JAGRAON(LUDHIANA): Barely five days after the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and the Akali Dal (Amritsar) agreed at the Akal Takht, to unite, the burning issue of Akali unity seems to have been buried by the former. This was evident at the first rally, after last week’s Amritsar meet, organized by the youth wing of the SAD (B) Jagraon, on Feb.17. The former Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, presided over the state-level conference that witnessed a heavy turnout from various districts despite inclement weather and rain.
None of the speakers even remotely touched the theme of Akali unity as though it did not matter. On the other hand, they called upon the people to rally behind Badal who was p s projected as their sole leader and the future Chief Minister. Neither numerous banners put up at the rally venue in grain market not the 22 resolutions passed by the gathering with a show of hands made any reference to the unity process that is to be completed by April 13, as ordained by the acting jathedar of Akal Takht, Bhai Manjit Singh.”
Significantly, a vociferous demand seeking the release of Bhai Ranjit Singh, full-fledged jathedar of the Takht now lodged in Tihar Jail, was made at the rally.
Another resolution took a serious view of the non-seriousness shown by the Center and Punjab governments in holding general House elections of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee as had been directed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. In an oblique attack to remove the SGPC president, G.S. Tohra, the youth wing alleged that the government was knowingly delaying the polls. It urged the party high command to file a “contempt of court” write in the high court seeking SGPC polls without further loss of time.
Earlier, talking to reporters, Badal refuted the charge of Beant Singh that the Akalis were destroying Punjab. Asserting that the Akalis had always struggled for the people when they raised the demand for Punjabi suba, it was in accordance with the Congress policy of creation of linguistic states in the country.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 3, 1995
