Feb 22, 1999

The Badal-Tohra face-off snowballs into a struggle between moderates and militants, threatening to disrupt peace in the state.

By Ramesh Vinayak

It was an all too familiar sight at the Golden Temple in Amritsar last week: the sea of blue turbans, the triumphant cries of Bole So Nihal ... and the boisterous slogans. The suspension of Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh on February 10 inside the temple and the acrimony that followed seemed much like a replay of the stormy exit of the jathedar's predecessors since 1984 when the Akal Takht shot into prominence in the wake of Operation Blue Star.

Ten members -- mainly supporters of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal -- of the 15-member Executive Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) suspended Ranjit and issued a 30-day show-cause notice to him. The meeting, boycotted by SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra and his four supporters, charged Ranjit with "gross religious misconduct and sowing discord among the high priests and the Sikh Panth", among other things. The truncated committee then appointed Mohan Singh, head priest of the Golden Temple, as his successor. Ranjit, however, brushed aside the verdict saying it was "of the Badal faction, not of the Sikh Panth and carries no religious or legal sanctity". His stance found vocal support from the Tohra camp and radical religious and poli-tical groups in the country and abroad.

The Badal camp's jubilation over Ranjit's removal, however, was short-lived. It suffered a severe jolt soon after when Mohan Singh turned down the appointment. He is reported to have developed cold feet following pressure from pro-Khalistan elements abroad. Embarrassed, the executive committee appointed Giani Puran Singh, another Golden Temple priest and one-time ally of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, as the acting jathedar.

Even as the Badal group planned it next move against Tohra, the SGPC chief on February 11 decided to resign from the post. However, he got support from an unexpected quarter when Union Chemical and Fertiliser Minister S.S. Barnala backed him and also expressed disapproval at the manner of Ranjit's dismissal. Coming close to the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations, the Badal-Ranjit-Tohra imbroglio has ominous portents and the political turbulence could spill over to the religious arena. That may not only turn the Khalsa fete into an unsavoury showdown but also sharpen the conflict between the moderate Akalis and the radical Sikhs rallying behind Ranjit.

Badal's efforts to monopolise the tercentenary show was seen by Tohra and Ranjit as an encroachment on their territory. Ranjit raised the hackles of the moderate Akalis by warning Badal that he would not be allowed to use the Panthic platform unless he pursued the controversial "Sikh Agenda", which includes such demands as a separate nation for the Sikhs, implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution and recognition of the militants' struggle. In an obvious bid to buy time, Badal has handed the issue to his party's Political Affairs Committee. However, his coalition partner BJP has challenged Ranjit. Says senior BJP leader Balramji Dass Tandon: "Ranjit's provocative utterances are a direct challenge to peace in Punjab."

A far more sinister fallout of the revival of the Sikh Agenda by Ranjit is that it may sharpen the divide between the moderates and radicals. Having tied its moorings to moderate politics, the ruling Akali Dal is loath to touch the Agenda. Says Finance Minister Kanwaljit Singh: "The moderate stance is non-negotiable." But by raking up the demand for the Agenda on the occasion of the Khalsa celebrations, Ranjit may emerge as the fulcrum of anti-Badal forces.

With radical Akali sections hoping to revive their political fortunes in the crisis, Badal's moderate politics is likely to be put to further test. Says Satya Pal Dang, veteran CPI leader: "Unless Badal fights his battle on the ideological front, there is the danger of revival of militancy in the state." Not an auspicious background for the tercentenary celebrations of the panth.

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