Gajinder Singh, Chairman Dal Khalsa International
Akalis know the tricks of the trade, In a major twist, instead of repeating the slogan of Anandpur Sahib Resolution, which remained under attack as boing secessionist, the “Akali Dal” have announced a program to achieve the goal of Confederal system of governance within the limits of Indian Constitution, With the view to grab political power Akali leaders have forged a moderate agenda for the task of wooing the non-Sikh voters. Altogether, they want to generate the sympathy of common rural Sikhs, by coming down heavily on the police establishment. All this shows their “opportunistic somersaults of positions and policies,” In fact, the philosophy of decentralization of India was the basic demand contained in the resolution adopted by Akali Dal in 1973, which was curiously enough ignored altogether for these many years. The Sikh people have a history of offering sacrifices at the calls of their leaders for struggle. Therefore, they must ask the Akalis to explain how they propose to achieve the goals they profess. I suspect that these leaders do not know what they are talking about, and how they would go about achieving it. They are fond of mouthing radical slogans, merely to manipulate events in their favor. However, if they wish to play a positive role in the ongoing struggle, they must agree to the fact that the Indian Constitution is hopelessly unitary in character.
While addressing a crowd of thousands of Sikhs on two different occasions, the party President Parkash Singh Badal, in a bid to form government, has declared to maintain ‘peace’ in the state as its first priority. Badal, the protagonist of reconciliation with Hindus, is making inroads into the non-Sikh vote bank. With the view to the Lok Sabha elections proposed on 27th April, the Akali leader is trying to convince the non-Sikh voters; who comprise nearly 43% of Punjab’s population, of his secular image by declaring, that militants will not be allowed to shatter the ‘calm’ in the State if his party comes back to power, At the same time, he invokes the demand for a readjustment of Center State relations on federal lines. All this shows through the dishonesty of the Akalis, The Akali leaders, who, invoke provincial autonomy to all states, should recollect that Devolution of political power from the Center to the Provincial governments and Constitutional safeguards for the minorities were also the guiding principles of Indin’s democratic progress in the colonial period.” But at the transfer of power in 1947, the Indian Congress leaders gave up these principles, All know, that the Sikh struggle took a militant turn after Indian government ordered its army to mid Golden Temple complex, to flush out militants and hardliner Akali workers, who were embarked on & course of agitation for the implementation of the “Anandpur Sahib Resolution” for greater autonomy to all states.
It is premature to forecast the outcome of the proposed elections on 27th April. But by all available indications, Badal, who is making Hindu-Sikh reconciliation, a poll plank would definitely get benefit. The common Sikhs of Punjab, unlike the last time, will overwhelmingly vote. They argue that the last decision of militant groups to boycott the Feb, 1992 elections, had strengthened the hands of the Congress government in the state. By my assessment, Badal’s popularity does not show that the Sikh masses have once and for all abandoned the radical goals: Badal’s present ascendency is more the indication that the people are reverting to an old tested Akali since all the radicals groups together could not throw up a workable alternative political leadership over the last 15 years of political turmoil in the state. I am prepared to admit that the militant leaders had missed the opportunity, although continuously risking their lives to fight to the end, has even failed to build up a political group or a bunch of radicals, with proper training to use the paramilitary forums for meaningful political objectives. Today, the radicals have no political ground to operate.
The majority of Sikhs in the country side are still in my opinion, inconsolably angry with the central government’ for the’ humiliations’ and violence that has been heaped on them by its agencies over the last decades. Since lodged in Kot Lakhpal jail for hijacking an Indian plane from 1981, I was not able to maintain s rapport with the “masses” in Punjab; I would like to expand a little more on my position. I spent 13 years in Pakistani prisons before I came out to watch with pain, the temporary downfall of the Sikh underground movement. Due to lack of resources I was not in a position to communicate with the people to keep them abreast with our positions and the reasons which caused: Sikh struggle to suffer a decline.
Militants were looked upon with respect until they undertook a series of morally revolting actions. Many of them have paid for these mistakes with their lives, Others have suffered torture in custody and long periods of illegal imprisonment. Whatever their compulsions, they made a series of mistakes which eroded their credibility besides damaging their organizational strength, But, I have a regard for those who have taken to arms as the idealistic representatives of genuine grievances, which could not be alleviated by peaceful means. I consider that the main failing of the Sikh underground movement consisted not so much in the absence of idealism as in the absence of intellectual and organizational discipline, and the necessary minimum degree of political training. They have made mistakes that are grave; but their dedication for the national liberation from India, is less questionable than of the politicians.
As far as elections to the Indian Parliament are concerned, of course, I realize that the proposed elections pose a real threat to the future of the Sikh struggle and the need of the hour is to adapt common approach and line of understanding within the Sikh community.
Being a banned organization in India, Dal Khalsa will not be able to make an effective use of the legislative forums to achieve its ultimate objectives. After endorsing the boycott decision of radical groups in 1992, now Akalis are making a bid to capture maximum out of Punjab’s 13 seats in the Lok Sabha of 543. Let us assume that they succeed, what would be then? To my knowledge, I don’t see, even, a handful of Akali candidates, who have the basic character to stand firm on their ideals, if get elected to the parliament. In reality, even, these traditional Akali stalwarts know with two per cent seats in hand, they would never be able to make necessary amendments to achieve the goals, they profess, therefore; the big question for Sikhs is what can be done in this situation?
No doubt it is a dismal situation for the Sikh underground movement. To resurrect the movement from its ashes, those who sympathize with idealistic goals of the Sikh struggle, must give urgent attention. The first and foremost step for the Sikhs is to reject those people who, are neither the paragons of the Sikh religious principles which they invoked to justify the fight for Khalistan, nor are able to offer an ideology of Sikh independence, or even a programmatic strategy to attain the objective. Masses would have to refuse to extend their support to those, who, have no agenda, no sincerity of purpose and who, lacks self-control and discipline. To nurture better hopes for the future, the first task before the Sikhs is to provide an opportunity to those persons with revolutionary potential, who can perform the tasks of common concern in a professional spirit; who possess the minimum necessary qualifications to fulfill their role as rational spokesman of their cause; who, have political training and education to articulate the legitimacy of their aspirations; who, can keep themselves out of factional bickering to earn the confidence of diverse groups, and those who can weld the Sikh struggle with the groups of other regional movements, who like themselves are victims of the Indian system of injustice. The personalities with abovementioned qualifications, should be given a chance to try their ways to show the Sikhs out of their preset impasse, No doubt it is a painful duty to perform, for those who would take up the task as a real challenge, Obviously, they have to suffer many hardships and humiliations in the process, but it is generally acknowledged that leaders make things possible.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 1, 1996
