Parkash Singh Badal

Parkash Singh Badal (Punjabi: ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ; 8 December 1927 – 25 April 2023) was an Indian politician who served as the 8th Chief Minister of Punjab from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002, and from 2007 to 2017. He was also Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly from 1972 to 1977, 1980 to 1983 and from 2002 to 2007 and the 11th Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in the Morarji Desai ministry from 1977 to 1977. He was the patron of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), a Sikh-centered regional political party, and the president of the party from 1995 to 2008, when he was replaced by his son Sukhbir Singh Badal.[1][2] As the patron of SAD he exercised a strong influence on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee[3] and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.[4] The Government of India awarded him the second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2015.

Not to be confused with Parkash Singh. For the Omani cricketer, see Badal Singh.

Parkash Singh Badal
ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ
Badal in 2007
8th Chief Minister of Punjab
In office
1 March 2007 – 16 March 2017
DeputySukhbir Singh Badal (from 2009)
Preceded byAmarinder Singh
Succeeded byAmarinder Singh
In office
12 February 1997 – 26 February 2002
Preceded byRajinder Kaur Bhattal
Succeeded byAmarinder Singh
In office
20 June 1977 – 17 February 1980
Preceded byPresident's rule
Succeeded byPresident's rule
In office
27 March 1970 – 14 June 1971
Preceded byGurnam Singh
Succeeded byPresident's rule
Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly
In office
2 October 1972 – 30 April 1977
Preceded byJaswinder Singh Brar
Succeeded byBalram Jakhar
In office
7 June 1980 – 7 October 1983
Preceded byBalram Jakhar
Succeeded byGurbinder Kaur Brar
In office
26 February 2002 – 1 March 2007
Preceded byChaudhary Jagjit Singh
Succeeded byRajinder Kaur Bhattal
11th Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India
In office
28 March 1977 – 19 June 1977
Prime MinisterMorarji Desai
Preceded byJagjivan Ram
Succeeded bySurjit Singh Barnala
Personal details
Born(1927-12-08)8 December 1927
Abul Khurana, Punjab Province, British India
Died25 April 2023(2023-04-25) (aged 95)
Mohali, Punjab, India
Political partyShiromani Akali Dal
Other political
affiliations		National Democratic Alliance (1998–2020)
Spouse
Surinder Kaur
​
​
(m. 1959; died 2011)​
Children2, including Sukhbir
Relatives
ResidenceBadal, Punjab
ProfessionPolitician
SignatureSignature of PS Badal

Early life

Parkash Singh Badal was born on 8 December 1927 in Abul Khurana, near Malout. He belonged to a Jat Sikh family. Badal graduated from the Forman Christian College in Lahore.[5]

Political career

Badal started his political career in 1947. He was Sarpanch of the Village Badal and later Chairman of Block Samiti, Lambi before rising into Punjab politics. He was elected to Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1957 for the first time from the Shiromani Akali Dal political party.[6] He was re-elected in 1969, serving as Minister for Community Development, Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.[6] He was Leader of Opposition in 1972, 1980 and 2002. He had been elected in Vidhan Sabha for a total of 10 times, in 1957 and in each election since 1969, except for the February 1992 election, in which he led a boycott of state elections by the Akalis.[7][8] In 1997 elections he won from Lambi Assembly constituency and had been a consecutive winner in four terms. He was a union minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai's government in 1977, serving as Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.[9]

Chief Minister of Punjab

Badal served as Punjab Chief Minister for four terms, the first time in 1970 when he became the youngest chief minister of an Indian state.[10] He completed his last term in March 2017.[11]

First term

Badal first became Chief Minister of Punjab in March 1970 and headed a coalition government of Akali Dal - Sant Fateh Singh and Jana Sangh. In June 1970 Jana Sangh withdrew support from the Badal government over their difference about the place of Hindi in Punjab. Later, in early July, seven of Akali Dal (Sant) defected to rival Akali Dal headed by ex-CM Gurnam Singh. An early session of the assembly was called on 24 July to prove the majority of Badal's government. However, the motion of no confidence was not admitted due to lack of requisite support of one-fifth of MLAs. Congress decided to stay neutral and did not support the no-confidence motion.[12]

