Jagtar Singh

  Mann govt faces first political challenge as Modi government stirs   Punjab’s Chandigarh faultline Ground Zero Jagtar Singh Union Home Minister Amit Shah yesterday sparked one of Punjab’s historical fault-line with his announcement that central service rules would be applicable in this union territory. The announcement has provoked strong reaction from the non-BJP political parties in this politically   sensitive border state of Punjab   as this amounts to denying this state its legitimate claim over the City Beautiful that was built as its capital but converted to union territory as a temporary arrangement in 1966. This status turned into a deep faultline   in Punjab’s political domain. The issue is not just that of rules for the employees. Punjab has witnessed several struggles by the Shiromani Akali Dal over the years since then with transfer of Chandigarh being one of the major issues. Former minister and Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today...

  Comatose Akali Dal needs intensive surgery for revival beginning from top Ground Zero Jagtar Singh Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today set up a 16-member committee to recommend measures for the rejuvenation of the historic Shiromani Akali Dal. As per the party readout, the mandate is to “recommend sweeping changes to safeguard the core principles of the party.” He said, “The Committee would introspect on the recent assembly election results and take feedback from the grass root level on the steps needed to strengthen the party…. the Committee would also suggest changes needed at the organizational level.” However, the situation confronting this once party of the Sikhs is unprecedented in this more than a century old Akali Dal and somewhat different from the oldest party in the country that is the Congress. Akali Dal is the second oldest. Both the Congress and the Akali Dal have been subjected to humiliating defeat. However, in case of Shiromani A...

  Thoughts of Bhagat Singh is practice, not a statue   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   Bhagwant Mann has the unique distinction in India of being the first chief minister who has raised the slogan of Inquilab Zindabad at his swearing in in the living memory. Now he has made the announcement to installed statue of Shaheed Bhagat Singh who raised this slogan in the premises of the Punjab Assembly complex. Inquilab Zindabad has been translated as Long Live the Revolution. This slogan is rooted in Marxist ideology of which Bhagat Singh was a student. Mann also announced that statues of Dr B R Ambedkar and Maharaja Ranjit Singh too would be in that company. Presently, the Assembly complex has a small bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the lobby. Ports of the leaders, of course, have been put up over time. It is entirely different issue whether statues can be installed in Capitol Complex or not. Moreover, this complex now has the heritage status and thus no change can be ma...

  Akali Dal in turmoil after humiliating defeat, loses grip on Delhi gurdwara panel   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh. Shiromani Akali Dal is on the verge of disintegration following crushing defeat in the Assembly election. The party has lost control over the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, the second most important gurdwara body after the Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Crisis has hit the Sikh religio-political domain too as the Ragi Sabha of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) has questioned the position taken by Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh in his reaction to the defeat of the Akali Dal thereby taking a partisan stand. Shiromani Akali Dal members of the DSGMC led by Harmeet Singh Kalka today announced the setting up a new party and named it Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi State. He was sacked from the Shiromani Akali Dal yesterday as news appeared of his decision to float a new party   along with these members. Within hours...

  Punjab on yellow high tide of optimism as Bhagwant Mann takes over as Aam Aadmi Chief Minister   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   Bhagwant Singh Mann today took over as the Aam Aadmi chief minister of Punjab in the backdrop of high tide of rare optimism after decimating what was perceived to be the well-entrenched political elite in this border state whose electoral dynamics was associated with wheat-paddy rotation. It is for the first time that Punjab has diversified and that too with such vigour. It was the first time that after having been sworn in, that a chief minister raised the slogan of Inquilab Zindabad associated with Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his associate revolutionaries. Bhagat Singh, in one of his writings, has explained the meaning of Inquilab Zindabad whose English version is Log Live Revolution. This slogan is rooted in pro-people ideology. Yellow colour too is associated with revolutionaries although Bhagat Singh himself used to wear white t...

  Akali Dal Patron Badal Senior saves Sukhbir who continues as party president   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   It seems the outcome of the meeting of the core committee that had been summoned to discuss the worst ever humiliating debacle faced by the Shiromani Akali Dal in the recent Assembly elections was already scripted. Faqr-e-Qaum Panth Rattaan, 5-time chief minister and party patron Parkash Singh Badal intervened to scuttle discussion and facilitate continuation of his son Sukhbir Singh Badal as the party chief. Both the Badals have lost the election. This is the second consecutive defeat of the Akali Dal in the Assembly elections under the leadership of the Badals. “There is no use of discussion. If you want to retain Sukhbir, then praise Sukhbir or tell him to pack up. The proceedings would get leaked in the media,” Badal intervened as Prem Singh Chandumajra was speaking on the need for taking corrective measures. Chandumajra and his son too have been...

  Who killed Shiromani Akali Dal? Ground Zero   Jagtar Singh   Shiromani Akali Dal, the second oldest political party in the country that was created to voice concerns of the Sikhs as a community is now on the verge of extinction after having been reduced to just three Assembly seats, the lowest ever in its glorious history dating back precisely to December 14, 1920. Both its patron Parkash Singh Badal and its president Sukhbir Singh Badal too have lost the election. It is the humiliating defeat of Badal Senior that is multi-dimensional as he is not only 5-time chief minister but also the most powerful leader in Sikh stream for the last about two decades. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh today rightly expressed concern over this grave crisis that has hit the party. He should have started by   confessing the role of the Akal Takht Jathedar in the situation before raising the red alert. The tree that is cut from its roots is bound to dry up and th...

    Tornado triggered by anger and hate decimates Punjab’s traditional political elite   Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   Tornado triggered by cumulative hate and anger spread over a decade has decimated the traditional political elite in Punjab. Punjab is one state whose religio-political dynamics is different from all other states in the country and the results of the February Assembly election declared on Thursday has once reinforced this dimension. In a normal election, Punjab has given unprecedented mandate to the Aam Aadmi Party by electing 92 of its candidates in a house of 117 members. This is the   most important dimension of this election as even in 1992 election boycotted by the mainstream Akali Dal, the Congress had 87 seats in its kitty. The second most important aspect is the humiliating end to the long inning of 5-time chief minister and Fakhr-e-Qaum Panth Rattan Parkash Singh Badal at the age of 94, who has set the record even in his de...

  Punjab gearing up for another confrontation with Modi government, now on Bhakra Dam issue Ground Zero Jagtar Singh   Punjab is already witnessing yet another agitation as the anxiety level continues to rise in the run up to March 10 when the destiny of Punjab for the next five years would be decided with the declaration of Assembly election results polling for which was held on February 20. Spark has already been ignited in Punjab by yet another decision of the centre that divests both Punjab and Haryana of their role of the Bhakra Beas Management Board that manages the Bhakra Dam and the associated projects that are the life line of Punjab and its successor state of Haryana. The Member (Power) and Member (Irrigation) of the BBMB would now be selected from the open market rather than from just Punjab and Haryana. Yet another issue that has riled the stakeholders is handing over security of these projects to the central forces under the Dam Safety Act that was nei...