Shiromani Akali Dal

Akali Dal, also termed as Shiromani Akali Dal (Akali Religious Party), is a Sikh political party mainly based in Punjab, India.

Related Topics:
Sikh - Political party - Punjab - India

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It was formed in the 1920s after the formation of SGPC (Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee), a religious body formed as a result of movement to secure Sikh Gurdwaras from corrupt priests. So in a sense Akali Dal considers itself as a religio-political party and principal representative of Sikhs. Baba Kharak Singh was the first president of the Akali Dal but it was under Master Tara Singh that Akali Dal became a force to reckon with.

Related Topics:
SGPC - Sikh - Gurdwara - Baba Kharak Singh - Tara Singh

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They launched Punjabi Suba agitation to get a Sikh majority state made from undivided Punjab based on language under the leadership of Sant Fateh Singh. In 1966, Punjab was formed but its division led to bitter conflict as neither parties were satisfied. Akali Dal came to power in Punjab but many a times their governments were dismissed by the Congress Party ruling at the federal level.

Related Topics:
Punjabi Suba - Sant Fateh Singh - 1966 - Congress Party

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In the 1980s, the Akali Dal was torn when a young fundamentalist priest Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale began an anti-India terrorist group, demanding an independent Sikh state. For a while, the Dal sought to appease Bindranwale and his extremism to preserve the support of Sikh conservatives with the main party, but Bindranwale's terrorist acts wrecked the Dal's credibility with the rest of the nation and common Punjabis. When Bindranwale's men began killing innocent Hindus and Sikhs who spoke out against him, the Dal abandoned Bhindranwale and denounced his agenda and actions.

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The Akali Dal however retained calls for greater autonomy, more support and attention from central authorities. It severely criticized the Operation Bluestar, which flushed out and killed thousands of terrorists and Bhindranwale himself from the sacred Golden Temple in Amritsar. It supported thousands of angry Sikh demonstrations, strikes and displays of outrage, and attacked the Government as well. But its credibility and respect had been severely eroded by its failure to take a decisive stand on the crisis that had caused havoc to peace and life in Punjab. Its failure to stop Bhindranwale from misusing the shrine, its failure to stop the Army from using force to eject and kill the terrorists, and its failure to stop the harsh anti-terrorist police operations that followed only weakened the Dal.

Related Topics:
Operation Bluestar - Golden Temple - Amritsar

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The Dal's chief opponent in the state is the Indian National Congress. Its political ally in the state and at the Centre is the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Since Punjab is only about 60% Sikh, the SAD needs the support of as many Hindus as the BJP can get to form lasting administrations, and the BJP needs the SAD to bring as many parliamentary seats from Punjab as it can to form a Union government. The BJP's cultural Hindu nationalism strikes a common fiber with Sikh conservatives, though their alliance is purely political.

Related Topics:
Indian National Congress - Bharatiya Janata Party

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Akali Dal's history is also full of divisions and factionalism. Each faction claims to be the real Akali Dal. As of 2003, the SAD headed by Prakash Singh Badal was the largest faction and the one recognized as having the name SAD by the Election Commission of India. Other factions have included Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal led by Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann) (also called SAD (Amritsar)), and Shiromani Akali Dal (Panthik) led by Amarinder Singh (which later merged with Congress), Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi, Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic), Haryana State Akali Dal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal).

Related Topics:
2003 - Prakash Singh Badal - Election Commission of India - Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal - Gurcharan Singh Tohra - Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann) - Shiromani Akali Dal (Panthik) - Amarinder Singh - Congress - Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi - Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) - Haryana State Akali Dal - Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal)

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In the fall of 2003 the Badal and Tohra factions reunified.

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The basic philosophy of Akali Dal is to give political voice to Sikh issues (Panthic cause) and it believes that religion and politics go hand in hand.

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