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Saffron
heaps public humiliation on secularised Akali govt
BJP bulldozes Akalis into reversing decisions, celebrates day as
second Diwali
Kalam Nishan Singh
 When the panthic blue turban sea turns secular and dons a saffron
tinge, the tidal waves get tamed into little puddles. The so called
legendry Panthic Jazba, the Khalsa fervour, turns into gross public
humiliation. It was only a matter of time when this would happen
after the Shiromani Akali Dal’s Parkash Singh Badal-led secular
avatar came to power with the help of crutches borrowed from the
RSS-BJP. The government was doomed to someday, and sooner rather
than later, bend to the wishes of the RSS masters.
This week it happened.
It
happened to the tune of gross humiliation. Rather a blast of
humiliation.
For
months, the Akali Dal president and CM Badal tried to dig in his
heels on the issue of rise in power tariffs for urban sections of
the population. Many BJP ministers were openly demanding their pound
of flesh in various ministries. Punjab BJP's state affairs incharge
Balbir Punj issued several provocative statements.
Soon, the pressure had become unbearable. Badal tried to fend off
some by setting up a coordination panel. Soon it was the panel
itself which started gunning for Akali turf. Then the CM faced the
public insult of having to go to Delhi to confabulate with the
RSS-BJP leadership of Advani-Rajnath-Balbir Punj and their
clown-in-residence Navjot Sidhu.
And
this was followed on Monday by total capitulation. Badal agreed to
absorb the entire extra burden of Rs 292 crore, thus relieving the
BJP vote bank of even paying the cost price for power. This was the
great saffron triumph.
But
what is a wound if some salt is not rubbed in? That too, in public.
Sadistic pleasures come easy to the saffron brigade.
The
BJP declared its triumph as the "Second Diwali". Its workers
celebrated their victory over the Akali Dal by exploding crackers on
the roads of Chandigarh. Victory is to be celebrated at district
level now also. On Tuesday, outside the Punjab BJP's office in
Chandigarh, dholis were keeping up the beat and with every stroke
you could hear the Akali morale plunging to a new low.
Badals were good at keeping away from the media, but poor Sukhdev
Singh Dhindsa was cornered by the reporters. "It is all very
unfortunate. Such celebrations should have been avoided," he said.
The
Tribune wrote how the power hike was only "a first demand of the BJP."
"There are several other issues...Important among them is the
political appointments of chairpersons of various boards and
corporations, posting of officers of the choice of BJP ministers in
the departments held by them and the setting up of the mechanism to
take decision regarding political and administrative appointments,"
the newspaper said.
Now, the BJP has its eyes set on the chairmanship of the Punjab
State Electricity Board. “Badal has already appointed his own men as
chairpersons of some of the important organisations such as the
Mandi Board, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission, the Punjab
Law Commission, PESCO and the Punjab School Education Board etc,”
said a BJP leader. Besides, there is issue of postings of officers
at the senior level in the departments held by BJP ministers, who
wanted officers of their choice.
But
the main issue is getting shrouded further in all this din. The
panth and its concerns are totally off the agenda. The Punjab issues
are not even being talked about. The RSS-BJP won long time back.
Only the politically naive think the Akali Dal won and Congress
lost. Now you know better.
14
November, 2007
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