E D I T O R I A L

Punjab: Count Your Blessings

THE venue is Mohali’s sprawling cricket stadium, a few kilometers away from Punjab government’s seat of power in Chandigarh. Punjab’s old political warhorse, the new chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal has taken oath of office for the fourth time. It is roses roses all the way from his residence in sector 9 to the stadium where a record number of people and the political stalwarts await. Slogans and shouts greet each of the 17 ministers sworn in; 12 from the Akali Dal and five from the coalition partner, the BJP. This collation of Akalis and the BJP has promised the people of Punjab an honest, corruption free regime where development takes top priority.

This writer had attended all but this ceremony of Mr. Badal taking oath as chief minister and making comparable pledges.  Even this ceremony was available on television around the world.

What does induction of five close relations of Badal Indicate?  The family of Badal clearly dominates this new Punjab Cabinet. Apart from Badal, three more ministers are from his immediate family. They are his son-in-law Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, son Sukhbir Badal's brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia and distant relative Janmeja Singh Sekhon.

Kairon is married to Badal’s only daughter Parneet Kaur, while Manpreet Singh Badal is the son of Badal’s younger brother Gurdas Singh Badal.  Majitha is the brother of Harsimrat Kaur, wife of Sukhbir Badal.  To accommodate him Sarwan Singh Phillaur, a scheduled caste MLA elected for the fifth time, was dropped at the eleventh hour.  Take this as a feudal misdemeanor. Remember the substantial promises.

But let us not hop to any conclusion. And, also for the time being we should keep memory any of past misdoings and misjudgments of this 80 year old veteran leader in cold storeroom.

Just remember what Badal has promised not during the campaign as there were too many doles to wheedle the voters, but on the day of his swearing in, March 2, 2007. Here is how one report went: Alleviation of poverty would be top on the agenda. “I will hold heads of departments responsible in case I get a report of corruption from any office.”  There was nothing right in the state. [Not even big money in its coffers]  The education system was in a mess, health services were in a poor shape, and the industry was shaky. The agricultural sector is on a decline. The main focus would be on power generation.

Badal also declared:  “All promises, including atta-dal on susbsidised rates to poor sections, will be met. I will call on the Prime Minister and other ministers to urge them to link the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat with the price index. And the   rising prices, the central government ought to curb inflation. We will take steps which are in our purview.”

Two new ministries — one for non-resident Indians (NRIs) and the other for employment generation — and three boards for promotion of trade and industry would be set up. As a lot of problems were faced by NRIs, liaison offices would be opened in America, Canada, England and Australia for communication with NRIs. The proposed employment generation ministry would work as a guidance bureau for the unemployed.

A day later at Anandpur Sahib, Badal held more promises. Holidays on religious festivals. Cheap atta, dal for more people. To start on Baisakhi funds for religious places of all religions. Ropar to be divisional headquarters. Elevated road to the Golden Temple will be complete in 18 months.[ center has already funded it.] Khalsa heritage complex also in 18 months. Martial arts academy to start. Master plan for all blocks of the state.

Apparently congress has left enough in the kitty, some 24,000 total budget for 2007-08.

And More: Badal promised, “I will scrap Section 5 of the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004. It was a pre-election promise to amend the Section which allows sharing of water with Haryana and Rajasthan to continue. Hence, the Act is only effectively applicable for future agreements and the SYL canal. Our party will bring in a law to scarp Section 5. The law could be introduced in the next session of the Assembly. A partial modification in the Section would not help our cause. Also, by inserting this Section, the previous regime had almost justified the earlier agreements which were based against the principles of riparian rights.”

There shall be three boards: one would be for medium and small- scale industry, another for large-scale industry and the third for trade. Eminent traders and industrialists would be nominated on these boards and the chairpersons would enjoy the rank of minister.  Other declaration: “We welcome investors to promote industry and would like concessions to this sector on the pattern of hill states.” On mega projects targeted by the Akalis before coming to power, Badal would let those projects be there which served the interests of the state. [Did he and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal not say earlier that they would scrap these?]

Let us keep these and other announcements, plenty in coming weeks in mind and keep in turn reminding the rulers.

Remember these pronouncements. Search your memory lanes. Find these in 1978 and later: Many times over on river waters and territory.

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