The Hawara Committee, a Khalistani group, has expressed worries regarding the possible harm to the Sikh identity if the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) decides to renew its partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the Lok Sabha election. “The re-alliance between SAD and BJP will cause irreparable damage to the identity of Sikhs. The RSS, the parent body of the BJP, has always made doctrinal attacks on Sikhs,” alleged Prof Baljinder Singh of Hawara Committee here on Thursday.
Singh accused the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an affiliate of the BJP, of employing deceitful tactics to infiltrate Sikhism, citing an edict issued by the Akal Takht in July 2004. He insisted that Sikhs refrain from cooperating with them.
The Hawara Committee was formed by Jagtar Singh Hawara, the self-proclaimed Jathedar of Akal Takht, during a Sikh assembly known as ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ held in Chabba village near Amritsar on 10 November 2015.
Hawara, who was responsible for assassinating former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail. The committee, led by acting parallel Jathedar Bhai Dhian Singh Mand, operated under Hawara’s guidance while he was incarcerated.
Advocate Amar Singh Chahal, another member of the five-member committee, said, “When the BJP propagates that every Indian is a Hindu and is moving towards establishing a Hindu Rashtra, it is the duty of the Akali Dal not to form an alliance with the BJP but to lead the minority communities for their survival.”
Singh argues that the protection and preservation of Sikh institutions should be the top priority for the Akali Dal, as these sites hold significant cultural and religious importance for the Sikh community. The outfit expressed concern over the ‘BJP’s control’ over these sites and the influence it wields over Sikh bodies in Punjab, which could potentially threaten the autonomy and integrity of these institutions.
Furthermore, Singh highlighted the ‘plight’ of Sikh political prisoners and called for their release through movements like the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha. He advocated the transfer of Khalistani ideologues from distant jails to Punjab, stressing the need for their presence in their homeland.
Singh criticised the Haryana government for its alleged mistreatment of farmers at the Punjab border, suggesting that in such challenging times, political alliances should take a backseat to address immediate concerns and ‘injustices’ faced by the Sikh community.
According to Bapu Gurcharan Singh, another committee member, numerous Sikh groups in Punjab are influenced by the BJP, and the BJP already controls the takhts located outside Punjab, such as Takht Patna Sahib, Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
Baljinder Singh recommended that in such a situation, the Akali Dal must prioritise restoring the integrity of Sikh institutions over forming political partnerships.
Baljinder alleged, in its address to the Akali Dal, that the BJP denied Sikhs access to Gurdwara Gyan Godri, Gurdwara Dang Mar, and Gurdwara Mangu Math. He pinned his hopes on the so-called movements such as the Amritsar Morcha, which aims to transfer Khalistan ideologue Amritpal Singh and his nine colleagues from Dibrugarh jail in Assam to Punjab, and the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha, which calls for the release of Sikh political prisoners known as Bandhi Singhs.
He also criticised the Haryana government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly mistreating farmers at the Punjab border, saying that in such situations, talks about alliances have no purpose.
