Political Diary
New Delhi, 1 November 2014
Tale Of Two
Legacies
BLOOD BATH OVER IRON
ICONS
By Poonam I Kaushish
This is a tale of two legacies, two iconic Iron leaders born
in the same era but 42 years and 19 days apart. Independent India’s first Home and
Dy Prime Minister Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31 October 1875-15
December 1950) and the country’s third and only woman Prime Minister Iron Lady
Indira Gandhi (19 November 1917-31 October 1984). While the former was Mahatma
Gandhi’s key aide in the long fight for independence and popular choice to lead
the Congress, Gandhi anointed Nehru. The latter was groomed by a doting father
to take over the Congress leadership from him. Sixty seven years post Independence, the
Sardar’s memory is a fading dream overshadowed by Indira’s larger-than-life
persona. Not anymore, if Prime Minister Modi has his way and say.
The run-up to the celebrations of the 139th birth
anniversary of Sardar christened as 'Rashtriya
Ekta Divas' for bringing 542 princely States under one India had elements
of high drama: Raisina Hill offices were closed a day earlier, a pledge-taking
ceremony for the country’s unity administered in Government offices followed by
a ‘Run for Unity’ at New Delhi’s India Gate with Prime Minister leading the
race.
This was replicated in State Capitals with the security
forces holding a March Past in the evening. Undeniably, the Saffron agenda
seems clear: Try to erase 31st October as Indira Day and replace it with
Patel.
Predictably, an angry Congress upset that the BJP had not
only appropriated all its icons, including Gandhi, but also rubbished its
pantheon of deities as superfluous hit back for trying to erase history. Indira
and her sacrifice don’t need anyone’s patronage. Nobody can tear down our
leaders legacy, be it Patel or Indira. Has the BJP forgotten that Patel banned
the RSS? Sour grapes, what?
Raising a moot point: why? Can’t the two national icons
coexists and share space? Is the Government’s tribute to Patel as much a mark
of respect as it is about giving a short shrift to Indira's martyrdom? True, the Congress stooped to petty levels by
ensuring history books only carried sacrifices by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Of
Indira and son Rajiv assassination for the country and Sonia’s “tyaag” forsaking the Prime
Minstership.
But two wrongs do not make a right. It is justifiable that
Modi is only trying to correct history to ensure Patel gets his due share and
his contribution to India’s
unity is recorded and given the credit he deserves. However is that reason
enough for the BJP hit back with pettiness? Undoubtedly, both Patel and Indira
have played a great role in building modern India.
The BJP in Modi’s defence avers that the Union Government
has decided to only commemorate and celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s anniversaries
leaving other national leaders to respective Parties, hence the Prime Minister
did not go to Indira’s memorial Shakti
Sthal to participate in the prayer meeting on her 30th death
anniversary.
But he is skidding on thin ice given his predecessors including
compatriot Vajpayee made it point to mark their presence. It is for the first
time in three decades that Indira’s anniversary has been relegated to the back
burner.
Either which way, it seems like a political masterstroke.
Modi who makes no bones of his admiration for the Sardar is busy molding
himself as India’s 21st century’s Loh Purush and trying to correct all historical slights whereby for
decades Patel was made to remain in the shadows of Gandhi-Nehru duo topped by Gandhiji’s
sacrifice for the “glamorous” Nehru to lead Independent India.
Besides,, by invoking the Sardar’s mammoth contribution of
uniting 544 princely States to the Indian Union, nation-building and political
regeneration, Modi is trying to re-instill national pride. And through this
underscore Patel’s leather tough and no nonsense pragmatism combined with
statecraft, flattery, coercion and whatever it took to forge a united
nation-state.
By raking up the contentious issue of Article 370, the Prime
Minister is highlighting Nehru’s major blunder in Kashmir
to the acute discomfiture of the Congress. Remember, he refused to let Patel
handle Kashmir, worse didn’t heed Patel’s advise to fully integrate the State
with India instead of imposing Article 370 granting the State special status.
Furthermore, Modi has merely given a national colour to earthy
and extraordinary Patel sandwiched between Gandhi's lofty and stubborn idealism
and Nehru's westernized liberalism. The construction of Sardar’s 182-metre tall
Statue of Unity at Gujarat’s Sadhu
Island is in line with
the long-pending contribution of this great leader.
Perhaps, this is the Prime Minister’s way for avenging
twelve years of persecution over the Godhra riots and being dubbed the maut ka saudagar. Call it coincidence or
what you may, but he simultaneously announced ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakhs
each to the kith and kin of the 2733 victims of the anti-Sikh carnage following
Indira’s death.
Coming to Indira Gandhi, she epitomized the stuff leaders
are made off, including the capacity to be a butcher when the need arose.
Hailed by ex-Prime Minister Vajpayee, then BJP Leader of Opposition as Durga
after India’s victory in the
1971 war with Pakistan
she was the only man in her Government. None dared oppose her and if someone
did he would be cut to size in no time. Resulting in Congress President Deb
Barooah hailing her as ‘India
is Indira, Indira is India.
She was the first icon of a modern India who
symbolized ruthlessness and a defiant exercise of power thanks to her resolve,
strength and patriotism. Remember, like true leaders she gambled her political
career by taking on the powerful Party Syndicate of senior leaders in 1967 who
derisively called her a “goongi gudiya”,
split the Party and emerged victorious.
Therein she chose to control the Congress from New Delhi by converting
it into an organization of yes men who owed loyalty only to her and her alone.
The sole criteria being sycophancy. Thus small and petty leaders were
handpicked by her and propelled to the centrestage.
Moreover, she had an uncanny astute political sixth sense.
Her return to power in 1980 took wings post her elephant ride to Belchi in Bihar the scene of horrific Dalit massacres. Or courting
Bhindranwale one day and triggering Operation Blue Star the next. Till her
death on 31 October 1984, there was no stopping the Indira hurricane.
Besides, she not only manipulated the system to achieve her
goal but also demolished democratic institutions to achieve her goals. Yet she
continues to be worshipped by the aam
aadmi even today. Busloads throng Indira
Amma’s memorial at New Delhi’s
Safdarjung Road
every day.
But more than that she was a true democrat and nationalist.
True, she imposed Emergency in 1975 after Justice Jagmohan Sinha of the
Allahabad High Court set aside her election, but she was uncomfortable with it.
Recall, she not only lifted the Emergency but called for elections in 1977.
After her defeat, she gracefully demitted office.
In sum as a tattered Congress clings to Indira Amma and Modi has tacitly claimed ownership of the original Loh Purush it would be misleading to reduce their legacies to a tu-tu-mein-mein. Both were true blue nationalists who were not
infallible. Hail our heroic icons! ------ INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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