Nearly 400 panchayat secretaries, fighting for three years
to get back their jobs, swooped down upon the office of
Punjab Congress president in Chandigarh. Here is a snapshot
of what happens when a determined group pushes a politician
against the wall. I was bemused by Hanspal’s handling of the
situation, or rather by the sacked men’s handling of Hanspal,
and wrote the story in that mood. Did they get back their
jobs? Oh, that’s a very interesting story by itself, and you
can read it elsewhere on this very site.
Mr Fix-it Hanspal gets in a fix as sacked men swoop down upon his office
S P Singh
Having acted once as Mr Fix-it for Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Punjab Congress president H S Hanspal today found himself in a fix as the sacked Panchayat Secretaries' issue came back to haunt him, literally. It actually marched down from its Sector 17 footpath address to Hanspal’s office.
Hanspal, who had done some trouble-shooting for Amarinder by getting the sacked men to shun their fast-unto-death last September, today fumbled for a convincing response when the agitationists swooped down on his office, indulged in a long harangue with him and forced him to meekly wriggle out of the situation with an excuse of getting back to them again after a day's time.
High drama started when Hanspal suddenly found scores of sacked panchayat secretaries at the gates of the state party headquarters in Sector 15 here, and, after nearly an hour of unsuccessful bids to either escape an encounter or try to talk to a `two-member delegation' of the protesters, had to open his doors to the entire crowd.
But the discussion hardly went the way Hanspal would have preferred, for his every intervention was countered by the panchayat secretaries with a response that left his either speechless, or, at best, fumbling for an excuse.
Media was watching, and Hanspal wanted to figure in a positive light.
``Asi tuhanoo bahut payar karde han, tuhada kamm karna chahnde han,” (We do love you so much, we do want to do your job),'' Hanspal told the sacked secretaries at the outset, but in response, the enraged men showed him where exactly had they received the ``love'' -- one showed him a badly hurt leg, while the other proceeded to bare his back which had received lathis from the cops only days ago. ``And those in hospital have refused glucose drips in writing,'' said one to convince Hanspal of their determination.
Window for some peace preaching by the Congressman -- ``You are doing fine peacefully, so why not keep it up peacefully?'' -- but the agitated men had other plans, plans to counter-preach, to tell Hanspal that a leader as senior as him must stick to his promise.''
``You had solemnly told us that Amarinder has given an undertaking to reinstate us, or re-employ us,'' they reminded Hanspal, but when the latter tried to say that he had merely promised ``to do my best'', the protesters offered to show him the video tape, an offer which Hanspal wisely declined.
Tactics to wear down the men by asking them the minor details of the case failed when their leader Ravinder Singh, in a tone that was sober and firm like a seasoned politician's, snapped: ``Don't do a politician with us. We have given you the details umpteen times. Now just tell us your decision.''
``But that is for the government to say,'' Hanspal argued. ``Then why had you come offering juice to fasting men?'' Hanspal's eloquent response was silence, a response he had to resort to frequently during the tete-a-tete.
When he tried quoting court orders, the secretaries were ready to quote back instances where government had acted differently in similar circumstances. Shifting tactics, Hanspal said the test proposed to be held anew will be a rather easy one. But the sacked men asked him that they were there to seek his response -- ``a clear yes or no'' -- not his advice.
``CM wants to do your job. I also want to do it,'' Hanspal was now in a mood to mollify. ``Then where's the hitch?'' they chorused. Response: silence.
``We will be very satisfied if you say no. At least, we will be able to plan our next move,'' said Des Raj, another savvy leader of the secretaries.
``Okay, I will speak to the CM once again, and today itself,'' Hanspal was now buckling, but not enough for the agitated men. ``That is up to you. Just tell us when would you get back to us. Take your time.''
``Parson (Day after tomorrow). Parson main saaf das devan ga (Day after tomorrow I will tell you clearly),'' said the Congress president.
But the Bole So Nihal cry that went up at the gate moments later as the men dispersed didn't leave anyone in doubt that the parson meeting, if it happened, is not going to be an affair Hanspal is looking forward to. And his party is talking about panchayati raj!
January 6, 2004