CROSSING SWORDS….. AT WHAT AND WHOSE COST ?
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
It is a very sad situation in the country where Army Chief General VK Singh and Ministry of Defense are at logger heads. Gen VK Singh had a problem with his date of birth as recorded in his service records. That could not be solved for more than thirty eight years. It is rather very strange. The General rose from the rank of a 2/Lt to the present rank under stiff competition. He held various important positions as senior officer before he became a General and Army Chief. It is extremely strange that he could not get his problem settled wielding such a great influence at senior ranks and particularly as Army chief. This is clear indication of mutual relationship between MOD and Army Chief. He expected that he would be able to get his grievance sorted out as Army Chief. The clash with the government came up when he knew that he had to retire in May this year as the date of birth was not corrected by the government that would have given him more time to continue to a tune of a year. He has gone down the Indian history as the first Army chief who dragged govt to the court for not settling his grievance to his satisfaction. How bad it is? It is also very sad that MOD could not settle the matter amicably and was dragged to the ultimate. This is a clear indication of red tapism among civilian Babus ( Senior officers of civilian cadre) and the existing strains in relations between Army and the Civilian ruling class.
In democracy, civilian rule is supreme and this is accepted and there is no doubt about it. At the same time, Army and other Defense services like Air force and Navy are required to be handled with great maturity and caution and care. The usual attitude of ‘I am the boss here’ should not be allowed to creep in among the civilian class. But it looks that this exists. On the other hand, there is always a grievance among the defense officers about the pay structure and equivalence of ranks, promotion avenues between service ranks and civilan cadres.An average IAS officer reaches cadre of Joint Secretary while in Army rarely an officer attains the rank of a Major General. What a disparity indeed! This has been a great heart burning for defense officers. The strains between Civilan cadres and army officers have been existing right from the days of General Cariappa ( Later Field Marshal), the free India’s first commnader – in- Chief. There should not be any scope for mistrust between them. This was surely lacking in this case. It has become a very sad episode in Indian history that could have been easily avoided by the government.
Every one knows about stiff competition in Defense services and particularly at very senior ranks among Major General , Lt General and Generals rank . The rank of General is the most coveted one and the officers of rank of Lt General of arms like Infantry, Armoured corps and Artillery aspire to become the Army chief. Usually the left over time for these officers is short and many retire before reaching Generals rank due to age factor. It is usual practice to select army chief from the group of army commanders and vice chief. There is a rat race among them and cut throat competition. Every one plays his cards to succeed and grab the rank. In present case if the army chief General VK Singh was allowed to continue with changed date of birth it would have spelt doom to many senior officers who would probably retire or left with very little service that becomes a liability for selection. Government surely wants the army chief to serve for some substantial period so that he can contribute to the system and establishment and ensure continuity. Thus some effective Lt Generals with very little service left will be surely not given a chance to become chief and they have to hang uniform. It will be a blow to them. For army personnel rank is ultimate and there are instances when officers collapsed and died after hearing that they were not approved to next rank. This phenomenon is common to all uniformed services including Police and Para military forces. Retirement of General VK Singh would be surely a boon to some of the officers waiting for promotion. The matter was finally settled by Supreme court that gave verdict in favor of government and it had to accepted and was accepted by the General. The verdict must have caused happiness to many waiting Generals. No comments can be made on this aspect as the verdict was from the highest court of the land. The entire episode has left deep scars and proved that all is not well between the government and Defense services..
The controversy hardly settled and General VK Singh in next salvo revealed that he was offered Rs 15 crores bribe some time ago by a person representing a company if he accepted substandard Military trucks of Tatra make. This was a bomb shell on the limping government of Dr Man mohan singh. The ruling party received good beating in recent elections particularly in UP and it was a great shock to them. The General said that he already brought the fact to the notice to minister of Defense. There was great commotion in parliament and DM Antony had to cut a sorry figure. A CBI probe has been promptly ordered by the government. The belated revealing of the charge by Army chief was contested by some quarters and some argued why Army chief did not book a case against the person who offered him bribe. Army chief squarely blamed a retired Lt General who represented the company for sales who denied the allegations and even slapped a defamation case against the Army chief in a court. It is also learnt that conversation between Army Chief and the Retired Lt General was taped.
As if this was not sufficient, a letter written by Army Chief to Prime Minister Dr Man mohan singh was leaked to press. The Chief reportedly wrote that Indian army was poorly equipped and had no ammunition for artillery. Its weapons like artillery including air defense were very old and not fit to counter the. enemy. On the whole the General gave a very poor picture of war preparedness of army to counter enemy threat. This was a serious blow and entire nation reeled under the blow. Indian neighbours received the required intelligence free of cost and the morale of Indians went into their boots. The capability and competence of army to win wars has become doubtful now. With such revelations a section of members of parliament have started demanding sacking of Army chief. Army Chief said that whoever leaked the letter committed high treason and should be punished accordingly. Some quarters also question the wisdom of army chief over his letter to the PM. It should have been routed through MOD. A probe has been ordered into the leakage and the reputation of the govt nose dived Mr Antony declared that Govt had full confidence in the service chiefs and their integrity. It already suffered after the sacking of naval chief some time ago on discipline grounds. They do not want to buy problems by sacking the army chief now. The poor state of equipment in army was already highlighted by some earlier reports and thus govt went into defensive mode. It was caught on wrong foot. It is also believed that reported tape contained vital information on some persons in high office and influential quarters and this has been a worrying factor to the govt for going strong against the army chief. They like to play safe till he retires smoothly in May this year. The washing of dirty linen in public has become order of the day and national security ahs been adversely affected. The prestige of Army has been eroded while the ruling party already lost credibility to rule as it has become limping duck. What sad state of affair!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
TRAGIC PREDICTION FOR RAJA VENKATAPPA NAIKA OF SHORAPUR IN 1857 WAR
TRAGIC PREDICTION FOR RAJA VENKATAPPA NAIKA OF
SHORAPUR IN 1857 WAR
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
Many people do not accept the predictions and science of astrology. Yet astrology has deep roots in Hinduism. It also has followers in other parts of globe too. But in Hinduism, it has a very strong base. It is customary in any Hindu family to get the horoscope written when a child is born. Gone are the days when mothers delivered the kids in natural way going through the labor pains. With growth in modern medical technology, many parents are able to choose date and time for the birth of their offsprings. Women are also not very keen to go through the painful process of labor pains. The ever willing medical practitioners to make fast buck are ready to conduct cesarean operation on pregnant women and deliver the child at the most auspicious moment as per their desire. This has become a practice for mothers staying in West and is also catching up in this country beleaguered by Western craze. In bye gone days of course, this facility was not available due to non availability of surgical procedures and medicines and element of risk. People prayed to god for a safe delivery of women. Children were then born as per the god’s will to put things straight.
There is an interesting story about the last maharaja of a small princely state Shorapur in present Karnataka. He was Raja Venkatappa naik who ruled over the princely state of Shorapur. Shorapur was a small (5,370 sq. kilometers) Hindu kingdom in the southwest angle (Gulbarga District) of the Nizam's former dominions of Hyderabad. It was situated between the Krishna and the Bhima rivers ( Bhima is a tributary to mighty Krishna river), immediately west of their junction, and its greatest length was about 45 miles from east to west. Thus it was a small kingdom. These areas are now in Karnataka state.Krishna river eminates in Western ghats , flows through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and finally flows into Bay of Bengal.
During the turbulent times before the conquest of Bijapur kingdom in Deccan by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 17 century, Raja Pid Nayaka I ( 1636-1666), a Bedar (or Ramoshi in Marathi) official of the sultans of Bijapur, occupied a rather extensive tract north of the Krishna river and established his capital at Sagar. His family, initially known as Gosala and later as Kosala, had been sardesais ( Chieftains) over the territories south of the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, including Kanchi. Pid Nayaka and his successors were commonly called the Ramoshi (Ramoosy) Raja as not only the ruler but most of his subjects belonged to this aboriginal tribe. The Bedars gradually emerged as the supra-local chieftains in the Raichur and Shorapur doabs. Seeking to enlist the Bedars' help as a second line of defense intended to check the Moghuls, the sultans of Bijapur granted an extensive jagir to Raja Pid Nayaka's nephew and successor, Raja Pama Nayaka I (r. 1666-1687). This raja helped the last king of Bijapur resist Aurangzeb's armies and, following the fall of the Adilshahi kingdom, was deprived of his estate by the Moghul emperor. His nephew Raja Pid Nayaka II (r. 1687-1727) reestablished his rule in the Shorapur doab shortly after the death of Aurangzeb, following 20 years of continuous warfare against the Moghuls. Indeed, Aurangzeb's last campaign, in 1705, ended with the storming of Bedar, the samasthan's capital after 1687 when Sagar ( A town near Shorapur) was lost to the Moghuls.
In 1710 Raja Pid Nayaka II built a new capital at Surapura ( Shorapur) (the City of Gods) and the samasthan came to be known after it. For much of the 18th century, Shorapur was a buffer state between the dominions of the Nizam and the Peshwa, and after 1767 its rajas paid peshkash ( Tax or tribute) and rendered military service to both. After 1818, the Company received the tribute formerly paid to the Peshwa. In 1842, the raja was unable to fulfill his engagements to the Nizam and, under the authority of the Company, an arrangement was entered into whereby Shorapur ceded certain possessions south of the Krishna river, including Devadurg, to the Nizam in payment of its arrears ( 1).
Later, when Raja Krishnappa Naik died in 1841, his son Venkatappa Naik was then, a minor boy was of seven years only. The British Resident at the Nizam of Hyderabad therefore, decided to impose Meadows Taylor as their political agent at Surpur ( Shorapur) and completely entrusted the work of supervising the prince’s education as well as his upbringing. However, in 1853, when Venkatappa Naik turned 19, Taylor returned to Hyderabad and the former took the reigns of the government into his hands. But now, the British Raj proposed to the young Shorapur Raja that he keep a British Officer as an adviser for the state for some more years at a princely sum of Rs. 20,000 per annum.The first independent decision of Raja Venkatappa Naik, after he assumed power of the Surpur Samsthan, was the rejection of the British proposal of an adviser on the grounds that there was no need for an adviser from the British Government and that the financial condition of the state did not permit them to keep an adviser. It is said that the kings of other samsthanas and representatives of kings of South India including Anegundi, Jamkhandi, Tasugaon (Maharastra), Jat, Mudhol, Malakhed, Mundargi, Jambagi and Gamvar Samsthana held a meeting in Mysore somewhere between 1855-56 and entrusted the leadership to Nalwadi Raja Venkatappa Naik to wage war against the British. All these Samsthanas not only supplied explosives and weapons to Surpur Samsthana but also warriors from the various states who actively participated in the first war of independence which took place in Surpur in 1857 and the young King defeated the British but did not live long to see the fruits of his success (2).
There are some variations in the achievements and conduct of the last young king Venkatappa naik as noted from writers. It has been written that Raja Venkatappa Nayaka IV (r. 1842-1858), the 13th and last raja of Shorapur, a young man of 23, "squandered his capital, financial, mental and physical, in orgies of wild dissipation and debauch." Fearful that the British were about to disarm his state, he recruited an army of Arabs and Afghans and joined the Mutiny in 1857. When Company troops stormed his capital in February, 1858, the raja fled to Hyderabad, where he was arrested and handed over to the British who sentenced him to transportation for life. He killed himself in prison later that year, and in 1860 Shorapur was declared forfeit on the charge of rebellion against the Paramount Power and turned over to Hyderabad (3).
The tragic story of the rebellion of Raja Venkatappa Naik of Shorapur in which the astrological prediction about the death of the Raja made to Col. Meadows Taylor
confidentially 20 years before the event found its fulfillment. When Taylor was the
regent at Shorapur, a pundit had shown him the horoscope of the infant prince and
gave his prediction that he would die in his 24th year and his estate would be
forfeited. At that time, Taylor simply laughed it off and in course of time even forgot
about it. The young boy was brought up by Taylor and had shown promise of
becoming a good ruler of his estate, and loyal to the British. But he was abetted by
his tribe of Beydurs, who attacked a small force of the English sent to reinforce
Captain Campbell's garrison. This attack was repulsed and thereupon the Raja fled to
Hyderabad. For his part in the rebellion, the Raja was sentenced to death.
On Taylor's appeal, the Resident, in the maximum exercise of his authority,
commuted it to transportation for life. On further consideration the Governor-General
reduced it to confinement for four years. The Raja's wives celebrated this show of
mercy by the English, and, since he was permitted to keep them with him, they made
ready to join him. However, the Raja after only one day's journey towards his
destination, shot himself dead.The gloomy predictions of the astrologer of Shorepur was thus fulfilled.
Thus there are some conflicting versions about the conduct of the young Maharaja who was portrayed as a pleasure seeker who mismanaged his estate while others praised him as an efficient ruler with national pride who took up arms against the Englishmen during First war of independence in 1857.The prediction about the early death of the young maharaja also came out to be true. Unfortunately sacrifices of many patriots during 1857 war went unrecorded and were not glorified. Their patriotism was no way lesser than other well known martyrs such as Rani laxmibai, Tantya Tope and Nana sahib. Raja Venkatappa naik was one among them. Even today, one can see the ruins and relics of the historic battle against the British and hear as many explosive stories about the valiant Naik Kings that had till today remained a forgotten chapter of the history (4).
Bibliography
1. 110:204; 113:IV,470-471; Aruni, Surapura:6,12-44; Ghorpade, Grand Resistance:30-31; Gribble, Deccan:II,239-244; Mahalingam, Mackenzie MSS:II,49; B. Qanungo
As cited at http://princelystatesofindia.com/Extinguished/shorapur.html
2. Valiant warriors of surpur.. http://expressbuzz.com/states/karnataka/The-valiant-warriors-of-Surpur/360731.html
3. 110:204; 113:IV,470-471; Aruni, Surapura:6,12-44; Ghorpade, Grand Resistance:30-31; Gribble, Deccan:II,239-244; Mahalingam, Mackenzie MSS:II,49; B. Qanungo
As cited at http://princelystatesofindia.com/Extinguished/shorapur.html
4. Turrebazkhan freedom fighter, http://ebookbrowse.com/turrebaz-khan-ff-pdf-d140165533
.
