The LonPanthic Akali factions have merged to form Shiromani Akali dal (SAD) with Kabul Singh as the resident.

Leaders of the two factions including the former chief minister, Surjit Singh Barnala, Amarinder Singh and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh announced at a news conference on Friday that working committees of both the Dals had been dissolved, Amarinder Singh has been made chairman of the parliamentary board of the SAD while Capt Kanwaljit Singh and Baldev Singh Mann, both general secretaries of the Akali Dal (L), would hold the same post in the new party,

It is after more than five years that Barnala, who once headed the Akali Dal (Longowal) and Amarinder Singh have overcome their antagonism to unite again The ruling Akali Dal had split in June 1986 following the entry of police in the golden Temple complex two months earlier and more than two dozen Akali legislators Jed by Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh had parted company with Barnala, then chief minister. Amarinder Singh had broken away from the Akali Dal (Badal) on the eve of the new Aenotified.to form his own party.

Kabul Singh had been functioning as acting chief of the Akali Dal (Longowal) after Barnala resigned as its president. He was later appointed governor of Tamil Nadu,

Kabul Singh, currently abroad, with nominees the remaining Office bearers and members of the SAD working committee in consultation with Barnala, Amarinder Singh and other party leaders.

The SAD leaders said that before holding elections in Punjab the Center should hand over Chandigarh to Punjab, settle the fiver waters dispute under the riparian laws, transfer to Punjab the left out Punjabi speaking area, declare Punjabi as the second language in the neighboring states and decentralize the powers of the Union government to give autonomy to states. They reaffirmed faith in the Sahib resolution saying that it ensured a true federal structures for the country without impairing its unity.

Amarinder Singh and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh appealed to other democratic Akali factions to join the SAD. “We have seen the agonizing story of the Punjab conflict in which 75% of those killed that the Sikhs had always been democratic; right from the days of their Gurdwara agitation was he ego” that divided their Political platform. When their attention was drawn to the secessionist demands of Simarnjit Singh Mann, they said, “There always are chances of compromise and consensus”.

To the question if their party would contest the forthcoming elections, the SAD leaders said its working committee would take a decisions after the elections were announced, Asked if he had Patched up his differences with Barnala over the police entry into the Golden Temple complex, Amarinder Singh said it was a thing of the past particularly when Barnala had undergone the penance imposed on him by the Akal Takht Jathedar.

“Amarinder Singh said in reply to question that the decision of the Anandpur Sahib conclave on Sept.1 about the boycott of elections had been “undone” by subsequent events. The decision had to be ratified by working committees of the Akali factions which ever happened in the case of the Panthic and Longowal Akali Dals, The SAD leaders hoped that the Mann and Badal Akali factions would respond to their unity.

Barnala who apparently has opted out of the leadership of the new party at least for the time being, said the Rajiv Longowal accord was ignored by the Congress (). The Center should make a beginning of its implementation,

The merger of the two Akali factions is considered a significant development in the context of the Punjab elections. Another related development is the virtual revolt Of the Akali Dal (Badal) senior vice president, Sukhjinder Singh against Badals poll boycott decision in publicly asking all Akalit factions to contest the elections. Badal was not available for comments but a number of his supporters are known to be unhappy with his poll stand.

A statement signed by Barnala, Amarinder Singh and Kabul Singh released at the news conference said the Akali Dal had always a stood firmly for the unity of the country after the independence but the Center never missed a chance to hurt the feelings of the. Sikhs and discriminate against them. It was because of the intrigues of the Center that the atmosphere in Punjab stood vitiated.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1992