At 82, marching slowly but steadily

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 3

At 82, Charanjit Singh Atwal, the Shiromani Akali Dal nominee from Jalandhar, is the oldest candidate in fray for the Lok Sabha poll in Punjab.

From a different league of politics, he doesn’t show any interest in emulating the campaign style of new-age firebrand politicians and loves to maintain his own pace. 

Having undergone a knee surgery, he walks slowly, doesn’t take along an army of supporters and delivers speeches in a feeble voice. At rallies, his men ensure the mike is well adjusted and amplifiers used so that he is audible to all. 

Atwal has remained the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker from 2004-09, is a two-term Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker and is contesting his ninth election (see box). Ask him if he would contest again after 2019, he is quick to respond: “It has been, and will always be, the party’s decision.”

An experienced Sikh face representing the Valmiki community, Atwal was SAD president Sukhbir Badal’s choice from Jalandhar on two accounts: The community he represented and as a counter to the dissent party chief was facing from the Taksali leaders in the Akali Dal.

Away from his hometown Ludhiana, he is not depending on any private managers and has his two sons by his side — elder Inder Iqbal Atwal, former Koom Kalan MLA, and Jasjeet Atwal. Both are known to be better orators and have been addressing parallel rallies. 

Atwal’s wife Inderjit Kaur, their daughters-in-law and three daughters are also on poll tour and are camping in Jalandhar in two houses taken up in Defence Colony. 

His family ensures Atwal’s food basket is packed well before he is about to set out for the day to address six to seven rallies. In the midst of rallies when it’s lunch time, he pulls out a table, opens his steel tiffin box filled with homemade roti, sabzi and curd with lots of cucumbers or melons. Extra conscious about his throat, he only has lukewarm water from a flask he carries along. 

His elder son shares: “Our father is very particular about his health. He does yoga every morning and some brisk walk in the evening... He takes a meeting of SAD-BJP alliance cadres daily at our house.”

Atwal’s age, anyway, is not much of an issue in Jalandhar as his rivals aren’t that young either — Congress’ Ch Santokh Singh is 72 and AAP’s Justice Jora Singh (retd) is 69.

Contesting is party’s decision

"It (to contest or not) has been, and will always be, the party’s decision." Charanjit Atwal, SAD’s Jalandhar candidate