M A I N   N E W S

Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s bicentenary celebrations
mired in controversy
P. P. S. Gill
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 2
The typical case of the Punjab Government’s left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing has come to the fore as the state authorities draw up an ambitious year-long programme to celebrate the bicentenary of the “coronation” of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, beginning April 13.

The Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, is keen on organising the bicentenary celebrations on a “grand scale”, a la the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa in 1999. He has put government machinery into top gear by constituting two panels: the concept committee and the implementation committee.

The broad contours of the proposed celebrations drafted at a meeting at Punjab Bhavan in New Delhi on March 27 not only show the programmes but also the controversies.

One controversy, informed sources told TNS, relates to the use of the word “coronation” harped on by one of the members, Dr Kirpal Singh, historian, who was countered by the National Minorities Commission vice-chairman, Mr Tarlochan Singh. Arguments for and against this word consumed a lot of time of the meeting and eventually the word was retained.

The meeting also saw certain members, including Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar and Mr Balwinder Singh Bhundar, wondering whether the Maharaja could be shown “live” in the proposed films, documentaries and serials. Mr Badungar is the SAD’s secretary and Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister, while Mr Bhundar is a Rajya Sabha MP and the party’s general-secretary, a close confidant of Mr Badal.

Sensing the mood at the meeting, the Chief Minister did the next best thing: leaving the final word to the SGPC President, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, who would sort it out by consulting the SGPC’s “dharm parchar” committee that will also screen scripts for stage performances, etc. In fact, a ban in respect of the Sikh Gurus being shown “live” is already there. But is it applicable to mortals?

The department of Information and Public Relations is in the process of making a light and sound programme on the Maharaja without depicting Ranjit Singh “live”.

Some organisations in New Delhi are keen on making films on Maharaja Ranjit Singh on the same pattern as “Gandhi” by Attenborough. These societies wanted the state to provide money. But the department of Information and Public Relations has a procedure for such projects and expressed its reservations on the demand for money. A committee headed by the Minister in charge screens the proposals before the commissioning of any film. The same procedure was followed during the 1999 tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa.

When the meeting decided on putting up three statues of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, again some organisations wanted money for this. Their representatives attended the meeting but their names do not figure in the official concept committee. The proceedings show that Rs 70 lakh is earmarked for the statues alone, to be installed within the precincts of Parliament House, at the Ranjit Sagar multipurpose project at Thein and at Ropar. The Department of Information and Public Relations refused to accept the request of such organisations for money and would rather have the statues made on its own. One of the seekers for money is reported to be the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Trust that has some influential politicians like Dr Manmohan Singh and retired bureaucrats of Punjab, like Mr K. S. Bains, on it. When TNS contacted Mr Bains on his cell-phone in New Delhi, he was busy and said he would call back. He did not.

The other issue likely to generate a controversy is the decision to institute a Maharaja Ranjit Singh award carrying a cash component of Rs 25 lakh to be given annually to a distinguished person on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Maharaja (November 13). There has been a mixed reaction to this. Has the government already someone in mind? Who will be the first recipient? This decision has made many an aspirant begin lobbying right away, sources added.

And now, how the government functions. Once word was out that the Chief Minister wanted the celebrations on to be a “grand scale”, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums cobbled up a committee and notified it on March 14, justified as a “routine” exercise.

But quite oblivious of what the department had done, the Chief Minister’s Office sent out yet another “routine” circular, on March 12, to 27-odd ‘’eminent’’ persons inviting them to a meeting with Mr Badal at Punjab Bhavan, Chandigarh, on March 15 on the bicentenary celebration. There, as ideas and suggestions started flowing in, the Minister, Mr Swarna Ram, and the Principal Secretary, Dr Brajendra Singh, of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Archaeology and Museums, expressed the inability of the department to take on the responsibilities. They were candid enough to admit that the department lacked the “wherewithal” given the “grand scale” on which the occasion was to be celebrated and that, too, for a full one year.

