Punjabis forgave Cong after Blue Star, 84 riots; hope they forgive SAD too: Gujral

As humbling images of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal guarding the gates of the Golden Temple surfaced on Tuesday, senior SAD leader Naresh Gujral invoked the Punjabi tradition of forgiveness and hoped people would forgive the Akali Dal too as leaders accept and atone for their mistakes.

Speaking to The Tribune a day after the Akal Takht pronounced a set of punishments for Badal and other Akali leaders, holding them guilty of violating the Sikh rehat maryada (code of conduct), Gujral recalled how Sikhs had forgiven even the Congress after Operation Bluestar and 1984 Sikh massacre.

“Sikhs have a tradition of forgive and forget and move on. Once an apology is rendered and the offender accepts and performs the penance by way of sewa as a humble Sikh, they are forgiven. Whether it was Maharaja Ranjit Singh or anyone else, once they accepted their mistakes and atoned for them, the Sikh masses also moved on. We hope a new chapter will now start in the history of the Akali Dal,” said Gujral.

He said Punjabis are magnanimous and do not believe in holding grudges through centuries or decades.

“That is the Punjabi character. Punjabis especially the Sikhs have learnt the lesson of humility from our revered gurus. If someone shows repentance, someone asks for forgiveness, they accept and forgive. Nothing could have been worse than the 1984 Sikh massacre and yet the Punjabi masses especially the Sikhs reelected Congress governments not once but twice,” said the ex-MP, adding that with Sukhbir Badal and others humbly accepting the punishment by the Akal Takht and atoning for their mistakes, Punjabis will forgive the party.

Asked how he saw the event of Badals being held guilty by the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Gujral said it signals the acceptance of mistakes that were made and a readiness to perform penance for these mistakes.

“Punjabis were angry with SAD earlier because mistakes had been made but not acknowledged or atoned for. That has changed. Sukhbir Badal and others have humbly accepted the verdict of the Akal Takht. The supremacy of the Takht remains unquestioned,” said Gujral.

He said the challenge before the Akali Dal was to rebuild the party from here on.

“The Akal Takht has ordered the Akali Dal to work for the interest of the Sikhs and Punjabis whose voices they feel has become feeble. They have ordered the reorganisation of SAD from primary membership onwards and for the process to be completed in six months. This hukamnama will be respected in letter and spirit. Every leader of Akali Dal irrespective of which faction they belong to presented themselves before the Akal Takht in all humility and accepted the hukamnama of the Takht,” said Gujral, adding that the current historical moment presented the Akali Dal with a chance at a rebirth.