But political observers are attaching more importance to the politico-religious signals emanating from the general body meeting of this mini-parliament of the Sikhs. And the signals significantly point to anti-saffronisation and shift from Punjabiat to Sikhism.

The resolutions passed by the general house of the democratically elected body under the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, are fairly indicative of the direction proposed to be given to the Akali Dal in the days to come, especially on the eve of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa in April next.

Tohra has, of late, been critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the alliance partner of the Akali Dal, and this attitude is amply reflected in the resolutions passed under his leadership. The patriarch has set the politico-religious agenda with the political plankbetraying anti-BJP stance.

This agenda will take the Akali Dal closer to the Third Front at the political level. The Akali Dal cannot join hands with the Congress and seems to have begun to distance itself from the BJP. Given the situation, the Third Front is the only option left at the national level in case the party is not to alienate itself.

The tone and tenor of the resolutions is against saffronisation. It is not for the first time that the Akali Dal has demanded a separate civil code for the Sikhs. But it is the timing which is all the more significant. The resolutions seeking a separate civil code and against the educational agenda of the BJP, hammer the separate identity of the Sikhs as a minority. The SGPC has made it clear that the Akali Dal will not compromise with the cultural hegemonistic attitude of its alliance partner.

``Sikhs are a national minority and every minority has to defend itself'', says Tohra. Ideologically, the SGPC chief is coming closer to the Third Front which itself isin a flux and this would limit the choice at the political level.

The Akali Dal has been harping on the Punjabi identity for the last four years. Now the SGPC chief is charting a different course by taking up the issues which mainly concern the Sikhs as a minority.

``The Akali Dal is distancing itself from the plank of Punjabi identity with emphasis on Sikh identity,'' commented a political observer.

The shift in its focus can also be seen in the context of the tercentenary celebrations when the issues concerning the community would dominate. The celebrations are being organised by the Punjab Government and the SGPC. The political line is likely to be spelt out by the SGPC and hence the emphasis on Sikhs as ``a national minority''.

The shift in emphasis is not being seen as a contradiction between Akali Dal president and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Tohra at the moment but clearly defines the religio-political role of the SGPC. Tohra has opted for the status quo by retaining the outgoingoffice-bearers and the executive.

He is not for disturbing the status quo at any level at the moment.