Ongoing protests by sections of Sikhs in Punjab over the desecration of their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, have rattled the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal as it is faced with the harsh reality that it could be losing its grip over the community that constitutes its core support base.
The snowballing developments over the past two weeks have placed Akali Dal leaders in the direct line of fire of the protesters. Akali ministers and legislators are being threatened with social boycotts; posters have sprung up in many villages warning the ruling party leaders to keep away; several others have been chased away by agitating crowds.
Sikh disenchantment
Although told by their party to reach out to the people, Akali leaders and even Sikh head priests are avoiding public functions and have virtually gone underground for fear of violent attacks. Given the prevailing volatile mood, and nervous about a possible backlash, several Akali leaders as well as members of the Akali Dal-controlled Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have even taken the extreme step of handing in their resignations.
With a little over a year to go for the next assembly election, the current crisis does not augur well for the Akali Dal, which is already battling nine years of anti-incumbency. The ongoing protests actually reflect the growing disenchantment with the poor performance of the ruling dispensation, which is being increasingly perceived as corrupt and incompetent.
But it is the alienation of the Sikh community that is worrying the Akalis, as it has always been unwavering in its support to their party. A glum-faced Akali leader admitted that this is perhaps the first time that they are facing the wrath of the Sikhs. It is crucial for the Akali Dal to win back the support of the Sikhs as the party has always been identified with the community. The party was formed with the sole purpose of furthering the Sikh cause. It has never shied away from pursuing the panthic agenda and stoking religious passions for political gain, more so when it wants to divert attention from its own deficiencies. In fact, the Akali government had been working on such an agenda in the run-up to the 2017 assembly election, but recent developments have pushed them on the backfoot as radical Sikhs appear to have seized the initiative.
The Akali Dal is drawing solace from the fact that the election is still over a year away and it has sufficient time to win back the trust of its core supporters. However, it is going to be a long haul. “We will have to start from scratch. We will have to work doubly hard to regain our lost credibility,” said a senior Akali leader. “The violence will eventually subside after a period of time but the damage has already been done.”
Unpopular first family
The Akali Dal has an especially hard task at hand as its government was already facing high levels of dissatisfaction over its failure to deliver on governance. The party’s first family has become highly unpopular, particularly deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is perceived as arrogant and beholden to a coterie of advisers. Badal junior’s style of functioning has not only angered the electorate but has also alienated his own party members. They complain that there is no consultation within the party on key issues as all decisions are taken by the members of the ruling family.
“Ironically, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is still the most respected and admired leader in Punjab today but equally there is nobody more unpopular and disliked than Sukhbir Badal,” an Akali Dal leader pointed out. “And people also realise that Sukhbir is the party’s future, not his ageing father.”
Relating the sequence of events which eventually led to the street protests, Akali leaders said the government was already facing unrest from farmers, who believe that they lost their cotton crop because of adulterated pesticide supplied by the government. Then, the Akal Takht pardoned the charges of blasphemy faced by Dera Sacha Sauda cult head Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim. This further angered the community, and reports of the desecration of their Holy Book has pushed them to the edge.
Bitter Akali Dal leaders maintain that it was Sukhbir Singh Badal who put pressure on the Akal Takht to pardon the Dera Sacha Sauda chief with the aim of targetting its support base among scheduled castes. The Akal Takht subsequently revoked the pardon, but this only ended up annoying Gurmeet Singh’s followers. Party leaders questioned the timing of the Akal Takht’s decision, blaming it all on the deputy chief minister’s political inexperience and his unilateral style of functioning. “This is what happens when you centralise all decision-making and don’t consult others in the party. You stop getting feedback and are no longer in touch with the ground situation… that’s when you make such mistakes,” an Akali leader said.
A window for the opposition
Meanwhile, the opposition has a golden opportunity to strike it rich. Its traditional rival, the Congress, is in poor shape as it is wracked by bitter infighting between former chief minister Amarinder Singh and his bête noire, Punjab Congress chief Pratap Singh Bajwa. If the Congress does not put its house in order soon, the Aam Admi Party could fill the vacuum left by the two old parties. Already, there are reports that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is planning to set up camp in Punjab with an eye on the next assembly poll. This has only added to the worries of the Akali Dal and its challenger, the Congress.
