Former Union Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal head Sukhbir Badal declared ‘Tankhaiya’ by Sikh body, read what it means and how the former Deputy CM will have to ‘atone for his sins’

Former Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been declared ‘tankhaiya’. The Panj Pyare (Five Beloved Ones) at Takht Sri Patna Sahib, one of the five highest seats of power in Sikhism, decided to declare him a ‘tankhaiya’, a word in Sikhism for anyone guilty of religious misconduct.

This move has raised controversy in the Sikh community, particularly as this is not the first time Badal has been issued a tankhaiya. His failure to show up in front of the Sikh religious authority on two occasions prompted this move.

Sukhbir Badal was asked to report to the Panj Pyare because he was accused of having favoured individuals who were convicted of going against a religious decree or ‘Hukamnama’. Badal received notices more than once, but he neither replied nor attempted to present himself. His refusal to cooperate was considered an insult to the authority of the Takht, and thus, he was made a tankhaiya.

This is not the first time that Sukhbir Singh Badal has been pronounced a tankhaiya. In August 2024, the Akal Takht, Sikhism’s highest seat of temporal power, had pronounced him guilty of religious impropriety over decisions made while in office as Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister from 2007 to 2017.

Then the five Akal Takht high priests had issued directions to Badal and some other Sikh cabinet ministers to give written explanations within 15 days. Then, religious punishment was imposed upon Badal; he was asked to do ‘seva’ like shoe cleaning, washing vessels, and bathroom cleaning at the Golden Temple.

He was seen guarding the entrance of the temple with a plaque around his neck. He did the duty on a wheelchair due to a fractured leg.

What Does ‘Tankhaiya’ Mean?

In Sikhism, a ‘tankhaiya’ is an individual who has made a religious error or offence. The word and penalty are derived from ancient traditions adopted by the Sikh community. This is declared by the highest institution of the Sikh body. If a Sikh commits a religious offence, he or she must appear before the local Sikh Sangat (community), apologise, and afterwards face whatever penalty the Sangat and the religious leaders impose.

The procedure is conducted in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, representing the fact that judgment isn’t done by humans but in the presence of the Guru.

How can a tankhaiya ‘atone for his sins’

Punishment for a tankhaiya is not legal, but religious and symbolic. It is intended to humble the offender and assist him in becoming a member of society once again. Sweeping the floor of gurdwaras, washing community kitchen utensils (langar), shining devotees’ shoes, and sometimes even walking around wearing a board with the offence written on it are common punishments.

Once the individual has undergone the punishment and done an ardaas (prayer), they would normally be forgiven and accepted back into society. However, if they do not take or fulfil the punishment, they are excommunicated from the Sikh religion. This would mean a total religious and social boycott, and an individual cannot take part in any Sikh religious ceremony or be regarded as part of the religion.

The famous people who have been declared Tankhaiyas in the past

Sukhbir Badal joins a long list of prominent personalities who have been declared tankhaiya in Sikh history. These included the first Sikh emperor, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, former President of India Giani Zail Singh, former Punjab CM Surjit Singh Barnala, former home minister Buta Singh, former SAD president Jagdev Singh Talwandi and even a former jathedar of the Akal Takht, Darshan Singh.

Possibly the most well-known among them is the founder of the Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh was declared tankhaiya in 1802 after he married Moran Sarkar, a Muslim dancer. The then jathedar of the Akal Takht, Akali Phula Singh, made Ranjit Singh publicly apologise. He was nearly flogged but pardoned after offering his regrets.

Jagdev Singh Talwandi, a former president of SAD and then SGPC president, was announced as a tankhaiya in 1979 for not obeying Akal Takht’s directions regarding the merger of Akali factions. He later apologised and finished his punishment.

Former President of India Giani Zail Singh and former Union Minister Buta Singh were also declared tankhaiya for their actions during the Operation Blue Star of 1984. Whereas Zail Singh was pardoned on a written apology, Buta Singh was excommunicated and forgiven only 10 years later when he presented himself before the Akal Takht.

Baba Santa Singh, the leader of a Nihang group, was also announced as tankhaiya for initiating reconstruction work on the Akal Takht, following Operation Blue Star, without the community’s sanction. He apologised in 2001 and was requested to serve at all five Takhts.

In 1986, then Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala was excommunicated by the Akal Takht for letting the police into the Golden Temple during Operation Black Thunder. He was fined, made to wash devotees’ shoes, and forced to recite Sikh prayers. He finished serving his punishment five years later and was reaccepted into the Sikh religion.

In 2003, Gurbaksh Singh ‘Kala Afghana’ was excommunicated due to his writings that were deemed offensive to the Sikh religion. When he was declared a tankhaiya by the Akal Takht, he reacted rudely and did not show up. Later, he was permanently excommunicated.

Recent declarations and political controversies

The decisions of the Akal Takht have frequently fueled controversies. In 2009, its then jathedar, Professor Darshan Singh Khalsa, was declared a tankhaiya and subsequently excommunicated in 2010.

In 2017, in the Punjab elections, more than three dozen Akali Dal and Congress leaders were issued a ruling as tankhaiyas for trying to seek votes from Dera Sacha Sauda, a step that upset the majority of Sikhs. These leaders were told to render religious service such as sweeping gurdwaras, mopping floors, and serving in the langar.

Interestingly, these leaders, including Surjit Singh Rakhra and Sikandar Singh Maluka, are now a part of the rebel faction that has revolted against Sukhbir Badal. One of their prime charges is that the pardon accorded in 2015 to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was instigated by Badal, which was subsequently withdrawn following intense opposition.

Dera chief had been at the centre of tensions with the Sikh community since 2007 when he appeared dressed like Guru Gobind Singh. This was a great insult in the eyes of the community. He was excommunicated, but in 2015, the Akal Takht pardoned him unexpectedly on a written apology. This move sparked protests throughout Punjab, prompting the Takht to rescind the pardon later.

In 2017, Sucha Singh Langah, who is a senior Akali leader, was excommunicated when an obscene video of him surfaced and went viral. Though he was acquitted in 2018, he was only pardoned by the Akal Takht in 2022.

The Akal Takht in 2022 also labelled former jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib, Giani Iqbal Singh, a tankhaiya for his role in internal power struggles within the gurdwara.

What if a ‘tankhaiya’ refuses to comply?

As per Sikh customs, once one is proclaimed as a tankhaiya, they have to fulfil the penalty bestowed by the Takht. If they fail to do so, they are excommunicated, and no Sikh is permitted to maintain social and religious connections with them.

Such an individual can perform prayer at the Golden Temple but not at the Akal Takht Sahib, which is the supreme spiritual authority for Sikhs.

Sukhbir Singh Badal’s fresh declaration as tankhaiya revoked the debates over religious responsibility, political action, and community leadership within Sikhism. Whether or not he takes the punishment this time around or defies excommunication once more remains to be determined, but the affair demonstrates how seriously religious behaviour is taken within Sikh traditions, even if one is politically prominent.

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