SHORAPUR IN 1857 WAR
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
Many people do not accept the predictions and science of astrology. Yet astrology has deep roots in Hinduism. It also has followers in other parts of globe too. But in Hinduism, it has a very strong base. It is customary in any Hindu family to get the horoscope written when a child is born. Gone are the days when mothers delivered the kids in natural way going through the labor pains. With growth in modern medical technology, many parents are able to choose date and time for the birth of their offsprings. Women are also not very keen to go through the painful process of labor pains. The ever willing medical practitioners to make fast buck are ready to conduct cesarean operation on pregnant women and deliver the child at the most auspicious moment as per their desire. This has become a practice for mothers staying in West and is also catching up in this country beleaguered by Western craze. In bye gone days of course, this facility was not available due to non availability of surgical procedures and medicines and element of risk. People prayed to god for a safe delivery of women. Children were then born as per the god’s will to put things straight.
There is an interesting story about the last maharaja of a small princely state Shorapur in present Karnataka. He was Raja Venkatappa naik who ruled over the princely state of Shorapur. Shorapur was a small (5,370 sq. kilometers) Hindu kingdom in the southwest angle (Gulbarga District) of the Nizam's former dominions of Hyderabad. It was situated between the Krishna and the Bhima rivers ( Bhima is a tributary to mighty Krishna river), immediately west of their junction, and its greatest length was about 45 miles from east to west. Thus it was a small kingdom. These areas are now in Karnataka state.Krishna river eminates in Western ghats , flows through Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and finally flows into Bay of Bengal.
During the turbulent times before the conquest of Bijapur kingdom in Deccan by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 17 century, Raja Pid Nayaka I ( 1636-1666), a Bedar (or Ramoshi in Marathi) official of the sultans of Bijapur, occupied a rather extensive tract north of the Krishna river and established his capital at Sagar. His family, initially known as Gosala and later as Kosala, had been sardesais ( Chieftains) over the territories south of the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, including Kanchi. Pid Nayaka and his successors were commonly called the Ramoshi (Ramoosy) Raja as not only the ruler but most of his subjects belonged to this aboriginal tribe. The Bedars gradually emerged as the supra-local chieftains in the Raichur and Shorapur doabs. Seeking to enlist the Bedars' help as a second line of defense intended to check the Moghuls, the sultans of Bijapur granted an extensive jagir to Raja Pid Nayaka's nephew and successor, Raja Pama Nayaka I (r. 1666-1687). This raja helped the last king of Bijapur resist Aurangzeb's armies and, following the fall of the Adilshahi kingdom, was deprived of his estate by the Moghul emperor. His nephew Raja Pid Nayaka II (r. 1687-1727) reestablished his rule in the Shorapur doab shortly after the death of Aurangzeb, following 20 years of continuous warfare against the Moghuls. Indeed, Aurangzeb's last campaign, in 1705, ended with the storming of Bedar, the samasthan's capital after 1687 when Sagar ( A town near Shorapur) was lost to the Moghuls.
In 1710 Raja Pid Nayaka II built a new capital at Surapura ( Shorapur) (the City of Gods) and the samasthan came to be known after it. For much of the 18th century, Shorapur was a buffer state between the dominions of the Nizam and the Peshwa, and after 1767 its rajas paid peshkash ( Tax or tribute) and rendered military service to both. After 1818, the Company received the tribute formerly paid to the Peshwa. In 1842, the raja was unable to fulfill his engagements to the Nizam and, under the authority of the Company, an arrangement was entered into whereby Shorapur ceded certain possessions south of the Krishna river, including Devadurg, to the Nizam in payment of its arrears ( 1).
Later, when Raja Krishnappa Naik died in 1841, his son Venkatappa Naik was then, a minor boy was of seven years only. The British Resident at the Nizam of Hyderabad therefore, decided to impose Meadows Taylor as their political agent at Surpur ( Shorapur) and completely entrusted the work of supervising the prince’s education as well as his upbringing. However, in 1853, when Venkatappa Naik turned 19, Taylor returned to Hyderabad and the former took the reigns of the government into his hands. But now, the British Raj proposed to the young Shorapur Raja that he keep a British Officer as an adviser for the state for some more years at a princely sum of Rs. 20,000 per annum.The first independent decision of Raja Venkatappa Naik, after he assumed power of the Surpur Samsthan, was the rejection of the British proposal of an adviser on the grounds that there was no need for an adviser from the British Government and that the financial condition of the state did not permit them to keep an adviser. It is said that the kings of other samsthanas and representatives of kings of South India including Anegundi, Jamkhandi, Tasugaon (Maharastra), Jat, Mudhol, Malakhed, Mundargi, Jambagi and Gamvar Samsthana held a meeting in Mysore somewhere between 1855-56 and entrusted the leadership to Nalwadi Raja Venkatappa Naik to wage war against the British. All these Samsthanas not only supplied explosives and weapons to Surpur Samsthana but also warriors from the various states who actively participated in the first war of independence which took place in Surpur in 1857 and the young King defeated the British but did not live long to see the fruits of his success (2).
There are some variations in the achievements and conduct of the last young king Venkatappa naik as noted from writers. It has been written that Raja Venkatappa Nayaka IV (r. 1842-1858), the 13th and last raja of Shorapur, a young man of 23, "squandered his capital, financial, mental and physical, in orgies of wild dissipation and debauch." Fearful that the British were about to disarm his state, he recruited an army of Arabs and Afghans and joined the Mutiny in 1857. When Company troops stormed his capital in February, 1858, the raja fled to Hyderabad, where he was arrested and handed over to the British who sentenced him to transportation for life. He killed himself in prison later that year, and in 1860 Shorapur was declared forfeit on the charge of rebellion against the Paramount Power and turned over to Hyderabad (3).
The tragic story of the rebellion of Raja Venkatappa Naik of Shorapur in which the astrological prediction about the death of the Raja made to Col. Meadows Taylor
confidentially 20 years before the event found its fulfillment. When Taylor was the
regent at Shorapur, a pundit had shown him the horoscope of the infant prince and
gave his prediction that he would die in his 24th year and his estate would be
forfeited. At that time, Taylor simply laughed it off and in course of time even forgot
about it. The young boy was brought up by Taylor and had shown promise of
becoming a good ruler of his estate, and loyal to the British. But he was abetted by
his tribe of Beydurs, who attacked a small force of the English sent to reinforce
Captain Campbell's garrison. This attack was repulsed and thereupon the Raja fled to
Hyderabad. For his part in the rebellion, the Raja was sentenced to death.
On Taylor's appeal, the Resident, in the maximum exercise of his authority,
commuted it to transportation for life. On further consideration the Governor-General
reduced it to confinement for four years. The Raja's wives celebrated this show of
mercy by the English, and, since he was permitted to keep them with him, they made
ready to join him. However, the Raja after only one day's journey towards his
destination, shot himself dead.The gloomy predictions of the astrologer of Shorepur was thus fulfilled.
Thus there are some conflicting versions about the conduct of the young Maharaja who was portrayed as a pleasure seeker who mismanaged his estate while others praised him as an efficient ruler with national pride who took up arms against the Englishmen during First war of independence in 1857.The prediction about the early death of the young maharaja also came out to be true. Unfortunately sacrifices of many patriots during 1857 war went unrecorded and were not glorified. Their patriotism was no way lesser than other well known martyrs such as Rani laxmibai, Tantya Tope and Nana sahib. Raja Venkatappa naik was one among them. Even today, one can see the ruins and relics of the historic battle against the British and hear as many explosive stories about the valiant Naik Kings that had till today remained a forgotten chapter of the history (4).
Bibliography
1. 110:204; 113:IV,470-471; Aruni, Surapura:6,12-44; Ghorpade, Grand Resistance:30-31; Gribble, Deccan:II,239-244; Mahalingam, Mackenzie MSS:II,49; B. Qanungo
As cited at http://princelystatesofindia.com/Extinguished/shorapur.html
2. Valiant warriors of surpur.. http://expressbuzz.com/states/karnataka/The-valiant-warriors-of-Surpur/360731.html
3. 110:204; 113:IV,470-471; Aruni, Surapura:6,12-44; Ghorpade, Grand Resistance:30-31; Gribble, Deccan:II,239-244; Mahalingam, Mackenzie MSS:II,49; B. Qanungo
As cited at http://princelystatesofindia.com/Extinguished/shorapur.html
4. Turrebazkhan freedom fighter, http://ebookbrowse.com/turrebaz-khan-ff-pdf-d140165533
.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
RSS NEEDS INTROSPECTION
RSS NEEDS INTROSPECTION
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
RSS as an organization has entrenched itself in India and has affiliated organizations and these are known presently as Hindutva parties and govt has successfully attcahed them a tag of fundamentalist Hindu parties.. Shiv Sena, BJP, Bajrangdal, Vishwa Hindu perishad, Hindu Maha sabha etc are the prominent ones. RSS itself is not taking part in the elections and is more concerned at this time about bringing awareness among people about Hindutva and Hindu rashtra. RSS as an organization is not against minorities. However it opposes policies that discriminate Hindus who are in majority and are persecuted in view of appeasement politics by the rulers from time to time for vote catching tricks.Yet RSS did not make its presence felt very strongly in the cases of Kanshi Swamy persecutionn, Insult to Ram chandraji by TN CM Karunanidhi, Ramdeva Baba episode in Delhi. .It was more or less cat on wall reaction.The organization can not survive on past laurels if an for long time.People have already forgotten that RSS took part in Republic day parade once. Why not every year now? What went wrong now ? The coalition govt led by BJP and its stalwart sri Honourable Atalji although ruled for full term did not return to power again.Why so ? People voted for it expecting great things from them. But it also functioned like any other govt. Kargil war took place during their time.The govt allowed Pakistan to escape the noose. They failed to settle Kashmir by capturing all the trapped militants and Pak army men. Terrorists held in jail were handed over to Taliban at Kandhar airport by a cabinet minister( Jaswant Singh?).The episode of Jaswant singh after his book publication itself was not liked by people. He again returned to party. ( Why) Ram temple did not move an inch and stalwarts of BJP were hauled up by courts for babri maszid episode.Ram Lala still is in the thick of debris. These cases are not finalised till today and hang as Democles sword on their heads. People who expect great things from BJP/RSS are in fact disillusioned.On the other hand, particularly in UP, Dalits and other backward communities were inspired by Mayawatiji and it dislodged others in UP for a wild goose chase.People in UP are worried for caste than on national patriotic issues. The elections in UP are completely taken over by Caste politics and local issues and people there are now less concerned about the national issues of Hindutwa. The issue of Hindutwa has become a stale and pale issue for them. BJP has no ground in AP and AP state is a simmering pot with local political issue and RSS inspired BJP has no chance in AP.It lost ground long ago. Hindus are highly divided on all issues.The local Muslim party AIMIM plays its card to influence Congress that has strong base. Majority of Hindus in India all over are self centered and run for momentary benefits and very few think on national patriotic issues and Hindutwa issues like Veer Savarkar or Patelji. Aftermath of Ram deva Baba episode is a clear example of Hindu thought and opportunism unlike minorities. Thus RSS has difficulties to emerge as very strong governing force in the country.Unfortunately, Many people are afraid of associating with it in view of reasons that have not changed much since partition.Congress dominated Govt has succeeded in dubbing it as Hindu fascist organization .There is a need to motivate people on long term national and patriotic issues and RSS is surely lacking on this front. Most of the time it is busy in thwarting attempts by the government to tag it with Hindu fundamentalists. Still, there is no confidence in people that it would build Ram Temple at Ayodhya, eliminate terrorism and discipline Pakistan.Unless RSS grows as progressive nationalist party with concrete plans to ensure fair governing, eliminate corruption and caste politics, it would be struggling eternally.What is happening in Karnataka is shameful and every one in the country is watching them. How they are different from other parties? BJP MsLA watched porn in the assembly. In Gujarat too there is an allegation that BJP MLA watched porn in assembly and an inquiry has been ordered. There will not be smoke without fire. These are very shameful things. If some one watches porn in his private room no one is concerned as it does not affect any one, but not in assembly hall. Still it shows his perversion and character. In the melee, other parties would be benefited.There is a definite need for introspection by RSS and its allies in such shameful atmosphere. If they have to capture political power they have to mean it, plan it and achieve it and get rid of opportunists and horse traders.It must have introspection and rise above petty politics that have become a daily affair in Karnataka tarnishing its image as a worthwhile opposition.
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
RSS as an organization has entrenched itself in India and has affiliated organizations and these are known presently as Hindutva parties and govt has successfully attcahed them a tag of fundamentalist Hindu parties.. Shiv Sena, BJP, Bajrangdal, Vishwa Hindu perishad, Hindu Maha sabha etc are the prominent ones. RSS itself is not taking part in the elections and is more concerned at this time about bringing awareness among people about Hindutva and Hindu rashtra. RSS as an organization is not against minorities. However it opposes policies that discriminate Hindus who are in majority and are persecuted in view of appeasement politics by the rulers from time to time for vote catching tricks.Yet RSS did not make its presence felt very strongly in the cases of Kanshi Swamy persecutionn, Insult to Ram chandraji by TN CM Karunanidhi, Ramdeva Baba episode in Delhi. .It was more or less cat on wall reaction.The organization can not survive on past laurels if an for long time.People have already forgotten that RSS took part in Republic day parade once. Why not every year now? What went wrong now ? The coalition govt led by BJP and its stalwart sri Honourable Atalji although ruled for full term did not return to power again.Why so ? People voted for it expecting great things from them. But it also functioned like any other govt. Kargil war took place during their time.The govt allowed Pakistan to escape the noose. They failed to settle Kashmir by capturing all the trapped militants and Pak army men. Terrorists held in jail were handed over to Taliban at Kandhar airport by a cabinet minister( Jaswant Singh?).The episode of Jaswant singh after his book publication itself was not liked by people. He again returned to party. ( Why) Ram temple did not move an inch and stalwarts of BJP were hauled up by courts for babri maszid episode.Ram Lala still is in the thick of debris. These cases are not finalised till today and hang as Democles sword on their heads. People who expect great things from BJP/RSS are in fact disillusioned.On the other hand, particularly in UP, Dalits and other backward communities were inspired by Mayawatiji and it dislodged others in UP for a wild goose chase.People in UP are worried for caste than on national patriotic issues. The elections in UP are completely taken over by Caste politics and local issues and people there are now less concerned about the national issues of Hindutwa. The issue of Hindutwa has become a stale and pale issue for them. BJP has no ground in AP and AP state is a simmering pot with local political issue and RSS inspired BJP has no chance in AP.It lost ground long ago. Hindus are highly divided on all issues.The local Muslim party AIMIM plays its card to influence Congress that has strong base. Majority of Hindus in India all over are self centered and run for momentary benefits and very few think on national patriotic issues and Hindutwa issues like Veer Savarkar or Patelji. Aftermath of Ram deva Baba episode is a clear example of Hindu thought and opportunism unlike minorities. Thus RSS has difficulties to emerge as very strong governing force in the country.Unfortunately, Many people are afraid of associating with it in view of reasons that have not changed much since partition.Congress dominated Govt has succeeded in dubbing it as Hindu fascist organization .There is a need to motivate people on long term national and patriotic issues and RSS is surely lacking on this front. Most of the time it is busy in thwarting attempts by the government to tag it with Hindu fundamentalists. Still, there is no confidence in people that it would build Ram Temple at Ayodhya, eliminate terrorism and discipline Pakistan.Unless RSS grows as progressive nationalist party with concrete plans to ensure fair governing, eliminate corruption and caste politics, it would be struggling eternally.What is happening in Karnataka is shameful and every one in the country is watching them. How they are different from other parties? BJP MsLA watched porn in the assembly. In Gujarat too there is an allegation that BJP MLA watched porn in assembly and an inquiry has been ordered. There will not be smoke without fire. These are very shameful things. If some one watches porn in his private room no one is concerned as it does not affect any one, but not in assembly hall. Still it shows his perversion and character. In the melee, other parties would be benefited.There is a definite need for introspection by RSS and its allies in such shameful atmosphere. If they have to capture political power they have to mean it, plan it and achieve it and get rid of opportunists and horse traders.It must have introspection and rise above petty politics that have become a daily affair in Karnataka tarnishing its image as a worthwhile opposition.
