The creation of a separate “Ravidassia Dharam” which was announced by Dera Sachkhand Ballan of Jalandhar will have Amritbani Satguru Ravidas as its holy book instead of Guru Granth Sahib and 'Har' as its religious symbol. Though the formation of a separate religion has divided the Ravidassia community, it has given rise to religio-political issues as Sikhs have been following Guru Granth Sahib since centuries. The relations between the two communities came under severe strain following the assassination by Sikh hardliners of Dera Sachkhand Ballan's deputy chief Sant Ramanand at Vienna in Austria last year. Dera Chief Sant Niranjan Dass survived bullet injuries.

The formation of Ramdassia Dharam has brought into focus the “religion and politics are inseparable” doctrine of Akali Dal and its controlled SGPC whose main functions are propagation of Sikh religion and preservation of Sikh heritage besides managing Sikhs religious and other institutions. What actually has happened over the past several decades is that its actions have led to the drifting away of different sects from Sikh religion. It is not a coincidence that Nirankaris, Radhaswamis and the region's mushrooming Deras have attracted large Sikh followings. These sects and organizations are not political bodies. They concentrate on social reforms, the area in which the SGPC has so far failed to deliver.

It is not without reason that the SGPC and Akali leaderships are worried over the influence the “Deras” command over large sections of Sikhs. This undermines the influence and authority of SGPC and Akali Dal which, in pursuance of its “religion and politics are inseparable” doctrine controls the Sikhs religious body. But Akali leadership does not want other religious sects to follow its doctrine. Whenever actions of any “Dera” acquire political overtones not suited to Akali politics, it becomes SGPC and Akali leaders target. They do not want to be administered by their own “religion and politics are inseparable” medicine. This happened when followers of Dera Sacha Sauda en masse voted for Congress in the last Assembly elections routing Akali Dal in its own Malwa stronghold.

The main reason for the new religio-political controversies is the misuse of the highest Sikh religious body by the Akali leadership. This is not a new development. Successive Akali leaderships main effort has been to control SGPC. They have been using the SGPC's religious platform and its huge financial resources for achieving their political objectives. The only difference is that the Badal Akali Dal under whose control the SGPC has been for years, has taken their misuse for political ends to new dimensions. Unless the functioning of the SGPC undergoes drastic reform, Punjab may not be saved from religious controversies and their serious political consequences.

Call it poor or non-governance, the Akali-BJP government's functioning has been generating controversies - some avoidable — right from its birth nearly three years ago and in the process even souring Akali-BJP relations also. The latest has arisen from Deputy Chief Minister and Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh's circulation of a list of 40 Akali workers to each DC asking them to “give them priority. Keep them happy and in good humour or else you might have to face the music.”

Almost all the past ruling Congress and Akali leaderships had never shirked from politicizing the bureaucracy and using it for their political interests. But Sukhbir's latest diktat to Deputy Commissioners is the most blatant as it not only amounts to naked misuse of administration for political ends but also has created a precedent for the Akali-BJP government's successors. Even the Punjab BJP under the charge of its new President Ashwani Sharma has reminded its alliance partner of running a coalition government and not a “private limited company”. It also nurses a grouse that the saffron party has been ignored in the ongoing government advertisement campaign. The BJP does not seem to have any objection to Sukhbir directing the DCs to keep Akali leaders in good humour. Its grouse apparently is why coalition dharma has not been followed and DCs not asked to keep BJP workers also in good humour!

Sukhbir's directive should not be seen in isolation of his style of functioning which has indicated arbitrary and dictatorial trends and has raised questions about the future of democracy in Punjab. It started with massive rigging of last year's local bodies elections by armed Akali goons and was later reflected by some other events like the use of state power to curb the sources of information and freedom of expression by monopolizing through proxy the cable business in Punjab and Chandigarh.

No doubt, Sukhbir Singh has often demonstrated his youthful dynamism in certain fields, particularly in announcing grand and ambitious schemes. It is another matter that in some cases his plans remind one the old Punjabi saying “Agga daud, Picchha chaud” (run forward without caring for inactions and failures of the past.) The dominant ruling Akali leadership perhaps believes that the price of inaction is far greater than the cost of making a mistake! But the electorate may not subscribe to the dictum.

A time has come for the top Akali leadership to undertake a serious introspection about its religio-political policies if it wants Punjab to regain its lost glory and status and for ensuring peace and communal harmony in the state. (IPA Service)