Shambolic Akali-BJP Alliance

By Charandeep Singh
That the sardonic Akali-BJP alliance is heading for splits-vile, comes across as no surprise to all the political observers in Punjab. In retrospect, if we look at this alliance it was merely, “a marriage of convenience”. Two conveniently different ideologies, came together just for the sake of power, by exploiting the dichotomy of Punjab electorate. Both the alliance partners, practice hard-line religious politics, with Akalis having an unswerving “Panthic Agenda”, or coagulation of Sikh votes and BJP practicing “Hindutva” brand of politics, which sways away the urban Hindu Vote.

Thus the convergence of the two ideologies was necessitated to be in power, first under the garb of “Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat” in 1997 and then as “Raj Nahin Sewa”, from 2007 onwards.

After the massive verdict of 2014 in its favour, BJP made decisive efforts capture Punjab single-handedly which ultimately proved derisive for the alliance. The kerfuffle started when an euphoric state BJP, under assertive central BJP command started to tip on the toes of Akali-Dal, by trying to garner Sikh votes using myriad means. Ultimately, without having significant count of Sikh votes in your kitty, one cannot capture Punjab, realised BJP.

As a first step in this direction, RSS started propping up its Shakhas in the hinterland, which were forced to shut down by the Sikh militants during peak terrorism days. The RSS chief, Mohan Bhawat came down to Punjab and meet the heads, of various seminaries and dera’s like Sacha Sauda, Radhaswami sect etc, in a bid to make incisive in roads amongst the Sikhs. The radical element amongst the Sikhs viewed this activity with suspicion, since RSS believes that Sikhism is a part of larger Hindu culture.

Then secondly, to woo the Sikh voters, the Sikh arm of RSS called the [Rashtriya Sikh Sangat] started the eponymous “Ghar Wapsi”, programme. Actually in 2009, the chief of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat Rulda Singh was killed in Punjab and the organisation has been virtually defunct since then. “Ghar Wapsi”, gave the much requires life line to Rashtriya Sikh Sangat as well. In “Ghar Wapsi”, all Christians and other minority players who have deviated from Sikhism and joined Christanity, were lured back to embrace Sikhism again. With these rejoinders, RSS tried to make a dent in the psyche of Sikh voters. Some of the disgruntled elements of SGPC too helped RSS in this initiative saying, “that this was the job of the religious arm of SGPC which RSS has done. So we participated in it”. This forced the government to react, with CM himself saying that his government is against forced conversions. The genesis of this reaction lies somewhere else. Actually, the dalit –christian combine, used to be the traditional vote bank of Congress, but after years of pestering the Akali’s were able to bring them back in their fold. So when the BJP through its affiliates has made serious efforts to give Akali Dal a dent in tits vote bank, significant unease cropped up in the “not so harmonious” relationship of the alliance partners.

Then, inertly not so brazenly with an eye on Punjab polls, but on the eve of Delhi elections, the central government announced suggestive compensation for 1984 riot victims. Much to its own chagrin, Akali Dal had to support this political gimmickery of BJP.

Lastly, Punjab is state with acute debt and meagre resource generation. It needs a humongous bailout package. The current Union finance minister, contested from Punjab. Sacks full of money would be thrust-ed in Punjab, if BJP led government came to power in centre, was the election premise of ruling regime. Rather than doling out generous grants, Finance Minister is not even forthcoming to discuss the issue of financial restructuring of Punjab debts. Rather in an innuendo, he sought to put the lid on the “sangat-darshan” programmes of the CM, where generous grants are given on the spot to the needy constituencies.

Not, to be left behind the preponderant partner of the alliance, Akali Dal responded back with generosity. It has shunned the developmental plank, and in a veiled manner has made a detour to its core “panthic-agenda”. Speaking on the occasion of the completion of 350 years of Khalsa panth, CM badal said, “Religion cannot be protected without capturing state power”., thus dispelling notions that Akali-Dal has deviated from its core ideology of being a champion of Sikh issues and rights.

To propagate the cause of championing Sikh agenda further, Akali dal much to the dismay of its alliance partners started the process of transferring nine Khalistani terrorists lodged in various jails of the country, to jails in Punjab. Devinder Pal Bhullar, was transferred from Tihar Jail in Delhi to central jail in Amritsar and there-after was lodged in a VIP room of Amritsar hospital. BJP cried foul and showed it abject disapproval for leniency towards terror convicts.

Then with the support of RSS, Gurbakshish Singh Khalsa, sat down on an indefinite fast to release jailed Sikh militants in a gurudwara in Haryana. Sikh hardliners backed by Akali Dal never supported this and the fast soon fizzled out, not without leaving its imprint as an irritant on the rapidly deteriorating SAD-BJP ties. To counter it, the radicals amongst the Sikhs propped up, Surat Singh Khalsa to sit on indefinite fast for the same cause.

As a retort to the “Ghar-Vapsi” programme, Badal proposed that the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the 9th guru of Sikh be celebrated as a “National Day”, since he was against forced conversions, and got himself martyred to prevent the conversions of Hindu’s into Islam. This was countered by Rashtriya Sikh Sangat with the perception that, the guru resisted conversions but he wanted to bring back those who went to other religions.

All this manoeuvrability, between the alliance partners is happening to grab the major share of rural Sikh vote, which is the lynch pin for the victory parade at the hustings. May the “deserving” of the lot win.