A room in this friend’s house was reserved for ‘Badal Saab’ always

Shiromani Akali Dal patron and five-time Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal passed away at a private hospital in Mohali late Tuesday evening.

Whenever he was in Ludhiana, Badal senior would always stay at Bhagwan Singh’s house on Civil Lines near SCD Government College. “Our house was more popular as ‘Badal House’ as he used to be a regular visitor… one portion of our house was always earmarked for him,” recalls Singh, now 77.

“Even now, we had hope that he would visit soon. I was to visit Fortis Hospital on Tuesday as we were hopeful that he will be shifted to a room soon…Who knew we were going to hear this news?” says Singh.

Singh says people used to think they were related to the Badals. Though he never ventured into politics, his house was often used for political meetings. In the 1997 elections, his house was one of the party headquarters where all the ticket distribution work was done, adds Singh.

“Badal Saab’s simplicity taught us so many things. His strict lifestyle, where he used to get up at 5 am, exercise, do his daily prayers, meet people and afterwards have a cup of tea…He used to eat simple food…he used to relish all desi things but as per his diet schedule, such was the discipline in his life,” recalls Bhagwan Singh.

A cool-headed Badal would patiently douse the anger of a complainant, says Singh, whom Badal senior used to call ‘Kakaji’. “Badal Saab was in jail when his daughter got married…I was also one of the few guests who attended the wedding…Badal Saab had celebrated many birthdays at our house,” Singh reminisces. “Irrespective of political ideologies, highs and lows of a party, I feel that Badal senior was a perfect example of how to stay calm and composed, whether in power or not,” says Singh.