Sant Harchand Singh Longowal: the Punjab Accord and his death at Sherpur

This day remembers Sant Harchand Singh Ji Longowal, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, who was shot dead on 20 August 1985 while addressing a gathering at a gurdwara in Sherpur, near Sangrur, less than a month after signing an accord meant to bring peace to Punjab.

A preacher from Longowal

Harchand Singh was born in 1932 in the Sangrur district and grew up in the village of Longowal. He studied the Guru's bani from a young age, became a kirtani and preacher, and was respected for his simple way of life. He was drawn into the Akali movement, took part in the morchas of the 1970s against the Emergency, and rose to lead the Shiromani Akali Dal.

The Dharam Yudh Morcha

From 1982 he led the Dharam Yudh Morcha, a mass campaign for the demands set out in the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, among them the transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab, a fair share of river waters and greater autonomy for the states. Tens of thousands of volunteers courted arrest. After the army operation of June 1984 he was among the Akali leaders detained.

The Punjab Accord

Released in 1985, he chose the path of negotiation. On 24 July 1985 he and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signed the Punjab Accord, which promised to settle many of the state's long-standing demands. Many welcomed it as a hope of peace after years of bloodshed; others opposed it. On 20 August he was killed by gunmen at Sherpur.

How the day is observed

The SGPC's calendar keeps his shaheedi, and it is observed with Akhand Paath, kirtan and Ardas, especially at Longowal, where a memorial stands.