High drama prevailed when Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders and MLAs, led by its president Sukhbir Badal, courted arrest after breaking two police barriers to reach the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, and later staging a dharna at police station, to register their protest against “denigration of Guru Sahiban” in the history books under Congress regime.
The party also announced to continue agitation on the issue till the Chief Minister apologized to the Sikh sangat (community) and took action against those responsible and distributing the offending material to school children.
Sukhbir Badal led senior party leaders and MLAs in a protest march from the MLA Hostel to the Chief Minister’s residence during the course of which they broke two police barriers before they were stopped near the entry point of the Chief Minister’s residence.
The Akali leaders carried placards demanding action against those who had insulted the Guru Sahiban besides calling for Capt Amarinder’s resignation for failing in his duty to assuage the hurt feelings of the Sikh masses.
Sukhbir later told the media that the SAD was ready to pay any sacrifice to protect the honour and dignity of the Guru Sahiban as well as Sikh religion and culture.
He said that the Congress Government had deliberately distorted Sikh history for the second time in months to change it in such a manner that coming generations did not take pride in the rich heritage.
The insult meted out the Guru Sahiban was intolerable and the SAD would not rest till those who had prepared the defamatory matter as well as those who had distributed it were not arrested and proceeded against, he said.
During the dharna, in front of the Chief Minister’s residence, leaders raised slogans like “Guru itehas de katil murdabad – murdabad, Capt Amarinder isteefa deva, and Capt hai hai”.
The Akali leaders refused to end their sit in and stuck to their stand following which they were taken into custody and arrested by the Chandigarh Police.
Slogans of “Panth ki jeet” reverberated as the leaders were escorted to buses and taken to a local police station. The leaders did not relent and even staged a dharna at the police station demanding Chief Minister to apologize and resign for failing to do this duty towards the Sikh panth.
They also condemned the Congress’ “conspiracy” to weaken the Sikh panth by distorting history books of Class XI and Class XII.
CAPT SLAMS SUKHBIR FOR RESORTING TO LAWLESSNESS TO SPREAD FALSE PROPAGANDA OVER HISTORY BOOKS
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday lambasted the Akalis led by Sukhbir Badal for unnecessarily creating a law and order problem over the issue of school history books even after the Government had categorically clarified that the new course books would not be introduced until the Expert Group set up to review them completes its task.
Capt Amarinder, reacting strongly to the violence triggered by Akali protesters who clashed with the police while trying to break through barricades outside his residence, slammed Sukhbir for trying to take the law into his hands and diverting public attention from the more crucial task of maintaining law and order ahead of Diwali.
“Sukhbir’s action is a frantic bid to divert attention from the crisis facing the SAD which was faced by an internal revolt just months before the crucial Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that he had already directed the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) to continue with the existing history textbooks for Classes XI and XII pending completion of the review by the Expert Group, which has already held 11 meetings to assess the standard of the text books, with particular focus on factual and religious discrepancies, if any.
The Expert Group of eminent historians was constituted by the State Government on May 11, 2018, in response to concerns raised in certain quarters regarding alleged errors and discrepancies in the syllabi of history for Classes XI and XII. The Group is chaired by Prof Kirpal Singh and comprises Dr JS Grewal, Dr Indu Banga, Dr Pirthipal Singh Kapur along with Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon and Dr Inderjeet Singh Gogoani, both representatives of SGPC.
Capt Amarinder reminded Sukhbir that he had already asked the Education Minister OP Soni to ensure a comprehensive review by the Expert Group, taking into consideration all the complaints and suggestions received earlier.
The Chief Minister had also directed the Education Minister to ensure that individual chapters of history books are not released by PSEB, and only a textbook properly vetted and approved by the Expert Group and the Government is published after proper diligence, said the spokesperson.
Despite his categorical assertion that the students will be taught only history that is factually correct and backed by evidence, without any dilution in the coverage of Punjab and Sikh history, the Chief Minister said: “Sukhbir & Co are continuing to politicize the vital issue, which show their total lack of sensitivity towards the interests of the people of Punjab, particularly the student community.”
Terming the Akali act as the height of irresponsibility, the Chief Minister said that desperate to gain public attention, the Badals were now stooping to all lows, irrespective of the impact of their actions on the people of Punjab.
At the same time, the Chief Minister urged students not to be misguided by the Akali propaganda but to concentrate on their studies with the prescribed history books (those of the 2017-18 academic session).