Why Giani Harpreet Singh's move to head Akali faction is a gamble in Punjab's panthic politics

India Today

2 days ago

On August 9, Giani Harpreet Singh, former jathedar of the Akal Takht, was chosen to head a breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), marking an unusual but not unprecedented crossing from religious authority to political command.The last such instance was of Teja Singh Akarpuri in 1940, who also moved from leading the Sikh temporal seat to presiding over the Akali Dal. But unlike Akarpuri's time, Harpreet Singh steps into an arena already fractured, wherein the mainstream SAD, led by Sukhbir Badal, faces its sharpest decline while multiple factions jostle for space in Punjab's political and religious discourse.advertisementHarpreet Singh's journey to this point has been steeped in both reverence and controversy. Appointed Akal Takht jathedar in 2018, he was seen as a relatively moderate voice. But his tenure saw friction with both the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and political leadership, particularly after he called for the Sikh youth to learn the use of traditional arms—a remark that drew criticism from as well as the state government.In January 2023, under pressure from the SGPC leadership closely aligned with Sukhbir Badal, Harpreet Singh was asked to step down—officially 'on his own request' but widely seen as a forced resignation. Later, his stint as jathedar of the Damdami Taksal—an influential Sikh seminary with a storied and controversial past—also ended abruptly when he was removed by the institution's leadership, reportedly over differences in outreach and ideological positioning.
Despite these setbacks, Harpreet Singh's proximity to senior Akali leaders remained intact. He has maintained warm ties with Sukhbir Badal and current SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, navigating the porous line between religious leadership and political alignment.Harpreet Singh's latest elevation comes at a time when the breakaway faction he now leads is making a calculated bid to woo the Panthic hardline vote. The faction had considered other symbolic choices, such as Satwant Kaur, daughter of Amrik Singh Bhindranwale, a close aide of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, but ultimately settled on Harpreet Singh, betting on his recognition, clerical aura and ability to bridge the moderate and radical segments.The move is also an unmistakable signal towards building an alliance of radical sympathisers within the political fold. Harpreet Singh's leadership is expected to resonate with controversial figures, such as MPs Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa and Amritpal Singh, who have a vocal support base among hardline Sikh voters.For the Akali faction, it's a way to tap into disillusionment with both the mainstream SAD and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), thereby hoping to revive a brand of panthic politics largely relegated to the margins since the militancy years. But the gamble carries risks—aligning too closely with radical sentiment could alienate the middle-ground Sikh electorate and invite heightened scrutiny from security agencies.advertisementIn the shifting chessboard of Punjab politics, Harpreet Singh's rise is both a throwback to an era when religious and political authority often overlapped and a test case for whether such a model can still deliver electoral dividends. The historical precedent is clear, but the context is starkly different: today's Punjab is less homogenous, more politically fragmented and more wary of overt radicalism.If Harpreet Singh can navigate these crosscurrents, he could breathe life into a faltering faction; if not, his move from the Takht to political takht could become just another footnote in Punjab's long history of Panthic intrigue.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch