Library
|
Anandpur Sahib Resolution Basic Postulates of the Shiromani Akali Dal As adopted by the working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal at its meeting held at Sri Anandpur Sahib on October 16-17, 1973. (A) Postulates 1. The Shiromani Akali Dal is the very embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of the Sikhs and as such is fully entitled to its representation. The basic postulates of this organization are human co-existence, human progress and ultimate unity of all human beings with the spiritual soul. 2. These postulates are based upon the three great principles of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, namely meditation on God’s Name, dignity of labour, and sharing the fruits of this labour. (Nam Japo, Kirat Karo, and Vand Chhako) (B) Purposes The Shiromani Akali Dal shall ever strive to achieve the following aims: 1. Propagation of Sikhism, its ethical values and code of conduct to combat atheism. 2. Preservation and keeping alive the concept of distinct and sovereign identity of the Panth and building up of appropriate condition in which the national sentiments and aspirations of the Sikh Panth will find full expression, satisfaction and growth. 3. Eradication of poverty and starvation through increased production and more equitable distribution of wealth and the establishment of a just social order and any exploitation. 4. Vacation of discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or any other ground in keeping with basic principles of Sikhism. 5. Striving for the removal of disease and ill health, denouncement of the use of intoxicants and enlargement of full facilities for the physical well-being to prepare and enthuse the Sikh Nation for the national defense. First Part The Shiromani Akali Dal considers it its primary duty to inculcate among the Sikh, religious fervour and a pride in their rich religious heritage for which it proposes to pursue the following measures: (a) Reiteration of the concept of unity (Oneness) of God, meditation on His Name, recitation of Gurbani, renewal of faith in the ten Sikh Gurus and the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other appropriate measures for such a purpose. (b) Grooming accomplished preachers, ragis, dhadis and poets in the Sikh Missionary College for a more effectively propagation of Sikhism, Sikh Philosophy, belief in Sikh code of conduct and Kirtan etc., at home and abroad, in schools and colleges, in villages and cities as indeed at every place. (c) Baptizing the Sikhs (Amrit Parchar) on a vast scale, with particular emphasis on Schools and Colleges of which teachers and the taught shall be enthused through regular study circles. (d) Reinculcate the religious practice of ‘DASWAND’ among the Sikhs. (Giving one tenth of one’s earnings for the welfare of the Community). (e) Generating feelings of respect for the Sikh intellectuals, writers, preachers, Granthis, etc., who also in turn, would be enthused to improve upon their accomplishments while conforming to the basic Sikh tenets and traditions. (f) Streamlining the Gurdwaras administration by giving better training to their workers. Appropriate steps would also be taken to maintain Gurdwara buildings in proper condition. For such a purpose, the party representatives in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and local Committees would be directed from time to time to pull their weight. (g) Making appropriate arrangements for the error free publication of Gurbani; promoting research work in the ancient and modem Sikh history as also its publication; rendering Gurbani in other languages and producing first rate literature on Sikhism. (h) Taking appropriate steps for the enactment of an All India Gurdwara Act with a view to introduce improvements in the administration of the Gurdwaras throughout the country and to reintegrate the traditional preaching sects of Sikhism like Udasis and Nirmalas with the mainstream of Sikhism without in any way encroaching on the properties of their respective individual ‘maths’. (i) Taking such steps as may be necessary to bring the Sikh Gurdwaras all over the world under a single system of administration with a view to run them according to the basic Sikh norms and to pool their sources for dissemination of Sikhism on a wider and more impressive scale. (j) Striving for free access to all those holy Sikh Shrines, including Nankana Sahib from which the Sikh Panth has been separated, for pilgrimage and proper upkeep. Political Goal The Political goal of the Panth, without doubt, is enshrined in the commandments of the Tenth Lord, in the pages of the Sikh history and in the very heart of Khalsa Panth, the ultimate objective of which is the pre-eminence of the Khalsa. The fundamental policy of the Shiromani Akali Dal is to seek the realization of this birth right of the Khalsa through creation of congenial environment and a political set up. For Attainment of this Aim The Shiromani Akali Dal is determined to strive by all possible means to: (a) Have all those Punjabi speaking areas, deliberately kept out of Punjab, such as Dalhousie in Gurdaspur District; Chandigarth; Pinjore-Kalka and Ambala Sardar etc., in Amabala District; the entire Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur District; the ‘Desh’ area of Nalagarh; Shahbad and Gulha blocks of Kamal District; Tohana Sub-Tehsil, Rattia block of Sirsa Tehsil of Hissar District and six tehsils of Ganganagar District in Rajasthan; merged with Punjab to constitute a single administrative unit where the interests of Sikhs and Sikhism are specifically protected. (b) In this new Punjab and in other States, the Centre’s interference would be restricted to Defence, Foreign relations, currency and general communication; all other departments would be in the jurisdiction of Punjab (and other states) which would be fully entitled to frame their own Laws on these subjects for administration. For the above departments of the Centre, Punjab and other States contribute in proportion to representation in the Parliament. (c) The Sikhs and other religious minorities living out of Punjab should be adequately protected against any kind of discrimination). 