Self directed learning of Dr. Jagroop Singh, student of Sikh Studies without funding or conflict of interest (20/5/2022)

The causes of contemporary issues are invariably rooted in history, requiring active and deliberate effort to decipher the truth from a wide range of documented perspectives. The selective association of events occurring around that time but excluding others further complicates this. The length of retrospective enquiry also impacts on the relevance &/or interest of the reader, particularly the younger generation with limited attention span. Furthermore, the content and delivery of education is a hugely contested area with a recent focus on history by columnist, Satnam Sanghera and footballer, Troy Deeney. I am acutely conscious that this article is essentially a personal view, which reflects my reading and interpretative framework.

The contribution and commitment of the Sikhs to bringing an end to the British rule was unquestionably immense. However, they failed to gain the lost kingdom in the complex negotiations of 1947; ending up ‘siding’ with the Hindu majoritarian rule (Jamil). They endured the pain and material loss of partition without being able to shape the future politics either. When the dust eventually settled, the ‘dark’ reality of the situation meant that the Sikh leadership had been duped! Any hope of receiving the promised ‘warm glow of freedom’ proved to be illusionary when Pundit Nehru declared, “Times had changed.”

The Punjabi Suba agitation, launched by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in April 1948, was a means to safeguard Sikh values and language. However, a counter narrative created by the Hindu Mahasabha, believed that Punjabi Suba would be equivalent to or paves the way to Sikh separatism. This view was reflected with the slogan of “Maha Punjab” and worse, with “death to Punjabi Suba.” The central government authorities reinvigorated the preexisting communal fervor acted out during the Partition process. Master (Professor) Mota Singh (President of Jalandhar Kisan Sabha) was at pains to reassure the public by saying, “the agitation by SAD is not communal and it is not against Hindus even slightly.” Despite numerous attempts to deescalate the situation, SAD activities were increasingly seen as unsavoury and even seditious. In fact it led to a Police invasion of Harmandar Sahib complex on 4 July 1955 resulting in 237 arrests, numerous injuries and no reported deaths. However, in the immediate aftermath there were news reports of between 2-43 fatalities.

The central government engineered a plan to lure some key SAD personalities to join the Congress Party. A more acceptable and amenable, Sant Fateh Singh was cleverly ‘pitted’ against the hardline leadership of Master Tara Singh. By 1961-2 the Akali Dal Working Committee had been infiltrated, facilitating strategic information transfer to the key Congress personality, Partap Singh Kairon (Bajwa, page 100). Pundit Nehru continually stalled progress on this campaign by the use of communal tactics until his death in 1964. Appreciation of the contribution of Sikhs in the Indo-Pak war of 1965 encouraged PM Shastri to be sympathetic to the Sikh cause. Indira Gandhi lamented under the political pressure and set up a Parliamentary committee to recommended a way forward, which she reluctantly accepted. The protracted campaign eventually led to the formation of a much reduced, Punjabi speaking state in 1966. This resulted in the simultaneous and some say, the inevitable creation of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh; as a complex by-products of this process. The initial optimism based on the success of the campaign and the ‘dawn’ of the Green Revolution soon wore off. Master Tara Singh’s original vision outlined in 1945, of a ‘distinct political system organized and run by the Panth,’ had not realized.

Subsequent years witnessed a significant decline in the popularity of SAD, securing only 1 seat out of 13 in the Indian Parliament in 1971 and only 24/117 in the Punjab Assembly elections (1972). The power shift from SAD to the Congress Party led to the appointment of Giani Zail Singh as the Chief Minister of Punjab, representing a significant downturn in Sikh Consciousness. ‘Think tank’ deliberations took place on 16-18 October 1973 to reinvigorate the party’s policy programme with the hope of resurrecting a path to success in future elections. The documentation of these deliberations into a ‘manifesto’ was carried out by the most venerable, Sirdar Kapur Singh. The Anandpur Sahib Resolution, as it came to be known, was formally endorsed within 2 weeks, at the SAD Ludhiana conference (1973). A broad array of social, religious and political demands focused on increased state powers within a significantly decentralized federal structure, as envisaged pre 1947. It further demanded recognition of Sikh religion being separate/distinct and not a part of Hinduism as enshrined in article 25b of the Constitution of India.

During this era, a controversial national Emergency in India was declared by PM Indira Gandhi from 1975-7 due to “internal disturbance,” based on perceived threat to the state. Interestingly, this is the time when she was facing High Court case, accused of fraudulent elections. This period saw suspension of civil liberties, imprisonment of political opponents and human rights abuses including forced sterilizations. This resulted in nation-wide opposition and protests, most notably from Sikhs in the Punjab. Sant Kartar Singh of Damdami Taksal was a leading figure in this movement. The ‘unexpected’ electoral loss suffered by Indira Gandhi in 1977, led to a phase of reflection and attributing blame by the Congress Party. One of the reasons for the zealot animosity aimed at Sikhs in subsequent years can be partially explained through the oppositional politics of the Punjab.

Reference

Jamil, Busharat Ali (2016) The Sikh Dialemma: The Partition of Punjab 1947 (Pakistan Vision Vol 17 No. 1) Retrieved 20 May 2022
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/uk-news/partition-india-story-tragedy-and-turmoil-1771510

Wikipaedia () Pujabi Suba Movement (accessed 19 May 2022)

Anandpur Sahib Resolution
https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Anandpur_Sahib_Resolution

Bajwa, Harcharan Singh (1978) Fifty Years of Punjab Politics; 1920-1970 (Chandigarh)
http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/displayPageContent.jsp?ID=2123&page=1&CategoryID=1&Searched=W3GX