BJP chief Nadda, Union Minister Puri, Pawar visit family
BADAL, PUNJAB (TIP): Cutting across party lines, thousands bid tearful adieu to former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was cremated with full state honors at Badal village in Muktsar district today.
Badal, 95, died at a hospital in Mohali on Tuesday, April 25. The last rites of the grand old man of state politics were performed by his son and SAD chief Sukhbir Badal along with his daughters, Harkirat Kaur and Gurleen Kaur, and son Anantveer Singh at their orchard.
Sukhbir’s estranged cousin Manpreet Badal’s son Arjun and daughter Rhea, sister Parneet Kaur Kairon’s son Jai also lit the pyre. The SAD leadership claimed that the family had given a message of women empowerment following the teachings of the Guru Sahibs. A few minutes before lighting the pyre, Sukhbir broke down.
A brigade of policemen gave a gun salute to the former Chief Minister.
Earlier, during the day, the mortal remains of Badal were kept in the courtyard of his house, so that people could have his last ‘darshan’. Senior BJP leadership, including its national president JP Nadda, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and leader Tarun Chugh also visited the residence. Former Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar too visited the family’s residence.
Among the prominent persons who came to pay tributes to the leader included Union Minister of State Som Parkash, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, CM Bhagwant Mann, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Deputy CM, Haryana, Dushyant Chautala, former CMs of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala and Bhupinder Hooda, J&K former CM Omar Abdullah, former Union Minister Pawan Bansal, Punjab Cabinet Ministers Aman Arora and Dr Baljit Kaur, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ranjit Chautala, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, former minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, former minister of Rajasthan Gurjant Singh Brar, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, SGPC former presidents Hargobind Singh Longowal and Bibi Jagir Kaur, DSGMC chief Harmeet Singh Kalka, DSGMC former presidents Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Paramjit Singh Sarna, BSP state president Jasvir Singh Garhi, several leaders, including Bikram Singh Majithia, Dr Daljeet Singh Cheema, Sikander Singh Maluka, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sharanjit Dhillon.
“Multinational companies like Hindustan Lever that had a major industrial complex in Rajpura conveniently moved all its manufacturing to Baddi and Nalagarh. A number of major hosiery companies, instead of expanding in Punjab, looked for green pastures elsewhere where the hilly States, supported by BJP-led coalition government to reeled out a wholesome package offering a plethora of concessions, including relaxation in central duties and income tax. It wreaked havoc with industry in Punjab. The governments of those times did protest but were not strong enough to persuade the Centre to adopt at least “even play field for all” policy so that it could prevent flight of industrial houses to their new hilly abodes.”
By: Prabhjot Singh
Change, they say, is the only thing that is permanent. And to usher in change, it needs a lot of courage, initiative and planning. Only those who are bold and ready to take challenges of tomorrow progress.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has shown those traits of courage and initiative to put the State firmly back on its rails. His recent visit to Mumbai and interaction with three leading industrial houses – Mafatlals, Hindustan Lever and Mahindra and Mahindra – besides the young and enterprising cyber security icon Trishneet Arora – look steps in the desired direction.
Besides seeking their patronage and lavish investments in the State, he has extended to them personal invitations for the INvestPunjab conclave scheduled to be held in Mohali next month.
Punjab, once the most progressive and number one State in the country, has been grappling for a long time with serious social and economic problems. Its agrarian model of economics has been blunted, reminding one of an old machines that eats up a lot of money in repairs and upkeep rather than serving the master as his earning tool.
Debates over reviving the sagging economy have been both animated and inconclusive. The State has to take some hard decisions to open new vistas of development and economic prosperity. One most quoted and accepted argument has been to move at a firm and affordable pace from agrarian model to mixed model of economics. It would need all-out support not only from the government of the time but also from the populace as the future lies only in economic viability.
If Punjab is at fiscal crossroads, it is primarily because of two reasons. First and foremost has been its failure to keep its industry firmly rooted. And the second it also failed to read what was written on the wall – change its economic model to changing needs of time.
It goes without saying that agriculture will remain the mainstay of Punjab. To sustain it, it needs firm and solid support from the industry.
Besides the flight of the industry, the State is caught in a quagmire situation.. It is faced with endless brain and brawn drain. Hundreds of thousands of young men and women are heading for advanced Western nations for secure their future.
