The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday termed the interpretation of the “Anandpur Sahib resolution as a separatist agenda” in new National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) text books a conspiracy to defame the Sikh community.

Addressing a press conference, senior SAD leaders Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema demanded the wrong interpretation be withdrawn immediately. They said a SAD delegation would meet the Union education minister and apprise him about the key facts that had been twisted with regard to the Anandpur Sahib resolution. The party also demanded that they be corrected by instituting a committee of Punjab historians for this purpose.

Prof Chandumajra said Anandpur Sahib resolution stood for the unity and integrity of the country and only sought to promote federalism within the constitutional framework. He called it unfortunate that a deliberate attempt was being made to spoil the image of the Sikh community across the nation.

“The present government is following in the footsteps of the Congress party which defamed the entire Sikh community for political gains. Twisting facts to present the Sikh community in a wrong way to impressionable minds is dangerous and will work against the interests of the nation,” he added.

Speaking about the Anandpur Sahib resolution, Prof Chandumajra said the country accepted the resolution and the Sarkaria Commission was instituted to review Centre-state relations. “Following this the misuse of Article 356 which was used to destabilise democratically elected governments was also drastically reduced. All regional parties also hailed the document which reflected the regional aspirations of people of the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Daljit Cheema said the chapter on the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country had also not been depicted in the right perspective by the NCERT. He said the Anandpur Sahib resolution adopted by the SAD as its goal in 1973 had been interpreted as a “separatist resolution” in one of the books.

In chapter 7 (regional aspirations) of the book ‘Swatantra Bharat Mein Rajniti’, it is mentioned that a demand of regional autonomy was raised under the resolution. “There was also a demand for redefining the Centre-state ties. The resolution advocates for strengthening of federalism. However, it can also be read as a demand for a separate Sikh nation,” reads the Hindi text.