Parkash Singh Badal – My own Cherished Memories

 

Parkash Singh Badal – My own Cherished Memories

Parkash Singh Badal, a living legend, passed away on April 25 at the age of 95 (December, 1927 – April, 2023). With a chequered political career – Member Panchayat, MLA for ten terms, MP, Central Minister, 5 times CM of Punjab and one of the leading lights of the SAD, Parkash Singh Badal was a legendary public figure not only of Punjab but also of India and beyond. He was considered to be a

moderate face of the Sikh politics. The media is full of stories and glowing tributes to the departed leader and rightly so.

I thought of sharing my own cherished memories of meeting and interacting with the political colossus as my humble tribute the towering figure in the contemporary times.  I met him twice – one in 1977 in Delhi at the beginning of my long diplomatic career and second in 2014 in Chandigarh after my retirement. 

Parkash Singh Badal, a fairly young and suited-booted personality, was named as a Minister in the Morarji Desai Government in March,1977 after the defeat of PM Indira Gandhi in the aftermath of emergency. Badal Sahib came for the first meeting of the Cabinet in the Conference Room No.157 in the PMO after taking oath at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. It fell on me to receive him at the Gate of PMO and escort him to the meeting as an Assistant Protocol Officer attached to the PMO on deployment from the MEA. It was an honour and obviously I was not only delighted but excited too. Besides warm exchange of pleasantries, his easy demeanor was appealing and impressive.  Badal Sahib was full of humility, I could feel. It took about a couple of minutes to escort him through the red carpeted famous stairs of the PMO in a quiet dignity. Later in the evening when I reached home, I was further pleased to learn from my wife, Vidya and our neighbours that they saw me escorting the newly appointed Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the DD Television.  Subsequently, he was allotted Ministry of Agriculture and I saw him quite regularly as and when he came for the Cabinet meetings or meetings with the PM for a few months before he choose to come back to Punjab politics.

On retirement, I decided to come back to my roots in Jalandhar in 2012 with a view to do something worthwhile for ‘paying back to the society’ in whatever humble way I could do. In the process, I wrote a brief letter to CM Parkash Singh Badal sometime in 2014 introducing myself, I offered myself to serve the people of Punjab in whatever capacity the Government of Punjab might consider appropriate without knowing the intricacies of such dealings as a naïve and faceless diplomat. I was happy to get an acknowledgement of my letter from the Principal Secretary to CM, S.K. Sandhu, with the observations that my letter had been placed before the Hon’ble CM.  One day when I was traveling to Delhi by train, I received a phone call from the office of CM Parkash Singh Badal that CM will like to meet me the next day at 3 in the afternoon at his residence at Chandigarh. I told them that I was on my way to Delhi but immediately agreed to come back to Chandigarh as directed for the said meeting. Obviously, I was concerned that it was a good opportunity which might not come again in the near future. Next day, I boarded the morning train from Delhi to Chandigarh to catch up with the scheduled meeting. By the time, I reached Ambala, I got a call from the CM’s office that my meeting with the CM was cancelled as he had to go for the funeral of someone outside Chandigarh. I told them that I was already about to reach Chandigarh and I had no option but to stay in Chandigarh itself and requested that the cancelled meeting may be rescheduled for the next day. I must say that the concerned Aide of the CM was very courteous and accommodative. He said that they would try to do their best and inform me accordingly. Late in the evening, I telephoned PS to CM, S.K. Sandhu to seek his help in the matter. He knew about the meeting and its cancellation and told me that he would reschedule the meeting most probably at around 10 in the next morning and would confirm which he did soon after. It was a big relief to me. Sushil Sheemar, son of one of my friends in Jalandhar with whom I was staying in Chandigarh drove me to the meeting at the CM’s residence in Sector -2. S.K Sandhu, who turned out to be a close relation of Sushil Sheemar, received us in his office. CM Parkash Singh Badal arrived in the meeting room attached to his office at dot 10, unlike most of the political bigwigs. I was impressed by his sense of discipline and punctuality. S.K. Sandhu ushered me to the meeting room. CM made me feel comfortable with a warm Sat Sri Akal and nodded to sit down. Starting the conversation, CM spoke in Punjab ‘Sunao ki hall aa’ and made me further comfortable. I briefly introduced myself and while thanking for the opportunity to meet him added that I would be happy if I could be given some opportunity to serve the people of Punjab; particularly the weaker sections of the society as my wish to ‘pay back to the society’ under CM’s able leadership and guidance. He did not speak much but listened to me carefully and responded ‘acha hai’ and added that he was happy to meet me while signally to S.K. Sandhu who was present in the meeting to make a note of my submissions. With refreshments over tea, the meeting lasted for about 20 minutes. I found CM Parkash Singh Badal a seasoned and down to earth politician and a fine human being without pretentions. We shifted to Sandhu Sahib’s office where Sushil was waiting and exchange further notes. Sandhu Sahib observed that he could see that I was too naïve to understand the functioning here as I remained outside the country most of the time in a bit different set up. He also advised me to write again as a follow up with somewhat specific inputs which I did. Let us leave it here.

The sole purpose of this cursory piece is to remember and pay tributes to the departed leader, Sardar Parkash Singh Badal, a popular politician, able administrator and a human being par-excellence. May Waheguru grant peace to the departed soul? Naman.

Hazaron Saal Nargis Apni Benoori Pe Rotti Hai;

Badi Mushkil Se Hota Hai Chaman Mein Didabar Paida.