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Badalshahi calendar turns leaf, reveals President
Sukhbir
Kalam Nishan Singh
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Badal Sr. becomes Lifetime Patron, so it was fitting that son’s
tenure was increased to five years. His plans include
25-year-rule |
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Nightmarish
movies in which pygmies take over the world and become rulers
overnight remained a favourite
Hollywood idea
for years, but it was easy to live with the almost comical
characters. In Punjab, the ruling Akali Dal supremo and Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal actually pulled a rabbit out of a hat
at the Teja Singh Samundri Hall, springing on us Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The 45-year-old became the youngest president of Panth's oldest and
India's second oldest political party last Thursday in an election
that you may call unanimous, thanks to Badal Sr.'s skills in
accomodating, adjusting and edging out anyone who could be a remote
obstacle.
 It occured to no
one to mention that partaking of Amrit may have been the best way of
seeking Akal Purakh's blessings. Sukhbir, himself, of course brushed
aside the idea, and his father clearly did not press for it. As for
the rest of the party, it has by now become a habit with senior
leaders of the Panth to entrust all rights to Sardar Badal.
The toughest job
was perhaps left to the Badal family's ghost writers upon whom fell
the responsibility of drafting the young Akali leader's bio data.
"Name, father's name, date of birth, name of spouse...". So far, so
good. Then came "Literary, Artistic & Scientific Accomplishments."
Well, even these accomplished pen pushers could not do better than
"Won North Zone clay modelling competition held at
Chandigarh". It
is not clear when Sukhbir used to mould clay, but given his father's
competence in moulding opposition out of existence, he must have
picked up many a skill.
If the media did
not pay much attention to the fact that Manpreet Singh Badal and
Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon were not present during the anointment
ceremony, it did not mean they had forgotten about the big day. As
for the rest of the tall leaders of Akali Dal, it seemed Sukhbir's
"artistic and scientific accomplishments" ensured that they remained
merely clay models.
Badal Sr. of
course immediately made himself the Patron of the party, and, in
keeping with his personal philosophy about democratic functioning of
political parties, prefixed his designation with "Lifetime". It must
be considered a tribute to any leftover norms that Sukhbir Singh
Badal was not named "Lifetime President" of the Akali Dal, but
pending that, the Supremo ensured that Kaka ji was elected at least
for five years. Akali Dal presidents, including Badal himself, have
been traditionally elected for three years at a time, but when
someone in the General House meeting proposed that the term be
increased to four years, it was quickly changed to five.
 What normally
would take months, or perhaps even years, of serious debate about
pros and cons in a democratic society, takes just a second and a
full-throated Jaikara when Badals are in command.
Lest the WSN is
accused of missing out on the roll call of the great men of history
who ushered the Panth into a new era, it was veteran Ranjit Singh
Brahmpura who proposed Sukhbir's name. Cooperation Minister
Kanwaljit Singh had the honour of seconding it. Jagdev Singh
Talwandi did everything to underline how grateful he was to Badal
for making such a sacrifice and sparing Sukhbir Singh Badal to lead
the party. Both Talwandi and Sukhbir are particularly known in party
circles for their skills in employing polite language to convey a
point.
"It is a big
responsibility on my shoulders that party leaders have placed on me.
We will change the trend of
Punjab electing
Akalis and the Congress after every five years. We will see that the
Akali Dal remains in power for 25 years," Sukhbir said.
With such a
spirit of sacrifice and clearly denoting no love for power, Sukhbir
Singh Badal took over the reins in Badal's reign. Why will the party
go out of power after 25 years was a riddle Sukhbir left others to
solve. Media, of course, did not even try its hands, a mark of the
advertisement budgets of governments and ruling political parties.
Humility was on
full display as the young leader touched the feet of top Akali
leaders and sought their blessings. Not one said that he can't spare
his blessings.
 Magnanimity was
the hallmark of the day's proceedings. "I am like their son. I will
need their blessings in running the party," Sukhbir said. Everyone
agreed on the point about sons. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's, Kanwaljit
Singh's, Gurdas Singh Badal's, Sardara Singh Kohli's...everyone's
sons need blessings these days.
And Senior
Sardar Badal? "There is no question of my retirement as of now.
Politicians retire only when they die. I am a soldier and will
continue to fight. The party has given me a lot. I have to run the
chief ministership." Spoken like a true 81-year-old leader.
The BJP-RSS
leadership was quick to welcome the development, clearly
understanding that this was the decisive move of the Akali Dal as a
political party away from Panthic concerns. Badal had covered a lot
of path in that direction, turning the party into a secular outfit
and even changing the Constitution surreptiously, but the strides
that the Akali Dal may possibly take under Sukhbir Singh Badal's
watch are expected to match India's IT sector growth. Sukhbir
himself is known to be pretty strong on the
management-through-computer front and his first statement after
election was about linking all party offices through broadband, the
best idea so far from the House of Badals about taking the party
forward.
Last year,
Sukhbir Singh Badal was made a working president of the Akali Dal.
Ironically, the demand for a working president was first made by
late Sardar Gurcharan Singh Tohra in December, 2000, a move that
ensured his sacking from the party, from the SGPC presidentship and
split in the Akali ranks. Those who made the great sacrifice by
chucking their ministries and going with Tohra were present in full
strength during Sukhbir Singh Badal's crowning. No one even uttered
the word Tohra. Maheshinder Singh Grewal was raising the loudest of
jaikaras and Sukhdev Singh Bhaur was beaming everywhere to
ensure he gets into the picture frame, but everyone knew the picture
that will make it to the front pages next day will be Badal Senior,
Badal Junior, and the siropa that will denote the spirit of
humility. See, even the WSN front page is no different.
6 February 2008
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