Second term (1977-1980)
Main article: Second Badal ministry

Badal became CM for the term 20 June 1977 to 17 February 1980 with the support and alliance of Janata Party.[13]

Third term (1997–2002)
Main article: Third Badal ministry

Badal became CM for the term 12 February 1997 to 26 February 2002.[14]

Fourth term (2007–2012)
Main article: Fourth Badal ministry

In the 2007 Punjab state election Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government won 67 out of 117 seats and Parkash Singh Badal was sworn in as Chief Minister for the fourth time.[15] He held 10 portfolios, which included the ministries for Home, Housing & Urban Development, Excise & Taxation, Power, Personnel, General Administration, Vigilance, Employment, Legal & Legislative Affairs and NRIs Affairs.[16] Badal launched many schemes such as free ambulance service,[17] Talwandi Sabo thermal plant, etc.[18] Through a new transportation policy, he reduced taxes on air-conditioned buses, making it less expensive for companies to operate luxury buses. This also increased profits of a bus company owned by his son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, which soared to 1.7 million U.S. dollars.[19]

2012–2017
Main article: Fifth Badal ministry

In the 2012 election, Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party combined won 68 seats out of 117,[20] despite a tradition of anti-incumbency in Punjab.[21] Badal again became the Chief Minister of Punjab on 14 March 2012 after being sworn in by the Governor of Punjab, Shivraj Patil. He is also the oldest chief minister ever and is the only person who has been both the youngest and the oldest chief minister of his state.[22] In the 2012–2017 government he held the portfolios of Personnel, General Administration, Power, Cooperation, Science Technology, and Environment, Vigilance and Employment Generation.[23]

FDI in India

Badal opposed FDI, and sided with political ally BJP.[24]

Participation in Akali Movement

Badal was first detained in the Karnal jail in connection with Civil Liberties Agitation later under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act during the Indian Emergency.[6] He was President of the Akali Dal from 1996 to 2008.[25]

Personal life and death

In 1959, he married Surinder Kaur. The couple had two children, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parneet Kaur, who is married to Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon. Surinder Kaur died in 2011 after a long illness due to cancer.[26]

His younger brother Gurdas Singh Badal had also been in politics. His nephew Manpreet Singh Badal served as Finance Minister of Punjab.[27][28]

Badal died on 25 April 2023, aged 95, after a brief illness at Fortis hospital in Mohali, Punjab.[29][30]

Awards

Panth Ratan

On 11 December 2011, Badal was bestowed upon the title of Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum (literally "Jewel of the religion, pride of the community") by the Akal Takht.[31] He was awarded this title at Golden Temple complex in the presence of Jathedars of all five Takhts in the form of a "siropa" (robe of honour), a sword and a silver plaque with inscription of the citation of Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum.[32] Badal was awarded this title for his service towards the Sikh Panth by creating many memorials pertaining to Sikhism such as Virasat-e-Khalsa, besides being imprisoned for long time and having faced atrocities during various Akali movements.[33]

This award was retracted by the Sikh Panth at Sarbat Khalsa on 10 November 2015 due to allegations of Civil Rights Violations and failure to recognize the oppression faced by the Sikhs of Punjab.[34]

Many political Sikh organizations such as Dal Khalsa, Khalra Mission Organization, Punjab Human Rights Organization, Khalsa Panchayat and Niarye Khalsa Organization. Former SGPC secretary general Manjit Singh Calcutta argued that this award is given posthumously.[35] In response, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh cited the example of Master Tara Singh, who was given this award during his lifetime.[31] Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh termed it sycophancy, as Badal indirectly controls SGPC.[36]

Padma Vibhushan

Parkash Singh Badal (left) receiving Padma Vibhushan award from President of India Pranab Mukherjee (right) on 30 March 2015.[37]

However he returned this award to support the 2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest on 3 December 2020.[38][39]

