Shiromani Akali Dal is now splintered into four main groups. Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) headed by jailed MP Amritpal Singh, Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) headed by Simranjit Singh Mann. There is one more Shiromani Akali Dal-1920 headed by Ravi Inder Singh.
Barring in 1989 when Simranjit Mann-led SAD-A swept the parliamentary elections in Punjab, it is always the moderate Akalis who have dominated the ‘panthic’ politics in the state. In the pre and post militancy era, the moderates have always retained the control over the ‘panthic’ political space and discourse.
This is for the first time that the moderate Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Badal has been marginalised and is faced with existential challenge. It is primarily blamed over the ‘family control’ by the Badals over an organisation that was born out of the ‘panthic’ movement, that led to the alienation of most of the traditional supporters of the party and they drifted away. The decline started after the SAD formed the government a second time in a row in 2012 in alliance with the BJP.
While some of the decisions by Sukhbir, like appointment of Sumedh Singh Saini, one of the prominent police officers credited with eliminating militancy in Punjab, as the DGP and pardon to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief by the Akal Takht at Sukhbir’s behest, followed by the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargadi in Faridkot district are believed to be the main reasons for the drift in the ‘panthic’ support, the resentment had started much earlier, in fact immediately after the 2012 elections.
In those elections it was famously said that there were many “turban-less” Akali MLAs in the assembly. Sukhbir had experimented with a new idea to open the party’s doors to the Hindus. There were at least ten Hindu Akali MLAs from constituencies like Bathinda, Mansa, Dera Bassi, just to name a few. While there was no “open” opposition within the party because of the powerful control the Badals had over the organisation, there was simmering discontent which found expression once the Badals lost power in 2017. Today’s state of the Akalis led by the Badal is the culmination of a prolonged feeling of alienation among the traditional and dedicated cadres within the party.
Also read: Moderate Akalis start redeeming themselves over radicals
The Akali stalwart late Parkash Singh Badal had smelled it long back when he publicly snubbed Bikram Singh Majithia, Sukhbir Badal’s brother-in-law, that he (Majithia) had got everything on a platter as compared to the traditional Akalis who had struggled and gone to jail also. But he also surrendered to Sukhbir’s authority as he had proved to be a successful poll manager having won two back-to-back assembly elections, which had happened for the first time in Punjab.
Coming back to the 2027 assembly elections, the dais appears to be heavily loaded against the moderates as jailed MP Amritpal is finding a lot of traction among the traditional Akali supporters, particularly across rural Punjab. He has the advantage of appealing to the younger generation also.
Besides alienation with Sukhbir and moderate Akalis, another reason for Amritpal catching the imagination of the people is disillusionment with the Aam Aadmi Party, whom the Punjabis had given a thumping and an overwhelming mandate in 2022.
The Punjabis, particularly the Sikhs, had not replaced the moderate Akalis with the radicals like Simranjit Singh Mann, but had instead chosen the AAP, a secular and non-sectarian party. Somehow, the AAP did not come to the people’s expectations amidst the powerful perception that it was no different from its predecessors.
Everything seems to be working for the radicals like Amritpal right now. The ‘sudden’ and ‘surprising’ release of movie Satluj, a biopic on the life of Jaswant Singh Khalra, a Sikh rights’ activist has provided extra advantage to Amritpal. Khalra, who disappeared mysteriously and for which several Punjab policemen were convicted and sentenced, has emerged as a symbol of resistance and Amritpal’s organisation is capitalising on it. There is also another perception that his organisation is being propped up by the “right quarters” to sideline the moderates.
While Amritpal is finding traction among the Sikhs on his own, there are certain forces which are helping him to weaken the moderate Akalis. This will not be in anybody’s interest and not at least in the interest of Punjab. Whosoever is doing this, is doing no good to Punjab in general and the Sikhs in particular. And if it is being done on the misplaced belief that if given power the radicals can be “tamed”, it will be a Himalayan blunder.
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