‘Whatever is said about Indian politicians, the opposite is equally true and valid’

By Vishnu Makhijani

New Delhi, April 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) At the Olympics, the track and field events are the ultimate test of its motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger). Given the rough and tumble of Indian politics, can this be transposed to the countrys politicians and other individuals who have left a mark over the decades?

"Without going into the value judgement of positive or negative strands, three key trends in Indian politics are: I, me, myself; event management, packaging the narrative; and the politics of emotions weaved around alleged historical injustices, cultural and religious symbols, says journalist, author, columnist and political analyst Rasheed Kidwai.

"Of course, there is also an amazing story of greater voter participation, inclusive growth and India getting a place on the high table of international relations. My favourite remark about India, politics and politicians is that whatever you say about them, the opposite is equally true and valid," Kidwai told IANS in an interview of his new book, "Leaders, Politicians, Citizens - Fifty Figures Who Influenced India's Politics" (Hachette) .

A compilation of obituaries that have appeared across a range of media outlets over the years and have now been expanded, the book traverses ideologies and brings into focus the human facet of governments to present a compelling history of Indian democracy and provide riveting insights into the evolution of its political culture.

"As a political journalist for over three decades now, I have been fascinated by the attempts of politicians to leave their imprints on society and governance. People, particularly leaders and politicians, live life with no fear of death or being mindful of the ripples they cause. Each of the 50 personalities I selected have left something behind. These are not biographies but an effort to take stock, salute them and let the younger generation know and learn from their illustrious, eventful lives," Kidwai explained.

Elaborating on this, he said: "The idea of an obituary is to consecrate a lifetime. It is a bit of an evaluative genre that tends to gloss over certain negative issues and leave little room for explicit critique. I have been a biographer too ('Sonia - A Biography'/2003) and I can say that in biographies, biographers tend to document everything. So in some ways, biographies become documentaries while an obituary tends to be a tribute."

How did he go about the process of selecting the 50 individuals that the book features? What is it that made them stand out from the others?

"Selecting the dead was not easy. As a writer, I short-listed them on the basis of their contribution, the interest they generated and my familiarity with them," Kidwai said.

"I have had the privilege of personally interacting, following the lives and times of a large number of individuals who figure in the book. Having authored over half a dozen books now, research and reference have become an integral part of my routine. I am blessed to have some friends who helped at all stages. These profiles are far from being perfect but an honest attempt has been made to essay their lives and contributions," he added.

It's a "deeply interesting range of political figures", parliamentarian, author, diplomat Shashi Tharoor writes in the Foreword.

"Regional mass politicians rub shoulders with prime ministers and religious leaders, with several parts of India being represented. Together, they represent a cohesive picture of the evolution of Indian politics and power," Tharoor adds.

Game-changers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Pranab Mukherjee, and Jyoti Basu; crowd-pulling swashbucklers Sheikh Abdullah and Laldenga; crusaders such as Kanshi Ram and Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani; mavericks Chandraswami, Amar Singh and Ajit Kumar Jogi; charismatic leaders like Madhavrao Scindia and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed; possessors of star power, including Jayalalithaa, Vinod Khanna and M. Karunanidhi; and skilful navigators like Ahmed Patel and V.C. Shukla - all find place in the list.

Out of the 50, who are the top 10 personalities that Kidwai would list?

"I think each life was amazing. Alphabetically, the first 10 are: Sheikh Abdullah, Dev Anand, A.R. Antulay, Teji Bachchan, Jyoti Basu, Chandraswami, Phoolan Devi, (poet) Namdeo Dhasal, R.K. Dhawan and Sheila Dikshit.

"The other 10 are: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, M. Karunanidhi, Sitaram Kesri, Vinod Khanna, Dilip Kumar, Laldenga, Maulana Hussain Ahmed Madani, Pranab Mukherjee, Arun Nehru, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, and Ram Vilas Paswan," Kidwai said.

Is there a common thread (or threads) running in the individuals mentioned in the book?

"Yes, indeed," Kidwai said, adding: "In fact, while writing, I was tempted to lean on Urdu couplets to describe life of every individual -- politician among politicians, full of zeal, quest for perfection, good deeds blended with a schemy nature, intrigue, corruption, criminal streak and uniformally, a quest for longevity and unfulfilled desires."

"For instance, about P.V. Narsimha Rao, one could quote Allama Iqbal: 'Waye nakami! Mata e karwaan jata raha/Karwaan ke dil se ehsas e zyan jata raha' (Such bad fortune, the community has lost its treasure, it has lost its ability to feel its loss)

"One could quote Meer Taqi Meer about Madhav Rao Scindia, Sheila Dikshit and Sitaram Kesari.

"About Madhavrao Scindia: Bahut aarzu thi gali ki teri/So yaan se lahu mein naha kar chale (I wished to stay in that place/I departed, drenched in blood)

"About Sheila Dikshit: Kahein kya jo poochhe koi ham se ki Meer/Jahan mein tum aaye they, kya kar chale (What will I say, O Meer! When they ask/You came into this world, what did you do here?)

"About Sitaram Kesri: Ulti ho gayin sab tadbirein, kuchh na dawa ne kaam kiya/Dekha, is bimari e dil ne aakhir kaam tamaam kiya (All my plans went to waste, no remedy helped me/Look! I am undone by my heart's weakness)," Kidwai elaborated.

"I leave the final judgement to the readers. Also these individuals should not be judged in the narrow moral, ethical sense. They lived their lives as they chose to be. We are not Gods to be making a judgement," Kidwai was candid enough to admit.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)

Source: IANS