11.10.11

About: Tough time and straw men

Does history repeat itself? There are many philosophies that believes time (read history) is cyclic, I mean everything in nature is cyclic. But it keep moving forward, dynamic like a bi-cycle rather than static like treadmill. I wonder what kind of parallels would one find if we were to compare Bahadur Shah Zafar and Dr Manmohan Singh as head of the governments. Bahadur Shah Zafar and Dr Singh both ascended the throne of Delhi. They both were excellent in what they did, Zafar as a poet & Dr Singh as an able Economist. There is very little in merit even after much contemplation about the days when they were in power. They did nothing and could do very nothing then merely being vassals. I find always interesting to interpolate what if, It gives very gruesome and often symptomatic solutions.


Zafar’s reign extended to a couple of by lanes beyond the four walls of the imposing Red fort, Delhi. This is still in dispute though. The poet Emperor died far away in alien land pretty much incognito after the First War of Independence in 1857. Zafar was defeated by an English Officer, his Seal and Sword were gifted to the Queen. The frail and out dated Emperor was sent off to Rangoon, Burma. He claimed himself to be a Sufi and all the glory of the Mughal Dynasty was a feeble self by the time Zafar ascended throne. The servants doubled up as courtiers and subjects. Zafar mean while remains a mere bookmark in the pages of history, the end of his reign official marks the end of Mughal Empire. After 1857, the English crown overtook the reigns of ruling the then India Sub-continent, from the British East India Company. He died in exile wailing for wanting to buried in his land. He was one of the leading poets of his time along with his contemporary, Ghalib.

कितना है बदनसीब “ज़फ़र″ दफ़्न के लिए, दो गज़ ज़मीन भी न मिली कू-ए-यार में

roughly translated to -
How unfortunate is Zafar! For his burial, Not even two yards of land were to be had, in the land of his beloved.

Dr Manmohan Singh reign as ( the longest care taker ) Prime Minister of India has been marred by political indecision and blunders. The ministers are as good as courtiers of a king who has lost it all. There is no doubt about Dr Singh the mid-wife of India Liberalization, Narsimha Rao was the father and compulsion of fractured mandate and politically fickle environment was the mother of first and till date only set of reforms that Congress had to take, if they had to be in Power. Dr Manmohan ascended to the throne of Delhi and before him the Prime Minister from Congress before him were either too idealistic (Pandit Nehru), too morbid (Indira Gandhi), too naive (Rajiv Gandhi) or too good (Narsimha Rao). The Congress itself underwent changes, the nationalist party which fought for freedom, increasingly saw their core getting precipitate to left wing communists to right wing groups. Indira Gandhi's morbid hunger for power saw doing some truly bizarre moves signs of desperate autocracy. Congress was dead as Indira went on to mould the faction of Congress just around Emergency that she led. It is just like Zafar the post, Dr Singh’s qualities as a economist seem to inspire confidence while his inability to lead and claiming helplessness as an alibi only generates more angst and disbelief.


Dr Singh tenure as Finance Minister was good thing that happened, just like Zafars poetry. Zafar’s poetry or most of his has been lost. It seems amazing now that in what kinda of economic environment we had to bear with. Dr Singh greatest qualification for which he was chosen to be a worthy Prime Minister, his qualities of being a genteel, unambitious demeanor and obedient. He didnt have any political heir to leave behind his legacy for, a perfect political pawn.There is little proof if any if Dr Singh has a grip of politics of the nations or the politicians in his cabinet.I for one thought, Indian population was a very big number a Billion and counting. The scams in last couple of UPA government have dwarfed that population count. I mean how easy it is to get convinced that the Government simply didn't knew. The governments don't run that way.

Between Zafar and Dr Singh, Zafar had no one to answer too, Dr Singh is not allowed to answer. It would be be too gullible to believe worst is over. Today Indian democracy must summon the its last breath - the will of the people for a decisive mandate.



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