The Punjab Cabinet

The report that Sardar Partap Singh Kairon, leader of the Punjab Congress Legislature Party was off on yet another visit to Delhi, left one wondering how many more such excursions would have to be undertaken by him before he finally picked his team. Fortunately, he has returned as expeditiously as he left Chandigarh early on Monday morning, and lost on time in giving the Press the names of seven out of team of eight Ministers and of five Deputy Minister who are to be sworn in this morning. In a sense, the names spring no surprises but it is also true that speculation in the Press has been proved wide of the mark. This is not a matter for regret because some, at least, of the claims reported to have been pressed and as likely to be accommodated carried the implication that having already provided against regional fears by the compromise formula for the reorganisation of the State, ingenuity was again to be exercised to attempt meticulously to reflect the whole range of interests in the Cabinet as well. The team is new in a sense and yet it is not new. The combination is certainly an experiment which has a strong suggestion of novelty about it. 

Click here for a larger image of Editorial published on April 9, 1957

We were frankly apprehensive of the many trips Sardar Pratap Singh was making to Delhi, and the reports of what was said to be going on behind the scenes suggested that, once again, many fingers were delving into the Punjab Ministerial pie to pick out plums of their own choosing. In addition, Sardar Pratap Singh having to hold consultations, in turn, with individually members of the Congress High command gave one an uncomfortable feeling that the team would consist of members who would be more conscious of their individual strength than the strength to be derived from cohesion as a team. All cabinets which in the past, have encouraged a sense of individual strength, have come to grief sooner rather than later, and it is gratifying to know that Congress advice from Delhi has thought better of following a procedure which had little to commend it. We hope we are right in drawing this inference from the names announced and that the Congress High Command has, in fact, concluded it to be the better part of wisdom to leave the picking of the team to the discretion of the Party Leader in the State. It is always a temptation for the authority which has the final approval in such matters to tell the Chief Minister-to-be how large his team should be and who should make up the number. It is our surmise that this temptation has been resisted and that the Congress High Command had done no more than give some broad indications of the consideration he should bear in mind leaving him otherwise free to pick his team.

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Ability and cohesion are the two essential conditions which a Ministry should satisfy and the criticism is not irrelevant that in the team as chosen where the first is well provided for, the second may not be as effectively secured. But those who are happy to find that the easy way out has not been taken by exclusion, in one instance, may be disappointed that the claims of ability should have been disregarded elsewhere.     

The proof of the pudding is, however, in the eating and the Pratap Singh Ministry has many difficult tasks ahead on the handling of which will depend whether or not they develop into headaches or even more than headaches. Much will depend on the extent to which each member of the team feels it his duty himself to do all he can to avoid them. If, as we presume, Sardar Pratap Singh has chosen his team, the future lies equally in his not complaining as in his colleagues not giving him cause for complaint.