The Shiromani Akali Dal (Akali Dal, Punjabi: ਸ਼ਿਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ translation: Supreme Akali Party) is a Sikhism-centric political party in India, mainly active in the Indian state of Punjab and with a small presence in Haryana. The current party to be recognized by the Election Commission of India is the one led by Parkash Singh Badal. 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 but from last decade it has turned out to be a secular party.

History[link]

Akali Dal was formed on December 14, 1920 as a task force of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, the Sikh religious body. The Akali Dal considers itself the principal representative of Sikhs. Sardar Sarmukh Singh Chubbal was the first president of a unified proper Akali Dal, but it was under Master Tara Singh that Akali Dal became a force to reckon with. The party launched the Punjabi Suba movement to create a Sikh majority state in the undivided East Punjab under the leadership of Sant Fateh Singh. In 1966, the modern-day East Punjab was formed, but its division led to bitter conflict. Akali Dal came to power in Punjab, but many times the party's governments were dismissed due to internal conflicts & minute mandate in its favor.

The Dal's chief opponent on the political front is the Indian National Congress. Its political ally in the state and at the centre is the Bharatiya Janata Party. Since the population of Punjab is about 60% Sikh and 37% Hindu, the Akali Dal 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. ^[1]

In 1999, Gurcharan Singh Tohra resigned from the Akali Dal due to differences with then-party president Parkash Singh Badal and founded a new party named Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal. In 2003, he along with the party rejoined with the Badal-led Akali Dal.

2012 return to power[link]

As of 6 March 2012, the assembly elections results for the state were declared and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) coalition won again, for the second consecutive time in Punjab.

Results
SAD: 56/117
BJP: 12/117
Indian National Congress: 45/117
Others: 4/117

Factionalism[link]

The Akali Dal has splintered into numerous groups, all claiming to be the successor to the original party; currently the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), headed by Sukhbir Singh Badal, is recognized by the Election Commission of India. Parkash Singh Badal will take oath as a chief minister of Shiromani Akali Dal party of Punjab state on 14 March 2012 at Chappad Chidi, Mohali.

See also[link]

• Splinter groups of the Akali Dal
• Sikhism
• Tara Singh Malhotra
• Babu Labh Singh
• Akali

References[link]

Sources[link]

• Harjinder Singh Dilgeer. Sikh Twareekh. Sikh University Press, Belgium, 2007. 5 volumes (Punjabi)
• Harjinder Singh Dilgeer. Sikh History. Sikh University Press, Belgium, 2010-11. 10 volumes
• Harjinder Singh Dilgeer. Shiromani Akali Dal (1920-2000). Sikh University Press, Belgium, 2001.

External links[link]

• http://www.shiromaniakalidal.org.in/

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Simranjit Singh Mann (Punjabi: ਸਿਮਰਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਨ) (born May 20, 1945, Simla, India)^[1] is a politician from Punjab.^[2][3][4] He is president of a Sikh political party, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), that used to advocate Sikhs sedition from India and form a separate Sikh Nation-State, Khalistan. Mann has been arrested or detained some 30 times but he has never been convicted.

In 1984, he resigned his post as Commandant of the Central Industrial Security Force (I.P.S.) in Bombay^[1] in protest of mass murder of Sikhs' (including women and children) and attack on the most sacred shrine Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) during Operation Blue Star which was carried out by the Indian army, and was detained. Mann was charged, among other things, with conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

He was elected in absentia to India's Parliament by an overwhelming mandate in the State of Punjab, and unconditionally released "in the interests of the State", with all charges dropped, after five years in prison, in November 1989. He was denied an Indian passport on the grounds that he was "threat to the security and integrity of India". Mann was denied entry into the Indian Parliament when he insisted on carrying a kirpan with him.

In May 1993, while campaigning in support of a candidate during the Jalandhar by-elections, a gunman attempted to assassinate Mann. No one was charged in the crime.

On November 3, 1999, after Mann was elected to the Indian Parliament, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the Union of India and the Passport Office in Chandigarh to issue a passport to Mann.^[5]

Mann is a two time Member of Parliament, winning from Taran Tarn in 1989 and Sangrur in 1999.^[6]

Background[link]

He comes from a political family. His father Lt. Col. Joginder Singh Mann was a speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha (also known as Punjab Legislative Assembly) in 1967.^[7] He is married to Geetinder Kaur Mann.^[8] Mann's wife and Capt. Amarinder Singh's wife Maharani Preneet Kaur are sisters.^[9]

He was educated at the Bishop Cotton School, Simla and Government College Chandigarh. He was a gold medalist in subject "History"^[1]

He has one son Emaan Singh and two daughters Pavit Kaur and Nanki Kaur.^[1] Some news agencies also spell his son's name as Imaan Singh Mann.^[10] His son is also a politician.^[11][12]

Indian Police Service[link]

He had appeared for Central Services Examination in 1966 and subsequently he joined Indian Police Services in the year 1967 and he was allocated "Punjab Cadre". He worked on several Indian Police Service positions, including Assistant Superintendent of Police Ludhiana, Senior Superintendent of Police Ferozepur, Senior Superintendent of Police Faridkot, Inspector-General of Police Railways, Patiala, Deputy Director of Vigilance Bureau Chandigarh, Commandant of Panjab Armed Police and Group Commandant of Industrial Security Force Bombay. He also served as Assistant Deputy Commissioner Governor of Panjab. To protest against Indian Government troops attack (also known as Operation Bluestar on Golden Temple he resigned from Indian Police Service on June 18, 1984.^[1][13]

Footnotes[link]

Amarjit Singh Rana (born February 3, 1960 at Khusropur, Punjab) is a former field hockey player from India. He was part of the Indian hockey team which won the gold medal in hockey in the 1980 Summer Olympics at Moscow.^[1][2]

References[link]

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