries Amarjit Singh Chawla and Satwinder Singh said the federation had been extending support to Mr Mann for every step he had been taking for the welfare of the Panth. But it could not give its consent to any such step which “undermined the panthic interests The federation will never let the ideology of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale die” the statement added.
PHAGWARA (FOC): Jathedar Ajit Singh and Jathedar Sarwan Singh local Akali leaders have welcomed the formation of the Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Simranjit Singh Mann as a historic event. The merger they said would help the Sikh leadership take the panth out of the present crisis.
The Shiromani Akali Dal suffered a major set-back when all the nine office bearers of its Chandigarh unit resigned from the party in protest against Mann’s holding a meeting with prime minister Chandra Shekhar at his residence in New Delhi on December 28 last. In a signed statement here the office bearers said Mann had created an atmosphere of suspicion by holding the close door meeting with the prime minister.
“We feel by raising the issue of self-determination Mann has further complicated the Sikh politics and has in a way gone astray from the goal of the Sikhs which has already been well defined by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale the statement said.
The nine office bearers in their joint letter of resignation to the Akali Dal president said the Akali Dal (Mann) was voted to power as an alternative to what they called the all the old selfish and cunning Akali leadership.
But now when Mann has joined hands with the rejected Akalis we hardly find any difference between him and the old lot they said.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 8, 1991
