The Akalis A Short History by J. S. Garewal: Reviewer’s Reading

The Akalis A Short History by J. S. Garewal: Reviewer’s Reading
Punjab Studies Publication, 511, Sector 11,
Chandigarh Phone 542975 672919
I Edition 1996
Source Credit: Arya College Library, Ludhiana

Important Observations on the Preface: First posting

The author has claimed that the book was written on the suggestion of Parkash Singh Badal who was President of Shiromani Akali Dal. He had emphatically claimed that the politics of the Punjab after 1920 was dominated by the Akalis.

Another important observation is that the author has emphatically declared that the Singh Sabha reformation movement was linked with early Sikh traditions. Which earlier tradition is he referring to which is considered relevant to the Singh Sabha Movement? Secondly, he further claims that the Akali Movement was also related to the Singh Sabha Movement. In this manner he has related the Sikhs traditions, the Singh Sabha Reformation Movement, the Sikh Sabha Movement as such and the Akali Movement with the "Earlier Sikh Tradition". What is this early Sikh tradition which the author believes is the precursor to the Akali movement and the Sikh Sabha Movement? It also raises another question. It asks that what there be in the Sikh tradition which had become highly relevant to the initiation of the Sikh Sabha Movement and Akali Movement. How was the Sikh Tradition had the answer to the changing times and problems? The answer that the Sikh Traditions have answers for all the issues which could prop up in the future is useless answer. It is just like saying that the Vedas have answer to all the problems. Either prove it or it can be called an expression of a fundamentalist.

He has declared that till 1980, he was concerned only with "pre-colonial India, including the history of Punjab and History of the Sikhs." It was only during the course of writing Cambridge Volume that he started taking interest in ‘modern and contemporary developments.’

He has given the name of Indu Banga, Veena Sachdeva and Reeta Garewal who are known to intimately involved in the research work of the author. He has given the name of Harish Sharma in the same category.

He has written that he has not given the foot notes but assured that he had gather information from the sources which he has pointed out in the bibliography. He has pointed out that the work of gathering material was done by Sharma, Sachdeva and Joginder Singh. The places of sources were the libraries in Chandigarh, the University Library in Patiala, the Libraries of Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar and Khalsa College Amritsar. The Punjab version of this book is written by Professor J. S. Rahi.

The author had mentioned that he generally started his work in six in the morning. I have attended one of his lectures. I do not remember whether it was during the lecture or general interaction with his admirers, that he commented that he regularly started his work at 6 in the morning. He had made the same comment in this preface. It just reveals an aspect of his personality. He is forthcoming and genuine in his conduct. This may seem to be a minor observation but at some place in my forthcoming writings I will like to discuss such aspects while writing history. I will allude to the actual point of debate of which it can form the part of discussion below. Some aspects which are basically my point of debate and a thesis will be made in following paragraphs.

From the very Preface, it becomes clear that this book is a work carried out when a historian has developed affinity with a political figure. The years 1980s were very crucial years for Punjab and Sikh community. The expertise of a historian who is a Sikh himself has been pressed into service to lay out the back ground of the Akali activities based on history. The endeavour sets an aim that the sanctity to the activity of a political party should be justified on the basis of traditions which makes the content matter of history of any identifiable Human group. Thus, it is a case, in which ideology quietly creeps into the analysis of a trained scholar.

The associates who had been acknowledged here are all related the scholar in one way or the other. Some of them are ‘the creation’ of the eminent scholar. Similarly, the place from where the sources had been claimed to be gathered are all such places which were hunting grounds of the main author himself. It is true that he could have found them only at such places. However, the places at Delhi and elsewhere could have also brought up some material which could have found the place of pride in the book.

The author has given a picture of development of his thought web during the course of his profession and activity as a historian. The scholar is mainly concerned with Medieval India. However, he is more popular as a historian of Sikh history. He has accepted that it was only during the course of the development of his historian learning that he had developed interest in Sikh history. He can say that but for a student like me, I am not able to understand that how could he be able to detach himself from his identity as a Sikh by faith but undertaking his pursuits of other topics and even that in Medieval India. As per my understanding, Medieval India and rise of a community as a Sikh community as product of basic cause and effect relation that had happened in India. No doubt, he admits that while pursuing Colonial India he had taken interest in history of Punjab and history of Sikhs. This answers that how he had become more popular for his studies in Sikh history. He is not known much for his Medieval Indian work which is actual field of work as per his CV and his own claims in one of his interview to a newspaper.

One peculiar feature, which is observed among most of the Indian historians is that they never fail to declare that they were associated with the western world while pursuing their field of job. Here, I am just reminded of the comment of Romila Thapar that the Indian historian just reacts to what the European world says and they do not come up with original work. What type of tendency is this? Is the colonial past now an inseparable part of their genes? They are not able to break away from their infatuation of the European world. There is no doubt, that small continent is really a mighty place. We may keep on declaring about our greatness but their greatness does not seek certification and get certified and established when the scholars of Garewal’s stature feel pride in alluding to his relations with that world while undertaking his work. It is right that he was sought because he had credentials to support his recommendations but somewhere Romila’s comment is the right justification for such references.

The book on the whole makes a good reading both for general reader and student of history. However, being a student of history, it has further deepened my confusion about the actual purpose of writing history and methods adopted in writing history. On of the main determined factor in writing history is the historian himself. The laboratory of a historian is his brain where he sifts and classify the data acquired. It is here that history world has not scientifically decided upon the devices to be used. The human factor continues to come in even if the historian develops into a mature scientist in the field of history.