Opportunity provided by Rahul to save Democracy

 

There is a discussion going on regarding whether #Rahul is paying up for his past karma in having thrashed an amendment to the #RepresentationofPeoplesAct, sought to be brought in by his own Government to side step a judgment by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of #LilyThomas.

The relevant Section of the said Act is reproduced below:

8. Disqualification on conviction for certain offences. —

(1) A person convicted of an offence punishable under—

(a) section 153A (offence of promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) or section 171E (offence of bribery) or section 171F (offence of undue influence or personation at an election) or sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) of section 376 or section 376A or section 376B or section 376C or section 376D (offences relating to rape) or section 498A (offence of cruelty towards a woman by husband or relative of a husband) or sub-section (2) or sub-section (3) of section 505 (offence of making statement creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes or offence relating to such statement in any place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies) of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860); or

(b) the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 (22 of 1955) which provides for punishment for the preaching and practice of "untouchability", and for the enforcement of any disability arising therefrom; or

(c) section 11 (offence of importing or exporting prohibited goods) of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962); or

(d) sections 10 to 12 (offence of being a member of an association declared unlawful, offence relating to dealing with funds of an unlawful association or offence relating to contravention of an order made in respect of a notified place) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967); or

(e) the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act, 1973 (46 of 1973); or

(f) the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (61 of 1985); or

(g) section 3 (offence of committing terrorist acts) or section 4 (offence of committing disruptive activities) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (28 of 1987); or

(h) section 7 (offence of contravention of the provisions of sections 3 to 6) of the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988 (41 of 1988); or

(i) section 125 (offence of promoting enmity between classes in connection with the election) or section 135 (offence of removal of ballot papers from polling stations) or section 135A (offence of booth capturing) of clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 136 (offence of fraudulently defacing or fraudulently destroying any nomination paper) of this Act; 1 [or]

(j) section 6 (offence of conversion of a place of worship) of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991;] 2 [or

(k) section 2 (offence of insulting the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India) or section 3 (offence of preventing singing of National Anthem) of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 (69 of 1971),] 4 ; or

(l) the Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 (3 of 1988); or

(m) the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988); or

(n) the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (15 of 2002),] 5

shall be disqualified, where the convicted person is sentenced to—

(i)            only fine, for a period of six years from the date of such conviction;

(ii)          imprisonment, from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.]

(2) A person convicted for the contravention of—

(a) any law providing for the prevention of hoarding or profiteering; or

(b) any law relating to the adulteration of food or drugs; or

(c) any provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (28 of 1961);6 *** 6 * * * * *

(3) A person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years [other than any offence referred to in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2)] shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.]

(4)] Notwithstanding anything 8 [in sub-section (1), sub-section (2) or sub-section (3)] a disqualification under either subsection shall not, in the case of a person who on the date of the conviction is a member of Parliament or the Legislature of a State, take effect until three months have elapsed from that date or, if within that period an appeal or application for revision is brought in respect of the conviction or the sentence, until that appeal or application is disposed of by the court.

It is the Sub Section 4 of the Section 8 above which was struck down by the Apex Court in Lily Thomas Case.

A brief about the case and its fall out is given in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disqualification_of_convicted_representatives_in_India

The moot point here is whether persons convicted for offences, heinous as could be seen from the list given in Section 8 of the Representation of Peoples Act, could be sought to be allowed to be Law Makers by a Parliamentary Legislation. 

Whether defamation is to be a criminal case or should be only a civil case as in most of the developed countries is another point. In fact people like #Dr.SubramaniamSwamy who were all for decriminalising defamation are strangely keeping quiet now.

Questions on legal and moral matters should not be approached with what is presently favourably in mind.

In that aspect, we have to give respects to Rahul for his stand when his party headed Government sought to make the amendment to overcome the Lily Thomas verdict.

This is what he is said to have stated:

“What the Congress has done and what our government has done is wrong. People will give you political lines, but I will tell you what I personally feel about this ordinance. It is complete nonsense and should be torn apart and thrown away.”