2. The Shiromani Akali Dal would also endeavour to have the Indian Constitution recast on real federal principles, with equal representation at the Centre for all the States. 3. The Shiromani Akali Dal strongly denounces the foreign policy of India framed by the Congress party. It is worthless, hopeless, and highly detrimental to the interest of the country, the Nation and the mankind at large. Shiromani Akali Dal shall extend its support only to that foreign policy of India which is based on the principles of peace and national interests. It strongly advocates a policy of peace with all neighbouring countries especially those inhabited by the Sikhs and their sacred shrines. The Akali Dal is of the firm view that our foreign policy should in no case play second fiddle to that of any other country. 4. The Shiromani Akali Dal shall raise its firm voice against any discrimination against any Sikh (or even other) employees of the Central or State Governments. The Shiromani Akali Dal shall also endeavour to maintain the traditional position of the Sikhs in all the wings of the defence department and the Panth would pay particular attention to the needs of the Sikh army men. The Shiromani Akali Dal would also see that ‘Kirpan’ is accepted as an internal part of the uniform of the Sikhs in army. 5. It shall be the primary duty of the Shiromani Akali Dal to help to rehabilitate the ex-servicemen of the Defence Department in civil life and for such a purpose it would extend them every help to enable them to organize themselves so that they are able to raise their voice in an effective way for gaining adequate concessions and proper safeguards for a life of self respect and dignity. 6. Thus, Shiromani Akali Dal is of the firm opinion that all those persons, males or females who have not been convicted to any criminal offence by a court of law should be at liberty to possess all types of small arms, like revolvers, guns, pistols, rifles, carbines etc., without any license, the only obligation being their registration. 7. The Shiromani Akali Dal seeks ban on the sale of liquor and other intoxicants and shall press for prohibition on the consumption of intoxicants and smoking in public places. The Economic Policy and Programme of the Shiromani Akali Dal As adopted by its Working Committee on 17th October, 1973 at its meeting held at Sri Anandpur Sahib: Although the mainstay of the Indian economy is agriculture and all those political powers who claim to raise social structure on the basis of justice cannot afford to ignore this fact, yet this is a hard fact that the levers of economic powers, continue to be in the hands of big traders, capitalists and monopolists. Some marginal benefits might have accrued to other classes, but the real benefits of economic growth have been reaped by these categories during the last 26 years after independence. The political power has also been misappropriated by these classes which are wielding the same for their own benefits. As such, any peaceful attempt to usher in a new era of social justice would have to break the economic and political strongholds of these categories of people. The Shiromani Akali Dal strongly advocates that the growing gulf between the rich and poor, in the urban and rural areas both should be abridged but, it is of the firm opinion that, for such a purpose, the first assault would have to be made on the classes who have assumed all the reins of economic power in their hands. In rural areas the Akali Dal is determined to help the weaker classes, like the scheduled castes! backward classes, landless tenants, ordinary labourers, poor and middle class farmers. For such a purpose, it stands for meaningful land reforms which envisage a ceiling of 30 standard acres and the distribution of excess land among the poor farmers. The motto of Shiromani Akali Dal is to provide employment to all, requisite food and clothing for all, house to live in, suitable transport and to create means to fulfil all those necessities of a civilized life without which life appears incomplete. As such, the economic policy of Shiromani Akali Dal shall endeavour to achieve the following objectives. Agriculture Sector During recent years the agriculture sector has witnessed land reforms and green revolution. The Shiromani Akali Dal undertakes to enrich the green revolution by an increase in yield per acre. It should also ensure perceptible improvement in the standard of living of all rural classes, more particularly of the poor and the middle class farmers, as also the landless labourer. For such a purpose, it plans to work on the following