Op/Ed: What Badal did for ‘Padam Vibhushan’?

—Punjab chief minister and Akali Dal (Badal) patron Parkash Badal on Monday was conferred the second highest civilian honour “Padma Vibhushan”. Badal is the first chief minister who has been conferred this award.

The five-time chief minister, who is one of the oldest to head the state at 87, was conferred the award by President Pranab Mukherjee at a civil investiture ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

“Sardar Parkash Badal is an Indian politician, who has been the chief minister of Punjab for four terms previously — from 1969-71, 1977-80, 1997-2002, 2007-2012 — and is currently the chief minister of the state for the fifth term. Few in this country can claim to have remained in the forefront of public life for almost the entire period of the post-Independence India as he has been, making him the grand patriarch on the Indian political scene” the citation for his honour read.

It is worth mentioning that Badal is considered as most controversial leader among Sikhs, as well as to the non-Hindu Punjabi society. Sikhs feel that Badal is main reason behind all problems being faced by them in Punjab. To lure India state which is imperial in nature, Badal never hesitated to compromise with interests and rights of Sikhs and Punjab. For indulging such kind of practice, he is popular amongst Sikhs as ‘Supreme Traitor’ who has betrayed his nation again and again.

Badal played great role in crushing Sikh freedom movement. He, actually started fake encounters, extra-judicial killings and other human rights violation during Naxalite movement in Punjab in eighties. In 1978, he facilitated the deadly attack on Sikhs protesting peacefully against ‘Narakdharis’ who gunned down 13 Sikhs led by Shaheed Bhai Fauja Singh. This incident turned Sikh movement initiated by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale violent. With the rise of Sant Bhindranwale, Badal got marginalized and latter helped Indian government in demolishing Sri Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib to martyr Sant Bhindranwale.

Badal is the person, who had terminated the status of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) as Sikh Party and turned into ‘Punjabi Party’ in Moga conference held in 1996 and cornered all veteran Akali leaders. As a result, Sikh concerns got marginalized in India. In addition, Badal tied up with Hindu fascist force RSS and its political wing BJP. Through Badal, RSS has been saffronizing Sikh ethos and the institutions like Akal Takht Sahib and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to incorporate Sikhs in Hindu religion. For his narrow ends, Badal is helping them in every respect.

After becoming chief minister in 1997, he forgot all the Sikh issues and their demands and started serving interests of India and its majority community. Since then, he has been committing grave violation of human rights in Punjab and repressing the peaceful struggle of Sikhs and other pro-Punjab civil society. He never took care in interest of Punjab for integration and unity of India. Badal also contributed in turning Punjab into drug-affected region so that youth could not revolt against India state.

There are more countless instances which show that Badal is great well-wisher of Indian state and he deserves for such kind of award.