Though Rahul never personally tore up the ordinance (as it widely said), he said trashing the ordinance “In my organisation, arguments were made that we need this ordinance because of political considerations and everyone does this - the BJP, Congress, JDU and the SP. It is time to stop this nonsense.” reports The Tribune -https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/the-ordinance-rahul-gandhi-trashed-could-have-saved-him-490950

While there is every chance that Political parties would use every legal method to get their opponent party members disqualified or to create charges against them to make them join their own ranks, and even though we are seeing such episodes in rampant, to allow criminals to be law makers will not be a pleasant dispensation.

The other question that comes is whether someone could be held a criminal until they have exhausted all their appellate remedies.  From the point of view of human rights, it is correct.  But in public service, where people cannot be allowed to use their office even to subvert the process of law, it is dangerous to keep people having a case against them in positions where they can influence the decision making process.

It could be a suspension that could be resorted to when one such accused is a Government Servant.  But in representation of a constituency, such suspension and for very long time would practically have problems for the people being represented.

Now, that brings us to another point: Are the people being represented by the elected representatives or by their parties?

Obviously, it is the parties that are representing the people.  This got reinforced after the anti-defection law.

Again, whether a person holding a Public Office, elected from some other constituency could go for campaign in another constituency even while he or she enjoys the post and the expenditure which will not be counted against the expenditure of the candidate?

How far are these really helping the process of representation of the people through their representatives?

These are only some of the questions which have to come into our consciousness and for which the present generation has to find answers and methods for, if democracy has to survive in it’s true spirit.

We should thank Rahul for this opportunity.

 

 

The Young Monk of Socialism

 

If we were to think about a quintessential organisational man with his heart beating for the deprived and intellect facing any challenge, it was the young monk of India Swami Vivekananda.

It is however a tragedy in Indian History that the Socialists did not use him enough in their path of building their ideals in this country and as a result have allowed him to be mis-appropriated by bigots, whose very methods and thinking was opposed to his. Quoting him partly and at random and as per convenience, and portraying him in the ochre robes has suited some who want to give a totally distorted view of what he really stood for.

Today is his birthday.

The following is a quote from a speech 'My Plan of Campaign' delivered by him at Madras.

The action plan laid down by him is true for any persons desirous of building an organistation, a society, a nation and even in leading his own personal life.

This is the vision which has go into every conscious human being :

"They talk of patriotism. I believe in patriotism, and I also have my own ideal of patriotism. Three things are necessary for great achievements. First, feel from the heart. What is in the intellect or reason? It goes a few steps and there it stops. But through the heart comes inspiration. Love opens the most impossible gates; love is the gate to all the secrets of the universe. Feel, therefore, my would-be reformers, my would-be patriots! Do you feel? Do you feel that millions and millions of the descendants of gods and of sages have become next-door neighbours to brutes? Do you feel that millions are starving today, and millions have been starving for ages? Do you feel that ignorance has come over the land as a dark cloud? Does it make you restless? Does it make you sleepless? Has it gone into your blood, coursing through your veins, becoming consonant with your heartbeats? Has it made you almost mad? Are you seized with that one idea of the misery of ruin, and have you forgotten all about your name, your fame, your wives, your children, your property, even your own bodies? Have you done that? That is the first step to become a patriot, the very first step. I did not go to America, as most of you know, for the Parliament of Religions, but this demon of a feeling was in me and within my soul. I travelled twelve years all over India, finding no way to work for my countrymen, and that is why I went to America. Most of you know that, who knew me then. Who cared about this Parliament of Religions? Here was my own flesh and blood sinking every day, and who cared for them? This was my first step.

You may feel, then; but instead of spending your energies in frothy talk, have you found any way out, any practical solution, some help instead of condemnation, some sweet words to soothe their miseries, to bring them out of this living death?