When young Trishneet Arora, founder and Chief Executive Officer of TAC security, a US-based company with offices in Mumbai, Mohali and other places, met Chief Minister Mann during his recent visit, bonhomie marked their interaction. Bhagwant Mann profusely hugged him and invited him to the 2023 Mohali Invest Punjab summit. It was not invitation alone but the earnest desire of the Chief Minister to seek help and guidance of one of the youngest Cyber security experts to help his home State not only to check brain and brawn drain but also suggest alternatives, especially in the IT and cyber sectors that can gainfully employ the youth.
Convinced that the future of the State lies in its rapid industrialization, the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has been frequenting industrial hubs, both within and outside the country, to convince captains of the industry to invest in Punjab. Working in earnest, he was in Mumbai early this week to speak to top executives of select industries that suit best to the needs of the State.
If the State has abundance of Cotton in its Malwa belt, it wants big cotton giants to set up their milling units in Fazilka and adjoining areas. It is unfortunate that efforts to set up ginning and spinning units in the cotton belt in the post State’s Reorganization period did not get or produce the results expected of them. There were limitless reasons for the public sector undertaking Spinfed to be wound up. A couple of other big names in the textile industry also chose to say goodbye to the State rather than struggle through the troubled times for problems well known to everyone.
CM Bhagwant Mann called on Arvind Mafatlal of the Mafatlal group to consider setting up a cotton mill in Fazilka by promising him all out support of the State Government. No industry can survive in the present competitive times without the support of the State.
Punjab was once known as the home of power presses, agricultural implements, motor parts, bicycles and bicycle parts, machine tools and hosiery. Since the state struggled through a dark phase of terrorism, it lost most of its industry to neighboring States, including Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
Multinational companies like Hindustan Lever that had a major industrial complex in Rajpura conveniently moved all its manufacturing to Baddi and Nalagarh. A number of major hosiery companies, instead of expanding in Punjab, looked for green pastures elsewhere where the hilly States, supported by BJP-led coalition government to reeled out a wholesome package offering a plethora of concessions, including relaxation in central duties and income tax. It wreaked havoc with industry in Punjab. The governments of those times did protest but were not strong enough to persuade the Centre to adopt at least “even play field for all” policy so that it could prevent flight of industrial houses to their new hilly abodes. Bhagwant Mann met top executives of Hindustan Lever to assure them that tomatoes needed for the ketch up processing industry in Nabha would now onwards be supplied by farmers of the State. At present, the unit is getting its raw material – tomatoes – from Nashik in Maharashtra.
Punjab has a huge potential for promoting tourism in general and pilgrimage tourism in particular. It is why Bhagwant Mann made it a point to call on the top brass of Mahindra and Mahindra for taking some initiative in the tourism sector in Punjab. Mahindra and Mahindra run a massive holiday homes service that creates and provides accommodation to holiday revelers at reasonable rates.
Besides, Mahindra and Mahindra is also all set to roll out tractors from its new manufacturing and assembly line in Lalru, near Chandigarh. The company executives wanted the Chief Minister to be guest of honor at the launch ceremony. In return, the Chief Minister solicited Mahindra and Mahindra participation in the INvestPunjab conclave.
The Mumbai visit needs a close and sincere follow up. The hype so created has to be converted into opportunities that can help Punjab to get back into the lead role as both industrial and agricultural leader in the country.
(Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience of 14 years with Reuters News and 30 years with The Tribune Group, covering a wide spectrum of subjects and stories. He has covered Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics and several major sporting events and hosting TV shows.)