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...265
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…265
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are seen at Tank Bund ( Hussein sagar) and watching the statues that stand on the foot path of Tank bund . The statues face west and dirty polluted waters and their backs are towards east. It is evening time and red sun is going down the horizon in west. Flocks of birds are seen returning to their nests in trees that are found in the park near by down the tank bund called Indira Park which is also called lovers park. )
Gandhi. Patel, Where are we standing now? I find many statues around here.
Patel. There are many in the lake too submerged. Hee..heee
Nehru. So much money has been wasted on statues. I feel sad.
Patel. This expenditure is a penny compared to what has been done by Mayawati in UP and Jagan in Andhra and Royala seema on his father’s statues after his death in a chopper crash on a rainy day.
Gandhi. Indians surely have lost reasoning. They are carried away by sentiments. It could be all right if a statue has been erected after some one’s death if he deserved it. But erecting a statue while he is alive is ridiculous. Mayawati appears a strange person in this regard. It is OK she erected some statues for Kanshiram who is no more. But why her statues should be erected? What is big about her? Eee..eee….ee.. My statues are dwindled now. I feel sad.eee…eeeee…eee
Patel. Bapu, Who wants you? Your own children did not want you when you were alive? Indians have already forgotten you. If a question is asked to a school kid, ‘’ Who is MK Gandhi”, he will answer, “ He was the father of Indira Gandhi?”. Haa..haa….haaa
Gandhi . Eee…eee..ee..eeee… Patel, Can’t you do some thing on this?
Nehru. What he can do? This is a changed scenario. Even my statues are very less. I find only one statue of mine at Abids circle in this city with a dove in right hand.
Patel. Poor dove?
Nehru. Why poor dove?
Patel. That dove is unable to fly. It always stands in your hand trying to fly.hua..hua..hua… heee..heee. See ,like this.
( Patel imitates a dove by flapping his hands and laughs)
Gandhi. Hee..hee..hee
Nehru. No jokes please.
Patel. Look, Recently many states of Baba Saheb Ambedkar were smashed in coastal Andhra region and govt got jittery and took special safety measures for Jawaharlal’s statue at Abids so that it is not damaged by some nuts. Now, he is a captive among guards and iron bars. When he was alive he was a prisoner of his office. He could not move freely.
Nehru. You guys have seen what happens when some one special moves freely in society. You know what happened to Bapu in 1948. He was gunned down by Godse at his prayer meeting like a sitting duck.
Patel. Popularity also generates enemies. I am happy no one wanted to get rid off me. I got rid off myself .I prayed to god to take me away soon and save me from this shit around. I died earlier. Haa..Haa..Haaa. I am happy that way. (Sings)
I am the happiest guy to die
And thus happy like a magpie
Living guys have ruined this nation
Where poor struggle daily for ration
Leaders set free doves in a show
In their brains evil plans however flow
All such things are tricks of the trade
I always call frankly a spade as spade
Gandhi. Well sung Patel. You are very straight forward. Now come to the point. We are standing in front of a statue and this looks new unlike the other statues. Who is this great man in turbine?
Nehru. Please say turban not turbine. Both are different. Turbine is a machine used in power plants. Turban is an head gear.
Patel. Bapu, He is Komaram Bheem a martyr from Telangana.
Gandhi. What great deeds he has done? Do you have any idea?
Patel. I know. I read about him in an article. He was a Gond and he fought erstwhile forces of Nizam 7 through Guerilla war and tried to save his people from oppression during last century before India was given freedom. He was not known much to people from other districts in Telangana. His memory has been revived and the present Telangana stir has added fuel to the fire. He has become an inspiration to the agitators in Telangana.
Gandhi. It is good. They have done some thing better. But throwing statues of Andhra leaders into waters is bad. That can not be accepted at any cost.I heard that statues of great men like Emperor Sri Krishna Deva Raya of Vijaynagar was also damaged.
Patel. That’s is the work of vandals. People have nothing to do with it.
Gandhi. It could be so. I am happy that a tribal leader like Komaram Bheem is being glorified instead of erecting statues of some Telangana men who are now busy in the agitation.
Patel. A day will come for them also if Telnagana is materialized. Already statue of Prof Jayashankar has been erected. He is no more now.
Gandhi. I am sad he passed away without seeing Telangana.
Patel. Probably the govt has to find some other place for more statues to be erected.
Gandhi. This lake is very big and has road all around. They can erect a statue after every 10 feet around the lake. Thousands of statues can be erected in future. Statues of all agitators who lost life in Telangana stir of 1969 and present one can be erected. Still there will be place for many more.
Patel. Statues also can be erected on tank bund opposite to the present ones. Then there are more reservoirs like Saroornagar lake, Mir Alam, Uppal lake, Durgam cheruvu. All these places are good for statues. Why worry? Only thing is that they have to make a list of personnel who should be honored and make statues for them.
Nehru. Is the discussion over? I m getting head ache. Why are you wasting time over silly discussion?
Patel. What troubles you friend? You are however happy when everything in AP in particular is being named after yourself, Indira and Rajiv. Are there no patriots in this country other than these guys? What a mockery!
Nehru. I did not tell them to do so.
Patel. But you are happy when it was done.
Nehru. I am helpless because I am dead.
Gandhi. True.
Patel. It is the mistake of present leaders. They want to erase memory of other leaders except those of dynasty. Otherwise where is life for them? They will not get governors posts, CM's positions and Central minister's posts and state funeral if they kick bucket when out of power. They as independents have no identity. Even their wives will not vote for them. Hee..hee..hee
Nehru. I am disgusted. I am going.
Patel. Where you will go? Do you have identity without Bapu? Please stay with him.
Gandhi. Patel, Leave him. He will slowly learn things. OK . Let us go. Jawahar is upset.
Patel. OK Bapu .
( The trio leaves singing Ramdhun )
CURTAIN FALLS
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are seen at Tank Bund ( Hussein sagar) and watching the statues that stand on the foot path of Tank bund . The statues face west and dirty polluted waters and their backs are towards east. It is evening time and red sun is going down the horizon in west. Flocks of birds are seen returning to their nests in trees that are found in the park near by down the tank bund called Indira Park which is also called lovers park. )
Gandhi. Patel, Where are we standing now? I find many statues around here.
Patel. There are many in the lake too submerged. Hee..heee
Nehru. So much money has been wasted on statues. I feel sad.
Patel. This expenditure is a penny compared to what has been done by Mayawati in UP and Jagan in Andhra and Royala seema on his father’s statues after his death in a chopper crash on a rainy day.
Gandhi. Indians surely have lost reasoning. They are carried away by sentiments. It could be all right if a statue has been erected after some one’s death if he deserved it. But erecting a statue while he is alive is ridiculous. Mayawati appears a strange person in this regard. It is OK she erected some statues for Kanshiram who is no more. But why her statues should be erected? What is big about her? Eee..eee….ee.. My statues are dwindled now. I feel sad.eee…eeeee…eee
Patel. Bapu, Who wants you? Your own children did not want you when you were alive? Indians have already forgotten you. If a question is asked to a school kid, ‘’ Who is MK Gandhi”, he will answer, “ He was the father of Indira Gandhi?”. Haa..haa….haaa
Gandhi . Eee…eee..ee..eeee… Patel, Can’t you do some thing on this?
Nehru. What he can do? This is a changed scenario. Even my statues are very less. I find only one statue of mine at Abids circle in this city with a dove in right hand.
Patel. Poor dove?
Nehru. Why poor dove?
Patel. That dove is unable to fly. It always stands in your hand trying to fly.hua..hua..hua… heee..heee. See ,like this.
( Patel imitates a dove by flapping his hands and laughs)
Gandhi. Hee..hee..hee
Nehru. No jokes please.
Patel. Look, Recently many states of Baba Saheb Ambedkar were smashed in coastal Andhra region and govt got jittery and took special safety measures for Jawaharlal’s statue at Abids so that it is not damaged by some nuts. Now, he is a captive among guards and iron bars. When he was alive he was a prisoner of his office. He could not move freely.
Nehru. You guys have seen what happens when some one special moves freely in society. You know what happened to Bapu in 1948. He was gunned down by Godse at his prayer meeting like a sitting duck.
Patel. Popularity also generates enemies. I am happy no one wanted to get rid off me. I got rid off myself .I prayed to god to take me away soon and save me from this shit around. I died earlier. Haa..Haa..Haaa. I am happy that way. (Sings)
I am the happiest guy to die
And thus happy like a magpie
Living guys have ruined this nation
Where poor struggle daily for ration
Leaders set free doves in a show
In their brains evil plans however flow
All such things are tricks of the trade
I always call frankly a spade as spade
Gandhi. Well sung Patel. You are very straight forward. Now come to the point. We are standing in front of a statue and this looks new unlike the other statues. Who is this great man in turbine?
Nehru. Please say turban not turbine. Both are different. Turbine is a machine used in power plants. Turban is an head gear.
Patel. Bapu, He is Komaram Bheem a martyr from Telangana.
Gandhi. What great deeds he has done? Do you have any idea?
Patel. I know. I read about him in an article. He was a Gond and he fought erstwhile forces of Nizam 7 through Guerilla war and tried to save his people from oppression during last century before India was given freedom. He was not known much to people from other districts in Telangana. His memory has been revived and the present Telangana stir has added fuel to the fire. He has become an inspiration to the agitators in Telangana.
Gandhi. It is good. They have done some thing better. But throwing statues of Andhra leaders into waters is bad. That can not be accepted at any cost.I heard that statues of great men like Emperor Sri Krishna Deva Raya of Vijaynagar was also damaged.
Patel. That’s is the work of vandals. People have nothing to do with it.
Gandhi. It could be so. I am happy that a tribal leader like Komaram Bheem is being glorified instead of erecting statues of some Telangana men who are now busy in the agitation.
Patel. A day will come for them also if Telnagana is materialized. Already statue of Prof Jayashankar has been erected. He is no more now.
Gandhi. I am sad he passed away without seeing Telangana.
Patel. Probably the govt has to find some other place for more statues to be erected.
Gandhi. This lake is very big and has road all around. They can erect a statue after every 10 feet around the lake. Thousands of statues can be erected in future. Statues of all agitators who lost life in Telangana stir of 1969 and present one can be erected. Still there will be place for many more.
Patel. Statues also can be erected on tank bund opposite to the present ones. Then there are more reservoirs like Saroornagar lake, Mir Alam, Uppal lake, Durgam cheruvu. All these places are good for statues. Why worry? Only thing is that they have to make a list of personnel who should be honored and make statues for them.
Nehru. Is the discussion over? I m getting head ache. Why are you wasting time over silly discussion?
Patel. What troubles you friend? You are however happy when everything in AP in particular is being named after yourself, Indira and Rajiv. Are there no patriots in this country other than these guys? What a mockery!
Nehru. I did not tell them to do so.
Patel. But you are happy when it was done.
Nehru. I am helpless because I am dead.
Gandhi. True.
Patel. It is the mistake of present leaders. They want to erase memory of other leaders except those of dynasty. Otherwise where is life for them? They will not get governors posts, CM's positions and Central minister's posts and state funeral if they kick bucket when out of power. They as independents have no identity. Even their wives will not vote for them. Hee..hee..hee
Nehru. I am disgusted. I am going.
Patel. Where you will go? Do you have identity without Bapu? Please stay with him.
Gandhi. Patel, Leave him. He will slowly learn things. OK . Let us go. Jawahar is upset.
Patel. OK Bapu .
( The trio leaves singing Ramdhun )
CURTAIN FALLS
Thursday, March 22, 2012
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...264
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…264
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are sitting in Gandhi’s room in heavens and conversing. The room is poorly furnished with four simple chairs and a stool. A black and white TV is kept at a corner It is afternoon and all appear to be cordial.)
Gandhi. Patel, I am feeling thirsty, get me some clean water.
Patel. Fine Bapu. I am always at your service. Did I give you dirty water at any point of time?
Nehru. Hee..heee..heee
Patel. Jawaharlal, what worries you now? Why that hee..heee..hee?
Nehru. How slavish you are ?
Patel. You are no less brother. You were a bigger slave to Bapu.
Gandhi. I did not mean that you gave me unclean water earlier.
( Patel gets up and fetches water to Gandhi in a glass after thoroughly washing. Bapu drinks water and coughs vigorously. Gandhi thumps his own head and gets composed.
Gandhi. Why people get hiccups while drinking water at times?
Patel. Bapu. I heard from people that such things happen when some one is abusing him.
Nehru. This is all shit. You are talking nonsense.
Patel. It is very true.
Nehru. Who will abuse or curse Bapu?
Patel. Why not? There are plenty of guys who do that. Many curse him if do not use abusive words.
Nehru. Why they should do that?
Patel. Brother. You know everything very well. Yet, you pretend as if you are ignorant. section of Indians are much critical about him for his role in freedom movement. They blame his policies for partition and todays problems in the country. They criticize him for Muslim appeasement.The present problems in the country due to Pakistan are attributed to you.
Gandhi. Critics always will be there. You can not satisfy all. We did best at that time.
Patel. Hope so.
Gandhi. You are not committal.
