SGPC member rejects post in SAD (Badal) over accommodating wife of Sikhs’ butcher

AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—A day after the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) appointed Farzana Alam, wife of Sikhs’ butcher Izhar Alam, as general secretary of its women wing ‘Istari Akali Dal’, Kiranjot Kaur today rejected the post in protest against Farzana’s appointment.

Kaur who is also SGPC member and vocal against the wrongdoings of the gurdwara body, said, “I remember the terror created by Izhar Alam’s ‘Alam Sena’ in late 1980’s when he was SSP Amritsar. Sikh youth were targeted. Then he retired and became ‘panthak’, even became Vice President of Shiromani Akali Dal (B). Now his wife has been nominated as General Secretary Istri Akali Dal. Fine, your prerogative! But why put me on the same list? I do not want any post, thank you”.

Jagir “Kaur”, president of the Istri Akali Dal expanded the organizational structure of the wing and Farzana is among the office-bearers announced today, as per an official communiqué of the SAD (Badal) controlled by Badal family. Once again, the move is inviting criticism of the Sikh masses.

Giving her clarification on this matter, Jagir “Kaur” said, “Farzana cannot be blamed for what was done by her husband about whom I don’t know much. She has done a lot for the women and served society. Secondly, she has been working in the party for the last 15 years. Her contribution to the party cannot be ignored. As women MLAs, we remained together in the Punjab legislative assembly. Keeping in view of these aspects, I have appointed her as the general secretary.”

Reacting to the move of Kiranjot Kaur, she said, “If she doesn’t want to work for the party, it is her will. What can I do in this matter?”.

During the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the Izhar Alam played a major role in suppressing the armed Sikh struggle, in which he is known to have used inhumane methods. He is the architect of the infamous “Alam Sena” also known as “Black Cats” responsible for fake encounters, in which thousands of Sikh youths were killed under the pretext of fighting “terrorism”.

Wikileaks had also highlighted Alam’s involvement in the violation of human rights in the form of extra-judicial killings in Punjab.

Former DGP, KP Gill, had publicly praised the Alam Sena by stating that the Punjab police could not have functioned without them. There are several human rights cases pending against Alam, and other Punjab Police officers involved in various human rights atrocities that occurred in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

It is pertinent to mention that during Punjab assembly elections in 2012, Parkash Badal fielded Izhar Alam as SAD candidate from the Malerkotla seat. At that time, Sikhs had opposed this decision harshly. After facing a backlash, Akalis transferred the party ticket to Alam’s wife Farzana Alam, changing her name to ‘Nissara Khatoon’. This was nothing, but a clever attempt made to fill the eyes of Sikhs with dust.

Even the Sant Samaj led by Damdami Taksal (Mehta) chief Harnam Singh Dhumma campaigned for Mrs. Alam in 2012 assembly elections and a photo of Dhumma with Alam went viral over social media.

Despite resentment among the Sikhs against the Alam family, the SAD (B) president Sukhbir Badal appointed Mr. Alam as vice-president of the party which claims itself to be the sole representative party of the Sikhs.

The fresh move reveals that the SAD (Badal) leaders are still in association with the forces which played a role against the Sikhs.

It is worth mentioning here that the SAD (B) also appointed Sumedh Saini, another such butcher of the Sikhs, as DGP of Punjab. Saini was recently nominated in a case of extra-judicial killing. Besides, he is also an accused in Behbal Kalan firing that killed two Sikhs demonstrating for justice in Bargari sacrilege case.