Amritsar — Jathedars and members of the Akali Dal working committee urged Sant Harhand Singh Longowal and Parkash Singh Badal to withdraw their resignations. They had resigned from their respective positions in the wake of the adhoc nine member committee constituted by Baba Joginder Singh following the formation of United Shiromani Akali Dal.

Baba Joginder Singh, father of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, it may be recalled was authorized by all the leaders, including Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, Jagdey Singh Talwandi and Parkash Singh Badal, to take whatever steps he deemed fit to bring about complete unity among various Sikh factions. The nine member committee constituted by Baba Joginder Singh included among others Sant Longowal, J. S. Talwandi, P.S. Badal and G.S. Tohra. Two members, Sirmaranjit Singh Mann and Manjit Singh are in jail, Harinder Singh is in Norway and Gurtej Singh is underground. Only Jagjit Singh, brother of Sant Bhindranwale, who is on bail, is available for meetings.

In this situation the effective control of the United Akali Dal would have remained with the old Akali leadership with the additional advantage of total unity at all levels. But Longowal, Badal and Tohra rejected this 9 member committee after giving written authorization to the Baba as they did not reconcile with the idea of accepting Baba Joginder Singh as the Supreme leader. The much desired unity at this critical juncture in Sikh history was sabotaged for narrow, egotistical and selfish reasons.

Once again Sikh masses find themselves pulled in different directions by their leaders. The cursed internecine quarrel (the “kursi yudh”) threatens to blow up the prospect of an honorable life for the Sikhs.

Time has come when Sikh masses cannot afford to watch this destructive “kursi” game as idle spectators. They must assert themselves and force all those leaders to retire from the scene who have not learned any lesson, and who are more concerned with their personal ambitions than the collective fate and aspirations of the Sikh nation.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 31, 1985