It's time to tell the truth!
Humra Quraishi
2018 will see those build-ups to the 2019 general
elections and that in itself will add to the murky
political mahaul . New books could get launched,
furthering or else denting the political parties and the
bunch of men manning them. Though not too sure
whether the masses of this country have the required
inclination or sufficient energy levels to go through
volumes on the supposed who's who, but then the
word spreads around…gets splashed in big or small
newspapers.
Looking back, each time I have travelled through
the rural and urban belts of North India, I read
details to the political characters together with the
political scenario lying well- tucked in the local
publications. Many a time a village elder would be
seen reading aloud from a Urdu or Hindi daily, to the
dozens of enthusiasts gathered around and then the
subsequent discussions could take off along the
expected political offshoots.
Surprisingly or not really,
even in the far -flung locales
of the Kashmir Valley what
holds sway are the local
Urdu 'akhbaars' laced with
the latest political inputs.
Each time I covered
elections in the State of J&K,
what had left me pleasantly
surprised was the average
Kashmiri's general
awareness of the political
build-ups not just in his to her region but all across
this sub- continent.
Political awareness is to be seen as never before
even in the rural stretches of Uttar Pradesh. And it
would be naïve not to bypass the consequences.
Battle grounds are prepared for the coming elections
and with that every effort in place to reach out in
every possible way to the electorate. The politician is
desperate. Ambitions are riding high …so high that
murders of psyches if not of forms are taking place
every single day.
This brings me to write that the political poisoning
unleashed from the various quarters is leaving its
imprints on a whole generation in the making.
Though I do not wish to drag along the personal, I
must write that during my one lone visit to Gujarat,
the third-class communal utterings of the young taxi
driver-driving me from the Ahmedabad airport to the
venue where I had to address a gathering-left me
feeling devastated. The young driver was not to be
blamed for his views; over -fed he was on an antiminorities
propaganda.
How I wish our writers come
up with new books in the coming
months to beat the heap of
myths and misconceptions which are let loose, hell
bent on wrecking whatever remains of us… After all,
a writer's prime role is to connect and communicate
the realities, so that our intactness remains. And
though around elections, political biographies or
auto- biographies hog the limelight, the need of the
hour is that the masses of this country manage to
grasp some of those basic facts which the politician
twists and turns to suit his vested interests. There
ought to come up series of volumes laced with facts
to the majority and minority communities vis - a –
vis their population growth , economic status,
educational facilities, social development, living
patterns, offshoots to rioting, internal
displacements and more along the strain. In the
usual course, this task
should have been
undertaken by the Human
Resource Development
Ministry but in the
prevailing political climate it
is prudent if an independent
writer or a team of writers
takes up this task of
bringing to the fore the
exactness to the very basics.
It's scary to see what
might unfold in the coming
months. With an overdose of the political, there is
little focus on the dying us; hit that we are by the
political and environmental pollution, killing us so
very steadily that if it's not halted in the coming
months, we could be sitting semi – choked. What,
with an overdose of speeches heaped on us from
here and there. The onslaught of those hollow words
will accelerate, even if angrier and hungrier we get in
the coming year. After all, speeches cannot fill our
hungry bellies nor wipe clear the layers of pollution
throttling us to death.
If the politician is determined to cheat the
electorate, towards make - believe development
theories, it's about time we bring out volume after
volume on prevailing ground realities to the living
hellish conditions.
Haven't we had enough of the ongoing maar-kaatdhaars!
Haven't we had enough of the make – believe!
Time to usher in the new year with a resolve to bring
out facts. Nothing but the stark truth. Reach out, to as
many as possible, if you wish to keep this country
intact.
Prophetic words
Before I write details to Khushwant Singh's observations about
Rahul Gandhi, its important to point out that Khushwant didn't
think much of Rajiv Gandhi's political prowess. He would tell me
that though he was initially optimistic about Rajiv Gandhi coming to
power, he turned out to be a misfit in the world of politics. "Rajiv
was bullied into a position he wasn't equipped to handle... In fact,
Rajiv did very little with the massive mandate he'd won after his
mother Indira's assassination …He was pleasant, and had some
good ideas, but none of them extraordinary. I don't think he was
cut out for politics…even in the positive things he did, like telecom
and computers – the plans had started in Indira Gandhi's time."