Yet that is not all. Have you got the will to surmount mountain-high obstructions? If the whole world stands against you sword in hand, would you still dare to do what you think is right? If your wives and children are against you, if all your money goes, your name dies, your wealth vanishes, would you still stick to it? Would you still pursue it and go on steadily towards your own goal? As the great King Bhartrihari says, "Let the sages blame or let them praise; let the goddess of fortune come or let her go wherever she likes; let death come today, or let it come in hundreds of years; he indeed is the steady man who does not move one inch from the way of truth." Have you got that steadfastness? If you have these three things, each one of you will work miracles. You need not write in the newspapers, you need not go about lecturing; your very face will shine. If you live in a cave, your thoughts will permeate even through the rock walls, will go vibrating all over the world for hundreds of years, maybe, until they will fasten on to some brain and work out there. Such is the power of thought, of sincerity, and of purity of purpose."

Perceiving something is intellectual.  Feeling something is becoming conscious. There is a lot of difference.  

As long as we confront problems with our minds, we will be only playing an intellectual game.  One could claim to be detached and disinterested.

But when one feels, the gate opens. The solution emerges.

There lies the key.

As the year tapers away

 

As the year 2022 tapers away, we sit back and think about the past.

From several ages, in our long and circuitous travel, we had reached a point where non-violence was the sine quo non for human excellence.  For seekers on the spiritual path, it was one of the first steps – Patanjali and Agasthya, prescribe it as one of the eight fundamental steps of yoga - while for the non-believers, it is called empathy.  

While on the socio-religious sphere there have been several proponents for this theory, in the political sphere, it was Gandhi who dared to put to use. Einstien said, "Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.”

But the gun shots fired at him on 30^th of January 1948, which was thought to be only a passing phase, have in fact put back the clock by several centuries.

The non-violence of Gandhi was imperfect, even by his own standards. 

Jiddu Krishnamurthy would emphasise that non-violence actually should be from within and not an exhibition.  This fact Gandhi himself was acutely aware of and also repeatedly expressed so.  That is why it was completely enforced only in his ashram; the political outfit which used him, used his philosophy also only as a substitute to not having any other viable method. Osho would say that the enforcement of Non-violence itself is violence. 

And yet when Gandhi was assassinated, Ramana Maharshi wept and Bernard Shaw said that ‘it showed how dangerous it was to be good’,

Tagore had repeatedly warned Gandhi against the Nationalism perpetuated in the movement.  But for a political movement, it could not be understood or put in practice.  But unfortunately, the bullets that were fired were not to liberate us from narrow considerations of nationalism, but to pull us down into sub-nationalism and communalism.

The concept of collective guilt, which stayed as the central piece of the works of legendary Fyodor Dostoevsky, which was also reflected in the compassion shown in Les Miserable of Victor Hugo,  were at the foundation of the point from which humanity sought to uplift itself by means of non-violence.

From that tall order and thought, we have descended into a community which openly flaunts its muscle, shows its teeth and claws and feels and justifies in saying that it is ones right to seek an eye or two for an eye and a tooth or the entire set of teeth for a tooth.  That is ‘manliness’ (women included).

Jiddu Krishnamurthy gave a speech at Bombay on 1^st February 1948, just two days after the assassination of Gandhi. These are some excerpts from that:

“Outward events, being so very close to us, must naturally upset and disturb many; and I think it is right, is it not?, to have very strong feelings strong, directed emotions, unwarped and purposeful, because without any feeling, one is dead. Mere intellectual froth is of no significance in moments of great importance; and there is a danger of translating the great events intellectually and superficially, and thereby passing them by. Whereas, if we are able to follow very closely and very clearly the psychological causes of disturbance and maintain an emotional attention without the interference of the intellect, then perhaps we shall be able to perceive the significance of the issues.

…surely, the responsibility for any crisis does not lie with another - it lies with you and me as individuals; and to understand any crisis, like the present one which is localized in India, we ought to approach it very diligently, with intensity, with clarification, with the intention of going into it very fully and seeing all its significance, all its depths.