SYL Canal issue

Ever since the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) issue came up in 1982, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has been vocal in disapproving it and leading from the front in safeguarding the rights of Punjab's farmers. He has played a key role in ensuring that SYL should never become a reality and even got arrested for leading the 'Nehar Roko Morcha' in April 1982. He believes that successive Congress governments at the Centre have been doing "grave injustice" to the state forcing Punjab to share the water in the name of SYL Canal. Recently, under his leadership, Punjab government took a path-breaking decision of adopting the Punjab Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal (Transfer of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2016 in the assembly. With this decision taken on 14 March 2016, the process of denotifying (and dismantling) the 121-km long Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal that was constructed in Punjab to carry water to Haryana has begun. Parkash Singh Badal has expressed candidly many times that Punjab does not have a single drop of spare water for anybody and Akali Dal is opposed to the agreement which it believed would rob the water of the state. Chief Minister Badal, in his latest move, has sent a cheque of Rs.390 crore back to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar received from Haryana nearly four decades back.[40][41]

Issues

Parkash Singh Badal along with his wife Surinder Kaur, son Sukhbir Singh and seven others were booked under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2003. After a seven-year-long case all accused were acquitted by a local court in Mohali in 2010 due to a lack of incriminating evidence.[42]

Ghadar-e-Qaum brand

On 10 November 2015, along with Avtar Makkar, Badal was branded as Ghadar-e-Qaum (meaning traitor to the faith) by a gathering of the Sikh community known as the "Sarbat Khalsa." This was due to his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.[43][44][45]

Electoral performance

He lost the 1967 and 2022 assembly elections and won election 11 times to the assembly (one time from Malout, five times from Godderbaha, and fives times from Lambi) and one time in the Lok Sabha elections.

Punjab Assembly election, 1957
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
INC Parkash Singh 39,255
Independent Ujjagar Singh 13,571
Majority
INC gain from
1977 Indian general election: Faridkot
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SAD Parkash Singh Badal 282,713 58.00
INC Avtar Singh 1,95,692 37.40
IND Jeeta Ram 9,889 2.00
IND Hari Chand 2,933 0.60
Majority 100,701 20.70
Turnout 4,87,098 75.40
SAD hold Swing
Punjab Assembly election, 1997: Qila Raipur[46]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SAD Parkash Singh Badal 38,532 44.74
CPI(M) Tarsem Jodan 27500 31.93
SAD(A) Simranjit Singh Mann 15377 17.85
INC Jagdev Singh Jassowal 4716 5.48
Majority
Turnout 86125 71.54
Registered electors
SAD gain from CPI(M) Swing
Punjab Assembly election, 2012: Lambi
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SAD Parkash Singh Badal 67,999 55.71
INC Maheshinder Singh 43,260 35.44
PPoP Gurdas Singh Badal 5,352 4.38
BSP Parveen Kumari 1,773 1.45
IND. Puran Singh 1,239 1.02
Majority 24,739 20.27
Turnout 1,22,174 87.23
SAD hold Swing
Punjab Assembly election, 2017: Lambi[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SAD Parkash Singh Badal 66,375 49.54 -6.17
INC Capt. Amarinder Singh 43,605 32.54 -2.9
AAP Jarnail Singh 21,254 15.86 -
NOTA None of the above 1,101 0.82 -
PLP Gurmeet Singh Ranghreta 730 0.54 +0.25
Majority 22,770 17.00 -3.27
Turnout 1,34,089 85.77 -1.46
Registered electors [48]
SAD hold Swing -6.17
Punjab Assembly election, 2022: Lambi
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
AAP Gurmeet Singh Khuddian[49] 66,313 48.87
SAD Parkash Singh Badal 54,917 40.47
INC Jagpal Singh Abul Khurana 10,136 7.47
NOTA None of the above 1,226 0.9
Majority 11,396 8.4
Turnout 1,35,697
Registered electors [50]

