Neither royalty nor father figure – why Channi is the first Dalit CM of Punjab a ‘refreshing change’

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Chandigarh: Addressing a galaxy of industrialists during the Invest Punjab Summit last month, state Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal extended a unique greeting to Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

He said that Channi was the first Chief Minister of Punjab who was born in independent India. “All other Chief Ministers of Punjab were born when Punjab was occupied by the British. So he (Chani) is free from colonial thinking.

Channi, 58, a wild card to take over as chief minister in September following the political turmoil in the Congress that ousted Captain Amarinder Singh, is not only the state’s first Dalit CM but also the youngest chief minister. Post.

For more than two decades now, Punjab has either become accustomed to the eighty-year-old Parkash Singh Badal, who remained chief minister five times, or to the royalty of Amarinder, who is the Maharaja of Patiala.

Badal was always considered like a father figure, who used to touch people’s feet all the time. He never hugged anyone; At most he will pat people on their shoulders. And he’ll hardly ever smile.

Amarinder was a brave old retired soldier of the royal army who was affectionate like Badal, but never again gave people a hug and rarely went beyond shaking hands.

Neither broke the plans and movements of the day. Neither have shed tears in front of the public. The clouds moved slowly, sometimes requiring assistance in climbing the stairs. Amarinder also had health issues and after a few minutes of speech one could hear him breathless.

Channi, however, is a refreshing change. A young Chief Minister who is agile and agile on his feet. He is constantly hugging the people he meets, shaking hands, smiling warmly, touching the feet of the old man. More than once he has stopped his convoy of vehicles and attended weddings of total strangers seen on the streets. Wherever he goes to visit families in villages, he eats whatever is offered to them, in their homes, on their plates. Last week, he sat on the floor Went to start a family home shelter scheme.

And on more than one occasion he has shed tears openly and without regret. once, when he was addressing his first press conference As Chief Minister and for the second time when he went to meet the families of the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri incident in Uttar Pradesh.

Last week, Hockey Olympian CM and cabinet minister Pargat Singh, played hockey As part of Surjeet Hockey Tournament at a stadium in Jalandhar.

“Channi is humble but so is Badal. But from an eternal father to a retired royal, there are CMs like Channi bhai or son that Punjab has not seen in years. Can you imagine Badal or Amarinder doing this? Bhangra At the college level?” said Chandigarh-based political expert Kanwalpreet Kaur.

Kaur was talking about Channik join one Bhangra Team On the stage of IK Gujral Technical University in Kapurthala where he had visited as the chief guest soon after becoming chief minister in September.

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Change not only in appearance, but also in working style

It’s not just in attitude – Channi’s style of working is very different from that of his predecessors. Both Badal and Amarinder rarely visited their offices in the Secretariat. But Channi goes to office regularly. He has made cabinet meetings weekly and holds at least one press conference a week.

One of the first orders he made upon becoming the Chief Minister was to allow easy access to government offices to all elected representatives such as sarpanches and municipal councillors.

Channi starts their day with meeting people from 8 a.m. and a typical day includes meetings with officials, attending at least one public function or site to monitor the progress of an ongoing project. travel is included. And it all ended up in endless cups of tea. he is often seen Sitting outside his official residence after midnight, meeting the waiting public.

Channi’s decision to reduce his security cover and cut his car convoy has also affected his image.

“Channi’s humble beginnings are reflected in her gestures and everything she does. I also feel that what makes Channi more friendly and accommodating than other chief ministers is his decision to remove additional security personnel from around him,” said a Punjab cabinet minister on condition of anonymity.

“Although security is required, the police are trained to keep crowds and people away and if you look carefully you will see that there are very few cops around.”

Analysts say Channi’s cheerful demeanor has a lot to do with the political situation in which he took over the reins of the state.

Assembly elections are due early next year and Channi has only a few months to really make his mark and as a result, he is putting his best foot forward and taking all the right steps.

“The conduct of the new chief minister is ideal. However one must keep in mind that whatever one gets to see is carefully crafted and displayed for public consumption. But apart from his conduct, which as a political feature has a limited shelf life, he has managed to win over the lower middle class with all his pronouncements on water, electricity, petrol, diesel and now sand,” said Kaur. he said.

Others see Channi’s behavior as her humble beginnings.

“Channi is an exceptional politician in the context of Punjab Congress. Their rise is not due to family, money power or relationships. Unlike the usual path for Dalit political upliftment – ​​sidekicks of Dalit elite, powerful upper caste politicians or former bureaucrats – Channi is a first generation politician who rose through hard work and merit,” said Professor Harjeshwar Singh, Department of History. SGGS College, Chandigarh.

(Edited by Arun Prashant)

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