Book Blames Badal For Panthic Problems

[GuruManeyoGranth]

Book blames Badal for Panthic problems

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 16

A biography of the late Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who remained President of the SGPC for about 27 years, and deals extensively with Punjab and Akali politics will be released by the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, tomorrow.

Written by Prof Balkar Singh, former Dean, Colleges, Punjabi University, Patiala, the book has been published by the Public Relations Department, Punjab. After the death of Tohra, the state government had given the project to Prof Balkar Singh, who has been a keen watcher of Tohra's and Panthic politics.

Besides Tohra, the other central character in the book is Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President of the SAD. The author is unsparingly critical of the role of Mr Badal in Akali and Punjab politics. In fact, the book provides political ammunition to opponents of Mr Badal to attack him.

If this book had not been published by the state Public Relations Department, it would have hit politically very hard the SAD leader. The 400-page book has an elaborate account of events which happened after the 1970s, considered to be a turbulent period in Punjab politics.

The book says that Tohra suffered his first heart attack on December 12, 2002, the day he had arguments with the then Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, on the issue of the postponement of the elections to the SGPC . Tohra was coming out of the Rajya Sabha complex when he complained of chest pain and was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Prof Balkar Singh states in the book that Tohra used to consider Capt Amarinder Singh a more devoted Sikh as compared to Mr Badal. " Tohra had a firm belief that the Panthic urge was more pronounced in Capt Amarinder Singh," the book states.

The book also says that Mr Badal was responsible for the constant degeneration of Akali politics and quelling of the Panthic spirit. Mr Badal has also been blamed for demolishing Panthic institutions such as the SGPC. Corruption in Akali politics finds mention in the book at several places. Prof Balkar Singh says in the book that Mr Badal had abandoned the Panthic and Punjabi agenda to adopt the RSS agenda.