AKAL TAKHT DECLARING SAD PRESIDENT A TANKHAIYA MAY RESET PUNJAB POLITICS

The Akal Takht’s declaring Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal a ‘tankhaiya’ on August 30 is most likely to reset the Punjab politics in general and Sikh politics in particular. In the tumultuous history of Punjab, this development is significant. Punjab may be entering a new phase of political uncertainty.

Akal Takht has found him guilty of violating the Sikh religious code – for the “mistakes” he had committed as Deputy Chief Minister of the state and party chief during 2007-2017. The Takht said that his decisions “deeply harmed the image of the ‘Panth’ and caused damage of Sikh interests.”

The five high priests of the Akal Takh – the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs – have taken the decision to declare Badal a ‘tankhaiya’. Jathedar Giani Raghbir Sigh, the head priest, read the order and asked Badal to appear before the Akal Takht within 15 days to seek apology.

The head priest said, “Decisions made during Sukhbir Badal’s tenure as deputy chief minister and president SAD since 2007 have negatively impacted SAD and its condition has deteriorated. Sikh interests have been harmed. Sukhbir Badal will remain a ‘tankhaiya’ until he apologises for his sins.”

The matter does not end here with Badal. His cabinet colleagues during Badal’s tenure between 2007 and 2017, were also asked by the head priest to personally appear before the Takht and submit their written explanations within 15 days.

Earlier, the Akal Takht had declared several politicians ‘tankhaiya’ which included former President Giani Zail Singh, former Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Sigh Barnala, and former Union Minister Buta Singh among others. All had
to present themselves before the Takht to get their excommunications from the Sikh community revoked. A person’s excommunication ends only when one severs the sentence declared by the Takht – which may be anything from cleaning shoes of the devotees to washing utensils used in langars (community holy foods).

“I humbly bow my head and accept the command issued by the Sri Akal Takht Sahib. I will soon present
myself before Sri Akal Takht Sahib to seek forgiveness,” said Badal in a post on X, soon after he was declared ‘tankhaiya’.

It was only a day before, he had appointed Balwinder Singh Bhunder as Working President of the Akali Dal, while he himself remains the President, in a show that he did not care for the Akali Dal Bachao (Save Akali Dal) movement led by Bibi Jagir Kaur demanding fixing accountability from the president Sukhbir Singh
Badal for the deterioration the SAD suffered during his tenure.

Bibi Jagir Kaur is a former president of Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex governing body of all the Sikh Gurudwaras in India and abroad. SGPC is also called the Parliament of Sikhs that works under the directives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. It should also be noted at the same time that  Sukhbir’s father Parkash Singh Badal had as the patron of SAD exercised a strong influence on SGPC and also on Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee until his death in 2023.

Sukhbir had become the president of SAD in 2008, but the party remained united under and contested elections under the leadership of his father Parkash Singh Badal as patron. After his death in 2023, the Lok Sabha election 2024 was the first occasion when SAD contested under Sukhbir’s leadership. Akalis just managed to win only one seat Bathinda, out of 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, where Sukhbir’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal won by a margin of 49656 votes defeating Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Gurmeet Singh Khudian. SAD’s share of votes declined to 13.42 per cent.

Rebels led by Bibi Jagir Kaur had demanded Sukhbir’s oust as the president of SAD, and also taken up the matter and appeared before the Akal Takh seeking apology for “past mistakes” and religious transgressions during SAD regimes under Badals. Rebel SAD leaders appearing before the Akal Takht on July 1 also included former MPs Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Prem Singh Chandumajra.

Lately, Punjab has been witnessing a resurgence of Sikh sentiments. The win of two seats by two independents – Amritpal Singh and Sarbjeet Singh Khalsa – in the Lok Sabha election 2024 is a case in
point. It appears that Punjab is being slowly pushed towards another separatist Khalistan movement.

In this backdrop, the Akal Takht’s declaring Sukhbir Badal a ‘tankhaiya’ has special significance. The  rebellion within SAD is now not an internal matter of the party, especially after the Akal Takh’s decision that has come even after Sukhbir’s earlier appearance before the Akal Takht and seeking for “unconditional forgiveness”.

The Akal Takht has given 15 days to Sukhbir Badal and his associates to appear before the supreme body
of the Sikhs, a period that would be crucial for Punjab politics. In the meantime, the rebels and the ruling AAP in Punjab has asked Sukhbir to step down as he has been declared a ‘tankhaiya’.