I am used to begging for funds

NEW DELHI, December 6: The fragrance of roses fills the living room of Delhi Finance Minister Mahinder Singh Saathi. The numerous bouquet...

NEW DELHI, December 6: The fragrance of roses fills the living room of Delhi Finance Minister Mahinder Singh Saathi. The numerous bouquets, however, shift to the background once the minister starts talking about his experiences in Delhi politics. “The rates of revenue collection show that the BJP was sure about not coming back to power. The excise revenue collection has fallen from 20 to 4 per cent. A government which is serious about the future will always make sure that it collects enough revenue to implement its plans,” says Saathi, who has just taken over the finance ministry from Jagdish Mukhi.

He feels his tenure as city mayor with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will come in handy now. “I am used to begging for funds. I want to see how it works out this time,” he says, laughing. Explaining the clear verdict that the Congress got in its favour in the recent Assembly elections, especially in Sikh-dominated segments, he says, “Sonia Gandhi’s apology for the 1984 riots brought long-awaited solace to the Sikhs. They have now realised that despite its past, the Congress is the only party that can be relied upon. The magic was that people trusted Sonia. She is a woman who speaks from her heart.”

Saathi was the city mayor when the 1984 riots broke out in the city soon after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Reminiscing on the tumultuous times, he says, “People were annoyed that simple law-abiding citizens were not being protected by the administration. I took up the matter with the prime minister immediately and, as a result, the then lieutenant governor and police commissioner were transferred.” He, however, believes that the administration could have prevented the bloodshed if it had acted faster. In the months following the riots, Saathi focused on convincing the locals about the anti-national motives of the terrorists and on how different Sikhism was to what they preached. The terrorists, he says, got back to him for this. “I had to leave Vishwas Nagar for security reasons. The lanes were too narrow, the threat too big.” He shifted to his present residence in West Punjabi Bagh in 1990.

Story continues below this ad

When asked whether the poll verdict would free leaders like H.K.L. Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, who were denied tickets and positions of power for their alleged involvement in the riots following a decision at the AIIC’s Panchmari session, he said: “The Panchmari resolution has brought results and the party can’t go back on it. No party will succeed by ignoring the minorities”.

The finance minister, however, says that politicians can’t be crucified. “Denying a ticket to a politician is a very severe punishment.” About his stint in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, he says: “Under me, the corporation never lacked in finances.” As for his present assignment, Saathi says he is scheduled to attend a meeting with the officials of the ministry tomorrow morning. “I had an inkling that I would be given the finance ministry. Only the media insisted that I might be made the Speaker”.

Saathi, who is one of the senior-most Congress party workers in the city, was born in Amritsar. A graduate in Political Science from Punjab University, he was a prominent student union leader. After taking up a job as a junior engineer with the government, he moved to Delhi. He was involved in the trade union movement from 1951-68 in the Capital. He joined the Congress in 1969 and has held the post of DPCC general secretary for 11 years, among other things.