AISSF should unite to revive Akali Dal, says Akal Takht Jathedar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 21

Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh today gave a call to splinter factions of the All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) to join hands for the propagation of Sikhism.

Addressing a Gurmat Sikhlai camp at Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir, he said such camps were the origin of leaders who possessed knowledge about the Sikh history and tenets, which enabled the formation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

The Jathedar invited all the breakaway groups to come on one platform under the tutelage of Akal Takht.

Nobody’s property

The SAD is nobody’s inherited property. We all have to make efforts to revamp its structure at the earliest. The Sikh scholars should be encouraged to come forward. —Giani Harpreet Singh, Officiating jathedar, Akal takht

He pointed out that the “Rajwarashahi” families believed in nepotism and reserved the higher political positions for their near and dear ones.

“The only way to undo this practice is to revive the sanctity of the AISSF and raise its bar,” he said.

The Jathedar claimed he could not see a single person in the existing Akali leadership who could conduct a debate on the Sikh principles, culture and religion.

“We have people in the Akali Dal who solely ‘indulge in politics’ (focus on vote bank) like other parties. The only way to understand the Sikh politics is through ‘baani’ of Guru Granth Sahib. We have to fill that vacuum in the SAD,” he said.

“We all have to make efforts to revamp the SAD’s structure at the earliest. The Sikh scholars should be encouraged to come forward,” he said.

The event was attended by former and incumbent leaders of the AISSF, including Rajinder Singh Mehta, Paramjit Singh Khalsa and Major Singh.

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