Patel. We are all party to it. Look at the suffering India is going through. Look at the governing. Look at the quality of leaders. Look at the dynastic rulers and successions. How shameful? In UP also, dynastic succession resulted. Mulayam Singh’ son has been elevated as CM. What experience he will have to handle senior guys. Elevation of youngsters could result in their later down fall. Any how, it is up to them. Why talk about a cake before eating it.
Gandhi. It is up to leaders. It is their headache. If they want to get screwed up it is up to them. They will learn hard way.
Patel. The elected leaders can not open mouth against Mulayam singh. That is the way in congress and most of the other parties too. It is only BJP that is having some type of policy away from dynastic succession. They do not have dynasties. Every guy is different.
Gandhi. That is because there are many leaders of good claibre and of some potential unlike Congress and SP party. In Congress all dance around Jawahar’s family. That is their best past time. They can not do anything more than that as they do not know anything more than that. Hee..hee..heee.. Any how, why spoil our heads with those guys? Our heads already are mucked up. Let them ruin themselves.
Patel. If they ruin themselves, who is bothered? They are ruining the country.
Gandhi. Very true. What we can do now?
Nehru. Let us watch TV for a change today.
Gandhi. True, Patel. Please switch it on.
( Patel switches on the TV and operates the remote and a news channel appears. The TV announcer appears in suit perspiring.)
TV announcer. This is Time pass Mishra from DoorDarshan. Hee..hee.Hgh..Hgh.. Good afternoon watchers, I am sorry.. Hello viewers of this channel. We now take you to parliament to listen to PM who is making a grand speech.
( The TV makes squeeking sound ..kee…keee…kee and the picture shakes violently and images appear very thin for a short time.)
Gandhi. This is good. I have not heard him till date.
Patel. It will be very interesting indeed. But you have not seen him yet. What is good? The PM or the TV tamasha.
Gandhi. What will be that?
Patel. You shall see it soon.
( After few seconds, PM Dr Man mohan singh appears on the screen. He is well dressed with light blue turban and dark achkan. He has spectacles.)
Dr Singh. Eee..eee..eee.. Good morning gentlemen. Ee..ee…eee…eee.. Today, I speak to you on some issues that are causing great worries to me. Eee..ee..The country is passing through a difficult times. Ee…eee…eee. I am facing many difficulties in running this show. Ee..eee..Hope all of you would rise to the occasion…eee..eee..eeee…eeee.
Gandhi. Patel. What is he speaking? Should we rise up and stand now?I can not hear a single word and can not make out any thing from his voice.He is eating away half the words.
Patel. Keep listening Bapu.That is his style. He is agreat economist. In words too he economises.
Dr Singh. Listen brothers,. I am having great difficult things from the friendly parties in this coalition govt . It is causing great head aches. My head has become heavy.
Patel. Hope his turban is not tight.
Gandhi. He has been used to turban since decades. His party guys are really causing great head ache to him. Every now and then, some party black mails him. First was Raja’s case in Telecom scam. Then Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi’s daughter was a problem. She was behind bars. Now this Mamta head ache.
Patel. In head aches, there are varieties. One is migraine. Others are Tension type head ache, Cluster head ache, Harmone head ache, Rebound head ache, Organic head ache and Sinus head ache. To this list, we add coalition head ache. Heee..he…hee
Gandhi. Great Patel. Hooo..hooo..hooo. You are witty.
Patel. In the discussion, we forgot about Dr Singh. Let us listen to him.
Dr Singh. My dear citizens of India. Please listen. I am doing my best to reduce poverty in India. Mr Montek singh has been requested to define the latest poverty index. He has come with a novel formula. Any guy who spends more than Rs 28.5 day is not poor. Finally we found a solution.
Patel. What is he talking Bapu? A quarter bottle of old monk rum costs much more than that. I know that most of the guys drink more than that daily. Does it say that they are not poor. I do not know which economist worked out the details.
Gandhi. I feel sorry for the PM. He has strange and weird guys with him in key places. Any how, let us listen.
Dr Singh. Eee..ee…eeee.. Now we have changed the railway minister due to coalition head aches. Now a now person has taken over. Even this person refused to listen to my order earlier while he was holding the same ministry for a while.He refused to go to accident site. God only can save me..eee..eee …..eee .. Dear citizens. Please bear with me for some more time. It is only a question of time before we fall.. Jai hind..
Gandhi. What a sad situation!
Patel. Bapu, Should we laugh or cry after listening to him.
Gandhi. Why cry? Let us laugh to glory. Good Tamasha. It was very difficult to understand him. I do not know how he addressed UN sessions.
Patel. I feel pity for the listeners. Most of them slept and woke up when all clapped.
Gandhi. It happens. Public speaking is not every ones trait. Many well educated people are failures.
Patel. True.
( The TV suddenly shows a blank screen without any sound)
Gandhi. We are saved from the agony.
Patel. True Bapu. We are saved. Let us relax
( The trio lean back in their chairs and relax)
CURTAIN FALLS
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are sitting in Gandhi’s room in heavens and conversing. The room is poorly furnished with four simple chairs and a stool. A black and white TV is kept at a corner It is afternoon and all appear to be cordial.)
Gandhi. Patel, I am feeling thirsty, get me some clean water.
Patel. Fine Bapu. I am always at your service. Did I give you dirty water at any point of time?
Nehru. Hee..heee..heee
Patel. Jawaharlal, what worries you now? Why that hee..heee..hee?
Nehru. How slavish you are ?
Patel. You are no less brother. You were a bigger slave to Bapu.
Gandhi. I did not mean that you gave me unclean water earlier.
( Patel gets up and fetches water to Gandhi in a glass after thoroughly washing. Bapu drinks water and coughs vigorously. Gandhi thumps his own head and gets composed.
Gandhi. Why people get hiccups while drinking water at times?
Patel. Bapu. I heard from people that such things happen when some one is abusing him.
Nehru. This is all shit. You are talking nonsense.
Patel. It is very true.
Nehru. Who will abuse or curse Bapu?
Patel. Why not? There are plenty of guys who do that. Many curse him if do not use abusive words.
Nehru. Why they should do that?
Patel. Brother. You know everything very well. Yet, you pretend as if you are ignorant. section of Indians are much critical about him for his role in freedom movement. They blame his policies for partition and todays problems in the country. They criticize him for Muslim appeasement.The present problems in the country due to Pakistan are attributed to you.
Gandhi. Critics always will be there. You can not satisfy all. We did best at that time.
Patel. Hope so.
Gandhi. You are not committal.
Patel. We are all party to it. Look at the suffering India is going through. Look at the governing. Look at the quality of leaders. Look at the dynastic rulers and successions. How shameful? In UP also, dynastic succession resulted. Mulayam Singh’ son has been elevated as CM. What experience he will have to handle senior guys. Elevation of youngsters could result in their later down fall. Any how, it is up to them. Why talk about a cake before eating it.
Gandhi. It is up to leaders. It is their headache. If they want to get screwed up it is up to them. They will learn hard way.
Patel. The elected leaders can not open mouth against Mulayam singh. That is the way in congress and most of the other parties too. It is only BJP that is having some type of policy away from dynastic succession. They do not have dynasties. Every guy is different.
Gandhi. That is because there are many leaders of good claibre and of some potential unlike Congress and SP party. In Congress all dance around Jawahar’s family. That is their best past time. They can not do anything more than that as they do not know anything more than that. Hee..hee..heee.. Any how, why spoil our heads with those guys? Our heads already are mucked up. Let them ruin themselves.
Patel. If they ruin themselves, who is bothered? They are ruining the country.
Gandhi. Very true. What we can do now?
Nehru. Let us watch TV for a change today.
Gandhi. True, Patel. Please switch it on.
( Patel switches on the TV and operates the remote and a news channel appears. The TV announcer appears in suit perspiring.)
TV announcer. This is Time pass Mishra from DoorDarshan. Hee..hee.Hgh..Hgh.. Good afternoon watchers, I am sorry.. Hello viewers of this channel. We now take you to parliament to listen to PM who is making a grand speech.
( The TV makes squeeking sound ..kee…keee…kee and the picture shakes violently and images appear very thin for a short time.)
Gandhi. This is good. I have not heard him till date.
Patel. It will be very interesting indeed. But you have not seen him yet. What is good? The PM or the TV tamasha.
Gandhi. What will be that?
Patel. You shall see it soon.
( After few seconds, PM Dr Man mohan singh appears on the screen. He is well dressed with light blue turban and dark achkan. He has spectacles.)
Dr Singh. Eee..eee..eee.. Good morning gentlemen. Ee..ee…eee…eee.. Today, I speak to you on some issues that are causing great worries to me. Eee..ee..The country is passing through a difficult times. Ee…eee…eee. I am facing many difficulties in running this show. Ee..eee..Hope all of you would rise to the occasion…eee..eee..eeee…eeee.
Gandhi. Patel. What is he speaking? Should we rise up and stand now?I can not hear a single word and can not make out any thing from his voice.He is eating away half the words.
Patel. Keep listening Bapu.That is his style. He is agreat economist. In words too he economises.
Dr Singh. Listen brothers,. I am having great difficult things from the friendly parties in this coalition govt . It is causing great head aches. My head has become heavy.
Patel. Hope his turban is not tight.
Gandhi. He has been used to turban since decades. His party guys are really causing great head ache to him. Every now and then, some party black mails him. First was Raja’s case in Telecom scam. Then Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi’s daughter was a problem. She was behind bars. Now this Mamta head ache.
Patel. In head aches, there are varieties. One is migraine. Others are Tension type head ache, Cluster head ache, Harmone head ache, Rebound head ache, Organic head ache and Sinus head ache. To this list, we add coalition head ache. Heee..he…hee
Gandhi. Great Patel. Hooo..hooo..hooo. You are witty.
Patel. In the discussion, we forgot about Dr Singh. Let us listen to him.
Dr Singh. My dear citizens of India. Please listen. I am doing my best to reduce poverty in India. Mr Montek singh has been requested to define the latest poverty index. He has come with a novel formula. Any guy who spends more than Rs 28.5 day is not poor. Finally we found a solution.
Patel. What is he talking Bapu? A quarter bottle of old monk rum costs much more than that. I know that most of the guys drink more than that daily. Does it say that they are not poor. I do not know which economist worked out the details.
Gandhi. I feel sorry for the PM. He has strange and weird guys with him in key places. Any how, let us listen.
Dr Singh. Eee..ee…eeee.. Now we have changed the railway minister due to coalition head aches. Now a now person has taken over. Even this person refused to listen to my order earlier while he was holding the same ministry for a while.He refused to go to accident site. God only can save me..eee..eee …..eee .. Dear citizens. Please bear with me for some more time. It is only a question of time before we fall.. Jai hind..
Gandhi. What a sad situation!
Patel. Bapu, Should we laugh or cry after listening to him.
Gandhi. Why cry? Let us laugh to glory. Good Tamasha. It was very difficult to understand him. I do not know how he addressed UN sessions.
Patel. I feel pity for the listeners. Most of them slept and woke up when all clapped.
Gandhi. It happens. Public speaking is not every ones trait. Many well educated people are failures.
Patel. True.
( The TV suddenly shows a blank screen without any sound)
Gandhi. We are saved from the agony.
Patel. True Bapu. We are saved. Let us relax
( The trio lean back in their chairs and relax)
CURTAIN FALLS
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
IMMORTAL SONG OF SURENDRANATHJI FROM GAWIAH..1953
IMMORTAL SONG OF SURENDRANATHJI FROM GAWIAH..1953
( Lyrics by SHAMSUL HUDA BIHARI )
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde (2)
Ab aansu banker nikal rahe hain
Ke aaaj tere khareeb rah kar
Teri judaayee mein jalrahe hain…… (2)
Hamaari kismat ke zindagee kee
Koyee tamanna huyee na poori
Hamare itna muraad dilke
Hazaaro armaan machal Rahe hain
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde……
Yahee tamanna hai ab hamaaree
Ke aakhree bar tum ko dekhe ….(2)
Tumhari soorat ko dekhne ko
Chirag aankho mein jal rahe hain (2)
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde
Ab aansu banker nikal rahe hain
Ke aaaj tere khareeb rah kar
Teri judaayee mein jalrahe hain
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde
( Lyrics by SHAMSUL HUDA BIHARI )
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde (2)
Ab aansu banker nikal rahe hain
Ke aaaj tere khareeb rah kar
Teri judaayee mein jalrahe hain…… (2)
Hamaari kismat ke zindagee kee
Koyee tamanna huyee na poori
Hamare itna muraad dilke
Hazaaro armaan machal Rahe hain
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde……
Yahee tamanna hai ab hamaaree
Ke aakhree bar tum ko dekhe ….(2)
Tumhari soorat ko dekhne ko
Chirag aankho mein jal rahe hain (2)
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde
Ab aansu banker nikal rahe hain
Ke aaaj tere khareeb rah kar
Teri judaayee mein jalrahe hain
Hamaari aankhon se dil ke tukde
Saturday, March 17, 2012
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...263
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…263
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are seen at Hyderabad at a park at Gunfoundry. It is evening and there are plenty of people around. All appear to be emotional. )
Gandhi. Patel. What could be the matter? All appear to be in high spirits.
Patel. I am not sure about any thing. Better I talk to some one.
( Patel goes to a guy and introduces himself)
Patel. Hello friend. May I know your name?
Suresh. Hoi. This is Suresh. Hello sir. What can I do for you? Do you care for a glass of beer?
Patel. No Thanks sir. I just want to know why so much of crowd is here. I find all emotional. I want to know what could be the matter.
Suresh. How come you do not know the news?
Patel. What are the news? Has Dr Man mohan singh resigned? Has the UPA govt at centre fallen? Has the local CM KK Reddy resigned? Has Israel bombed Iran? Has Pakistan bombed Delhi? Has any one looted treasure of Padmanabhaswamy in Kerala? Is Balaji safe at Tirupathi? Are Balajis jewels safe and not stolen away? Are Indian nuclear plants safe? Has the Swiss bank disclosed names of it’s account holders revealing names of ………..?
Suresh. Nothing of that sort happened. Are you interested in cricket? You appear to be aged and I am sure you are not much concerned about cricket.
Patel. No.. No..Not like that. I am equally interested. What happened in Cricket now? Has the ball size been increased? Has the cricket ground size has been reduced to half?
Suresh. Nothing like that happened. Sachin Tendulkar has hit his much awaited 100th international century.
Patel. Oh! That is the news! Now I understand .Thank you Mr Suresh for the information. Please enjoy.