There is in all of us the tendency to identify ourselves with something greater, whether it is a nation, a person, an idea, an image, a thought, or a superior consciousness; because, it is so much more satisfying to be identified with a group, with a nation, or with a person representing the nation - Hitler or Stalin on the one side, and Gandhiji on the other, and so on. So, there is identification with something greater; and when anything happens to that person, or to that idea, or to that group or nation, there is a shattering of that response. Aren't you feeling it, Sir? The desire to identify ourselves with something is obvious, is it not? Because, in oneself one is nothing, empty, shallow, petty; and by identifying oneself with a country, with a leader, with a group, one becomes something, one is something. In this very identification lies the danger; because, if you are aware of it, you will see that it leads to the most extraordinary barbarities in history, in our daily life. That is, if you identify yourself with a country, with a community, with a group of people, with an idea, with the communalistic spirit, then, surely, you are responsible for any calamity that happens; because, if you are merely an instrument which identifies itself with some cause or some person, then you are being used, and the calamity, the crisis, the catastrophe, is created by that very identification.

….we are individually responsible for everything that is happening in the world at the present time. World events are not unrelated incidents: they are related. The real cause of Gandhiji's untimely death lies in you. The real cause is you. Because you are communalistic, you encourage the spirit of division through property, through caste, through ideology, through having different religions, sects, leaders. So, obviously, you are responsible, aren't you? And it is no good merely hanging one man - you have all contributed to that death.

I am purposely not including myself in it, because I am not a communalist, I am not Hindu or Indian, I am not nationalistic or internationalistic. Therefore, I am excluding myself from it, not because I am superior, but because I do not think in those terms at all - of belonging to one group or to one religion, of having property which is `mine'. I am deliberately, consciously excluding myself - please understand that it is not because I feel myself to be superior to others."

Let us bid goodbye to the year 2022 with these thoughts in our mind so that we get up with a fresh air tomorrow.

Blast of what?

 

#CoimbatoreBlast

It was on the eve of #Diwali at #Coimbatore.  We were going to see the film #Ponniyinselvan.  It was very late already, after the release of the film.  I was accompanied by my son and daughter. 

A Police man halted our car.  It had never happened in the near past.  Both I and my son in the front seat were wearing seat belts.  We were not sure whether the indication to stop was for us or for any vehicle coming behind us.  Anyway, I just slowed, veered to the left near the Police man and brought down the window glasses.  He peeped inside, looked into the car and hessitantly asked us where we were coming from.  When I asked what the issue was, he very reluctantly informed that it was a routine check because there was an explosion.  ‘It was a cylinder blast, but they (certain people) are trying to bring it under the category of a bomb blast’, he said with a small hesitation.  I had seen some twitter feed that morning about a cylinder blast, but had not taken further notice.  My son also said that he had seen it and that it had happened in #Ukkadam area of Coimbatore.  I told my son, ‘you sport a beard and hence they would have perhaps thought you are a muslim and hence wanted to check the car’.  ‘How can they differentiate between a hindu beard and a muslim beard,’ he asked jovially?

We moved on and later only after coming back from the movie, came to know that the DGP of the State had already arrived in Coimbatore and investigations had started. 

The initial reports were that it was a muslim youth who had died in the car explosion, the car had changed hands several times, that the explosion obviously had happened due to one of the two gas cylinders in the car exploding, some nails and glass balls which are usually used in bombs were seen strewn in the site of the blast,  it was not known whether it was a bomb blast, or whether the cylinder had blown off due to some mistake or was a suicide bomb attempt. 

Subsequent reports stated that on searching the house of the youth who had died, some items which were usually used in low intensity bombs were found and were seized. 

Some reports suggested that the person who had died in the blast had perhaps tried to avoid a police check post and due to some sudden break or jerk, the cylinder could have gone off.  Then some CCTV footage showed some others having helped him load some things from his house into the car and on being arrested, the 5 youngsters who were seen to have involved in the said operation had said that they had helped him shift his belongings to a new house.

These reports left some questions unanswered.  If the youngsters had only said that they helped him to shift his house, on what basis can they be arrested? When the youth who had died in the blast was residing in the same area, how could he have been taken aback by a police check post in the same area?

In the meanwhile the BJP had started creating issues that the investigation should be handed over to NIA because it was a suicide bombing and that there were terrorist organisation links.