lines: (a) Introducing land reforms and measures for increasing agricultural production with a view to remove the growing gap between the rich and the poor. For such a purpose the existing legislation on land ceiling would have to be revised and a firm ceiling of 30 standard acres per family would have to be enforced with proprietry rights to the actual tillers. The excess land would be distributed among the landless. Government land lying unused shall be distributed among the landless classes especially the scheduled castes and tribes. While distributing such lands, the interests of Harijans and landless labourers would be particularly taken care of. The Akali Dal would also consider other possibilities of allowing the tenants to service loans by mortgaging land under their plough, as also prohibiting the scheduled castes/tribes and backward classes from mortgaging the land distributed among them. (b) The Shiromani Akali Dal shall work for the modernization of farming and would also try to enable the middle class and poor farmers to seek loans and inputs made available by different agencies. (c) The Shiromani Akali Dal shall try to fix the prices of the agricultural produce on the basis of the returns of the middle class farmers. Such prices would be notified well before the sowing season and only the State Governments would be empowered to fix such prices. (d) The Shiromani Akali Dal stands for complete nationalization of the trade in food grains and as such, shall endeavour to nationalize the wholesale trade in food grains through the establishment of state agencies. (e) The Shiromani Akali Dal strongly opposes the demarcation of food zones and the attendant restrictions on the movements of food grains. The whole country should be treated as the Single Food Zone. The party shall make special efforts to bring the Thein Dam and the Bhatinda Thermal Plant to a speedy completion so that increased and cheaper power and irrigation facilities are available. Efforts would be made for the establishment of an Atomic power station in the State. Co-operative societies would be set up in the rural areas. In all those areas where canal water is not available small irrigation projects would be taken in hand. Industrial Sector The Shiromani Akali Dal strongly advocates that all key industries should be brought under the public sector. It is of the opinion that basic consumer industries should be immediately nationalized to stabilise the prices of the consumer goods and to save the poor consumer from exploitation at the hands of the industrialists and the middlemen. The pubic Sector industries should be established in such a way that the imbalance between different states is removed. A planned effort to establish agro-industries in the rural areas should be made to relieve the growing population pressure in the urban areas. The industrial management should be democratized by enabling the workers to have a say in the management and by fair distribution of profits between the industrialists and the workers. The credit agencies, especially the nationalized banks, should be directed to invest a fixed ratio of their deposits in the rural areas. Every industrial unit beyond worth one crore assets should be brought under the public sector. The Akali Dal stands for progressive nationalisation of transport. The Public Sector units should be fully autonomous and manned by competent young executives-drawn from a central pool of talent. Economic Policy The Shiromani Akali Dal demands that the whole tax structure be revised in such a way that the evasion of taxes and the flow of black money is completely eradicated. It stands for a simple and straight-forward system of taxation. The present infra-structure of taxation, weighs heavily against the poor and enables the rich to bypass it. The party stands for a more realistic policy in this respect so that the black money running a parallel economy may be usefully utilized for workers, middle class employees and agricultural labour. For their benefits the Shiromani Akali Dal would try its best:
Unemployment The Shiromani Akali Dal Stands for full employment in the country. For such a purpose, it is of the firm opinion that the government must provide immediate employment to the educated and trained persons, otherwise reasonable unemployment allowance should be paid to them. This amount should be shared by the Centre and the State governments. The minimum rates (these rates were fixed in 1973) of such an allowance should be as under:
All persons above the age of 65 should be given old age pension. Weaker Sections And Backward Classes The Shiromani Akali Dal shall try to improve the economic condition of the backward classes and weaker sections of society by extending them facilities for education, employment and other concessions, to enable them to come at par with other sections of society. Food grains at cheaper rates would , be made available to them. The Resolutions Adopted, in the light of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, at open session of the 18th All India Akali Conference held at Ludhiana on October 28-29, 1978, under the presidentship of Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi are as under: Resolution No. 1 Moved by Sardar Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, and endorsed by Sardar Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, Punjab. The Shiromani