Parkash Singh Badal: End of an era

Tribune News Service

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, April 25

Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal (December 8, 1927-April 25, 2023) nurtured the ambition to become a patwari in his young days but went on to become the Chief Minister of Punjab five times.

Sarpanch to 5-time CM

Badal had a role to play in almost every movement and decision in

post-Independence Punjab. He served as the Chief Minister for five terms

1970-71

1977-80

1997-2002

2007-12

2012-17

His death after a brief illness at a private hospital in Mohali ended an era of politics where he had a role to play in almost every movement and decision in the post-Independence.

He spent more than 17 years in jail because of several movements he participated in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had once called him Nelson Mandela of India.

Badal started as a foot soldier and led every morcha he participated in and remained a foot soldier all his life. He would often surprise party workers and others also in remote villages by calling them from their first name. Badal popularised Sangat Darshan, a public outreach programme, which many other parties tried to emulate. Polite to a fault, Badal used to call police and civil officials as early as 5:30 am regarding some news he had read in that day’s newspaper.

Badal never retired from public life and would often tell young leaders to remain in touch with rival politicians or those, who were sidelined.

He was instrumental in evolving the Shiromani Akali Dal as a party for all communities on the Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat model instead of just the party of Sikhs and Sikh issues.

Starting his political career as a sarpanch of his village in 1952, Badal became the youngest Chief Minister at the age of 43 in 1970. He also held the record of being the oldest Chief Minister in 2012.

He was also the only Chief Minister of Punjab who won back-to-back Assembly elections in 2007 and 2012. It was unprecedented in Punjab. Badal lost the last election of his life in 2022 when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gurmeet Singh Khuddian defeated him.

At the same time, he was in the forefront of the movement against sharing of Punjab’s river water with other states. He led many morchas, including the movement for Punjabi Suba (statehood), was imprisoned during the Emergency, the Satluj-Yamuna link canal and many others.

He had a brief stint in national politics during the Janata Dal government but returned to state politics soon. The fag-end of his life was plagued with controversies like the sacrilege incidents which happened when he was the Chief Minister in 2015. The party suffered its worst-ever defeat when SAD could get only three out of the 117 Assembly seats.

Sadly, much of Badal’s political acumen and life lessons went with him as he never agreed to the advise by friends and family members to pen down an autobiography or agree for a biography.

Tributes pour in

Contributed to welfare of farmers

Parkash Singh Badal played a vital role in Punjab politics for many decades. In his long career, he made several noteworthy contributions to the welfare of farmers and weaker sections of society. — Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

True son of punjab

He was a true son of Punjab, who worked tirelessly to promote the interests of the state and its people. I offer my deepest condolences to Badal’s family and friends. — Banwarilal Purohit, Punjab Governor

Irreparable loss to indian politics

The demise of Parkash Singh Badal is an irreparable loss to Indian politics and his name is written in golden letters in the history of the country’s politics. — Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana CM

Absence will be felt for a long time

It is not only a loss to the family, but to the entire state and the country as a whole. Badal’s absence will be felt for a long time and the void will be difficult to fill. — Capt Amarinder Singh, BJP leader & ex-CM

will remember him with fondness

I recall our association with great fondness and respect. He (Badal) belonged to a class of politicians that is fast becoming extinct. — Jairam Ramesh, Congress Gen Secy & ex-Union Minister

Fought for weaker sections

He spent a long time in jail for the rights and interests of Punjab. He fought for the interests of all sections of society, especially the weaker and agrarian community. — Harjinder Singh Dhami, SGPC president

Badal’s political innings

• Parkash Singh Badal started his political career as a sarpanch of Badal village in 1952
• Contested his first Assembly election from Malout on the INC ticket in 1952 and won
• Became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1970, youngest CM in the country at that time
• In a record of sorts, became the Chief Minister for five times from 1970-71, 1977-80, 1997-2002, 2007-12 and 2012-17
• Won Assembly elections five times in a row from Gidderbaha in 1969, 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1985
• Won from the Lambi Assembly seat five times in a row in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017
• Remained the Shiromani Akali Dal chief from 1995 to 2008
• Conferred with Padma Vibhushan in 2015, which he returned in 2020
• Conferred with Panth Rattan Faqr-e-Qaum (Jewel of the Panth Pride of the Community) in 2011

Contributed by Archit Watts