Farmers Movement Archive

Our core constituency, farmers, still intact; Modi saab should repeal farm laws: Parkash Singh Badal

The grand old man of Punjab politics, 93-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch and five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has set his eyes on yet another political battle of his seven-decade-long career. This time, however, he plans to play from the sidelines and watch his son SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal at the forefront. He may not be fast with the body movements but he’s still quick-witted and possesses an astute thinking mind. Currently staying in his resort-like farmhouse at his native Badal village away from the political action, he keeps his ears to the ground. He meets people of Lambi and surrounding constituencies three days a week and is often visited by the leaders of Akali Dal and its new ally Bahujan Samaj Party. He spoke with Hindustan Times on a variety of issues and also ducked a few questions, including the ones related to sacrilege. Excerpts of an interview: Punjab is heading for polls in four months, how do you see the political scenario building up? It is difficult to predict the outcome. Things will be clear only when polls are near. There are too many contenders; Congress party has two camps of (former CM) Capt Amarinder and (state congress president Navjot Singh) Sidhu; then there are the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP. Akali Dal will give a tough fight. Some people in the government are trying to be vindictive against us, but I always refrained from such tactics. What happened in the past? Amarinder Singh made a case against me, which fell flat in the court. What role do you see for yourself in the elections? SAD has announced 70 candidates, but not from Lambi yet. Do you plan to contest again?I do not want comment on that now, let’s wait and watch. I have addressed two rallies in the past week and am active as much my health permits. Contesting polls will depend on my health. I will be speaking on important matters like the one concerning the farmers. It is a good move to announce candidates early as it gives more time for strategising and campaigning. Where do you place the Congress and the AAP vis-a-vis the Akali Dal? Both the parties take directions from their leaders in Delhi. People of Punjab, in my opinion, will choose the one that understands their issues and stay close to them. Local parties serve people better and regional should unite for a bigger say at the national level. People have a short memory. SAD had fought for the Punjabi Suba for which I was jailed for 15 years. We maintained communal harmony and have done a lot of development…thermal power plants, oil refinery, road network, mandis, irrigation system, memorials...there is so much to count. What the Congress govenrments had done is not even a fraction of that. People know Congress was behind the 1984 genocide and Harmandar Sahib was demolished during their tenure. AAP convener (Arvind) Kejriwal promised a Sikh as the Punjab CM face but failed name one. Your long-time associates Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and Ranjit Singh Brahmpura will not be with you in the 2022 elections. Do you feel the void in the party? Main Dhindsa saab atey Brahmpura saab di dilon izzat kardan...ehe oho jandey han. (I respect Dhindsa and Brahmpura from the core of my heart and they know this). I have done a lot from them, and they also have helped me. I want them back. Ekta vich shakti hai (Unity is strength). Parminder is a sober leader and worked well as a finance minister in the Akali government. Farmers seem to be annoyed with SAD? How do you plan to bring party’s core strength back? I think, some (farmer) leaders may be annoyed but our core strength, the farmers, is still intact. SAD governments had done a lot for farmers and all my decisions as chief minister were farmer-centric. At the time of voting over the three farm laws, it was only Sukhbir (Ferozepur MP) and biba ji (Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal) who voted against the laws, while the Congress and AAP preferred to walk out. We broke alliance with the BJP and quit the Union government. You compare this with 1984 riots and Operation Bluestar; Congress leaders late Giani Zail Singh (then President) and late Buta Singh (then home minister) didn’t relinquish their positions. Akali Dal had a long association with the BJP. Was severing the ties the right decision? No doubt, we had a long association and supported them. But there is no question of regret because for our party, the interests of farmers are the priority. We have moved on and it’s good that we have an alliance with the BSP. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a great leader as he took everyone along. Narendra Modi is a different man. He passed the farm laws not acceptable to the farmers. Around 700 farmers have lost lives during the agitation, which is very painful, and Lakhimpur hadsey da mainu barra dukh hoya (Lakhimpur incident has saddened me). The scenario could take a worse turn, I appeal to Modi saab to repeal the farm laws. How do you rate the four-and-a-half years of the Capt-led Congress government? As a chief minister, responsibilities are huge…you have to meet aspirations and redress problems of a cross-section of society, but he failed. I used to hold sangat darshans, visit villages and wards, and meet people in my office and at home also. What about newly appointed CM Charanjit Singh Channi? Let us see how he performs; I wish him good luck. The way Channi was made the CM is not empowerment but humiliation. What’s your advice for Sukhbir Singh Badal? Main ohnu kehna jazbe naal kamm kro (I tell him to work with passion). In my opinion, he is in total control and is doing fine. I only advise him to give prominence to communal harmony before taking decisions.

Hindustan Times

08-10-2021

Chandigarh