ANANDPUR SAHIB: Militants in Punjab last week virtually disowned Simranjit Singh Mann and his Akali Dal and floated their own Shiromani Babbar Akali Dal to lead the over ground Sikh movement.

Bhai Kartar Singh Narang an advocate was appointed convener who in turn announced the nomination of an 11-member ad-hoc committee. Members are Bhai Mohinder Singh Professor Gurdip Singh (Ludhiana) Bhai Surjit Singh (Kakipind Jalandhar) Bhai Iqbal Singh Sultanwind Bhai Mokham Singh Bhai Rajinderpal ‘Singh (Mohali) Col Jasmer Singh (Ropar) Bhai Sardara Singh (Patiala) and Bhai Sajjan Singh (Kapurthala).

The Babbar Akali Dal which takes its name from the anti-British Sikh militant movement of the 1920s’ called upon all Sikhs including militants to accept the ‘supremacy of the Akal Takht and its traditions. It asked all Sikhs to contribute a tenth of their earnings for the succor of Sikhs in distress.

The party also said that the traditional Akalis had betrayed the Sikhs and had failed to provide meaningful direction to the Sikh nation.

The emergence of the Babbars observers feel is the culmination of the Sikhs’ dissatisfaction with the manner in which Mann conducted himself and his party. The dramatic merger of traditional Akali Dals and Mann’s 90-minute talk with Chander Shekhar at Delhi on Dec 28 did not enhance the Akali leader’s image among the more politically enlightened Sikhs

A detailed statement the Babbars issued not only serves to project the outlines of the new party’s programs but also indicates its differences with traditional Akalis.

The party will strive to establish a Sikh state which enjoys sovereignty under the precept ‘Raj Karega Khalsa’ The Sikh problem could not be solved under the present constitutional arrangement itself. The minority Janata Dal (S) Govt was at the mercy of Congress-I and was incapable of resolving the Punjab problem and could do nothing beyond offering verbal homilies.

The Babbar Akali Dal further underlined the need of certain measures by the Center to establish sincerity about solving the Punjab problem. These measures include withdrawal of the Indian army and paramilitary forces from Punjab stoppage of fake encounters abrogation of all black laws reinstatement of Sikh army men and the Dal also resolved to organize the people against the construction of SYL canal to carry water out of Punjab.

The Party also asked India’s intelligentsia to seek punishment for those responsible for the anti-Sikh carnage in 1984.

Observers feel that the emergence of the Babbar Akali Dal has alarmed Indian Govt on the one hand and Akali Dal Mann on the other. Intelligence agencies acted quickly to advise the Govt not to allow the Babbars to hold its maiden public function here on the occasion of Holla Mohalla.

The police encircled the venue of the meeting but allowed other functions to be held. Mann reaction was evidently even more desperate. He issued a 48-hour ultimatum to withdraw the army from Punjab and recall Governor Malhotra for atrocities on Sikhs symbolized by the killing of six Sikh farmers near Tihari by the 4 Bihar Regiment. Otherwise Mann said he would have to announce what he called the “ultimate program.”

The Akali leader however made no such announcement even days after the expiry of his ultimatum. He tried to contact the other Akali leaders such as Baddal Tohra Talwandi and others but none of them joined him to deliberate on the next course of action.

The only group apart from the Akalis which has been lending support to Mann has been the group headed by Justice Ajit Singh Bains which includes Maj Gen Narinder Singh (retd) and Col Partap Singh Members of this group were present at Mann’s stage here. The group has also been adopted by the Akalis as their human rights wing.

Mann in his speech called for ‘puran azadi (complete freedom) a slogan coined by Jasbir Singh Rode in 1987. But Mann Dal’s executive committee which met at Chandigarh subsequently did not adopt any such program.

Observers feel Badal and Tohra will walk away to revive their own Akali Dals in the event of Mann announcing any such program for his party that appears to have threatened from adopting ‘puran azadi’ as the Party’s goal to preempt the legitimacy of the Babbar Akali Dal.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 8, 1991