Suresh. That any how I shall do. OK , Bye. ( He gulps beer )
( Patel goes back to Gandhi )
Gandhi. What happened Patel?
Patel. Bapu. Every one is thrilled that Sachin, the master blaster has hit his 100th century .
Gandhi. Great indeed! Sachin is a great player. The lad is the greatest of all times. India is proud of them. He has made India very proud.
( Gandhi in happiness does jig and sings.)
Know Sachin the greatest batsman
He scored many tons at all places
He made India very proud and others jealous
The bowlers he hammered hid their faces
Patel. Ha..haa. Bapu, Well sung. You are great indeed.
Nehru. Patel. Can you do any thing except to clap for whatever Bapu says and utters?
Patel. Why? Am I doing anything bad? Bapu is our icon. He made our careers, But for Bapu, how could you have become the prime minister of India?
Nehru. This is all fate and luck. I had luck and it was written in my fate that I would become PM one day. So, I became. No one is required to be given credit.
Patel. You have forgotten everything. I feel sad.
Gandhi. Patel, Jawaharlal appears to be correct. He is a lucky guy. He became PM. His daughter became a PM. His grand son became a PM. Now his grand son’s son is trying to become PM. Hee..hee.. This is called luck. Is the PM’s seat reserved only for them?I am sure party constitution wants that way.
Patel. True. When luck is there, nuts also occupy top posts. There is no doubt about it. I appears that the party leaders have no option. They are gutless and many are clueless too.. They can not win without Gandhi’s tag. Outside the party they can never win.
Nehru. Do you say that I was a nut and my family members were nuts?
Patel Did I say that? I only gave my general opinion.
Gandhi. Why you guys are fighting on this happy occasion? Whole India is celebrating Sachin’s century. Better behave you guys.
Patel. Sorry Bapu, I am not at fault.
Nehru. Do you say that I was at fault?
Patel. You yourself know what is right.
Gandhi. Now it is enough. Look Patel, Sachin was having lean period. Some people were after his neck.
Patel. True. Unfortunately for the last one year, ill luck followed him. He did not score a century since 30 matches. There will be always some jokers in world to give comments. They are just scrap.
Gandhi. Some times, it happens. The lad served country for more than two decades with greatest commitment and dedication..
Patel. But there are some clowns who keep criticizing about everything. They can not do anything themselves. They think they are great experts. I feel like throwing a bumper at their heads at 150 KM hours speed and break their teeth or hit a six into their faces..
Gandhi. Now Sachin has proved that he still has hammer in his hand.
Patel. Sachin in fact was scoring runs. But he was out many times in nineties and eighties. I think luck was not with him.
Gandhi. True. Now the burden is over. He must hammer every bowler out of screen and reveal the old Sachin. I wish him all luck further.
Patel. Bapu. All people in India celebrated the event more than the world cup victory or victory in Indo Pak war. I learnt that all channels stopped every programme and telecast the event.
Gandhi. Why not? The event is like that. He has set up a record that will possibly remain eternal. In the melee of course, India frittered away the match by 5 runs. But no is one much worried about it. But there are some sadists who criticize that Sachin and other guy played slowly and that the captain also let loose things.
Patel. Nuts will be always there. Why worry about them?
( In the mean time some on lookers arrive. Suresh is among them)
Suresh. Hello sir. We are sorry that we did not care for you. We were all drinking away beer and enjoying while no one cared for you.
Gandhi. It does not matter. We are happy like this too.
Suresh. No sir. It is our fault. You are senior citizens and appear to be intellectuals too.
( In the mean time, a boy arrives with some beer glasses and soft drinks )
Suresh. How about a glass of beer sir?
Gandhi. Thank you very much. W do not take beer. We however do not mind soft drinks and give company to you..
Suresh. So be it. The trio takes soft drink glasses .
Gandhi. Cheers for Sachins century. ( He raises the glass)
Patel. Cheers. Long live Sachin.( He touches Gandhis glass with his glass)
Nehru. Cheers.Long live Sachin and I wish he achieves more and more ( Raises his glass)
Suresh. Thank you very much sir for sharing this great moment with us.
Gandhi. Thanks to you all guys. Please enjoy. OK. It is getting late. We shall go.
Suresh. Thanks you sir. Bye
( The trio walks away )
CURTAIN FALLS
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are seen at Hyderabad at a park at Gunfoundry. It is evening and there are plenty of people around. All appear to be emotional. )
Gandhi. Patel. What could be the matter? All appear to be in high spirits.
Patel. I am not sure about any thing. Better I talk to some one.
( Patel goes to a guy and introduces himself)
Patel. Hello friend. May I know your name?
Suresh. Hoi. This is Suresh. Hello sir. What can I do for you? Do you care for a glass of beer?
Patel. No Thanks sir. I just want to know why so much of crowd is here. I find all emotional. I want to know what could be the matter.
Suresh. How come you do not know the news?
Patel. What are the news? Has Dr Man mohan singh resigned? Has the UPA govt at centre fallen? Has the local CM KK Reddy resigned? Has Israel bombed Iran? Has Pakistan bombed Delhi? Has any one looted treasure of Padmanabhaswamy in Kerala? Is Balaji safe at Tirupathi? Are Balajis jewels safe and not stolen away? Are Indian nuclear plants safe? Has the Swiss bank disclosed names of it’s account holders revealing names of ………..?
Suresh. Nothing of that sort happened. Are you interested in cricket? You appear to be aged and I am sure you are not much concerned about cricket.
Patel. No.. No..Not like that. I am equally interested. What happened in Cricket now? Has the ball size been increased? Has the cricket ground size has been reduced to half?
Suresh. Nothing like that happened. Sachin Tendulkar has hit his much awaited 100th international century.
Patel. Oh! That is the news! Now I understand .Thank you Mr Suresh for the information. Please enjoy.
Suresh. That any how I shall do. OK , Bye. ( He gulps beer )
( Patel goes back to Gandhi )
Gandhi. What happened Patel?
Patel. Bapu. Every one is thrilled that Sachin, the master blaster has hit his 100th century .
Gandhi. Great indeed! Sachin is a great player. The lad is the greatest of all times. India is proud of them. He has made India very proud.
( Gandhi in happiness does jig and sings.)
Know Sachin the greatest batsman
He scored many tons at all places
He made India very proud and others jealous
The bowlers he hammered hid their faces
Patel. Ha..haa. Bapu, Well sung. You are great indeed.
Nehru. Patel. Can you do any thing except to clap for whatever Bapu says and utters?
Patel. Why? Am I doing anything bad? Bapu is our icon. He made our careers, But for Bapu, how could you have become the prime minister of India?
Nehru. This is all fate and luck. I had luck and it was written in my fate that I would become PM one day. So, I became. No one is required to be given credit.
Patel. You have forgotten everything. I feel sad.
Gandhi. Patel, Jawaharlal appears to be correct. He is a lucky guy. He became PM. His daughter became a PM. His grand son became a PM. Now his grand son’s son is trying to become PM. Hee..hee.. This is called luck. Is the PM’s seat reserved only for them?I am sure party constitution wants that way.
Patel. True. When luck is there, nuts also occupy top posts. There is no doubt about it. I appears that the party leaders have no option. They are gutless and many are clueless too.. They can not win without Gandhi’s tag. Outside the party they can never win.
Nehru. Do you say that I was a nut and my family members were nuts?
Patel Did I say that? I only gave my general opinion.
Gandhi. Why you guys are fighting on this happy occasion? Whole India is celebrating Sachin’s century. Better behave you guys.
Patel. Sorry Bapu, I am not at fault.
Nehru. Do you say that I was at fault?
Patel. You yourself know what is right.
Gandhi. Now it is enough. Look Patel, Sachin was having lean period. Some people were after his neck.
Patel. True. Unfortunately for the last one year, ill luck followed him. He did not score a century since 30 matches. There will be always some jokers in world to give comments. They are just scrap.
Gandhi. Some times, it happens. The lad served country for more than two decades with greatest commitment and dedication..
Patel. But there are some clowns who keep criticizing about everything. They can not do anything themselves. They think they are great experts. I feel like throwing a bumper at their heads at 150 KM hours speed and break their teeth or hit a six into their faces..
Gandhi. Now Sachin has proved that he still has hammer in his hand.
Patel. Sachin in fact was scoring runs. But he was out many times in nineties and eighties. I think luck was not with him.
Gandhi. True. Now the burden is over. He must hammer every bowler out of screen and reveal the old Sachin. I wish him all luck further.
Patel. Bapu. All people in India celebrated the event more than the world cup victory or victory in Indo Pak war. I learnt that all channels stopped every programme and telecast the event.
Gandhi. Why not? The event is like that. He has set up a record that will possibly remain eternal. In the melee of course, India frittered away the match by 5 runs. But no is one much worried about it. But there are some sadists who criticize that Sachin and other guy played slowly and that the captain also let loose things.
Patel. Nuts will be always there. Why worry about them?
( In the mean time some on lookers arrive. Suresh is among them)
Suresh. Hello sir. We are sorry that we did not care for you. We were all drinking away beer and enjoying while no one cared for you.
Gandhi. It does not matter. We are happy like this too.
Suresh. No sir. It is our fault. You are senior citizens and appear to be intellectuals too.
( In the mean time, a boy arrives with some beer glasses and soft drinks )
Suresh. How about a glass of beer sir?
Gandhi. Thank you very much. W do not take beer. We however do not mind soft drinks and give company to you..
Suresh. So be it. The trio takes soft drink glasses .
Gandhi. Cheers for Sachins century. ( He raises the glass)
Patel. Cheers. Long live Sachin.( He touches Gandhis glass with his glass)
Nehru. Cheers.Long live Sachin and I wish he achieves more and more ( Raises his glass)
Suresh. Thank you very much sir for sharing this great moment with us.
Gandhi. Thanks to you all guys. Please enjoy. OK. It is getting late. We shall go.
Suresh. Thanks you sir. Bye
( The trio walks away )
CURTAIN FALLS
Friday, March 16, 2012
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...262
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…262
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen near parliament house in Delhi. There are many onlookers too.Some guys are squatting on the road with garlands around necks. )
Gandhi. Patel. Why guys are around here? Is there any Tamasha to day?
Patel. Bapu, Tamasha goes on every day here. What is new about it?
Nehru. Do you call activity at this house a Tamasha? I am much pained to hear from guys like you. Patel , you were member of this house some time ago. How can you talk like this?
Patel. What wrong I said?
Gandhi. Jawaharlal. Patel said truth. A Tamasha has to be called Tamasha only. What else it can be called? Should it be called a quit India movement or Salt satyagraha of dandi?
Nehru. I am ashamed to hear these things.
Gandhi. Why? What wrong we have done? Why should you feel ashamed. In fact we should feel ashamed having given these guys freedom and right to self rule. I am sure under whipping only our guys would do better.
Nehru. We gave them freedom and then parliamentary democracy too with some copied Constitution like a mixed vegetable curry. We are also calling it a Tamsha now.
Gandhi. It was not a Tamasha when we made it. It was dignified then.
Nehru. Changes do occur over time.
Patel. Changes have to be for good. It should not be downward trend.
Gandhi. Patel. You are absolutely correct. You hit the nail on the head.
Nehru. Eee…ee…eee.. Patel, have you hita nail on my head. Aaa..aa…aaaa
( Nehru removes his cap and searches for a nail on his bald head)
Patel. Hee..heee..haaa..haaa..haaaa..hoo..hooo..
Nehru. What is there to laugh like this?
Gandhi. Jawaharlal, hitting nail on head means telling truth point blank. He did not hit any nail on your head. Is he holding any hamer in his hand?You were searching your head for a nail. Hee..hee… hee..heee, So he was laughing.
Patel. Haa..haaa… heee…heee..huah..huah…huah…ow..ow..owww..
( Patel laughs to such an extent that he gets hiccups. Tears roll down from his eyes. He sits down. Gandhi gets some water from an onlooker and gives to Patel. Gandhi pats on his head repeatedly.He drinks with difficulty and gets composed.)
Gandhi. Patel, Are you OK?
Patel. OK, Fine Bapu. Your thumping of my head was nice.
Nehru. I would have done that job better. I would have thumped your head with a stout stick.
Patel No, Thanks. I am happy like this.
Gandhi. Patel, Go and find out what is happening here?
( Patel goes to onlookers and returns after some time)
Patel. Bapu, There is a Dhrna going on here.
Gandhi. Who are doing it? When they started? Why they are doing? Who asked them to do? What they want to gain? What motivated them? Did you find out?
Patel. Please tell quickly. I am getting high blood pressure. I am getting itchy too.
Nehru. Why should be like that? Why are you so keen?
Gandhi. Look Jawaharlal. This was my weapon during freedom movement. I used it widely.
Patel. It has gone into nerves of every one after we left.
Gandhi. You have not told me any thing about Dharna.
Patel. Bapu. The guys who are doing Dharna are from Trinamul Congress party.
Gandhi. What is this Trinamul? Has it any thing to do with Amul butter.
Patel. No Bapu. Amul butter is nothing to do with this. This is a political party started by Mamta Benerajee of West Bengal. She is a fire brand lady.
Gandhi. I heard about her. Recently she defeated Communists in West Bengal and threw out their 30 year long rule of tyranny. No Industry flourished there.Mamta is famous for shunting out NANO project from the state. I laugh at the. Who are the loosers? They themselves.
Patel. Very correct Bapu. The party of her is supporting Congress party of Dr Man Mohan Singh.
Gandhi. Be careful, Patel. The congress party does not belong to Dr Man mohan singh. It belongs to Jawahar’s family if I understand correctly. Dr Singh is only from Rank and file like all others except a couple of them. You know everything in and out.
Patel. I am sorry Bapu.You are correct as usual. Poor Dr Singh is balck mailed every now and then by this lady. Dr singh and his party is shit scared of her.When a man has broken or missing leg he needs a crutch. Congress party is also unable to stand on its own. They need crutches. If the crutch is removed he will fall down and will be at the mercy of all.Dr Singhs position is exactly like this. He walks with crutches.
Gandhi. Why he should be scared? He is a great economist.
Patel. All these things will not work. One need not be an economist or Ph D in economics to be a PM. Now the guy has to be yes master and a safe person to hand over power at high commands will to the dynasty.. Dr singhs government survives on support from other parties like Trinamul and DMK etc that are crutches. Out of them, Trinamul is large. Dr Singh’s position hangs in balance precariously. He dances to the tunes now and then.
Gandhi.Why now and then. I am sure all the time. I thought he will be dancing to high commands tunes.