Within 3 or 4 days of the blast, the CM decided after a meeting with high level officials of the state that the case was being handed over to NIA because it appeared that there were interstate links.

BJP and the Governor of the state accused the CM of having delayed handing over of the case to NIA.  However the bandh call given by BJP leaders for 31.10.2022 was called off after the TN unit President of the BJP Shri. Annamalai told the High Court of Madras in response to a case filed by the traders of Coimbatore that he had not given any call for bandh on the issue.

The whole episode reminds me of the incidents of 1997 and 1998 that happened in Coimbatore.

In November 1997, three youngsters belonging to the muslim community who came in a motor bike were stopped at Ukkadam by a Police Constable.  As a result of the altercation between them, the youngsters stabbed the Constable Shri. Selvaraj  to death.  People of the city were shocked that if even a Police personnel could be killed, what happens to the ordinary persons. The entire Police force in the city went mad due to the incident.   The Police withdrew from the streets of Coimbatore in protest and in the violence that ensued, some of the big establishments like #Shobhatextiles, #Ghaniradios, etc were burnt down overnight.  For more than two to three weeks there were groups roaming around in the areas of Ukkadam, Oppanakara Street, Selvapuram, Karumbukadai, etc brandishing weapons and several persons were killed during the time.  Most of the people killed (reportedly 18) belonged to the Muslim community.

The Muslim community retaliated on 14^th of February 1998 when a series of bombs starting with the venue of a meeting which was to be attended by no lesser a person than Shri. L.K.Advani, at R.S.Puram and covered various important and crowded spots like Railway Station, Government Hospital, a shopping complex at Gandhipuram, etc.  There were 58 deaths.  It was a Saturday and all the victims were hindus. For another two to three days, the entire R.S.Puram of Coimbatore (the most posh area in Coimbatore) was virtually living in fear of being blown off any moment because there was a Maruthi car parked in one of the streets there, with explosives and perhaps linked to some remote control.  Only after the anti-bomb squad took the vehicle and detonated it in the far off Madukkarai, the city could breathe peacefully – to some extent.  The episode sent shivers down the spine of not only the entire state but also the entire nation.  That an entire community could withdraw from such a massive terror operation created a deep divide in the psyche of the city. 

Whenever I think about the incident, one thought only has crossed my mind.  What if L.K.Advani had reached the venue on time?  (His flight had mercifully got delayed by over 30 mts).  The muslims all over India would have been butchered.  How foolish were the persons who had planned such a draconian act?  Will anyone even to a small extent bothered about the welfare of their own community at least, afford to be so foolish as this?

The entire Police Machinery swung into action and most of those involved in planting the bombs and planning it were brought to book.  Most of them are still cooling their heels in the jail and many have died or have been released on completion of their period of sentence and have become very old. 

All this had happened 24 years ago.

Now, some youngsters, obviously who had been toddlers during that episode, or perhaps were not even born then, appear to have formed into a group and appear to have planned an operation.  Whether it was amateurish as initial reports have been suggesting, whether they got training from elsewhere, etc would be revealed only in due course.  

The primary fact remains that some disgruntled youth have once again formed into a group with evil intend.  In fact, initial signals regarding a disgruntlement among the youth of the community and their organizing to indulge in terror activities had surfaced when some petrol bombs were thrown at select houses belonging to persons active in hindu political or social outfits.  The elders in the community have almost unanimously proclaimed that they were not aware of such tendencies among their youth and have denounced it.  That community itself appears to live under a great fear now.  Technology is something that enables to detect as well as deceive.  Hence investigations have started becoming complicated and  one would not quite know what even some-one sitting very near is really up to.

Why as a society we have not been able to stop this degeneration once again by the youth of a particular community is to be seriously addressed.

Instead of talking to the leaders of the community who are as a rule all very old in age, the administration of the state has to start engaging with the youth of the community and address their grievances or fears.  They cannot be allowed to fall into a trap of a terror network, whether self-styled or instigated from elsewhere.