Akali Dal realizes that India is a federal and republican geographical entity of different languages, religions and cultures. To safeguard the fundamental rights of the religious and linguistic minorities, to fulfil the demands of the democratic traditions and to pave the way for economic progress, it has become imperative that the Indian constitutional infrastructure should be given a real federal shape by redefining the Central and State relation and rights on the lines of the aforesaid principles and objectives. The concept of total revolution given by Lok Naik Jaya Parkash Narain is also based upon the progressive decentralization of powers. The climax of the process of centralization of powers of the states through repeated amendments of the Constitution during the Congress regime came before the countrymen in the form of the Emergency (1975), when all fundamental rights of all citizens was usurped. It was then that the programme of decentralization of powers ever advocated by Shiromani Akali Dal was openly accepted and adopted by other political parties including Janata Party, C.P.I. (M), D.M.K., etc. Shiromani Akali Dal has ever stood firm on this principle and that is why after a very careful consideration it unanimously adopted a resolution to this effect first at the All India Akali Conference, Batala, then at Anandpur Sahib which has endorsed the principle of State autonomy in keeping with the concept of federalism. As such, the Shiromani Akali Dal emphatically urges upon the Janata Government to take cognizance of the different linguistic and cultural sections, religious minorities as also the voice of millions of people and recast the constitutional structure of the country on real and meaningful federal principles to obviate the possibility of any danger to the unity and integrity of the country and, further, to enable the states to play a useful role for the progress and prosperity of the Indian people in their respective areas by a meaningful exercise of their powers. Resolution No. 2 This momentous meeting of the Shiromani Akali Dal calls upon the Government of India to examine carefully the long tale of the excesses, wrongs, illegal actions committed by the previous Congress Government, more particularly during the Emergency, and try to find an early solution to the following problems:
Resolution No. 3 The chief sources of inspiration of the economic policies and programme of the Shiromani Akali Dal are the secular, democratic and socialistic concepts of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. Our economic programme is based on three principles:
While drafting its economic policies and programme, the Shiromani Akali Dal in its historic Anandpur Sahib Resolution has laid particular stress on the need to break the monopolistic hold of the capitalists foisted on the Indian economy by 30 years of Congress rule in India. This capitalist hold enabled the Central government to assume all powers in its hands after the manner of Mughal imperialism. This was bound to thwart the economic progress of the states and injure the social and economic interests of the people. The Shiromani Akali Dal once again reiterates the Sikh way of life by resolving to fulfil the holy words of Guru Nanak Dev:
This way of life is based upon three basic principles:
The Shiromani Akali Dal calls upon the Central and the State governments to eradicate unemployment during the next ten years. While pursuing this aim, special emphasis should be laid on amelioration the lot of the weaker sections, scheduled and depressed classes, workers, landless and poor farmers and urban poor farmers and urban poor. Minimum wages should br fixed for all of them. The Shiromani Akali Dal urges Punjab government to draw up such an economic plan for the state as would turn it into the leading state during the next ten years by raising per capita income to Rs. 3,000/- and by generating an economic growth rate of 7% per annum as against 4% at the national level. The Shiromani Akali Dal gives first priority to the redrafting of the taxation structure in such a way that the burden of taxation is shifted from the poor to the richer classes and an equitable distribution of national income ensured. The main plank of the economic programme of the Shiromani Akali Dal is to enable the economically weaker sections of the society to share the fruits of national income. The Shiromani Akali Dal calls upon the Central government to make an international airport at Amritsar which should also enjoy the facilities of a dry port. Similarly, a Stock Exchange should be opened at Ludhiana to accelerate the process of industrialization and economic growth in the State. The Shiromani Akali Dal also desires that suitable amendments should be made in the Foreign Exchange rules for free exchange of foreign currencies and thereby removing the difficulties being faced by the Indian emigrants. The Shiromani Akali Dal emphatically urges upon the Indian government to bring about parity between the prices of the agricultural produce and that of the industrial raw materials so that the discrimination against such states that lack these materials may be removed. The Shiromani Akali Dal demands that the exploitation of the produces of cash crops like cotton, sugarcane, oil seeds, etc., at the hand of traders should be stopped forthwith and for this purpose arrangements be made for purchase by