Patel. That any how he has to do. This is another Tamasha.
Gandhi. Now what is the latest black mail? Now I understand everything.
Patel. Bapu. Recently the railway minister Trivedi announced some proposals in railway budget and he is from Trinamul congress. The tariff hikes in Railways and some other proposals have been stiffly opposed by members of Trinamul congress and Mamta too.
Gandhi. Strange! Has he not discussed these issues with Mamta atleast .
Patel. He is in cabinet and takes directions from finance minister and PM.
Gandhi. Does it mean that he will not use his grey matter?
Patel. To some extent, he may use. But I doubt he is allowed to use. He has to get clearance from Finance minister and PM before presenting the budget. It is a combined effort I think. He is a small puppet in the hands of the bigwigs.
Gandhi. Hee..Hee.Heee.
Patel. Now the members of Trinmul congress are doing Dharna in parliament opposing the Railway budget.
Gandhi. What a Tamasha? Ruling party guys are protesting against ruling party actions. What else great Tamasha can be there in world? Patel. Now what can happen?
Patel. I learnt that Mamta gave ultimatum that she might withdraw her support if the tariffs are not reversed and the minister is not sacked even though he is from her party. The railway minister should quit as per her demand. I think all these things have been accepted by Singh.
Gandhi. What else he can do? He has to do. He will do. He must do. He shall do. He has no other go. This is pure black mail.
Patel. He has to do dance to her tune like this.
( Patel dances like a puppet and laughs while the onlookers clap .They shout.. haa..haa..haa)
Gandhi. Hee..heee. ( Claps) This is the greatest joke in Indian democracy.
Patel. Bapu, He has to dance to DMK’s tune also.
Gandhi A puppet has to dance to one mans tunes only. If two or more people try to make him dance he will collapse.
Patel. Bapu. You told correctly. They are in the process of collapsing only. They are on Oxygen. Trinamul party is an Oxygen mask for Congress party. If the mask is removed, it will suffocate itself to death.
Gandhi. What a sad fate to these guys? I feel pity for these souls.
Patel. True. But why feel pity for them. Look at the number of scams they indulged in. They have to learn hard way. They are running from one crisis to other crisis.
Gandhi. Patel. Shall we go? After some time, Police might do something here. Let us go from this place. Generally they catch simple guys like us and leave real offenders and criminals. Real culprits are rarely caught. They can not do any thing to real mischief makers as they will have political clout. Police is also helpless.
Patel. I agree. That is fine. Let us go.
( The trio walks away fast and disappear. )
CURTAIN FALLS
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen near parliament house in Delhi. There are many onlookers too.Some guys are squatting on the road with garlands around necks. )
Gandhi. Patel. Why guys are around here? Is there any Tamasha to day?
Patel. Bapu, Tamasha goes on every day here. What is new about it?
Nehru. Do you call activity at this house a Tamasha? I am much pained to hear from guys like you. Patel , you were member of this house some time ago. How can you talk like this?
Patel. What wrong I said?
Gandhi. Jawaharlal. Patel said truth. A Tamasha has to be called Tamasha only. What else it can be called? Should it be called a quit India movement or Salt satyagraha of dandi?
Nehru. I am ashamed to hear these things.
Gandhi. Why? What wrong we have done? Why should you feel ashamed. In fact we should feel ashamed having given these guys freedom and right to self rule. I am sure under whipping only our guys would do better.
Nehru. We gave them freedom and then parliamentary democracy too with some copied Constitution like a mixed vegetable curry. We are also calling it a Tamsha now.
Gandhi. It was not a Tamasha when we made it. It was dignified then.
Nehru. Changes do occur over time.
Patel. Changes have to be for good. It should not be downward trend.
Gandhi. Patel. You are absolutely correct. You hit the nail on the head.
Nehru. Eee…ee…eee.. Patel, have you hita nail on my head. Aaa..aa…aaaa
( Nehru removes his cap and searches for a nail on his bald head)
Patel. Hee..heee..haaa..haaa..haaaa..hoo..hooo..
Nehru. What is there to laugh like this?
Gandhi. Jawaharlal, hitting nail on head means telling truth point blank. He did not hit any nail on your head. Is he holding any hamer in his hand?You were searching your head for a nail. Hee..hee… hee..heee, So he was laughing.
Patel. Haa..haaa… heee…heee..huah..huah…huah…ow..ow..owww..
( Patel laughs to such an extent that he gets hiccups. Tears roll down from his eyes. He sits down. Gandhi gets some water from an onlooker and gives to Patel. Gandhi pats on his head repeatedly.He drinks with difficulty and gets composed.)
Gandhi. Patel, Are you OK?
Patel. OK, Fine Bapu. Your thumping of my head was nice.
Nehru. I would have done that job better. I would have thumped your head with a stout stick.
Patel No, Thanks. I am happy like this.
Gandhi. Patel, Go and find out what is happening here?
( Patel goes to onlookers and returns after some time)
Patel. Bapu, There is a Dhrna going on here.
Gandhi. Who are doing it? When they started? Why they are doing? Who asked them to do? What they want to gain? What motivated them? Did you find out?
Patel. Please tell quickly. I am getting high blood pressure. I am getting itchy too.
Nehru. Why should be like that? Why are you so keen?
Gandhi. Look Jawaharlal. This was my weapon during freedom movement. I used it widely.
Patel. It has gone into nerves of every one after we left.
Gandhi. You have not told me any thing about Dharna.
Patel. Bapu. The guys who are doing Dharna are from Trinamul Congress party.
Gandhi. What is this Trinamul? Has it any thing to do with Amul butter.
Patel. No Bapu. Amul butter is nothing to do with this. This is a political party started by Mamta Benerajee of West Bengal. She is a fire brand lady.
Gandhi. I heard about her. Recently she defeated Communists in West Bengal and threw out their 30 year long rule of tyranny. No Industry flourished there.Mamta is famous for shunting out NANO project from the state. I laugh at the. Who are the loosers? They themselves.
Patel. Very correct Bapu. The party of her is supporting Congress party of Dr Man Mohan Singh.
Gandhi. Be careful, Patel. The congress party does not belong to Dr Man mohan singh. It belongs to Jawahar’s family if I understand correctly. Dr Singh is only from Rank and file like all others except a couple of them. You know everything in and out.
Patel. I am sorry Bapu.You are correct as usual. Poor Dr Singh is balck mailed every now and then by this lady. Dr singh and his party is shit scared of her.When a man has broken or missing leg he needs a crutch. Congress party is also unable to stand on its own. They need crutches. If the crutch is removed he will fall down and will be at the mercy of all.Dr Singhs position is exactly like this. He walks with crutches.
Gandhi. Why he should be scared? He is a great economist.
Patel. All these things will not work. One need not be an economist or Ph D in economics to be a PM. Now the guy has to be yes master and a safe person to hand over power at high commands will to the dynasty.. Dr singhs government survives on support from other parties like Trinamul and DMK etc that are crutches. Out of them, Trinamul is large. Dr Singh’s position hangs in balance precariously. He dances to the tunes now and then.
Gandhi.Why now and then. I am sure all the time. I thought he will be dancing to high commands tunes.
Patel. That any how he has to do. This is another Tamasha.
Gandhi. Now what is the latest black mail? Now I understand everything.
Patel. Bapu. Recently the railway minister Trivedi announced some proposals in railway budget and he is from Trinamul congress. The tariff hikes in Railways and some other proposals have been stiffly opposed by members of Trinamul congress and Mamta too.
Gandhi. Strange! Has he not discussed these issues with Mamta atleast .
Patel. He is in cabinet and takes directions from finance minister and PM.
Gandhi. Does it mean that he will not use his grey matter?
Patel. To some extent, he may use. But I doubt he is allowed to use. He has to get clearance from Finance minister and PM before presenting the budget. It is a combined effort I think. He is a small puppet in the hands of the bigwigs.
Gandhi. Hee..Hee.Heee.
Patel. Now the members of Trinmul congress are doing Dharna in parliament opposing the Railway budget.
Gandhi. What a Tamasha? Ruling party guys are protesting against ruling party actions. What else great Tamasha can be there in world? Patel. Now what can happen?
Patel. I learnt that Mamta gave ultimatum that she might withdraw her support if the tariffs are not reversed and the minister is not sacked even though he is from her party. The railway minister should quit as per her demand. I think all these things have been accepted by Singh.
Gandhi. What else he can do? He has to do. He will do. He must do. He shall do. He has no other go. This is pure black mail.
Patel. He has to do dance to her tune like this.
( Patel dances like a puppet and laughs while the onlookers clap .They shout.. haa..haa..haa)
Gandhi. Hee..heee. ( Claps) This is the greatest joke in Indian democracy.
Patel. Bapu, He has to dance to DMK’s tune also.
Gandhi A puppet has to dance to one mans tunes only. If two or more people try to make him dance he will collapse.
Patel. Bapu. You told correctly. They are in the process of collapsing only. They are on Oxygen. Trinamul party is an Oxygen mask for Congress party. If the mask is removed, it will suffocate itself to death.
Gandhi. What a sad fate to these guys? I feel pity for these souls.
Patel. True. But why feel pity for them. Look at the number of scams they indulged in. They have to learn hard way. They are running from one crisis to other crisis.
Gandhi. Patel. Shall we go? After some time, Police might do something here. Let us go from this place. Generally they catch simple guys like us and leave real offenders and criminals. Real culprits are rarely caught. They can not do any thing to real mischief makers as they will have political clout. Police is also helpless.
Patel. I agree. That is fine. Let us go.
( The trio walks away fast and disappear. )
CURTAIN FALLS
Thursday, March 15, 2012
MONSIEUR REYMOND THE MOST LOVED FRENCH GENERAL IN HISTORY OF INDIA
MONSIEUR REYMOND THE MOST LOVED FRENCH GENERAL IN
HISTORY OF INDIA
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
The usual practice in India is to condemn all the Europeans who came to India as merchants and then became masters of the country. Yet, people appreciated and revered some of them who were humane and considerate. The French and the English men fought bitterly for supremacy in India. French concentrated more in South India and most of the battles between East India Company forces and French troops were fought in South India. The regional powers such as Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawabs of Arcot, Marathas and Sultans of Mysore fought each other bitterly for supremacy in the region. They also made alliances between them to fight enemy among them. Marathas, Nizam joined East India Company to fight Tippu sultan of Mysore. The French and the Englishmen took advantage of the situation and helped the regional powers. The European troops had modern and better training in warfare and the regional powers clamored for their support and help. They were employed in service to train and equip their forces. At times, the European armies were required to fight along with the native armies of regional powers.
General Michel Joachim Marie Reymond of French Army was the most loves person in the entire history of India. He was popularly known as Monsieur Reymond. He was born on September 25, 1755 and passed away on March 25, 1798. He was born in Serignac, Gascony in France and his father was a merchant. In 1775, aged 20, he and his younger brother, William Jean Raymond, left for Pondicherry, India. The idea as he told his father, was to set up a merchant shop. Instead, Michel turned to the more exciting career of being a soldier.He first served under French General Bussy, but it was in 1786 that Michel joined the service of the ruling Nizam of Hyderabad. He began as any other soldier; shortly after, he was given 300 soldiers to command. In 1796, Raymond was appointed Amar-e-Jinsi or controller of Ordnance. An envious British Resident John Kirpatrick did his best to undermine Raymond who had an untimely and tragic end.
He established several cannon and cannon-ball factories. Under his guidance guns, ammunition and cannons were forged. Gun foundry or Top ka Sancha near the Fathe Maidan ( Victory ground) is the best-known of the remaining foundries in India. When he died in March 25, 1798 AD, only twelve years after enlisting, he had become a military commander of over 14,000 men. It is also documented that there may have been a female battalion of soldiers. The cause of Michel Raymond's death will remain a mystery, the two suggested causes are poisoning or suicide.
Raymond became a close friend of the second Asif Jah, Nizam Ali Khan,Nizam II. Raymond was not only held in high esteem by the Nizam, but had also won the love and trust of the local people. He made himself popular through his kindness, bravery and contribution to Hyderabad. While Raymond had left Christianity, his actual religious beliefs were unknown. His Hyderabadi admirers were unsure of whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. To the Muslims, he was Musa Rahim, and to the Hindus, he was Musa Ram.
George Bruce Malleson said that
"No European of mark who followed him in India, ever succeeded in gaining to such an extent the love, the esteem, the admiration of the natives of the country."
After his death, he was laid to rest on a hillock near Asman garh, a castle of the Nizam on hill top at the outskirts of Malakpet in Hyderabad city. The place derived name Moosarama Bagh in the remembrance of the General who was most loved by all.. In Urdu language Bagh is a garden. A tomb was built with a pavilion. It is a tourist spot now. In the olden days till 1950, regularly an Urs ( Celebration) was conducted at the place on the day of his passing away. Tombs of his pet dog and loved horse are also located in the same place . Until some time ago, people visited his tomb on the anniversary of his death, taking incense and other offerings to him. The Nizams would send to his tomb on March 25 every year, a box of cheroots and a bottle of beer.
India has many historical places of great importance and there are thousands of forts and memorials throughout India. Some are well maintained while many are subjected to negligence by the state. All such places are national treasure and sadly this aspect has been forgotten by the respective state and central government and people too. With passage of time Reymonds tomb has been surrounded by residential areas and the place now can not be seen unless one goes near to it. There was a time when it could be seen from the road or some high ground. It is a protected monument today and it was renovated in 2002 by the government with great pains and sadly it has become a den of boozers, alcoholics and anti social elements. The official guard is seldom seen at the place. Although the place is repaired occasionally by the state much is needed to be done at he place making it secure and safe. Although the General passed away long ago, his memories are eternal and his contribution to Hyderabad was immense. He was the most loved and respected European in history of India. His tomb proudly reflects the friendship between France and India. The annual Urs is also likely to be revived as per sources bringing old glory to the place..
HISTORY OF INDIA
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
The usual practice in India is to condemn all the Europeans who came to India as merchants and then became masters of the country. Yet, people appreciated and revered some of them who were humane and considerate. The French and the English men fought bitterly for supremacy in India. French concentrated more in South India and most of the battles between East India Company forces and French troops were fought in South India. The regional powers such as Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawabs of Arcot, Marathas and Sultans of Mysore fought each other bitterly for supremacy in the region. They also made alliances between them to fight enemy among them. Marathas, Nizam joined East India Company to fight Tippu sultan of Mysore. The French and the Englishmen took advantage of the situation and helped the regional powers. The European troops had modern and better training in warfare and the regional powers clamored for their support and help. They were employed in service to train and equip their forces. At times, the European armies were required to fight along with the native armies of regional powers.
