Being the five-time Chief Minister of Punjab was among his smallest achievements — such was the range and depth of the mark that Parkash Singh Badal etched on the psyche as well as the politico-social and religious landscape of not only his state but of the entire country.
Inarguably, he was the only satrap and chief minister to whom even national figures including Presidents and Prime Ministers of the country could turn, not just for advice but even for solace and spiritual comfort. Badal was perhaps the finest and the most dependable barometer of the mood of his times.
He was without doubt not just a ‘leader’ but also a ‘man’ of the teeming masses. So completely would he mingle with them that for an outsider it would be difficult to tell who amidst the gatherings was listening to whose woes. For the emotionally distraught and drained people of Punjab, especially the Sikhs, he was more like a family member-turned-spiritual physician than a Chief Minister. Nothing summed his approach better than the two words he used to describe his affair with the people – “Sangat Darshan”, literally meaning “pilgrimage to the people”.
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Unfailing humility and warmth
The most painful thing about his departure is its timing: he leaves his people and the country just when they desperately need not just his unifying charm that would easily dissolve sharp ideological, political or communal divisions but also his calm, sober, humble and infinitely self-effacing approach. He was once described by diplomat and journalist Kuldip Nayyar as “a gentle giant among pygmies and violent wolves”.This gentle demeanour and his endearing modesty also earned him the sobriquet of Saint Statesman.
Variously hailed as a “development messiah”, “a champion of farmers and the poor”, an ambassador of peace and communal harmony, Badal was a statesman – if ever there was one – with the heart of rural peasant, the soul of a devout but not dogmatic Sikh and the vision of nationalist. All these qualities flowed from his innate faith in Gurbani whose central social message is summed up in three words—Sarbat da Bhala, the welfare of all of mankind. While religion drove him, he simply did not have a communal bone in his tall and imposing frame. How he managed to charm others with his unfailing humility and warmth is something that has intrigued his admirers and critics alike.
Badal respected the opposition from the core of his heart and had indefatigable democratic stamina. No amount of criticism by his political opponents could rob him of the respect with which he held and treated them. “No respect for the opposing view means no democracy. Intolerance is the mother of all dictatorships,” he would often tell me.
When he took over the reins of administration as Chief Minister for a third time in 1997, Punjab was still reeling under the aftereffects of the blows of a decade and a half of bloody militancy. The horror of the eminently avoidable army assault on the sacred Sri Harmandar Sahib and the dark memories of the massacre of thousands of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other parts of the country still haunted the political and social landscape of Punjab. Wounds cried out to be healed. Communal relations needed to be nourished back to the traditional Punjabi health and bonhomie. Although Punjab to its abiding credit has never witnessed any Hindu-Sikh communal clashes, the psychological fabric of the state was fractured. Badal decided that his priority was genuine peace — flowing from the hearts of the people rather than the barrels of police guns. State repression had already taken a heavy toll on the brotherhood of Punjabis. This was the time to heal wounds to look ahead.
That he succeeded in making Punjab the most peaceful state for over fifteen years is a tribute as much to the fraternal fragrance of the Punjabi mind as to Badal’s uncanny skill to tap deep into this fragrance and put it on an abiding platform.
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Conspiracies against him
One must never forget that fierce Sikh identity is not and has never been in conflict with the vision of a secular India. In fact Sikhs have always proudly defended and sacrificed their lives for this vision. They love to take pride in their distinct role and presence in the country and are deeply offended and wounded by the insulting manner in which their pride in their identity is deliberately construed as separatism.
Badal and Shiromani Akali Dal have always combined this religious and national pride. They have successfully strengthened both the religious and the patriotic dimensions of the Sikh identity.
There is a widespread impression that a vicious campaign was launched to weaken Akalis by deliberately encouraging disparate radical groups opposed to Akalis. The aim, it is felt, was to split the Sikh masses into various factions, and weaken their legitimate and saner democratic representatives so as to put a permanent end to the phenomenon called Sikh politics. This has been going on since the days of Indira Gandhi and it can prove to be a historic blunder in the sensitive border state of Punjab.
To an extent, this politics of deep intrigue has succeeded, leaving Badal with an anguished soul. But the price of the success of these conspiracies against him and his party would be paid, I am afraid, not so much by the political heirs (though they are paying it too) but by the country and by all those who want to see India emerge as global spokesman of civilised values, secular ethos and peace. India can ill afford to trifle with the precious legacy Badal leaves behind him.
As a first step, the country must learn to leave Punjab alone in so far as strident communal politics goes. Punjab as a sensitive border state and the standard bearer of multi-cultural and multi-religious bonhomie is no place for political experiments. Its strong minority character and its strong nationalist pride are assets that the country must learn to respect.
This and a secular India are the best tributes to Badal’s legacy. Prime Minister Modi has done exceedingly well by going out of his way and breaking all protocol to fly to Chandigarh to pay homage to this friendly icon within hours of his demise. The symbolism of this gesture goes beyond prime ministerial courtesies. This symbolism and what it implies for a minority state can pave the way for the emotional integration of our country.
The author was Parkash Singh Badal’s close confidante and advisor for the past four decades. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)