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The snowballing developments over the past two weeks have placed Akali Dal leaders in the direct line of fire of the protesters. Akali ministers and legislators are being threatened with social boycotts; posters have sprung up in many villages warning the ruling party leaders to keep away; several others have been chased away by agitating crowds.
Sikh disenchantment
Although told by their party to reach out to the people, Akali leaders and even Sikh head priests are avoiding public functions and have virtually gone underground for fear of violent attacks. Given the prevailing volatile mood, and nervous about a possible backlash, several Akali leaders as well as members of the Akali Dal-controlled Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have even taken the extreme step of handing in their resignations.
With a little over a year to go for the next assembly election, the current crisis does not augur well for the Akali Dal, which is already battling nine years of anti-incumbency. The ongoing protests actually reflect the growing disenchantment with the poor performance of the ruling dispensation, which is being increasingly perceived as corrupt and incompetent.
But it is the alienation of the Sikh community that is worrying the Akalis, as it has always been unwavering in its support to their party. A glum-faced Akali leader admitted that this is perhaps the first time that they are facing the wrath of the Sikhs. It is crucial for the Akali Dal to win back the support of the Sikhs as the party has always been identified with the community. The party was formed with the sole purpose of furthering the Sikh cause. It has never shied away from pursuing the panthic agenda and stoking religious passions for political gain, more so when it wants to divert attention from its own deficiencies. In fact, the Akali government had been working on such an agenda in the run-up to the 2017 assembly election, but recent developments have pushed them on the backfoot as radical Sikhs appear to have seized the initiative.
The Akali Dal is drawing solace from the fact that the election is still over a year away and it has sufficient time to win back the trust of its core supporters. However, it is going to be a long haul. “We will have to start from scratch. We will have to work doubly hard to regain our lost credibility,” said a senior Akali leader. “The violence will eventually subside after a period of time but the damage has already been done.”
Unpopular first family
The Akali Dal has an especially hard task at hand as its government was already facing high levels of dissatisfaction over its failure to deliver on governance. The party’s first family has become highly unpopular, particularly deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is perceived as arrogant and beholden to a coterie of advisers. Badal junior’s style of functioning has not only angered the electorate but has also alienated his own party members. They complain that there is no consultation within the party on key issues as all decisions are taken by the members of the ruling family.
“Ironically, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is still the most respected and admired leader in Punjab today but equally there is nobody more unpopular and disliked than Sukhbir Badal,” an Akali Dal leader pointed out. “And people also realise that Sukhbir is the party’s future, not his ageing father.”
Relating the sequence of events which eventually led to the street protests, Akali leaders said the government was already facing unrest from farmers, who believe that they lost their cotton crop because of adulterated pesticide supplied by the government. Then, the Akal Takht pardoned the charges of blasphemy faced by Dera Sacha Sauda cult head Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim. This further angered the community, and reports of the desecration of their Holy Book has pushed them to the edge.
Bitter Akali Dal leaders maintain that it was Sukhbir Singh Badal who put pressure on the Akal Takht to pardon the Dera Sacha Sauda chief with the aim of targetting its support base among scheduled castes. The Akal Takht subsequently revoked the pardon, but this only ended up annoying Gurmeet Singh’s followers. Party leaders questioned the timing of the Akal Takht’s decision, blaming it all on the deputy chief minister’s political inexperience and his unilateral style of functioning. “This is what happens when you centralise all decision-making and don’t consult others in the party. You stop getting feedback and are no longer in touch with the ground situation… that’s when you make such mistakes,” an Akali leader said.
A window for the opposition
Meanwhile, the opposition has a golden opportunity to strike it rich. Its traditional rival, the Congress, is in poor shape as it is wracked by bitter infighting between former chief minister Amarinder Singh and his bête noire, Punjab Congress chief Pratap Singh Bajwa. If the Congress does not put its house in order soon, the Aam Admi Party could fill the vacuum left by the two old parties. Already, there are reports that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is planning to set up camp in Punjab with an eye on the next assembly poll. This has only added to the worries of the Akali Dal and its challenger, the Congress.