General Michel Joachim Marie Reymond of French Army was the most loves person in the entire history of India. He was popularly known as Monsieur Reymond. He was born on September 25, 1755 and passed away on March 25, 1798. He was born in Serignac, Gascony in France and his father was a merchant. In 1775, aged 20, he and his younger brother, William Jean Raymond, left for Pondicherry, India. The idea as he told his father, was to set up a merchant shop. Instead, Michel turned to the more exciting career of being a soldier.He first served under French General Bussy, but it was in 1786 that Michel joined the service of the ruling Nizam of Hyderabad. He began as any other soldier; shortly after, he was given 300 soldiers to command. In 1796, Raymond was appointed Amar-e-Jinsi or controller of Ordnance. An envious British Resident John Kirpatrick did his best to undermine Raymond who had an untimely and tragic end.
He established several cannon and cannon-ball factories. Under his guidance guns, ammunition and cannons were forged. Gun foundry or Top ka Sancha near the Fathe Maidan ( Victory ground) is the best-known of the remaining foundries in India. When he died in March 25, 1798 AD, only twelve years after enlisting, he had become a military commander of over 14,000 men. It is also documented that there may have been a female battalion of soldiers. The cause of Michel Raymond's death will remain a mystery, the two suggested causes are poisoning or suicide.
Raymond became a close friend of the second Asif Jah, Nizam Ali Khan,Nizam II. Raymond was not only held in high esteem by the Nizam, but had also won the love and trust of the local people. He made himself popular through his kindness, bravery and contribution to Hyderabad. While Raymond had left Christianity, his actual religious beliefs were unknown. His Hyderabadi admirers were unsure of whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. To the Muslims, he was Musa Rahim, and to the Hindus, he was Musa Ram.
George Bruce Malleson said that
"No European of mark who followed him in India, ever succeeded in gaining to such an extent the love, the esteem, the admiration of the natives of the country."
After his death, he was laid to rest on a hillock near Asman garh, a castle of the Nizam on hill top at the outskirts of Malakpet in Hyderabad city. The place derived name Moosarama Bagh in the remembrance of the General who was most loved by all.. In Urdu language Bagh is a garden. A tomb was built with a pavilion. It is a tourist spot now. In the olden days till 1950, regularly an Urs ( Celebration) was conducted at the place on the day of his passing away. Tombs of his pet dog and loved horse are also located in the same place . Until some time ago, people visited his tomb on the anniversary of his death, taking incense and other offerings to him. The Nizams would send to his tomb on March 25 every year, a box of cheroots and a bottle of beer.
India has many historical places of great importance and there are thousands of forts and memorials throughout India. Some are well maintained while many are subjected to negligence by the state. All such places are national treasure and sadly this aspect has been forgotten by the respective state and central government and people too. With passage of time Reymonds tomb has been surrounded by residential areas and the place now can not be seen unless one goes near to it. There was a time when it could be seen from the road or some high ground. It is a protected monument today and it was renovated in 2002 by the government with great pains and sadly it has become a den of boozers, alcoholics and anti social elements. The official guard is seldom seen at the place. Although the place is repaired occasionally by the state much is needed to be done at he place making it secure and safe. Although the General passed away long ago, his memories are eternal and his contribution to Hyderabad was immense. He was the most loved and respected European in history of India. His tomb proudly reflects the friendship between France and India. The annual Urs is also likely to be revived as per sources bringing old glory to the place..
FALL OF THE BASTION
FALL OF CONGRESS BASTION
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
Congress bastion in Nehru’s land collapsed
While the people looked other way
The guys who lost are looking aghast
And only thing left for them is to pray
There was a time it decided the fate at center
While Congress had a cozy time
Now the guys are lost and crying hoarse
While the leaders are busy committing some crime
The Prince of Congress led from front
Roaming all over in whites sporting a shaggy beard
Yet he met his waterloo in his peers land
And such defeat is yet to be heard
He sat with Dalits and ate food
And such snaps in media made great din
People must have laughed at the futile show
While such papers finally found way into dust bin
Turban was wound around the head of prince
And the guy went around cheering common folk
Alas! The result in the end was down in refuse
And sadly the efforts got wasted out as broken egg’s yolk
The guys now do not know what to do
Soon there will be many scapegoats to be hung
Real useless guys would escape the whip
And swan song for congress would be soon sung
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
Congress bastion in Nehru’s land collapsed
While the people looked other way
The guys who lost are looking aghast
And only thing left for them is to pray
There was a time it decided the fate at center
While Congress had a cozy time
Now the guys are lost and crying hoarse
While the leaders are busy committing some crime
The Prince of Congress led from front
Roaming all over in whites sporting a shaggy beard
Yet he met his waterloo in his peers land
And such defeat is yet to be heard
He sat with Dalits and ate food
And such snaps in media made great din
People must have laughed at the futile show
While such papers finally found way into dust bin
Turban was wound around the head of prince
And the guy went around cheering common folk
Alas! The result in the end was down in refuse
And sadly the efforts got wasted out as broken egg’s yolk
The guys now do not know what to do
Soon there will be many scapegoats to be hung
Real useless guys would escape the whip
And swan song for congress would be soon sung
Monday, March 12, 2012
KOMARAM BHEEM THE VALIANT MARTYR FROM TELANGANA
KOMARAM BHEEM THE VALIANT MARTYR FROM TELANGANA
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
The present Telangana province in Andhra Pradesh earlier was part of Nizams diminions called Hyderabad state. It was ruled by the Nawabs of Asifjahi dynasty. The princely state was absorbed into Indian union after Police action in 1948. The last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan did not merge his state in to Indian union after India was granted independence and preferred to remain independent. He let loose a reign of terror on Hindu population in his dominion to Islamise the state and raiseda fundamentalist militia called Razakars under Kasim Razvi who was also the head of Majlis ittehad ul Mulsimeen ( MIM). Razakars committed untold atrocities on Hindu population of the state and it was ignored by the Nizam. Inspite of repeated warnings from Indian government there was no improvement and at last Indian army marched in Sept 1948 from different directions into Hyderbad state and Nizams military power collapsed like a pack of cards. Many razakars were killed. The criminals were arrested and Nizams government was abolished and the state was merged into Indian union. Kasim Razvi who deserved hanging was given a 10 year prison term after a trial. Hyderabad became one of the union states.Razakar force was disbanded apart from Hyderabad army.
Hyderabad princely state had two distinct regions called Marathwada and Telangana. Telangana areas were Telugu speaking areas comprising districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Khammammet ( Now called Khammam), Mahboob nagar, Warnagal and Atraf balda ( Around Hyderabad city). Marathwada region consisted of districts, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Aurangabad, Osmanabad, Beed, Parbhani and Nanded. In 1956 the states were reorganized and Telangana was merged with Andhra state and Andhra Pradesh was formed. The demand for a separate Telangana state has been going on from 1956 and it erupted with great force in 1969 and again recently. Many precious lives have been lost in the agitation in police firings and , suicides. The people of Telanagana are clamoring for self rule free from the alleged domination of Andhra leaders. The struggle is going on and probably the area will be never calm till Telangana is materialized.
People of Telangana earlier suffered under Nizams rule. Asafjahi dynasty comprising of 7 Nizams ruled Hyderabad state. The first Nizam was Qamruddin Chin khilij khan Asaf Jah and he was a Deccan Subedar of Mughal emperor Mohammed Shah (Rangeela ) and literally was an independent ruler. The sixth Nizam was Mir Mahboob Ali Khan generally known as a benevolent ruler. However, under the rule of Nizam 7 Mir Osman ali Khan, Hindu population suffered greatly. Taxes were severe and exploitation of masses was very high. There were systematic methods to eradicate Hindu names in Telangana and many districts were renamed giving them Islamic identity. Indur was named Nizamabad while Palamoor was named as Mahboob nagar. Metuku was transformed into Medak. Elagandla which was the district capital was abandoned and was shifted to Karimnagar a close by place. Bhuvanagiri a hill fort which is about 40 km from Hyderabad was renamed as Bhongir. Manukota was renamed as Mahboobabad. All village names ending with Padu were changed to Pahad. Hyderabad state was also declared as Islamic state. Hindu shrines were too allegedly destroyed and new mosques were built. Women were exploited and dishonored. Thus situation was grave.
Adilabad district is located at the northern end of the state bordering Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. These are hill bound areas with deep and thick jungles. In the earlier times, the area were under the rule of Gond kings of Chanda ( Chadrapur) and Ballalpur. Tribal population like Gonds constitute a great strength. The district is backward in most of the aspects.Agriculture is poor. During Nizam’s times, situation was worst and the villagers suffered greatly. Taxes imposed by the Nizam were un bearable. The local Zamindars of Nizam suppressed the tribals ruthlessly and exploited them. Komaram Bheem was born in Asifabad region of Adilabad district in a Gond family and was brought up in tribal areas and had no contact with outside world and education. When he grew, he realized the hardships of his people and observed the atrocities on tribals by Nizams officials and police. He decided to resist the repression. He was much inspired by the sacrifices of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Alluri Seetha rama Raju in Tribal areas of Andhra region. He decided to wage battle against the oppressive Nizam’s rule. He organized Gonds for the rebellion and waged gurellia war against Nizams police. He had no resources and used primitive weapons such as muzzle loaders, spears, lances , bows and arrows and swords. Local Talukdar Abdul Sattar could not control the situation and decided to attack Bheem with large police force. With ninety well armed police men he attacked the hiding place of Bheem on October 27, 1940 and the rebels under the leadership of Bheem retaliated with full force. There was a vigorous fight and in the operation Komaram Bheem became a martyr and sacrificed his life for liberation of the people from an oppressive regime. The Nizam too lost his power in 1948 after police action and people of the state were freed from the cruel Asifjahi rule.
Komaram Bheem has become a deity to Gond people and has become an Icon for liberation movement in Telangana. His name literally disappeared into history and most of the people in the state were not aware of him and his sacrifice. His death anniversary was being celebrated in the Adilabad district at Jodeghat ( Krameri Mandal) near his native place by the Naxalite militants and it is alleged that the govt has down played the activity. With rising passions in Telangana region, Komaram Bheem’s memory has been rekindled. During NT Rama Rao’s regime, scores of statues of distinguished leaders and achievers in various fields were erected on Tank bund. However during the last years million march episode of Telangana agitation, statues of many Andhra stalwarts were destroyed, disfigured and thrown down into Hussein sagar lake . It was the result of rising passions and to assuage the feelings of locals. Movies on the life of the hero have also been produced in Telugu and released. A statue of martyr Komaram Bheem has been installed at Tank bund. Long live his memory.
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
The present Telangana province in Andhra Pradesh earlier was part of Nizams diminions called Hyderabad state. It was ruled by the Nawabs of Asifjahi dynasty. The princely state was absorbed into Indian union after Police action in 1948. The last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan did not merge his state in to Indian union after India was granted independence and preferred to remain independent. He let loose a reign of terror on Hindu population in his dominion to Islamise the state and raiseda fundamentalist militia called Razakars under Kasim Razvi who was also the head of Majlis ittehad ul Mulsimeen ( MIM). Razakars committed untold atrocities on Hindu population of the state and it was ignored by the Nizam. Inspite of repeated warnings from Indian government there was no improvement and at last Indian army marched in Sept 1948 from different directions into Hyderbad state and Nizams military power collapsed like a pack of cards. Many razakars were killed. The criminals were arrested and Nizams government was abolished and the state was merged into Indian union. Kasim Razvi who deserved hanging was given a 10 year prison term after a trial. Hyderabad became one of the union states.Razakar force was disbanded apart from Hyderabad army.
Hyderabad princely state had two distinct regions called Marathwada and Telangana. Telangana areas were Telugu speaking areas comprising districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Khammammet ( Now called Khammam), Mahboob nagar, Warnagal and Atraf balda ( Around Hyderabad city). Marathwada region consisted of districts, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Aurangabad, Osmanabad, Beed, Parbhani and Nanded. In 1956 the states were reorganized and Telangana was merged with Andhra state and Andhra Pradesh was formed. The demand for a separate Telangana state has been going on from 1956 and it erupted with great force in 1969 and again recently. Many precious lives have been lost in the agitation in police firings and , suicides. The people of Telanagana are clamoring for self rule free from the alleged domination of Andhra leaders. The struggle is going on and probably the area will be never calm till Telangana is materialized.
People of Telangana earlier suffered under Nizams rule. Asafjahi dynasty comprising of 7 Nizams ruled Hyderabad state. The first Nizam was Qamruddin Chin khilij khan Asaf Jah and he was a Deccan Subedar of Mughal emperor Mohammed Shah (Rangeela ) and literally was an independent ruler. The sixth Nizam was Mir Mahboob Ali Khan generally known as a benevolent ruler. However, under the rule of Nizam 7 Mir Osman ali Khan, Hindu population suffered greatly. Taxes were severe and exploitation of masses was very high. There were systematic methods to eradicate Hindu names in Telangana and many districts were renamed giving them Islamic identity. Indur was named Nizamabad while Palamoor was named as Mahboob nagar. Metuku was transformed into Medak. Elagandla which was the district capital was abandoned and was shifted to Karimnagar a close by place. Bhuvanagiri a hill fort which is about 40 km from Hyderabad was renamed as Bhongir. Manukota was renamed as Mahboobabad. All village names ending with Padu were changed to Pahad. Hyderabad state was also declared as Islamic state. Hindu shrines were too allegedly destroyed and new mosques were built. Women were exploited and dishonored. Thus situation was grave.
Adilabad district is located at the northern end of the state bordering Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. These are hill bound areas with deep and thick jungles. In the earlier times, the area were under the rule of Gond kings of Chanda ( Chadrapur) and Ballalpur. Tribal population like Gonds constitute a great strength. The district is backward in most of the aspects.Agriculture is poor. During Nizam’s times, situation was worst and the villagers suffered greatly. Taxes imposed by the Nizam were un bearable. The local Zamindars of Nizam suppressed the tribals ruthlessly and exploited them. Komaram Bheem was born in Asifabad region of Adilabad district in a Gond family and was brought up in tribal areas and had no contact with outside world and education. When he grew, he realized the hardships of his people and observed the atrocities on tribals by Nizams officials and police. He decided to resist the repression. He was much inspired by the sacrifices of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Alluri Seetha rama Raju in Tribal areas of Andhra region. He decided to wage battle against the oppressive Nizam’s rule. He organized Gonds for the rebellion and waged gurellia war against Nizams police. He had no resources and used primitive weapons such as muzzle loaders, spears, lances , bows and arrows and swords. Local Talukdar Abdul Sattar could not control the situation and decided to attack Bheem with large police force. With ninety well armed police men he attacked the hiding place of Bheem on October 27, 1940 and the rebels under the leadership of Bheem retaliated with full force. There was a vigorous fight and in the operation Komaram Bheem became a martyr and sacrificed his life for liberation of the people from an oppressive regime. The Nizam too lost his power in 1948 after police action and people of the state were freed from the cruel Asifjahi rule.