New Delhi (TIP)- The regular ‘band, bajaa, baraat’ were missing but the festivities seemed intact as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann turned groom for his wedding with a doctor from Kurukshetra at his home on Thursday, July 7. It was a private ceremony without the usual crowds, so much a part of the big, fat Punjabi wedding. Though few details were available, visuals on television and Twitter showed Mann and his bride at the Anand Karaj ceremony. Aam Aadmi Party colleague Raghav Chadha also shared some images on Twitter showing Mr. Mann, in his yellow turban with ‘kalgi’ and a gold coloured kurta-pyjama while Kaur donned a red coloured dress. There were also pictures of the groom at his festooned home, walking under a ‘phulkari dupatta’ held up by Chadha among others, and at the ceremony. Both Mann and Kaur could be seen smiling in one of the pictures while another showed them sitting together for lunch post the wedding rituals. One of Mr. Chadha’s post showed Mr. Mann and himself on a sofa. He quoted a Punjabi song of celebration, “Saade veer da vyah, Saanu gode gode chah”, as the caption.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Chadha, AAP MP Sanjay Singh and other leaders were also present at the ceremony. Kejriwal played the role of an elder from Mann’s family and actively participated in the wedding rituals. Later in a tweet, Kejriwal congratulated the couple. “Wishing Bhagwant Mann and Gurpreet Bhabhi for marriage,” said Mr. Kejriwal. Mann (48), the first Chief Minister of the State to get married while in office, is tying the knot with Dr. Gurpreet Kaur from Pehowa in Kurukshetra in Haryana.
This is Mann’s second marriage. He separated from his first wife in 2015 — they have two children, daughter Seerat Kaur (21) and son Dilshan (17). The wedding menu consisted of Dal Makhni, Chana Masala, Karahi Paneer, Navratan Biryani, Jeera Onion Pulao, Kalonji Wale Aloo and Continental dishes for main course and Moong Dal Halwa, Fresh Fruit Trifle, and Ice Cream for dessert. Tight security arrangements were in place at the Chief Minister’s home in Sector 2.
Gurpreet Kaur (30) shared a picture of herself on Twitter and wrote, ” Din Shagna Da Chadya (the day of marriage has arrived)”. She also thanked AAP leaders for their congratulatory messages. According to party insiders, the wedding, being solemnised according to Sikh rituals, was attended by Mr. Mann’s mother and sister and just a few guests, including Mr. Kejriwal and his family.
Mann’s sister Manpreet Kaur was dressed in a magenta coloured dress. Before the wedding, Kejriwal told reporters at the airport, “Today is a day of immense happiness that my younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann ji is getting married and is making a new beginning.
“May God bless him with a happy married life and both (the couple) always remain happy. Chadha said, “A new chapter in CM Bhagwant Mann’s life is going to start today. I congratulate Mann saab’s family, his mother and sister. It will be a small function. Only family members will attend.””We all are happy that happiness has returned to Mann saab’s family after a long time. It was his mother’s dream to see her son getting settled again. Today, that dream is going to come true,” he told reporters. Gurpreet Kaur completed her MBBS from a private university in Haryana in 2018. She has two elder sisters who are settled abroad. AAP leader and Minister Harjot Singh Bains in a tweet said, “God Bless the Sweet Couple. I am happy for @BhagwantMann ji and Dr Gurpreet ji.” BJP leader Tarun Chugh also congratulated Mann on this occasion.
AMRITSAR (TIP): The SGPC has failed to comply with the directions of the Akal Takht to prepare its Information Technology (IT) wing to facilitate world-wide live telecast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple ‘within a stipulated time’. Akal Takht Officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had ordered the SGPC to work on the modalities of launching its channel, and written directions were issued on April 8. In response, the SGPC had sought a week to equip its IT wing as cameras, wiring and other relevant infrastructure were to be arranged, but to no avail.
Irked, some SGPC members submitted a complaint with the Takht Secretariat over non-compliance of its directions. A complainant, SGPC executive member Gurpreet Singh Randhawa, said contrary to Takht’s directions, neither could the SGPC start its IT’s web channel nor take steps to stop the controversial private channel from broadcasting Gurbani. Takht had ordered the SGPC to make stopgap arrangements by equipping its existing web channel being run by the IT wing to telecast the Gurbani. Even CM Bhagwant Mann had offered to bear the cost of setting up the infrastructure. Rejecting the offer, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami had termed it politically motivated. Dhami said a five-member panel was formed to study the feasibility of launching a channel. “It had conducted two meetings. Since it required raising of technical infrastructure, the panel is working on it. It will also look into legal aspects as the SGPC is in a pact with the channel on telecast rights till February 2023. As soon as we receive its report, we will table it in the executive and take further action,” he said.
(Source: TNS)
Signup to our Newsletter!
Don’t miss out on all the happenings around the world