Interestingly, on the contrary, Khushwant seemed impressed
with Rahul Gandhi. Far-sighted Khushwant Singh could see that
Rahul Gandhi has the potential to come
centre stage. Khushwant had interacted
with him and would tell me details of how
he found Rahul not just earnest but focused
and committed. In fact, when Khushwant
and I would sit discussing the dismal
political scenario engulfing the country he'd
quip, "This young man (Rahul Gandhi)
could change things, if only he is allowed to
govern. There is something about him
which makes him different from the
politicians of the day. He comes across as
straight forward and honest. If he is assisted by his sister Priyanka,
the two can bring about noticeable changes and can halt the rise of
fascism in this country. Today my biggest worry is the rise of
communal forces hell bent on destroying this country…they have
got to be countered and defeated if we love our country. And it's
only young politicians like Rahul Gandhi who can understand the
dangers involved if let these fascist forces go about un–checked."
And in the book 'Absolute Khushwant ' (published in 2010 by
Penguin) which Khushwant and I wrote, he had this to detail about
Rahul Gandhi- "I think Rahul is much more talented than his father.
He has a vision and that's very important. I'm impressed with him,
impressed with the way in which he's conducting himself.
He has
the right attitude. Even if much of what he does only amounts to
gestures, the thinking behind them is right…He has taken on
Mayawati in her own territory. It is a brave thing to do. He himself
seems to have no caste or class prejudice. What he has been doing
in Amethi, staying with the lowest castes and sharing their food - I
don't think you can criticise him for that. He is not being patronising;
he is highlighting a shameful reality of in our country. Even in the twenty-first century there are untouchables in our society and they
live wretched lives…And the manner in which he took on the Shiv
Sena in Bombay (February 2010).He lambasted them for attacking
non- Maharashtrians and said publicly that Bombay was for all
Indians. Then he went to the lion's den and dared them to do the
worst. He walked in the streets, travelled by local train. The Shiv
Sena goondas failed completely. Hardly any Maharashtrian joined
the Shiv Sena protest against Rahul. It was a very well -planned
move by Rahul and his advisers. It was good theatre…The young
Gandhi is becoming a mature leader."
In fact, one late afternoon Rahul Gandhi had visited Khushwant
at his Sujan Singh Park apartment. This was in 2009 …To quote
Khushwant on that meet- "Rahul had telephoned sometime last
year and said that he wanted to come and
see me. He came at the appointed time -
4p.m.- and spent almost an hour in my
home. I gave him tea – he said he'd like
some tea - and we spoke of politics; about
the current situation in general and other
things in particular. I told him , 'Your cadres
are very weak. The BJP has the RSS and the
VHP to work for it at the grassroots level.
The Congress lacks that.' He said he agreed
with me and that he was already working
on this. He is seeing to it that party
members are trained and the party built up. I see that he has been
concentrating on young workers and he has picked some very
talented workers, many of them women. I also told him that during
elections, voters have to be wooed and drawn towards the party. I
said that the most important thing that he should keep in mind is
to resist flatterers and to hold back from accepting any portfolio."
I'm certain that if alive Khushwant would have been happy to
see Rahul Gandhi heading the Congress party. I heard Rahul's
speeches during the Gujarat electioneering and I have found them
to be great connects. His words are simple and his relays uncomplicated,
which come across as such a relief to the ears!
In fact, Rahul made a mark this summer, when during his
interactive session at Berkley University, he came across as a young
politician who realizes the realities to the day and wants to reach
out rather too earnestly.
One is waiting to see how Rahul Gandhi will convert his words
into action… there'd be some chance of conditions improving in the
country if Rahul Gandhi revives the Congress cadres , especially at
the grassroots level.
Verse of love
Leaving you with verse from this recently launched book –
Ralph Russell's - A Thousand Yearnings: A Book of Urdu Poetry
and Prose. (Speaking Tiger). A remarkable book by a
remarkable Urdu-lover.
Verses and prose tucked in its pages are laden with
emotions. In fact, there is an entire segment holding out love
poetry. Ghazals of Mir and Ghalib more than beckon and hold
out … Of course, long gone are the romantic poets of yesteryears, leaving back their emotion-laden lines for you and
I to sigh along.
Quoting these lines of Ghalib from this volume- 'You stand
away, and purse your lips/and show their rosebud form/ I
said 'How do you kiss?' Come, kiss my lips and say 'Like this! '
And also these lines of Mir, 'My love, I cannot tell the tale of
all the things I want from you /A hundred longings fill my soul,
a thousand yearnings throng my heart.'