Eye on party registration, Akali Dal Waris Punjab De woos Dalits; invokes Kanshi Ram to push inclusive image

Discussions focused on caste divisions within Sikh society, including the existence of separate gurdwaras associated with Jat and upper-caste Sikhs and those frequented by Dalits.

AD-WPD leader Kabal Singh said the issue was discussed in detail. Speakers stressed the need for solidarity and elimination of caste disparities in religion, arguing that Sikh Gurus had fought against the caste system and made sacrifices for the cause, while Kanshi Ram had championed the rights of Dalits.

Rathore also referred to Kanshi Ram’s description of the Guru Granth Sahib as a “manifesto” of the people and drew parallels between its vision of Begampura — a casteless society — and the party’s concept of Khalsa Raj.

He said the organisation was willing to accommodate people with different ideologies but insisted they should join with an “open heart” and without hostility towards other viewpoints.

Rathore said participants also discussed the issue of Sekhowal village, a Dalit-majority settlement wiped off the map of Ludhiana district.

The village land was acquired for the proposed textile park project in the Mattewara forest area. According to the organisation, villagers were displaced after the acquisition, but the village was not rehabilitated even after the project was shelved.

Rathore claimed the organisation has increasingly highlighted Dalit representation within its ranks. Faridkot MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa is among its prominent Dalit faces, while the party has decided to field Basant Singh Daulatpura from Nihal Singh Wala.

Campaign material associated with the organisation has also featured Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar alongside Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

AD-WPD has faced scrutiny over its efforts to shed its image as a hardline Panthic organisation and broaden its support base. The organisation also recently suffered an embarrassment after Enforcement Directorate Deputy Director Niranjan Singh severed ties with the group just four days after joining it.

The AD-WPD delegation, led by senior leader Manpreet Singh Ayali and Khadoor Sahib MP Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum seeking registration of the organisation as a political party.

The latest outreach to Dalit communities follows earlier efforts by the organisation to engage Hindu communities as it seeks to project a more inclusive and secular political identity.