See also

References
  1. Bains, Satinder (31 January 2008). "Sukhbir Badal becomes youngest president of Shiromani Akali Dal". Punjab Newsline. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  2. Badal Jr. is Akali president. The Hindu (1 February 2008). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  3. SAD-Sant Samaj combine sweeps SGPC elections. The Tribune. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  4. "Manmohan Singh ranked world's most powerful, influential Sikh". Firstpost. 10 November 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  5. Gopal, Navjeevan (15 March 2012). "Literate, under middle, ninth passed all in new cabinet". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  6. "The grand old man of Akali politics", CNN-IBN, 2 March 2007.
  7. Punjab Polls 2012. The Tribune. (26 December 2011). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. Parkash Singh Badal. pbplanning.gov.in.
  9. "Parkash Singh Badal: Grand old man of Punjab politics".
  10. "The Badals of Punjab". 29 January 2017.
  11. "Punjab election results: Parkash Singh Badal to resign tomorrow". 11 March 2017.
  12. Arora, Subhash Chander (1990). Turmoil in Punjab Politics (1st ed.). New Delhi: Mittal Publications. pp. 131–140. ISBN 81-7099-251-6. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  13. "Parkash Singh Badal: The grand old man of Punjab politics". 26 April 2023.
  14. "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 2002 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF PUNJAB" (PDF). Election Commission of India
  15. Punjab Assembly Election 2007 Results Archived 8 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine. indian-elections.com
  16. Badal allocates portfolios. The Hindu. (8 March 2007). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. Badal launches free ambulance service. dayandnightnews.com. April 2011
  18. Talwandi Sabo thermal plant okayed. The Hindu (10 December 2007). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  19. Mandhana, Niharika (12 May 2014). "In India, a Political Dynasty Prospers in Power". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  20. Punjab elections results 2012. Zeenews.india.com (6 March 2012). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. Punjab Polls 2012: Warhorse Badal beats anti-incumbency for the first time – Politics – Elections – ibnlive. CNN-IBN.in.com. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  22. Parkash Singh Badal takes oath as Punjab chief minister. The Times of India. 14 March 2012
  23. Punjab Cabinet Ministers Portfolios 2012. dayandnightnews.com. March 2012
  24. "Badal contradicts son, opposes FDI". The Indian Express. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  25. "Past Presidents", Shiromani Akali Dal.
  26. "Surinder Kaur Badal dead: Former Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal's wife passes away", The Economic Times (24 May 2011). Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  27. "Badal allocates portfolios". 7 March 2007 – via www.thehindu.com.
  28. "Punjab Finance Minister sacked". 13 October 2010 – via www.thehindu.com.
  29. "SAD patriarch Parkash Singh Badal passes away at 95". The Indian Express. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  30. "Parkash Singh Badal: आईसीयू में प्रकाश सिंह बादल, मायावती ने ट्वीट कर की जल्द ठीक होने की कामना". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  31. "Ignoring protests, Badal given top honour". The Tribune. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  32. "The CM is now Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum." The Indian Express. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  33. "Badal spent crores on his monument(al) passion". 26 April 2023.
  34. Correspondent, HT. "Sarbat Khalsa appoints Jagtar Singh Hawara as Akal Takht jathedar". Hindustan Times. No. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  35. "Grandiose title for Parkash Singh Badal sparks storm". The Times of India. 27 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 November 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  36. "Sikh intellectuals seek criterion for Panth Rattan". The Times of India. 6 December 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  37. "Padma Vibhushan for Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal". The Times of India. 26 January 2015.
  38. "Parkash Singh Badal returns Padam Vibhushan in protest against 'betrayal of farmers'". The Hindu. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  39. "Farmer Protest: Former Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal returned Padma Vibhushan – The Thinkera". 3 December 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  40. "SYL is an emotive issue: Badal". he Statesman Limited. he Statesman Limited. 26 March 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  41. "Badal describes SYL canal as 'death warrant' of Punjab". Legit Expressions Pvt. Ltd. Legit Expressions Pvt. Ltd. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  42. Badal, family acquitted in corruption case. The Indian Express. (1 October 2010). Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  43. "World Sikh Summit Declares Badals & Makkar 'Gadar-E-Qaum'". Sikh 24. Sikh24.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  44. "Pb govt plays it safe, allows radical jathedars to visit Golden Temple". Hindustan Times. 15 May 2016.
  45. "Radical 'Jathedars' to set up parallel Akal Takht secretariat : The Tribune India".
  46. "Punjab General Legislative Election 1997". Election Commission of India. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  47. Election Commission of India. "Punjab General Legislative Election 2017". Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  48. Chief Electoral Officer - Punjab. "Electors and Polling Stations - VS 2017" (PDF). Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  49. "Punjab Elections 2022: Full list of Aam Aadmi Party candidates and their constituencies". The Financial Express. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  50. "Punjab General Legislative Election 2022". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.