Simranjit Singh Mann quits politics

[Singhballer]

Sad news.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/chandigarh/112000-mann-to-quit-politics-over-lack-of-funds.html

Former IPS officer and president of SAD (Amritsar), Simranjit Singh Mann, who espoused the cause of the hardliners, decided to call it quits.

After remaining in active politics ever since giving up his job as a Commandant of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Bombay protesting against the Operation Bluestar in 1984, Mann, along with his party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), has finally decided to give up electoral politics for “lack of funds”.

The decision to “quit” the electoral politics, it is believed, was also the upshot of party’s constant dismal performance in both parliamentary and Assembly elections. “SAD (Amritsar) would not contest Lok Sabha polls or Punjab Assembly polls in the coming future. We do not have money power unlike other political parties, that made it really hard for us to match their potential,” Mann said.

He added that the lack of funds eventually result in defeat of party’s candidates in one after another polls.

SAD (Amritsar) is registered with the Election Commission of India as Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann) -a splinter group of the Shiromani Akali Dal. The party’s biggest success was during the 1989 parliamentary elections, when it won six seats out of 13 in Punjab, winning 29.19 per cent of the popular vote. The party also managed to bag one parliamentary seat of Sangrur constituency in 1999, out of the total share of 13 in Punjab’s kitty. After that, the party has failed to fare well in the previous two elections held in Punjab.

Active supporter of Khalistan - an independent State for the Sikhs, Mann vowed to work for the cause of Sikh panth in future also. Stating that his aim would not be the Indian Parliament or Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mann indicated that the party would participate in the Sikh bodies’ elections, including the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

But how does he look at his exit from active politics? “It will be a big setback to the democratic setup of the nation. It is bad that a political party had to quit electoral process, and that because of paucity of enough funds,” said Mann. He said: “SAD (Amritsar) is based on strong ideology and is forced to opt out of the electoral politics as it does not have enough funds to woo the voters like other parties, thriving on muscle power and ill-gotten money.”

Mann resigned from his last posting on June 18, 1984, in protest of Indian government troops attack on the Amritsar’s Golden Temple. He was, subsequently, dismissed in July from the Indian Police Services. Mann also went underground after learning that the Punjab police had issued a circular with shoot-to-kill orders of Mann in June 1984. He was first arrested on November 29, 1984 with four others while attempting to cross into Nepal from the State of Bihar. He spent five years in the Bhagalpur prison in solitary confinement. Having a shady past, Mann has been arrested or detained around 30 times but has never been convicted.

[singh135]

Loss for the kaum

[Unbreakable]

What a Shame. This guy was hounded by those stupid presenters at Sangat TV (kulwant singh desi, who forgot who got him out of jail when he was arrested in India) and that so called Dr at panjab radio, he talks like he has done alot for the panth..

What a shame

Sad day indeed and shame on us, who talk, but do not walk the walk

[Singh559]

Sad loss.

[njkhalis]

So sad & so bad to see a true leader of kuom calling it quits for lack of funds.

Really a great man who sacrificed his prestigious service in protest of June 1984 attack on Sri Darbar Sahib and actively led protests against the perpetrators till now.

[lsingh]

Only the criminals are left in charge. It was difficult for Mann to win elections in the Punjab due to;

1.Congress, Communists and the Badal Dal have amassed huge amounts form corruption over the years which they use to BUY people to get them to support them. This can be in the form of offering jobs to their supporters, getting jobs done for supporters through corruption and for the masses huge amounts of alcohol and drugs.

2. The Indian media opposses Sikh initiatives.

3. There is no proper Sikh media to put forward the Sikh cause in Punjab.

4. Election results can be rigged as has been seen in many elections

5.Thousand of Sikhs who would have pushed the Sikh cause were murdered over the last 30 years. Others are discouraged as there is no support for them

6. Most Sikh institutions/organisations are controlled by the Indian Government through their proxies, so Sikh issues hardly get promoted.

[Jonny101]

I think that Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann should just focus all his energy resources on SGPC elections. That is the most important thing right now. Once SGPC is under Panthic minded Singhs, they can use it's resources for things that really matter i.e. spreading Sikhi, rehet and Gurmat soch amongst the masses. We need good Singhs like him and his party to win SGPC elections more often. Not just SGPC but also DSGMC elections. These two Gurdwara governing bodies are currently being run by the wrong people i.e. Badals and Sarnas.

[singh135]

Well said isingh

I think that Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann should just focus all his energy resources on SGPC elections. That is the most important thing right now. Once SGPC is under Panthic minded Singhs, they can use it's resources for things that really matter i.e. spreading Sikhi, rehet and Gurmat soch amongst the masses. We need good Singhs like him and his party to win SGPC elections more often. Not just SGPC but also DSGMC elections. These two Gurdwara governing bodies are currently being run by the wrong people i.e. Badals and Sarnas.

Do u think sgpc elections are any less corrupt than state elections

[N30S1NGH]

I think that Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann should just focus all his energy resources on SGPC elections. That is the most important thing right now. Once SGPC is under Panthic minded Singhs, they can use it's resources for things that really matter i.e. spreading Sikhi, rehet and Gurmat soch amongst the masses. We need good Singhs like him and his party to win SGPC elections more often. Not just SGPC but also DSGMC elections. These two Gurdwara governing bodies are currently being run by the wrong people i.e. Badals and Sarnas.

Great post not just Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann but singhs from abroad should be looking into SGPC elections. We need youth voice in SGPC. Apparently there is no restriction of nri applying in SGPC election/applying for seat as baba harnam singh dhumma nri (us citizen) is member in SGPC.