Whoever knows the fragile nature of communal harmony or discord it can create when such issues are not handled with care, can appreciate how the Tamil Nadu Police and Coimbatore City Police have handled the issue – first without allowing fear to grip, or retaliation to happen and at the same time apprehending all those immediately seen to have been involved in the affair along with incriminating evidences and handing it over within 3 to 4 days to the NIA.  Of course, as some retired Officials suggested, if there had not been a hue and cry over the investigations, and expose of certain vital clues and evidences in the media by a particular political party, they could have been done more effectively because revealing the identity of the deceased and his friends and that they had been arrested could itself seal certain leads.

The Police Man’s observation to me on the day when he stopped my vehicle appears to be as per instructions issued to him by his superior officials to ensure that fear or rumors do not spread.  

Such a scenario could have ensured polarisation and a few more votes to the parties involved in building up tempos on either side.  But would not have done any good to the people of this city or even elsewhere – for the #Godhra and post Godhra riots also could have been fueled by the Coimbatore bomb blast episode (and a similar Bombay blast earlier)– who knows?

Prophets after prophets have come all across the globe at various points in time and proclaimed that like all streams leading to the ocean, all forms of religion lead to God.  Yet, there has been constant fight between the followers of all of these Prophets the world over.

For such people finding God is not the priority.  Not even doing service to the religion that they profess.  They want an instrument to subjugate others and be victorious.

It is for each one of us to be guarded against such mechanization, for religion is easily available than drugs and it can be misused as much as used.

 

 

DEEPAVALI WISHES

 

Wishing each and every one a very Happy Deepavali or Diwali. 

The dark night when there is No Moon is called as the night of the New Moon. 

From pitch darkness, the journey is inevitably towards light. 

When pyrotechnics illuminate the skies, let the pure knowledge of reasoning illuminate our minds.

When sparks spread their gleam all around, let hope get regenerated in our hearts.

When crackers explode with a thud and smoke, let our ignorance and vanity explode to shreds.

Like the sweets of different varieties dissolving in our mouths, let faiths of different forms get fused to show that ultimately, all paths have the same goal.

Let relationship be built with bonhomie, ever onwards, like is done on this day.



When eyes search for the sparks of light in the dark,

Let the heart yearn to know the truth,

Of what is this being, what is its purpose.



Then, all notions based on the presumed greatness

or the lack of it, by hereditary would vanish

before the illumination that the present alone matters.




Mind does not get disturbed,

by what some one says or does not,

like the flying objects care not for gravity.



Let this moment of darkness,

lead to that search

and let the sparks show

the way into the inner recesses.

-R. Manimohan

Coimbatore

Sardar the Patel

 

Though the Biography of Sardar Vallabhai Patel by Rajmohan Gandhi is more than 3 decades old and much talked about, I got to read it only now due to the kindness of AK Raghunathan sir, who sent it to me with great love.

Most of the part of Patel’s illustrious life is quite known to most of us.  His work with the peasants, contribution to the freedom movement, being the Bismark of India by integration of the princely states, etc need no elaboration.  Yet, reading the biography was a very slow affair because, with his life is attached a national movement itself and without recounting the entire events, passing by, is difficult.

Yet, there are some interesting and important details in the book, which were completely new, at least to me.  So I thought, it should benefit others, if they are given here, and if it could induce some to read the book, might be they will get benefited too.

The book starts with a startling revelation that the date of birth of Sardar is an approximation.

The Patidars, the community to which Patel belonged to, were less polished and an independent type.  While others would stand with joined hands in the presence of superiors, the Patidars would immediately sit down. 

As a student, there is an instance where Vallabhai stands up to his Gujarathi teacher who insists that every Hindu should learn Sanskrit to which Vallabhai said if everyone took to learning Sanskrit, the Gujarati teacher himself would be without a job.  The student was asked to stand upon the bench for his impudence, which Vallabhai suffered.  But when the teacher asked him to write tables, then twice, then two hundred times, the student stubbornly refused.  When produced before the principal, Patel said that he had suffered the punishment of standing on the bench, but the later punishments were un called for and without justification and more over, writing tables was an insult to him because it was done by students of lower standards.  He had shown this mettle.

