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Mil Ke Gaavo: Happy Birthday to Dear Sukhbir Ji
Kalam Nishan Singh 

Personal life of a politician is often more educative than all the pious platitudes he spews in public. So when a series of Akhand Paths across Punjab was witnessed and newspapers were full of advertisements proclaiming “Puttar Mithrre Meve, Rab Sabhna Nu Deve” – all ostensibly to hail the birth of a son to Shri Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife – the saner elements were quick to underline how a leader is part of the same male chauvinistic mindset that has been responsible for female foeticide rate in Punjab. 

For no one could remember similar effusive celebrations when Kaka ji was blessed with a daughter. 

Now, Punjab has suddenly seen a feverish activity with young Akali hordes rushing to cut cakes in sundry celebrations, all aimed at Sukhbir Singh Badal’s 47th birthday celebrations.  

Many a senior Akali leaders for sure have had a birthday each every year, some marking their 50th or even 75th, but how come the party remembers to only mark the birthday of either his father with a public rally or the Kaka ji with cake cutting. Did we not hear Bibi Kiranjot Kaur lamenting that the Akali leadership did not care to remember the birth anniversary of Master Tara Singh only last month? 

Clearly, the control over power levers has something to do with the ribbon-festooned knives appearing over the icing. Akali Dal’s presidentship has almost been a cakewalk for sonny Sukhbir, with papa Badal Sahib giving all credit to the unanimous voice of the Political Affairs Committee for the decision. For such thin slices of the power cake have the senior Akali leaders been fighting, that the taste of the pudding has often been in a mere tag like ‘circle jathedar’. 

Those who have managed to secure a larger pie in the form of presidentship or general secretaryship of the SGPC have also known that they need to keep their masters happy, or otherwise they would have to learn to eat bread instead of cake. Ever heard something called candid independent view from the likes of Sardar Makkar or Sardar Bhaur? Oh Prey! Now don’t ask who is Sardar Bhaur! He of the Tohra-loyalty variety, just like Sardar Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal. And no, please don’t ask who is Sardar Grewal? How can you forget such tall leaders of the Panth? Leave that privilege only to the birthday boy, dear Kaka ji turned Pardhan Ji. 

A number of Akali leaders who have often been very vocal against “dynastic” rule of the Nehru-Gandhis were among those raising loud slogans of Bole So Nihal as cake cutting ceremonies for Sukhbir assumed grand proportions at many places in Punjab. That the birthday boy chose to spend the day with his close friends is a separate matter. After all, that’s how he runs his politics too, isn’t it?

Tall leader of the Panth, Hira Singh Gabria, who stood brave even though asked to be the last one to take oath in Badal’s cabinet, cut a cake in his office on the Gill Road in Ludhiana. So enamoured were Gabria’s friends about Sukhbir’s big day that one cake proved insufficient. Gabria had to order another one. 

Then, there was another birthday celebration at the house of member of Parliament Sharanjit Singh Dhillon. Several local Akali leaders, many of them without turbans and clean shaved, happily clapped and sang “Happy Birthday to Dear Sukhbir Ji”, “Ji” being the honorific without which the circle jathedar would have considered his position in trouble. 

Member of Parliament Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Cabinet minister Bikramjit Singh Majithia, District Youth Akali Dal leader Simarjit Singh Bains also partook of the cake, or whatever slice came their way. And like the young Majithia, Dhindsa ji also knew how to sing the b’day song. Oh Sache Patshah! The things we learn to be able to savour the cake! Guru Bhala Kare. Janamdin Mubarak!

16 July, 2008
 

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