As humiliating images of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal guarding the gates of the Golden Temple surfaced on Tuesday, senior SAD leader Naresh Gujral invoked the Punjabi tradition of forgiveness and hoped that the People would also forgive the Akali Dal as the leaders accepted and atone for their mistakes. .

Speaking to the Tribune a day after the Akal Takht issued a series of sanctions against Badal and other Akali leaders, holding them guilty of violating the Sikh rehat maryada (code of conduct), Gujral recalled how the Sikhs had forgiven even the Congress after Operation Bluestar and Sikh Massacre of 1984.

“Sikhs have a tradition of forgiving, forgetting and moving on. Once an apology is offered and the offender accepts and performs penance through sewa as a humble Sikh, he is forgiven. Be it Maharaja Ranjit Singh or anyone else, once they accepted their mistakes and atoned for them, the Sikh masses also moved on. We hope that a new chapter will now begin in the history of the Akali Dal,” Gujral said.

He said that Punjabis are magnanimous and do not believe in holding grudges for centuries or decades.

“It’s the Punjabi character. Punjabis, especially Sikhs, have learned the lesson of humility from our revered Gurus. If someone repents, someone asks for forgiveness, he accepts and forgives. Nothing could have been worse than the Sikh massacre of 1984 and yet the Punjabi masses, especially the Sikhs, re-elected the Congress governments not once but twice,” the former MP said, adding that with With Sukhbir Badal and others humbly accepting the punishment of Akal Takht and atoning for their mistakes, Punjabis will forgive the party.

When asked how he viewed the event of the Badals being found guilty by the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, Gujral said it signaled acceptance of the mistakes that were made and a willingness to do penance for these errors.

“Punjabis were angry with the SAD earlier because mistakes were made but were neither acknowledged nor atoned for. That has changed. Sukhbir Badal and others humbly accepted the Akal Takht verdict. The supremacy of Takht remains undisputed,” Gujral said.

He said the Akali Dal’s challenge was to rebuild the party from now on.

“The Akal Takht has directed the Akali Dal to work in the interest of Sikhs and Punjabis whose voice they feel has become weak. They ordered the reorganization of the SAD from primary membership and that the process be completed in six months. This hukamnama will be respected in letter and in spirit. Every leader of the Akali Dal, irrespective of which faction he belongs to, came before the Akal Takht with complete humility and accepted the hukamnama of the Takht,” Gujral said, adding that the current historical moment offers to the Akali Dal a chance of rebirth.