LUDHITANA: New alignments are taking place in the Akali politics after the defeat of the Akali Dal (Badal) nominee, Kuldip Singh Wadals, at the hands of the Congress nominee, Umrao Singh, in the Jalanthar Parliamentary constituency by election.

The Akali Dal led by Jagdev Singh Talwandi and the Akali Dal (Longowal), headed by Kabul Singh, have decided to merge and form a single party. The working committees of the two Dals, which met in Chandigarh on May 22 have jointly approved of the decision for unity of the two factions. The credit for this goes to Jagdev Singh Talwandiand former a Chick Minister, Surjit Singh Barnala, The new combination of the Akali factions is all set to give anew turn to the Sikh polities of the Punjab state report that to Sources close to the two factions, the new Akali Dal will have a nationalist outlook and Will remain in the mainstream: of the country.

Mewa Singh Gill, a former MP who played an important role in bringing the two Akali factions closer, said recently, that the first and foremost objective of the unified Shiromani Akali Dal would be to Strengthen the Hindu Sikh unity and work for the unity and integrity of the country. The new Akali Dal will have a nonviolent outlook and would not support the violence at all.

The Akali Dal will play an important role in the national politics and seek decentralization of powers, i.e. a federal structure for the country with more political powers to the states.

Gill said the Akali Dal would also work in cooperation with political parties Tike the CPI, the CPM and the Bahujan Samaj Party both at the state and the national level, He said the Akali Dal would also seek Justice for the Punjabis, and seek the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab adequate share of river waters and other issues.

Sources said Amarinder Singh and Ravi Inder Singh, leader of the Akali Dal (Panthic), were also likely to join the new combination shortly. The leaders of the pew combination are already in touch with both of them.

Leaders of the new combination are also said to be planning to launch an offensive against leaders of the Akali Dal (Badal) and the Akali Dal (Manin) as they feel that disunity in the Akali ranks was responsible for the victory of the Congress candidate. These sources said the last minute efforts for unity on a consensus” candidate were sabotaged by Parkash Singh Badal as all heads of the Akali factions had agreed to sponsor the candidature of Barjinder Singh, Managing Edi tor, The Ajit, Jalandhar. Even Simranjit Singh Mann had agreed to withdraw his candidate in Barjinder Singh’s favor, But when the nomination papers of Wadala were filed by Badal, the other factions also stuck to their earlier decision of contesting the election.

leaders of the Akali Dal (Talwandi) and the Akali Dal (Longowal) plan to tour the state next month and mobilize the workers. They will also hold distract level conferences, beginning from Sangrur, in June, They have plans, to tour other States also.

The new turn in the thinking of the Akali leaders has come after the result of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by election as there is a growing feeling among them that the people of the state, including: the Sikhs, have rejected the cult of militancy. Leaders of both the factions (Badal and Mann) have been raising the issue of police excesses during their election campaign al tough Akali Dal (Mann) had only a one point program of fighting slate terrorism, But the voters have opted for peace which has been achieved only after a period of 12 years full of turmoil. Leaders of the new combination’ ire convinced that the people of the state will come to their fold with the change in political outlook.

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 11, 1993