CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal led by Mr. Parkash Singh Badal is likely 10 make a clean break with the recent past and strive to shed its perceived image of being soft towards militants, which is the hangover of the more than decade long militancy in Punjab, at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the party being organized this week. The second important theme would be the restoration of the people’s faith in the democratic setup which the party feels has been shattered with the involvement of almost all the political parties in the Hawala scandal.
The two-day mega event is being organized by the Akali Dal at Moga in the Malwa hinterland from February A. The main theme would be enunciated at its political conference on Feb25 which would be part of the ted to be delivered by Mr. Badal. The speech has been given the final touches.
Interestingly, the Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by Mr, Simranjit Singh Mann is also organizing a political conference at Ajitwal village near on February 25 but not as part of the 75th anniversary, Mr, Mann is credited with the view that as the party was founded at the Akali Takht at Amritsar, the event should be celebrated at Amritsar only, The Badal party leaders see the move of Mr, Mann as an attempt to distract the from the Moga convention.
The 75th anniversary celebrations assume all the more significance in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and as such, the effort of Mr. Badal would be to make a clean break with what happened during the turbulent days of militancy which adversely affected the image of the party all over the country.
According to the sources, the party would declare its total commitment to peace which would also be an answer to the campaign launched by the Congress party in the state against the Akalis blaming them for militancy in the state, The refrain of the Chief Minister, Mr. Harcharan Singh Brar, at the ruling party’s political conference is that a vote to the Akalis would be an invitation to militancy. The party can counter this campaign only by emphasizing its total commitment to peace.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 28, 1996
