AMRITSAR: After SAD opened a political front against the Congress over the issue of alleged distortion of Sikh Gurus’ history in the history textbook published by the Punjab School Education Board, the party is now faced with the dilemma of either continuing with SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal or replacing him.The party is looking at someone that could not only run the SGPC affairs smoothly but also benefit SAD in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections and contribute in preparing ground for its comeback in the Punjab assembly elections in 2022. Chief secretary, SGPC, Roop Singh said that the general house of the committee would be meeting at Teja Singh Samundari Hall on November 13 to elect the new president of the SGPC and other office-bearers.Though Longowal had not pushed the SGPC into any major controversy during his tenure, his presidentship is unacceptable to many Sikh bodies since he had been declared ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) after he visited the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa to seek votes for SAD during the 2017 assembly polls. On April 4, 2017, the Sikh clergy had released a list of ‘sabat surat’ (Sikhs with unshorn hair) and patit (apostate) Sikhs leaders who had gone to the Sirsa dera seeking help for the assembly polls. After that the Akal Takht had directed them to appear before Sikh high priests on April 17. Longowal’s name was at number 17 in the list of ‘sabat surat’ Sikhs issued by the Akal Takht.After declaring them ‘tankhaiya,’ the Sikh clerics had pronounced religious punishment upon them. Longowal had also undergone the sentence pronounced upon him by the then jathedar of the Akal Takht, yet his opposition continued for allegedly bowing before rape convict dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.Sources seeking anonymity said that Longowal had towed the party line and had kept the SGPC away from any controversy but his contribution to the party was not much except that he was part of a group that went to the dera seeking votes. They further said that the SAD president had closeted with a few SGPC members to contemplate over the next chief of the SGPC.“One of the names discussed was of Amarjit Singh Chawla. He had been the general secretary of the SGPC and is a member from Anandpur Sahib. Besides he had served a jail sentence in Jodhpur, which can strike an emotional chord with the Panthic support,” said sources. Chawla also has immense clout in Sant Samaj — a conglomeration of Sikh religious bodies.The sources said SAD chief could think of a taksali (old guard) Akali leader like Tota Singh to minimize the damage done by other dissident Akali leaders like Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. “By appointing Tota, SAD can claim of giving due honour to the ‘taksali’ Akalis and instead blame the dissident veterans of going against party lines for their personal interests,” they further said.Sikh intellectual and a political science professor in Guru Nanak Dev University Jagrup Singh Sekhon said that, “First of all, the ‘parchi’ (slip) system should be done away to name the new SGPC chief and members should be given a free hand to vote as per their conscience, but this seems difficult.” While agreeing that Longowal may not give any political benefit to SAD, Prof Sekhon said the party could play a masterstroke by bringing in some Dalit face.Other names, which were also being explored included Balvir Singh Ghunas and three former SGPC chiefs Avtar Singh Makkar, Jagir Kaur and Kirpal Singh Badungar.

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