The mantle was put on the Department of Information and Public Relations to act as the “nodal” agency. At the same meeting, the Chief Minister suggested the formation of an all-encompassing Concept committee, dissolving the one the Department of Cultural Affairs had notified.

Insiders told TNS that the state government had sanctioned, initially, Rs 1.5 crore for the bicentenary celebrations. The Council of Ministers has approved it. In view of the government plans, there were, sources said, “sharks” waiting to make money and blow their own trumpet at the cost of the state exchequer. In fact several unknown organisations and individuals, who have no interest in Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his times, have now surfaced overnight in view of the ‘’grand scale’’ of the celebrations, sources added.

The programme will start at Punjabi University, Patiala, on April 13. A book and a portrait of the Maharaja will be released on that day. Some of the highlights are as follows:

An attempt will be made to identify descendants of the associates of the Maharaja believed to have settled in Lahore and France. The family of Faquir Aziz-u-din, an eminent minister in the Maharaja’s cabinet, is believed to be in Lahore. Similarly, descendants of the famous French General, A.Ventura, live in France. They are also believed to be in possession of some articles belonging to the Maharaja.

Artefacts of the Maharaja are kept in the Royal Albert Museum, London, and the Lahore Museum. Efforts to bring them here during the year-long celebrations are also to be made. The other functions include the usual exhibitions, seminars and the release of a special postage stamp and commemorative gold coins.

The Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr P. S. Aujla, said the following broad themes were drawn up at the meeting on March 27: making of films, documentaries and serials, printing of literature on the life of the Maharaja, establishing of a Chair at Guru Nanak Dev University, honouring of legal heirs of the Maharaja and requesting the Centre to name a train, between New Delhi and Amritsar, after the Maharaja besides displaying of works by French writer Jean-Marie, who is also on the concept committee.

Several subcommittees have been constituted. For the bronze statues there is Mr Kuldip Nayyar, MP, who is also on the committee for working out the modalities for the Rs 25 lakh award. The other members are Mr Kartar Singh Duggal, MP, Mr Khushwant Singh and Mr V.N. Dutta. Mr Nayyar and Mr Duggal are also on the film/serial committee while the SGPC’s “Dharm Parchar” Committee will be associated with programmes to be staged on various facets of the life of Sher-e-Punjab.

As at the time of the Tercentenary celebrations, the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation will bring out commemorative coins. It will be interesting to know the sale figures (profit or loss) of the Tercentenary coins in 1999.

The Department of Information and Public Relations has put out two e-mail addresses for the convenience of the committee members and the public: dipr_pb@satyam.net.in and sarveshkaushal@hotmail.com.

The following are the members of the concept committee, headed by the Chief Minister: Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Mr Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Mr Khushwant Singh, Mr Kuldip Nayyar, Mr Kartar Singh Duggal, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, Mr Tarlochan Singh and the Punjab Ministers of Local Government, Food and Supplies, Finance and Planning, Information and Public Relations and Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The others are Mr Brij Lal Rinwa (BJP), Dr Joginder Dyal (CPI), Mr Balwant Singh (CPI-M), Capt. Amarinder Singh (Congress), Mr Vijay Sathi (Janata Dal), Mr Avtar Singh Karimpuri (BSP), the Chief Secretary, Punjab, the Vice-Chancellors of Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University, the Principal Secretaries, Cultural Affairs and Finance, the Secretary, Information and Public Relations, Dr B. N. Goswami, Dr Mohinder Singh (Director, Bhai Vir Singh Sahit Sadan, New Delhi), Dr Kirpal Singh and Dr V. N. Dutta (historians), Mr R. D. Chaudhary (Director-General , National Museums) and Mr Jean –Marie Lafont of the French Embassy.

The eight-member implementation committee comprises the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary, Finance, the Secretaries of Cultural Affairs, Higher Education and PWD (B and R), Dr J.S. Grewal, a former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr Deepak Manmohan Singh, Dean, College Development Council, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and the Secretary, Information and Public Relations, Mr Sarvesh Kaushal, who will be the convener.