On 3 December, former Shiromani Akali Dal chief ex-Deputy CM of Punjab, Sukhbir Badal, was seen standing as a sewadar on guard duty at Sri Harmandir Sahib with a placard around his neck saying "Forgive us sinners/criminals". This was a day after the Akal Takht, the highest temporal body for Sikhs, announced the punishment for Badal and other senior Akali leaders in connection with the 2015 sacrilege incidents.
The leaders have all been told to perform Sewa as penance - tasks like cleaning shoes, washing utensils, cleaning toilets and doing guard duties, besides listening to the Kirtans for a fixed time duration.
Besides Badal, the punished leaders include senior Akalis like Daljit Singh Cheema, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Bikram Singh Majithia, Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Prem Singh Chandumajra among others. The Panth Ratan Fakhr-e-Qaum title give to Late Parkash Singh Badal has also been withdrawn as have the benefits being given to former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh.
Badal is accused of compromising the sanctity of the Akal Takht by getting it to issue a pardon for Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a sacrilege case. He is also charged with promoting police officers allegedly behind the killing of protesters demanding justice in the sacrilege cases in 2015. To know more about the case, its aftermath and centrality in Punjab politics, read this story.
Why is This Important?
More than the quantum of punishment, it was the optics that makes this event historic. Be it the manner in which Badal was made to admit his "wrongdoings" by the Jathedars, to seeing him and other leaders perform sewa with placards around their necks - it represented the humbling of Badal, once seen as being too powerful to be touched.
It also represented a re-assertion of authority by the Akal Takht against a man who is accused of exercising undue influence over the body.
The message was clear - no matter how powerful a person may have once been, they have to submit before divine law.
For many Sikhs, upset at the impunity in the sacrilege cases, the visuals were no less than cathartic, especially the manner in which Badal had to admit to his wrongdoings.
What Next for the Akali Dal?
The Akal Takht has formed a six-member committee to initiate a membership drive for the SAD and conduct elections for the new party president and office bearers. The committee includes, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former MLAs Iqbal Singh Jhundan, Manpreet Ayali and Gurpratap Singh Wadala, pro-Akali reform leader Santa Singh Umaidpuri, and Satwant Kaur, daughter of All India Sikh Students' Federation leader Amrik Singh, who was killed in Operation Bluestar.
The Akal Takht has also urged rebel Akali leaders to shed their differences and strengthen the parent party, that is presently at its lowest ever political position. By doing so, the Akal Takht has taken an important step towards the revival of the Akali Dal.
As it is the highest body for Sikhs, it would be difficult for any Akali leader, rebel or otherwise, to fail to abide by their instructions.
Then, two of the punishments given by the Akal Takht, are similar to the announcements made by the parallel Akal Takht at the 2015 Sarbat Khalsa (meeting of the entire Sikh community) called by 'hardline' organisations in the aftermath of the sacrilege incidents. Then Sarbat Khalsa had also announced withdrawal of Parkash Singh Badal's Panth Rattan honour and it had ordered the removal of the then Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh. Gurbachan Singh was finally replaced in 2018, though it was by the SGPC and not due to the 2015 Sarbat Khalsa.
The Akal Takht on 2 December announced the withdrawal of all benefits being given to Gurbachan Singh as it found him guilty in the granting of pardon to Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
Through these actions, the Akal Takht has also taken a step towards broader Panthic unity and not just unification of the Akali Dal.
How other Panthic outfits and leaders respond, remains to be seen. The initial responses of some of them were on the lines of calling the Akal Takht actions as "symbolic".
There is another important point that the Akal Takht has made, which can help in the revival of the SAD. It has shown that the SAD is answerable to the Akal Takht and, by extension, to the Sikh Panth as a whole.
"At least they (SAD leaders) are answerable to the Akal Takht. It is the only party in Punjab that can be held to account by the Panth. Not like other parties which are answerable to Delhi and Nagpur," a senior SAD leader commented, while speaking to The Quint.
What Next for Sukhbir Badal?
While this may be a good development for the SAD as a party, the political consequences for Sukhbir Badal remain unclear. It can cut both ways for him.
Sukhbir Badal displayed humility while being questioned by the Jathedars and many Akali supporters feel this may be a step towards his eventual redemption in the Panthic sphere.
However, it also constituted an open admission of his involvement in pardoning a person accused of sacrilege and he can be heard on video accepting all the allegations.
This visual won't be forgotten very easily.
Badal's position has also been harmed by the Akal Takht's statement that current leadership of the party has lost its legitimacy.
Then some of the members of the committee constituted by the Akal Takht to carry out a membership drive and conduct elections, happen to have criticised Badal, such as Iqbal Jhundan, Manpreet Ayali and Gurpratap Wadala. In fact, none of the committee members are Badal acolytes. But they are also people who haven't created splinter groups.
In the party organisation, there are still many people who owe a great deal to Badal and they may still be able to push his claim for leadership.
The next few months will be crucial for the SAD.
For now, the Akal Takht has taken a crucial step towards restoring some order in the SAD, a party that completes 104 years of existence later this month.