THE FARMERS WILL VOTE FOR US

The wounds are deep. There is no question of going back to the alliance (with the BJP) when they did not even listen to us.

- PRATUL SHARMA

The Shiromani Akali Dal recently celebrated 101 years of its formation. What does the party stand for?

The Congress might be older, but the Shiromani Akali Dal can claim to be the oldest party formed by Indians. When the Akalis won the right to manage gurudwaras from the British, Mahatma Gandhi said the first decisive battle of independence had been won.

The Akali Dal has followed Sikh principles such as Sarbat da Bhala (welfare for all) without any discrimination of caste, colour or creed. Neither oppress anyone nor be oppressed. The people who brought the farm laws should have known who they were taking on.

Has the party, essentially for the Sikhs, become more secular?

Sikhism is a secular religion. Guru Nanak Dev’s companion was Bhai Mardana, a Muslim; the foundation of the Golden Temple was laid by a Muslim saint; our ninth Guru laid down his life for Hindus. That is why caste combinations never worked in Punjab, unlike in other states.

Earlier, the first child in Hindu families was christened a Sikh. Whenever a new president has taken over the reins, his belief system has also been incorporated into the party. Over time, we went into a dark period of terrorism and Pakistan was fomenting trouble; at that time, (Parkash Singh) Badal sahib brought about an alliance with the BJP.

But many Akali leaders such as S.S. Dhindsa and Manjinder Sirsa left the party saying it no longer served the Sikhs.

You are quoting people who have been BJP stooges in the garb of being Akali Dal [members]. They have backstabbed the Sikhs and the party that gave them so much.