Zail Singh, the people’s President

BACK in 1985, I was part of a batch of 20-odd journalism students from Punjabi University who were taken to New Delhi by our teachers to visit offices of media houses, news agencies and Doordarshan Kendra.

On the penultimate day of our week-long tour, we expressed the desire to visit Rashtrapati Bhavan to call on Giani Zail Singh, the then President. A classmate and I had a special reason to meet him as we both hailed from Ropar, which fell under the Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency from where Zail Singh had been elected MLA in 1972 before he became the Chief Minister of Punjab. It is said that Gianiji was not only familiar with the topography of the entire state but also had a knack for connecting with people at the grassroots level.

Finally, the staff of Rashtrapati Bhavan confirmed our appointment with the President at 5 pm the next day. Escorted by a protocol officer after a thorough security check, we were asked to proceed to meet him. Attired in his traditional off-white achkan with a fresh red rose pinned on it, a white churidar and a milky-white turban, he arrived in his office on the dot. After a brief round of introduction with everyone, he asked me, ‘Beta, kithe rehande ho?’ I immediately replied, ‘Ji, Ropar.’ On being further asked by him, I specified that I resided in Sham Nagar Mohalla, near Rama Mandir. He was quick to point out that I had concealed the actual name of my locality, which was earlier known as Char Hattian (four shops), but was now called Chor Hattian (thieves’ shops). Stunned by his razor-sharp memory, I humbly admitted that he was right. To avoid embarrassment, I had stopped short of mentioning the exact name of the mohalla.

After a while, the President asked my friend about his hometown and his father. He replied that he was also from Ropar and that his father was a journalist. On being told the father’s name, Gianiji took my friend in his arms and said, ‘Kaka, fer tan tun apna hi bachcha hoyea… main tan tere pitaji nu chiraan toh jaanda haan (you are like a son to me. I have known your father for long).’

Such was the humility and warmth exuded by Giani Zail Singh, whose death anniversary falls on December 25, even after he reached the highest echelons of power.