ANANDPUR SAHLB, India The annual election of the Shromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee took a dramatic tum when two factions of Shromani Akali Dal held parallel meetings at the historic shrine and elected their ‘own set of office bearers.

While the unified Akali Dal elected Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohhra as President, the other faction headed by Sujit Singh Barnala announced the election of Harcharan Singh Hudiara as the President of SG.P.C. The Akali Dal (L) boycotted the official meeting and held a parallel one at the same venue, when some of his members were manhandled by some young men belonging to Unified Akali Dal and were not allowed the entry into the meeting hall. The slogan shouting young men had physically beaten Manjit Singh Khera, the General Secretary of ‘Akali Dali (L)as he was removing his shoes to enter the shrine, along with his other colleagues.

Mr. Kabal Singh, the former S.GP.C. President, was also beaten, Baldey Singh Mann, a former minister was also humiliated and kicked.

During this malice, Gagandeep Singh, son of the ex-Chief Minister, Surjit Singh Barnala, fainted and was taken to the hospital where he later recovered.

The policemen in plain clothes, tried to save the Akali leaders and removed the clashing groups away from each other.

Bhan Singh, General Secretary of S.GP.C. who conducted the election of Unified Akali Dal faction as returning officer declared that their meeting was attended by majority members who elected Gurcharan Singh Tohra as President unanimously.

On the other hand, Mr. Surjit Singh Barnala declared at a press conference that his meeting was attended by 52 members, He also claimed that 19 S.G.P.C. members who had attended his faction’s meeting has been counted by U.A.D. faction although they did Not go to their meeting at all. Mr. Barnala alleged that two members of S.G.P.C., belonging to his faction, are missing.

Other office bearers, elected at the U.A.D. meeting were Harinder Singh, Senior Vice-president, Rattan Singh Aloha, Vice-president and Mall Singh Ghumman as General Secretary.

The office bearers elected by Akali Dal (L) were Sukhbir Singh, senior Vice-president, Arjan Sngh Josh, Vice-president, and Onkar Singh Mattenangal as General Secretary.

According to the political observers, the factional fight of the two Akali, Dals which started at the annual general meeting of S.G.P.C. at Anandpur Sahib, may accentuate in the days to come, with the rival leadership claiming to be the real office bearers of this religious organization.

Bhan Singh, Secretary of S.GP.C, said in a statement that the report of proceedings of the meeting which elected Mr. Tohra as President is being sent to the Punjab government for approval ‘where as Mr. Manjit Singh Khera, General Secretary of Akali Dal (L) contested the claim of Bhan Singh as showing himself as returning officer for this election. He said that there is no such provision in the S.G.P.C. Constitution to make him returning officer for the election. He also disclosed that their proceedings are also being sent to the government for confirmation.

Meanwhile, the Sikh masses in general are showing their frustration on the factional fight of both of these factions. They observe that these so called leaders have not learnt a lesson from the pas and have not been able to read the writings on the wall.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 23, 1987