 "‘Ghalib in Parliament’: When former PM Manmohan Singh showed off his poetic side")
Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, aged 92, passed away on Thursday evening after a prolonged illness.
He is widely regarded as the brains behind the economic changes that were implemented during PV Narasimha Rao’s leadership and aided in the development of India’s economy.
Few people are aware, though, that Singh, a leader of reserve and quiet dignity , had a particular fondness for Urdu couplets.
Let’s take a closer look.
The shayari debate
Sushma Swaraj, the then-leader of the opposition and a BJP leader, had a number of poetic exchanges with the former PM Manmohan Singh during the 15th Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014.
One of the most watched parliamentary debates on social media is the pair’s poetic banters in the March 2011 Lok Sabha over a Wikileaks cable that claimed the Singh-led Congress administration had paid MPs during the 2008 trust vote.
During the heated debate, Swaraj deployed Varanasi-born poet Shahab Jafri’s ‘sher’ to fire a salvo at PM Singh, whose government was beginning to be embroiled in corruption charges.
She said during the debate, “Tu idhar udhar ki na baat kar, yeh bata ki kafila kyun luta, humein rahjano se gila nahi, teri rahbari ka sawal hai.”
Translation: Instead of talking about irrelevant issues, tell us why the caravan was looted. I have no complaint against the robbers but I question your leadership).
Instead of responding aggressively, the usually reserved Singh responded with Allama Iqbal’s disarming lines to bring down the roof.
He said, “‘Mana ki teri deed ke kaabil nahin hoon main, tu mera shauq dekh mera intezar dekh.”
Translation: Agreed I am not worthy of drawing your sight. But look at my zeal, my longing).
The face-off
The two leaders, both with a taste for literature, were to clash again in 2013 during a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.
However, this time, Singh was the first one to fire.
He deployed Mirza Ghalib’s verses: "‘Hum ko un se wafa ki hai ummeed, jo nahin jante wafa kya hai.”
Translation: I expect love from someone who does not know what love is.
Swaraj, in her inimitable manner, turned to the more contemporary Bashir Badr and hit back, "‘Kuchh to majburiyan rahi hongi, yun koi bewafa nahin hota.”
Translation: There must be some compulsions as no one ignores love for nothing.
Her second response was: “Tumhe wafa yaad nahi, humein jafa yaad nahi, zindagi or maut ke toh do hee tarane hain, ek tumhein yaad nahi, ek humein yaad nahi.”
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADTranslation: You don’t remember loyalty and we don’t remember disloyalty, life and death have two rhythms, you don’t remember one, we don’t remember the other.
After Swaraj’s demise in August 2019, Singh described her as a great parliamentarian and a talented Union Minister.
Poetic response to reporters
Singh had resorted to a similar poetic response when reporters quizzed him on corruption charges besetting his government.
He had said, “Hazaro jawabon se achchhi hai meri khamoshi, jo kayi sawalo ki aabru dhak leti hai.”
Translation: My silence is better than thousands of questions, or it will expose many of the questions.
Manmohan Singh’s demise
Singh passed away late Thursday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi.
“Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency at AIIMS, New Delhi at 8.06 pm. Despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9.51 pm,” the AIIMS said in a statement.
In his honour, the Union government announced a seven-day mourning in the nation, during which the National Flag will be flown on half mast and no official entertainment event will be held.
His last rites will take place in the national capital on Saturday with full state honours.
Singh is survived by his wife Gurcharan Singh and three daughters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Manmohan Singh as one of India’s most distinguished leaders. He is also expected to visit Singh’s residence to pay his tributes to the “visionary leader” and architect of India’s economic reforms.
“India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” PM Modi posted on X.
With inputs from agencies
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