Journalism of Courage
Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Punjab’s CM designate Bhagwant Mann, both his children Seerat Kaur Mann (21) and Dilshan Mann (17) are scheduled to attend the event at Khatkar Kalan on Wednesday. They have flown all the way from the United States to attend the ceremony, their mother and Mann’s ex-wife Inderpreet Kaur informed The Indian Express.
Bhagwant Mann and Inderpreet Kaur had separated back in 2015 after which the couple’s children shifted to the US with their mother, while Mann continued to toil hard for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab. In 2014, Inderpreet was the backbone of Mann’s campaign for the Lok Sabha polls and used to campaign for him in villages of Sangrur from where Mann was elected as AAP MP for the first time. However, in 2015 the couple filed for a divorce.
In her first comments after Mann’s and AAP’s massive victory in the Punjab assembly polls, Inderpreet Kaur while speaking to The Indian Express from the US, said: “Both our children have reached India and they will attend Bhagwant’s swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan. They are overwhelmed and very excited. They need some time to sink-in this feeling.”
Inderpreet said that her response on Bhagwant Mann becoming the Punjab CM was “very positive”. She added that he was always in her prayers and will continue to be.
“I always worked hard for his success but behind his back. I have never said anything bad for him from my side. He was always in my prayers for all these years and will always continue to be. Yes, there were physical distances but that doesn’t mean we were not praying for his success. It’s just that I was busy here in the US with my work and children’s studies,” said Inderpreet to The Indian Express. She hails from Barewal of Ludhiana.
In the recent days during Punjab polls, Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur and sister Manpreet Kaur were often seen expressing their happiness and emotions for Mann’s success like when he was announced AAP’s CM candidate and more recently, when he led AAP to a resounding victory in Punjab on March 10. However, often in his interviews, Mann had expressed that though entire Punjab is his family now, he still feels heavy in the heart when he finds his home empty on returning from work.
He had also expressed love for his children through his social media posts and wished them on their birthdays, adding that he misses them. Once he had shared how his daughter had remained on a ventilator immediately after birth due to an injury in the head and it became difficult for him to live through those ten days when she was critical. “I love you and miss you..,” Mann wrote for his children on Facebook in several posts.
During his divorce proceedings, Mann had claimed that he had chosen his ‘Punjab family over his own family’. The comedian turned politician had described his divorce as: ‘Jo latkeyan si chiran to o hal ho gaya, Court ch eh faisla kal ho gaya.. ek passey si parivaar, dujey passey si parivaar.. main taan yaaron Punjab de vall ho gaya…’ ( A long pending issue has been solved. The court has decided. I had to choose between my two families. I have chosen Punjab).’
