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Sonrise
Jagmohan Singh
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They say truth is relative. In Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal has
shown that relative is the truth. Seriously following the recent
deliberations behind handing over the chair that was once
occupied by stalwarts like Master Tara Singh, one wonders
whether Akali Dal ever had any democratic tradition. While
public debate was totally missing, we present you a sneak peak
from the kind of debate that must have happened behind closed
doors guarded by 6-footer guards in Panthic attire. If you have
any personal knowledge that anything more serious happened in
the name of debate, do write to us. Entire Panth wants to know.
– Editor. |
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In the early
hours of a cloudy winter day, one is not sure whether the sun will
rise. Every one makes different kinds of preparations to face
the winter.. On 31
January, in the Badal household too, in
Chandigarh,
preparations were afoot. Of a different kind. At around 6.30 in
the morning, I overheard this conversation.
Scene 1 Morning
hours,
Chandigarh
Parkash Singh Badal: Kakaji, are you ready?
Sukbir Singh
Badal: Sat Sri Akal, Papaji, Yes, let us have tea.
Parkash Singh
Badal: Kakaa, let me have my last cup of tea as president of the
historic Shiromani Akali Dal.
Sukhbir Singh
Badal: What? Who is challenging you? Or you are relinquishing the
post for the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat as a grand gesture? Just tell me,
who is it? We cannot take this lying down? Tell me, who is it that
is bothering you. Why don’t you tell me in advance?
PSB: Kakaji, I
have plans and you know I don’t disclose them till the last minute.
SSB: But tell me
who is bothering you?
PSB: Oh, baba,
no one is. Actually, I have made up my mind to pass on the baton to
…
SSB: I thought
that the delegates of the party are to select the President and that
is what we have been told by the Election Commission of India.
PSB: That is
fine, but I have decided that you will be the president of the
Shiromani Akali Dal. I am 81 years old and the Akali Dal has
great democratic traditions. I cannot continue to occupy two
positions. Even our big brother –the BJP does not have two roles for one person.
SSB: Papaji, do
you think that I am ready for this responsibility?
 PSB: Of course,
your untiring efforts, computerization, media-management made me the
chief minister by the skin of my teeth. So, I must give something
in return, isn’t it? And come to think of it, I have made all the
necessary adjustments. Dhindsa’s son, Capt. Kanwaljit’s son,
Kohli’s son, Tohra’s son-in-law, your brothers-in-law – all have
been suitably adjusted. There should be no problem whatsoever.
SSB: I am happy.
I am grateful. You mean that I will have to work hard as president
of the Shiromani Akali Dal, till I become the Chief Minister.
PSB: Don’t
worry; everything will happen step by step. Just go to
Amritsar and get
elected. All the necessary democratic instructions have been passed
on.
SSB: Thank you
papaji, thank you very much. Sat Sri Akal.
Scene 2
Afternoon
Amritsar
 The Teja Singh Samundri hall, built in the memory of a person who
died in jail for his strength of character and his relentless
struggle to uphold the religious and democratic rights of the Sikh
people, stood witness to the proceedings of the election of the
president of the Shiromani Akali Dal. I overheard the goings on in
the ante-room adjunct to the main room.
Sukhbir Singh
Badal: I am here. Come on. Let us start the election process.
Ranjit Singh
Brahmpura: What process! You are the president of the party, that’s
it.
SSB: But we have
to show something to the Election Commission of India?
Daljit Singh
Cheema: Who cares? Do they know that the membership drive was over
in less than two months? Nobody wants to check membership
receipts. In fact, we have more members than the total population of
Sikhs in
Punjab! The Congress does not have membership receipts, no one has
it, and they say that the BJP has them, but I have not seen their
records either, to me it appears only tall talk.
SSB: What about
the delegates?
Capt. Kanwaljit
Singh: What about them? As directed by Badal Sahib and as inferred
by us from your body language, all the delegates have been very
carefully selected in the highest traditions of the Akali Dal.
SSB: The
delegates are the senior leaders of the party, what will they stand
up and say?
Tota Singh: They
will not stand up. If they do get up, they will not say anything.
During one of the preparatory meetings to select delegates, one Mr. Gumtala tried to teach us
democracy; we just threw him out of the meeting.
Gurdev Singh
Badal: They have nothing to say. You are to be the party president
and your are supreme. The supremo is always supreme. Nobody says
anything to him or in his presence. You say and every one listens,
irrespective of the number of years they have put in politics. This
is our tradition.
SSB: But I want
to model the party on modern lines.
 Sharanjit Singh
Dhillon: Of course you should. Just modernize the offices, manage
the media effectively as you did during elections, snuff out
mischief mongers like Punjab Today and continue to insert full page
advertisements in the media extolling yourself and your father.
Bring in your own mischief mongers.
SSB: What about
intra-party democracy?
Jagdev Singh
Talwandi: Too much democracy hurts. People raise unnecessary
objections over procedures and policies. You know, we should not
allow this. Such things weaken the party.
Avtar Singh Hit:
I totally agree with Talwandi Sahib, forget all this talk of
consensus. Amongst the Sikhs, such things do not work. We are all,
“chittar de yaar”. Keep flogging us and we will remain united in
the party. The day you stop, the party will flop. Mind you, this is
the first lesson you should take home from
Amritsar today.
SSB: Thank you.
In a moment of humility,
I had forgotten this.
…and now we
announce the unanimous election of Sukhbir Singh Badal as the
president of the Punjabi party –Shiromani Akali Dal.
Scene 3
Chandigarh
I kept trailing the father-son duo and reached
Chandigarh
again. I took a chance and again overheard their conversation.
SSB: Papaji,
thank you very much. I think this presidentship is a wondrous opportunity to convert
Punjab
into
California.
PSB: Kakaji,
zameen te pair rakho, bahutiyan udhariyan na maaro –Oh son, do not
aim too high. The trouble with you youngsters is that you want
everything in a hurry. Particularly those of you who have had
education abroad, you don’t want to sweat it out. All these years, I
have not crossed my limits. I have never thought beyond Shambu and
you want to straight away jump to
California.
SSB: Papaji,
gussa kyo honde ho, aj hi. Oh papa, please do not get angry. Not
today, atleast. I just wanted to show you my intentions. You also
know that it is not possible to achieve everything so soon. I
promise that I will be around for many years. I will do things, but
do things slowly. In any case, what we have to do is to sell lands
of Punjab
and make money. No other enterprise suits us best. We will do
this slowly and steadily, earn money for the exchequer and run the
government. Every one in the family knows that unless I put in
twenty-five years of service for the people of
Punjab, how my
son will become the president of Shiromani Akali Dal!
Jagmohan Singh
is a commentator based in
Ludhiana. He may
be contacted at
jsbigideas@gmail.com
6 February 2008
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