government of these crops at remunerable prices. Besides, effective steps should be taken by government for the purchase of cotton through the Cotton Corporation. The Shiromani Akali Dal strongly feels that the most pressing national problem is the need to ameliorate the lot of millions of exploited persons belonging to the scheduled classes. For such a purpose the Shiromani Akali Dal calls upon the Central and State governments to earmark special funds. Besides, the state governments should allot sufficient funds in their respective budgets for giving free residential plots both in the urban and rural areas to the Scheduled Castes. The Shiromani Akali Dal also calls for the rapid diversification of farming. The shortcomings in the Land Reforms Laws should be removed, rapid industrialization of the State ensured, credit facilities for the medium industries expanded and unemployment allowance given to those who are unemployed. For remunerative farming, perceptible reduction should be made in the prices of farm machinery like tractors, tubewells, as also of the inputs. Resolution No. 4 This huge gathering of the Shiromani Akali Dal regrets the discrimination to which the Punjabi language is being subjected in adjoining States of Himachal, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, etc. It is its firm demand that in accordance with the Nehru Language Formula, the neighbouring State of Punjab should give ‘second language’ status to Punjabi because of fairly large sections of their respective populations are Punjabi-speaking. Resolution No. 5 The meeting regrets that against the ‘claims’ of the refugees who had migrated to Jammu and Kashmir as a result of the partition of the country, no compensation had been provided to them even after such a long time and these unfortunate refugees had been rotting in the camps ever since then. This Akali Dal session, therefore, forcefully demands that their claims should be settled soon and immediate steps should be taken to rehabilitate them even if it involves an amendment to section 370. Resolution No. 6 The 18th session of the All India Akali Conference take strong exception to the discrimination to which the minorities in other states are being subjected and the way in which their interests are being ignored. As such, it demands that injustice against the Sikhs in other states should be vacated and proper representation should be given them in government service, local bodies and state legislatures, through nominations, if need be. Resolution No. 7 The 18th session of the All India Akali Conference notes with satisfaction that mechanization of farming in the country has led to increase in the farm yield and a as a result the country is heading toward self-sufficiency. However, the session feels that poor farmers are unable to tale to mechanization because of the enormity of the cost involved. As such, the Shiromani Akali Dal urges upon the Government of India to abolish the excise duty on tractors, sot that with the decrease in their prices, the smaller farmers may also be able to avail themselves of farm machinery and contribute to increase in agricultural produce of the country. Resolution No. 8 This conference of the Shiromani Akali Dal appeals to the Central and State governments to pay particular attention to the poor and labouring classes and demands that besides making suitable amendments in the Minimum Wages Act, suitable legal steps be taken to improve the economic lot of the labouring class, to enable it to lead respectable life and play a useful role in the rapid industrialization of the country. Resolution No. 9 This session seeks permission from the Government of India to install a broadcasting station at the Golden Temple, Amritsar, for the relay of ‘Gurbani Kirtan’ for the spiritual satisfaction of those Sikh who are living in foreign lands. The session wishes to make it clear that the entire cost of the proposed broadcasting project would be borne by the Khalsa Panth and its over all control shall vest with the Indian Government. It is hoped that the Government would have no hesitation in conceding this demand after due consideration. Resolution No. 10 The huge session of the Shiromani Akali Dal strongly urges upon the Government of India to make necessary amendments in the following enactment for the benefit of the agricultural classes who have toiled hard for the sake of larger national interests:
Resolution No. 11 This vast gathering of the Shiromani Akali Dal strongly impresses upon the Government of India that keeping in vies that economic backwardness of the scheduled and non-scheduled castes, provisions proportionate to their population should be made in the budget for utilization for their welfare. A special ministry should be created at the Centre as a practical measure to render justice to them on the basis of reservations. The session also calls upon the government that in keeping with the settlement already made, no discrimination should be made between the Sikh and Hindu Harijans in any part of the country. Resolution No. 12 The Congress government is called upon to vacate the gross injustice, discrimination done to Punjab in the distribution of Ravi-Beas waters. The Central government must also give approval for the immediate establishment of six sugar and four textile mills in Punjab so that the State may be able to implement its agro-industrial policy. |
