Sukhbir Badal and other Akali leaders perform ‘tankhah’ at Golden Temple

Ravi Singh

Amritsar, Dec 3:

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal Tuesday took his turn at performing ‘sewa’ at the Golden Temple as a result of an order from the Sikh clergy during a ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment). Dressed in a blue ‘sewadar’, Badal performed ‘sewa’ at the Har-ki-pauda-i entrance while seated in his wheelchair, his leg still fractured. Holding a spear in his one hand, Badal had a plaque around his neck accepting his “misdeeds.”

Religious Punishment for Past Actions

This comes a day after the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs, pronounced the religious punishment for Sukhbir Badal and other SAD leaders. The punishment refers to actions taken during the Akali Dal government (2007–2017), for example, when it provided a controversial pardon to the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 2007 for a case of blasphemy. He had admitted to the mistakes himself before the pronouncement.

Details of the Punishment

Sukhbir Badal, amongst other leaders such as Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa who was also in a wheelchair, became ‘sewadars’ for one hour. Dhindsa old and feeble said, “The order for ‘sewa’ is an order for me. I will sit by the gate, I will also offer my services at ‘langar’.”.

Earlier today, former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia was instructed to clean utensils in this gurudwara. Several other senior Akali leaders, including Sucha Singh Langah and Daljit Singh Cheema, were put on cleaning duty to tidy up washrooms and utensils at the Golden Temple and nearby gurdwaras.
He underlined that all the jathedars must also listen to ‘kirtan’ (devotional hymns) for an hour. The clergy says that these punishments are also for the leaders to repent on their mistakes.

A Tone of Repentance

This spectacle of high-rung leaders with their plaques carrying admissions of guilt was taking humble duties and echoed in the minds of many onlookers. Symbolically, for many, it read as an invitation to remember Sikh values: humility and accountability.

The strict pronouncement of the Akal Takht puts even influential political figures in a situation where they are forced to pay their respects to Sikhism. With Sukhbir Badal and other leaders now completing their terms of punishment, the move is being seen as one of reconciliation, and renewed commitment towards the faith.