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movement made them over-confident and they started boasting to end the British rule<br />

as they had done, according to them the downfall of the Muslim empire in India.<br />

Concluding, the Shiromani Akali Dal was given full confidence by the Sikh<br />

masses but the leadership after the Gurdwara Movement could not chalk out any<br />

constructive programme to struggle for. The post-1920s Sikh politics demanded the<br />

same spirit and character which they could neither sense nor demonstrate. Pakistan<br />

movement and the Congress influence created crisis in the Sikh polities which could<br />

not be settled although they had a sincere support of the British behind them.<br />

The Sikhs never enjoyed unity and always underwent dissension within the<br />

community and party as well. Dissension is an inherent right of any person but when<br />

it is productive and beneficial for the community concerned. Disagreement for<br />

personal pursuits always blots the struggle and communitarian integrity. Giani Kartar<br />

Singh disagreed with others and sought cooperation with the AIML but he was<br />

opposed to the unbelievable extent by the Akalis. On every important occasion, the<br />

Sikh leaders remained divided with contradictory opinion. Sardar Hukam Singh was<br />

of the view that the Sikhs could not set any goal to achieve as in the Simla Conference<br />

Master Tara Singh rejected the idea of Sikh State. In the negotiations with the Cabinet<br />

Delegation, every Sikh leader had individual standpoint, different to the other’s which<br />

shows that the Sikh leadership had no political ideal to achieve. Gurmit Singh<br />

suggests that the Azad Punjab was the best solution to the Sikhs while Hukam Singh<br />

repudiates such solution with the argument that the expulsion of the Muslim and<br />

Hindu communities from the areas was not possible. 86 Actually, the sane line was that<br />

the Akali leadership should have been clear that they could achieve nothing until an<br />

approval of the Congress and the League but they secured goodwill from none of<br />

them. They dialogued with the stakeholders as a party but the dream of the restoration<br />

21

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