Other States - Punjab   

Akalis get office with ‘corporate’ image

CHANDIGARH: The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal leadership under the Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, converged here on Friday, to inaugurate the building of their new headquarters.

Sukhbir Singh, working president of the party, has been directly involved in every aspect of the construction of the new headquarters in the Sector 28 of the “City Beautiful.” The state-of-the-art infrastructure, which highlights the party’s evolution, symbolizes the organisation’s vision of a modern, technologically advanced Punjab, even as it bespeaks of the march into the new era, he said.

The complex was formally inaugurated after the ‘Ardas’ (the Sikh prayer) at the culmination of Akhand Path (uninterrupted recitation) of Guru Granth Sahib. So overwhelmed was Mr. Badal that he was forced to reiterate his pre-poll resolve of restoring the honour and prestige of the party rank and file.

While the new office looks far and away the best and the most modern headquarters of any political party in the country, it could out-compete the office of any major corporate house in the region. Displaying an ambience of rich and proud political heritage of the party, it is complete with tools of modern technology that include sophisticated acoustics, plasma TVs in all rooms, a conference hall and the most advanced apparatus for computer presentations.

The office of the party president is located in the interior and has a waiting room for party workers where they would have access to all the major newspapers, television and a library.

There is a formal secretariat with offices of the party secretary, the media advisor, the president of the Youth Akali Dal and heads of the various wings.

The walls of the vast complex are overhung by imposing and evocative pictures from Akali movements and other major historical landmarks in Punjab’s history since 1920, when the party was formed.

At the entrance there are pictures that invoke soothing divinity, with images of Akali workers gathered at the Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple), in 1960s. Large portraits of Akali stalwarts like the founder chief, Sarmukh Singh Jhabbal, Baba Kharak Singh, Master Tara Singh, Sant Fateh Singh, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal and Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra adorn the lobby that tails into the main Conference Hall.

A towering picture of Mr. Badal flanked by Mr. Tohra, Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi and leaders like Surjit Singh Barnala and Balwant Singh welcomes the visitors. But one of the highlights of the pictorial history of the party is the gigantic picture of Mr. Badal addressing a sea of humanity to commemorate the party’s successful ‘Morcha’ (agitation) against Emergency.

The conference hall is a “Hall of Fame” in own right as it displays pictures of all Akali presidents running the length of the walls. The hall shall also be used for formal press conferences.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Partial response to bandh
Akalis get office with ‘corporate’ image

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu