Takht sets ball rolling for SAD reforms

The Akal Takht’s directions to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working committee to accept Sukhbir Badal’s resignation from the party president’s post and form a six-member panel for its reorganisation has set the ball rolling for reforms within the party.
The verdict has also ended an almost decade-long saga that haunted the SAD after a series of sacrilege incidents in 2015, when the party was in power, led to its political downfall.
The SAD has now called a meeting of party delegates on December 14 to elect a new president and office-bearers.
The six-member reforms panel, constituted by the Sikh clergy, constitutes of SAD leaders, rebels and a representative from the clergy. They are Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SAD’s representative in the state assembly Manpreet Singh Ayali, Jhoondan committee head Iqbal Singh Jhoondan, Santa Singh Umaidpur, Sudhar Lehar convener Gurpartap Singh Wadala, and Bibi Satwant Kaur (daughter of Bhai Amrik Singh).
Wadala welcomed the Akal Takht’s verdict and said it would pave way for a brighter future for the 104-year-old party.
An Akali leader, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Hopefully, the punishment given to Sukhbir will subsume the anger of the panth and he will be back in a commanding position.”
Today’s event at the Akal Takht is also being seen as historic for the Sikhs with clergy in the driving seat, re-establishing its supremacy.
Sukhbir’s principal advisor Harcharan Bains said, “What stood out today is the reassertion of the Akal Takht supremacy in Sikh religio-political affairs and Sukhbir’s humble submission before the highest temporal seat.”
The Akal Takht had declared Sukhbir a ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) “for the mistakes committed by his party when it was in power in Punjab from 2007 to 2017”, including pardoning Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015 that triggered clashes between Dera followers and Sikhs in parts of Punjab.
Amanpreet Gill, professor of political science at Khalsa College, New Delhi, said the idea that Sikh politics must be guided by supreme authority of Akal Takht turned into a live experience today, unlike the earlier pronouncement of ‘tankhahs’ on politicians. “Today was the day of collective penance of the entire Sikh leadership, never seen before in the history,” he added.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, “The historic hearing held today at Sri Akal Takht Sahib has further elevated the status of this supreme institution of the Panth. The decision has not only increased the honour of this institution but the Quam is also proud that our Gurus created such a powerful institution to guide them, which is capable of guiding those who have diverted from the path shown by the Gurus.”