Opposing the Pardon
- A section of Sikhs, intend to keep the issue of pardon to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh alive
- A meeting has been convened on October 12 to fix the day and venue of the Sarbat Khalsa (religious congregation)
- Confusion prevails among different factions regarding the venue of meet
- Pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief laced with political foresight owing to dera’s influence in 40 of the 117 assembly constituencies
- Despite little public support for the call for Sarbat Khalsa, Punjab government unwilling to take any chances
The controversy over the pardon to the Dera Sacha Sauda head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, for the alleged blasphemous acts by the Sikh clergy last month is not likely to get over any time soon with a section of Sikhs, particularly the radicals, planning to keep the issue alive.
This section of the Sikhs, which enjoys active support from their comrades and sympathisers settled abroad, have declared that they would organise a Sarbat Khalsa (congregation of the Sikh community) to undo the decision taken by the Sikh clergy comprising the jathedars (heads) of five Takhts (seats of power) and their removal.
Row Over the Venue of Congregation
The factions have convened a preparatory meeting on October 12 to fix the day and venue of the Sarbat Khalsa. They have broadly hinted that it would be held on the eve of Diwali. Among the factions which have come out against the grant of pardon are the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Amritsar, headed by the firebrand leader Simranjit Singh Mann, SAD (United) led by Mokham Singh, SAD (Pardhani), SAD (Delhi), Dal Khalsa, Damdami Taksal (Ajnala), Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Sant Samaj, Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Committee and the All India Sikh Students Federation.
Significantly, they are divided over the venue of the proposed Sarbat Khalsa. While a section wants it at Amritsar but not in the Golden Temple, as they apprehend it would be not allowed or may be disrupted, others want it at some other venue outside Amritsar. In fact one of the leaders has even suggested that it can be held abroad. Former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said as much when he told the media that the Sarbat Khalsa “should be called up at a place where the SAD (Badal) has no reach. It could be held overseas too....”
Pardon Politics
The ruling SAD (Badal), which controls the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which in turn appoints the five head priests who had taken the decision to pardon the dera chief, is aggressively working to counter these groups. All the MLAs and party leaders have been asked by the party’s chief, Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the deputy chief minister, to spread the message through gurdwaras the reasons for the grant of pardon and how it would help communal harmony in the state. An obvious aim behind the grant of pardon was to gain political support of the influential dera for the assembly elections due in less than a year and a half.
The dera holds significant influence in at least 40 of the 117 assembly constituencies in the state and its followers are spread out in almost all the other constituencies. The followers of the dera, together with several other such deras, generally vote en bloc and are wooed by all candidates. Prof Amanpreet Singh Gill, a political scientist has pointed out in his recently published book “Non-Congress Politics in Punjab’’, that “dera and babas play a decisive role in elections. If Akali Dal has emerged as a challenge to the Congress dominance, the role of its management of religion cannot be undervalued’’.
History of Sarbat Khalsa
The call for Sarbat Khalsa is rooted in the Sikh history when the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh called a Sarbat Khalsa just before his passing away in 1708. The tradition of calling such congregations had been continuing since then during the times of crisis and conflict.
In recent history a Sarbat Khalsa was called after Operation Bluestar to decide on the responsibility to be given for the reconstruction of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs, which was damaged during the army operation. In 1986 several top Sikh leaders, including the clergy, called for a Sarbat Khalsa which decided that the building constructed by the government appointed priests would be demolished and a new building would be constructed through karseva (volunteers) and with the funds contributed by the community.
Common Cause: Not Anymore?
The lack of public interest in the issue is evident from the fact that a half day bandh call given by the radical groups on October 1 had failed to garner much support in the state. There could have been some trouble in Amritsar but the authorities rounded up some of the leaders a night before the bandh call to defuse the situation.
It is important to note that the support to the militant factions is gradually on the decline in Punjab politics. Their vote share had been going down and they currently have no representative in the state Assembly or parliament. Prof Gill has pointed out that the vote share of radical groups led by Simranjit Singh Mann had gone down from 4.65 per cent in 2002 Assembly elections to 0.51 per cent in 2007 and 0.28 per cent in 2012.
The state government can, however, take no chances on the issue of Dera Sacha Sauda. The radical groups shall attempt their best to make use of the opportunity to whip passions. This is something the SAD as well as its ally, the BJP cannot afford if they have to retain power in February 2017, or may be earlier if elections are preponed.
(The writer is a senior journalist based in Chandigarh)
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