Bhai Ashok Singh Bagrian last week suddenly announced a 65member working committee for the Akali Dal in Punjab. He was earlier appointed as a member of a committee by Akal Takhat Chief Prof Manjit Singh to bring about unity among the various Akali groups. Initially, Prof Manjit Singh himself had called several prominent traditional Akali leaders at Akal Takhat and had formulated a program for the proposed new party. Known as the Amritsar Declaration, the program called for confederation of India states failing which Sikhs would go in for an independent state, Badal Out nightly rejected the declaration and stuck to the Anandpur Sahib resolution. SGPC chief Gurcham Singh Tohra moved closer to Badal and went back on the Amritsar Declaration. Prol Manjit Singh followed suit. Now Badal is chief of the new party which to all intents and purposes is backed by Prof Manjit Singh.
The Bargain Committee’s surprise announcement of a working. committee has caused confusion. The committee has been rejected by most groups as unacceptable. It reads like a “who’s who” of police touts, Congress (I) agents and the politically ineffective elements, The exercise is a logical outcome of the kind of politics ad by the Akalis. This polities is pro-India and its main operator is Parkash Singh Badal who happens to be a persona grata for India. In the process of bringing about unity of Akalis, Prof Manjit Singh has perhaps unwittingly played in the hands of anti. Panthic elements and has strengthened leaders like Badal.
It is time Prof Manjit Singh calls a halt to the so-called unity moves and steers clear Akal Takhat of unsavory controversy. He should immediately disband or disown the Bagrian committee. Prof ‘Manjit Singh should also not be a party to the switchover from the ‘Amritsar Declaration to the moth eaten Anandpur Resolution.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 9, 1995