Several instances show his wit and humour as an Advocate, and his sharp acumen and logic.

He says that ‘One reason why a people living 7,000 miles away were ruling India was that they had perfected the art of clothing a firm “no” in a blanket of polite reasonableness.

Regarding his brother having taken to public service and he having to do the advocate’s job, he said ‘my brother gave up his flourishing practice and started on a career of public service, while I bore the burden of maintaining the household.  I had thus to commit all the sins and he performed all the good deeds”.

During a trial at VT after a lathi charge, when Patel would not speak, Malavya gives a big lecture to which Patel says in Hindi, ‘Does one read the bhagavat to a buffalo?’  When the European judge asks, “What was that?, Patel with a straight face says, ‘I was telling him that the lathi charge had been ordered by the Home Member who was watching the procession from the VT terrace”.

Once, when a person had asked Gandhi in a letter, how can a man weighing three maunds avoid crushing ants when he walks on this earth”, Patel remarked, ‘Tell him that he should walk with his feet on his head”.  This was during their prison life.

At a meeting at Godhra, where Tilak, Jinnah, Gandhi and Patel spoke, Gandhi had insisted on Jinnah and Patel to speak in Gujarathi.  Later Gandhi was to say that on that occasion he had lost Jinnah and won Patel.

In fact the entire animosity appears to have been between Jinnah and Patel.

Patel, having lost his wife, very early in life, remained unmarried thereafter and took care of his children with such great care that he becomes a role model for a father. There are poignant instances of his tender feelings for his daughter and her feelings towards her father too, at different places and times.

There is an instance in 1930 when Patel was imprisoned and was to meet his son, he changes into the best kurtha available and tells Gandhi, ‘I want him to think that I am enjoying life here’.

At first, by his unerring commitment to Gandhi, he is likened to his younger brother.  But, later when he starts deviating due to the necessity of the Congress movement or in National interest, he is likened to a son, who can defy a father.  Earlier, only Jawahar enjoyed the freedom to be like a son.  Thereafter sibling rivalry arises.

Though it is commonly felt that Nethaji’s leaving the Congress was because of his differences with Gandhi and also with Nehru, this book gives an impression that it was more between Patel and Nethaji than between the other two.  In fact, the dispute regarding the will of Vitalbhai that Nethaji produces and is disputed by Patel appears to be one basic line from where they differed.  This episode is particularly not widely known.  Patel goes to the extent of doubting Nethaji’s role in this affair.

Once to a statement by Subash that Patel was undemocratic, Patel says, ‘The lion becomes a king by birth, not by an election in the jungle’.

Similarly regarding the air crash that is said to have killed Subash, Wavel writes in his diary, “It is just what would be given out if he meant to go underground”.  It appears that neither the Government nor Congress believed that the plane carrying Subash had crashed.

Once when Patel and Gandhi are imprisoned together, there is a conversation between them as to why the Muslims had not been assimilated into the Hindu society.  Gandhi says they were being treated like the untouchables and says that is the reason.  Patel says that while Hindus are vegetarians, Muslims were not and hence that was the reason.  Gandhi tells Patel that he was speaking with Gujarat alone in perspective and that majority of the Hindus are also non-vegetarians.  It was astonishing to read that such a deep person like Patel would not know such a fundamental fact.

Equally surprising was to note that Patel had not known or heard about Vivekananda until after Gandhi talks about him.

The grit, determination and knack in leading the peasant movement by Patel is given in detail.  It shows that a movement could succeed only if the women involve themselves in it with full vigour.

The book quotes a witty statement of Rajaji.  “ Hello, this is a funny thing.  All along Gandhi was saying that if we made khadi we will get Swaraj.  Now he says we must make salt also!”.  That was on the proposed Salt Sathyagraha. Later CR had said before his arrest at Vedaranyam, “The Mahatma was manufacturing disobedience, not salt”.

There is generally a belief that Gandhi did not do anything to stop the hanging of Bhagat Singh. P 203 of the book records that Gandhi once again told Irwin that “our Pact would be destroyed” if the hangings, scheduled for March 23 took place.

