Just as a drowning man attempts to catch at a straw, the various factions of the Akali Dal are resorting to patently transparent gimmicks to somehow recover their lost credibility with the people of the Punjab in general and the Sikhs in particular. Infect, Akalis have not been able to hold the ground ever since Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale forthright stand and unflinching commitment to the cause rendered themirrelevent. Even before Operation Bluster their image had grossly suffered and they were looked upon by an average Sikh as a bunch of selfish opportunists who had no aim other than occupying ministerial chairs. “They were never serious about Punjab’s legal and constitutional rights. Their sole concern was political power. Today, also their priorities have not changed despite the radical transformation in Sikh responses following such traumatic experiences as Operation Bluster, Operation Wood rose and November, 1984, massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and other Indian cities.
Prof. Darshan Singh Ragi’s call for a long march to Del on December 10 is the latest gimmick. The inspiration for this march appears to have come from the rulers in Delhi who are anxious to rehabilitate the credibility of the Akalis in order to arrest the growing influence of the freedom fighters. Delhi has launched a two-pronged attack to control the Punjab situation. On the one hand, it has issued instructions to the Security Force to straightaway kill the Sikh youths on the flimsiest grounds so as to create the impression that the course adopted by the youth will not work and on the other hand it is anxious to make heroes of the Akali leaders through a farcical show of their persecution.
What does Prof, Darshan Singh hope to achieve through this materially and physically exhausting exercise? Has he forgotten all about the fate of even the basically hollow Rajiv Longowal accord? Ragi and other Akali leaders are not unaware of all this. Yet they must do something to retrieve their lost position. Delhi encourages them to undertake such adventures as these help to distract the Sikh masses from the central thrust of the struggle.
Akali Dal has a glorious past. It successfully launched such grand mochas as Guru Ka Morcha, Key Morcha, and the Jaito Morcha. All these morchas were not for political power but for the honor and integrity of the Sikh nation. The leaders of these morchas did not aim at any personal gain or glory; they identified themselves with the glory of the Panth. The present Akali leaders need to emulate their great predecessors. They can yet redeem themselves. All they have to do is to acknowledge the reality of the situation and play a constructive role in realizing the Sikh aspirations. The youth has made the bold choice and they have staked their lives to accomplish their cherished goal ‘of freedom. No power can now make them shift from their stand. Wisdom lies in playing a complimentary role rather than making their task more arduous.
Akali leaders should get together and make an unambiguous announcement that Sikhs can no longer suffer a life of slavery. Therefore, they take a solemn pledge that they will explore every peaceful avenue to gain freedom for the Sikhs. They should own the freedom fighters and identify themselves with their mission and start a civil disobedience movement. If they lack the courage to take this rational and logical step, they should totally withdraw from the scene and
Let the youth handle the situation as best as they can and stop indulging in cheap and distracting gimmicks.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 11, 1987