Similarly in respect of Subash Bose also (p 307) ‘the escape of Subash Bose made a great impression on Gandhiji” as quoted by Maulana Azad, though it was Nehru who was against Bose aligning with the Axis powers.

There is a poignant statement (p 215) “On April 24 the news came that “both Malaviyaji and Sarojini have been arrested”.  Early in May, however, Malavyaji was released, and Patel tried to assess what this meant”. 

In respect of Quit India, Patel was one of the first of Gandhi’s colleagues to support it and Nehru was the last.  Nehru in fact had little to do with the Quit India movement also.  Thus, when the Government was to be formed and a Prime Minister was to be selected, Gandhi prefers Nehru to Patel on grounds that the former had a mass connect.  This fact Patel himself acknowledges. And Patel himself before his passing away, extracts a promise from Gadgil that ‘whatever your differences with Panditji, never leave him’.

Gandhi tells Birla, “I do not like the Sardar collecting money from businessmen”.  To that Patel said, “That is not his concern.  Gandhi is a Mahatma.  I am not. I have to do the job”. This is the point where election funding starts.

The book contains a lot of information on the Political struggles, the internal differences between the leaders, how Gandhi was forced to accept what the Congress said, though he was against it, the partition, the bargainings, the riots, differences arising between Nehru and Patel, Gandhi mediating, assassination of Gandhi, the problem of Kashmir, problem with Tibet and a hurt and tired Sardar leaving for his eternal abode.  It is difficult to bring out all the details here.

It is very difficult to bring out the pangs of a generation, for Swaraj of this Country.  The turbulence they faced.  The personal tragedies they faced on the way. And one would be forced to ask, whether the present generation realizes all this?  

Vallabhai’s brother dies in Geneva.  Patel is in prioson.  He would not ask for parole.  However, his friends asked him to be released for his brother’s cremation.  The Raj’s response was that Patel could be released for 48 hours provided, he “undertook” to make no political speech and also to present himself for a re-arrest “at a previously agreed time and place”.  Patel simply kicked the offer saying, “I cannot purchase my liberty at the sacrifice of my honour and self-respect”.

The freedom has been taken for granted.  And as a result we are at a state where we do not know that it will be threatened too.

This book has referred me to another valuable source - ‘Day-to-day with Gandhi’, the diary recordings of Mahadev Desai when he was in prison along with Gandhi, a major part during which Patel also was with them.

 

 

Gargi

It was quite refreshing to view a Tamil film made very close to reality, in recent times.

#SaiPallavi in her lead role has proved that she is close to #NanditaDas in her acting prowess.  The variations from sublime to sternness, come so naturally to her and the change could happen within a flicker of a second. She requires to be specially congratulated for choosing good scripts with a message for the society.

As a child who herself had suffered harassment, the moral high ground held by the character throughout requires special attention.  

In pursuit of justice for her father, she admonishes the advocate saying he need not look at the case from all angles but only from 'her' angle, to save her father. But this very character ultimately being prepared to look at the issues from another angle, when her father was nearly out of it, is a great script and message.  Sai Pallavi has brilliantly portrayed it, without any drama, but with firmness, sorrow and conviction.

She has been ably supported by Kaali Venkat, as the advocate who rises up to the occasion for a cause.  His performance brings pity and makes our heart break when we see that he has a great intention, but limitations come in the way.  He has brought out sincerity in all its glory.

The transgender Judge, sincere Police Officer, the journalist who wants to do justice to her job but is pressurized into doing things due to the compulsion of  TRP ratings, the victims's father, are all beautifully portrayed.

Even the dogs shown in the film have acted.

The direction is great, not allowing any let or hindrance in the movie.

A milestone movie with a message.  The message is that anything is possible, with any one. No matter how they may look, how they have behaved in earlier or different situations, what their age or status in life is, etc. 

'You believe in the stars, days, astrology and all, but not in me, because I am a girl - not a boy',  That is a great statement.

In one of the last frames, the journalist says, 'They may say that to be born a woman, one should have done a lot of great penance, but in reality being a woman is a great ordeal, every day'. That is another message.