Komaram Bheem has become a deity to Gond people and has become an Icon for liberation movement in Telangana. His name literally disappeared into history and most of the people in the state were not aware of him and his sacrifice. His death anniversary was being celebrated in the Adilabad district at Jodeghat ( Krameri Mandal) near his native place by the Naxalite militants and it is alleged that the govt has down played the activity. With rising passions in Telangana region, Komaram Bheem’s memory has been rekindled. During NT Rama Rao’s regime, scores of statues of distinguished leaders and achievers in various fields were erected on Tank bund. However during the last years million march episode of Telangana agitation, statues of many Andhra stalwarts were destroyed, disfigured and thrown down into Hussein sagar lake . It was the result of rising passions and to assuage the feelings of locals. Movies on the life of the hero have also been produced in Telugu and released. A statue of martyr Komaram Bheem has been installed at Tank bund. Long live his memory.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..261,
INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN… 261
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Nehru is seen in very sad mood in heavens and is sitting in his room dejected. In the corner of room a spring wound Gramophone is kept and a song from it is being played. It has a brass trumpet.
Jab dil hee toot gaya… Jab dil hee toota gaya
Hamjeeke kya karenge . Jab dil hee tootagaya
Ulfat ka diya hamne iss dil ko jalaya tha
Ummeed ke phoolonse iss gharko sajajjaya tha…
Ik Bhedee loot gaya.. aaayin.. Ik Bhedee loot gaya ( KL Saigal from Shahjehan..1944)
Nehru wipes tears with a cloth but can not control himself)
Gandhi. I have not seen Jawaharlal since yesterday. Hope he is fine. I have to enquire from Patel.
( He goes out of his room and knocks at the door of Patel that is next door)
Patel ( from within) Who is there? What troubles you at this time?
Gandhi. Patel. This is Bapu, Your Bapu, Great Bapu
( Patel opens the door with sleepy eyes)
Patel. Namste Bapu. What is the matter? Why you have come? Any problem now? Are you allright?
Bapu. I am fine Patel. I have not seen Jawaharlal since yesterday. I am worried.
Patel. Bapu, Relax, He must be busy writing his new book. He told he is writing “India rediscovered”
Gandhi. I am not sure. Let us go to his room and see. He is not that type. He at least sees me once daily.
Patel. Otherwise he will not get sleep. Seeing you is like a sleeping ill for him.
Gandhi. No jokes, please. Let us go to his room.
Patel. OK Bapu, As you say. Let us go.
(They walk to Nehru’s room and find it locked from within. Patel knocks on the door nd there is no reply.)
Gandhi. Patel. I am much worried. Hope everything is fine with him.
Patel. What can be wrong with him. The guy must be deeply engrossed in his book or sleeping. I am sure about it.
Gandhi. Call again. Jawaharlal. Please open the door . Iam Bapu. Patel is also here. What happened to you. Please open the door.
( There is no reply from the room and Patel kicks the door strongly and the latch breaks behind the door. The door opens violently. Both get into the room and find Nehru slumped in a chair. They go to him)
Gandhi. Jawaharlal.. Jawharlal.. What happened to you? Ohfo.. You are crying. What is the matter?
Patel. Bhai , Jawaharlal What is the matter?
( Nehru embraces Bapu and cries )
Nehru. Aaaa..aaa….aaa…eeee….eeee…eee……ooooo…oooo..ooooo
Patel, Jawaharlal, Please control yourself. What happened.
( Patel brings a glass of water and gives to Nehru and he rinks with many hiccups)
Gandhi. Now tell me what happened. Are you worried that you have to go to hell after some time.
Nehru ( With hiccups) Bapu, Congress has lost elections in UP in India.
Gandhi. So what? Some one has to loose and some one has to win.
Nehru. Bapu. This time my grandson’s son Rahul took charge of congress in UP and canvassed for it… eeee…eee..eeee. He lost elections.
Patel Bhai. Who took him seriously in UP. I knew earlier that he shall loose the game. Congress lost UP long ago. Mayawathi saw that it is sent on wild goose chase.
Gandhi. Rahul is still very young. Who takes him seriously? More over people are fed up with the scams in Congress led govt.
Nehru. Mayawati sgovt was no better.
Patel. So she also lost it. Mulayam singhs party won. Congress was never considered serious rival.
Gandhi. Jawaharlal. Your days are over in UP. Who cares for you now in UP? Poor Rahul has to cut a sorry figure.
Patel. Poor Priyanaka and her husband thought they would be of some worth. People came to see the Tamasha. They voted for others. Haa..haaa.. heee
Nehru. Are you guys feeling happy.
Gandhi. It is not feeling happy. This is democracy. People will elect men of their liking. Why they should elect Rahul’s men. Is it because he belongs to your family. Those days are over. They can not be fooled always.
Patel. They had enough of it. So you were crying over demise of your party in UP.
Gandhi. These elections have exposed the popularity of the young prince.
Nehru. Eee..eeee.. Iam much hurt.
Patel. Please learn to accept changed scenario.
Gandhi. Patel tells correctly. Please come out of your fad. Jawaharlal, Plesae have great heart and accept verdict
Nehru. ( sobs) eee..eee….eee… Plesea leave me alone.
Patel. OK Bapu. Let us leave him alone. He will be OK after some time.
Gandhi. As yous ay. Bye . Take care of yourself.
( Gandhi and Patel leave the room. Nehru puts off the gramophone and slumps into chair sobbing)
CURTAIN FALLS
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
(Nehru is seen in very sad mood in heavens and is sitting in his room dejected. In the corner of room a spring wound Gramophone is kept and a song from it is being played. It has a brass trumpet.
Jab dil hee toot gaya… Jab dil hee toota gaya
Hamjeeke kya karenge . Jab dil hee tootagaya
Ulfat ka diya hamne iss dil ko jalaya tha
Ummeed ke phoolonse iss gharko sajajjaya tha…
Ik Bhedee loot gaya.. aaayin.. Ik Bhedee loot gaya ( KL Saigal from Shahjehan..1944)
Nehru wipes tears with a cloth but can not control himself)
Gandhi. I have not seen Jawaharlal since yesterday. Hope he is fine. I have to enquire from Patel.
( He goes out of his room and knocks at the door of Patel that is next door)
Patel ( from within) Who is there? What troubles you at this time?
Gandhi. Patel. This is Bapu, Your Bapu, Great Bapu
( Patel opens the door with sleepy eyes)
Patel. Namste Bapu. What is the matter? Why you have come? Any problem now? Are you allright?
Bapu. I am fine Patel. I have not seen Jawaharlal since yesterday. I am worried.
Patel. Bapu, Relax, He must be busy writing his new book. He told he is writing “India rediscovered”
Gandhi. I am not sure. Let us go to his room and see. He is not that type. He at least sees me once daily.
Patel. Otherwise he will not get sleep. Seeing you is like a sleeping ill for him.
Gandhi. No jokes, please. Let us go to his room.
Patel. OK Bapu, As you say. Let us go.
(They walk to Nehru’s room and find it locked from within. Patel knocks on the door nd there is no reply.)
Gandhi. Patel. I am much worried. Hope everything is fine with him.
Patel. What can be wrong with him. The guy must be deeply engrossed in his book or sleeping. I am sure about it.
Gandhi. Call again. Jawaharlal. Please open the door . Iam Bapu. Patel is also here. What happened to you. Please open the door.
( There is no reply from the room and Patel kicks the door strongly and the latch breaks behind the door. The door opens violently. Both get into the room and find Nehru slumped in a chair. They go to him)
Gandhi. Jawaharlal.. Jawharlal.. What happened to you? Ohfo.. You are crying. What is the matter?
Patel. Bhai , Jawaharlal What is the matter?
( Nehru embraces Bapu and cries )
Nehru. Aaaa..aaa….aaa…eeee….eeee…eee……ooooo…oooo..ooooo
Patel, Jawaharlal, Please control yourself. What happened.
( Patel brings a glass of water and gives to Nehru and he rinks with many hiccups)
Gandhi. Now tell me what happened. Are you worried that you have to go to hell after some time.
Nehru ( With hiccups) Bapu, Congress has lost elections in UP in India.
Gandhi. So what? Some one has to loose and some one has to win.
Nehru. Bapu. This time my grandson’s son Rahul took charge of congress in UP and canvassed for it… eeee…eee..eeee. He lost elections.
Patel Bhai. Who took him seriously in UP. I knew earlier that he shall loose the game. Congress lost UP long ago. Mayawathi saw that it is sent on wild goose chase.
Gandhi. Rahul is still very young. Who takes him seriously? More over people are fed up with the scams in Congress led govt.
Nehru. Mayawati sgovt was no better.
Patel. So she also lost it. Mulayam singhs party won. Congress was never considered serious rival.
Gandhi. Jawaharlal. Your days are over in UP. Who cares for you now in UP? Poor Rahul has to cut a sorry figure.
Patel. Poor Priyanaka and her husband thought they would be of some worth. People came to see the Tamasha. They voted for others. Haa..haaa.. heee
Nehru. Are you guys feeling happy.
Gandhi. It is not feeling happy. This is democracy. People will elect men of their liking. Why they should elect Rahul’s men. Is it because he belongs to your family. Those days are over. They can not be fooled always.
Patel. They had enough of it. So you were crying over demise of your party in UP.
Gandhi. These elections have exposed the popularity of the young prince.
Nehru. Eee..eeee.. Iam much hurt.
Patel. Please learn to accept changed scenario.
Gandhi. Patel tells correctly. Please come out of your fad. Jawaharlal, Plesae have great heart and accept verdict
Nehru. ( sobs) eee..eee….eee… Plesea leave me alone.
Patel. OK Bapu. Let us leave him alone. He will be OK after some time.
Gandhi. As yous ay. Bye . Take care of yourself.
( Gandhi and Patel leave the room. Nehru puts off the gramophone and slumps into chair sobbing)
CURTAIN FALLS
IRON LEG
IRON LEG
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
UP elections have blown up the myth that members of Gandhi family only can turn tables and do miracles and take things out of an hat.They also assume that they are the most sought after and popular souls in India. Thus they expected that their young prince Rahul assisted by his sister well dressed Priyanka mixing up with villagers and waving hands like her grand mother would draw all votes of the masses into their basket. Probably, they were over confident that the tricks would do and also under esitmated the intelligence of rural folk.. Sadly, it was not to be. People of UP have shown their place to them. By eating with few Dalits here and there and squatting on ground for a show and photo session and getting the snap printed in leading dailies and news papers and wearing turbans will not influence the electorate.They are least impressed. They can see the naked truth. Mismanagement of Congress led government at center trapped in neck deep scams unable to extract itself is well understood at all levels. Result is clear in verdict of people. Congress party got few seats here and there and got good beting in their own place, while Mulayam singh Yadav’s party hoisted its flag with absolute majority dethroning CM Mayawathi who has been pushed down along with her chubby elephant. Yadavs need not depend on any body’s favor and are not any ones mercy who would habe blackmailed them for next five years. Rahul has to learn hard lessons.Will he ? The result probably is not surprise for him. In heart and heart, he probably knew that he had no base in UP and would surely loose and has to cut a sorry figure too. But outside and in open, he boasted that they would get majority and would form the government. Last time, he goofed up Bihar polls and cut sorry figure. Some time ago, in Telugu cinemas generally a character called iron leg was seen. He was the guy who brought bad luck wherever he went. Similarly, Is Rahul an iron leg for congress party? Whenever he took up charge of party in elections, the party lost badly. Now he is in thick soup in UP. His flunkies in congress party keep singing that he is the only beacon of light to guide India ( if not world) as a PM fully knowing that they were speaking absolute and brazen lies and they imagined that they would win hands down. . But they had to do the job for their survival. Otherwise who will throw crumbs and pieces of bones at them? What a sad story? How foolish they are! They are running after a mirage. Congress party will be soon sunk into million fathoms deep creek with Rahul at the helm of affairs. One should not think that just because he is from Nehru family, he can do a magic and win hands down wherever he goes. In fact, no one can do a magic. The days of magic are over. Congress party will be soon wiped out, the way things are moving in India and one day it has to satisfy itself with single digit numbers. Rahul will soon play swan song for congress while his flunkies would play brass band.Fire is already on in the party with higher ups screaming at full throat that heads would roll for the tragedy.We have to see which head would roll first for the loss of face of the party in UP elections and at some other places too.But UP is most important.It has already been declared that Dr Man mohan singh will continue. They have to find some other scape goats now for the sacrifice.
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
UP elections have blown up the myth that members of Gandhi family only can turn tables and do miracles and take things out of an hat.They also assume that they are the most sought after and popular souls in India. Thus they expected that their young prince Rahul assisted by his sister well dressed Priyanka mixing up with villagers and waving hands like her grand mother would draw all votes of the masses into their basket. Probably, they were over confident that the tricks would do and also under esitmated the intelligence of rural folk.. Sadly, it was not to be. People of UP have shown their place to them. By eating with few Dalits here and there and squatting on ground for a show and photo session and getting the snap printed in leading dailies and news papers and wearing turbans will not influence the electorate.They are least impressed. They can see the naked truth. Mismanagement of Congress led government at center trapped in neck deep scams unable to extract itself is well understood at all levels. Result is clear in verdict of people. Congress party got few seats here and there and got good beting in their own place, while Mulayam singh Yadav’s party hoisted its flag with absolute majority dethroning CM Mayawathi who has been pushed down along with her chubby elephant. Yadavs need not depend on any body’s favor and are not any ones mercy who would habe blackmailed them for next five years. Rahul has to learn hard lessons.Will he ? The result probably is not surprise for him. In heart and heart, he probably knew that he had no base in UP and would surely loose and has to cut a sorry figure too. But outside and in open, he boasted that they would get majority and would form the government. Last time, he goofed up Bihar polls and cut sorry figure. Some time ago, in Telugu cinemas generally a character called iron leg was seen. He was the guy who brought bad luck wherever he went. Similarly, Is Rahul an iron leg for congress party? Whenever he took up charge of party in elections, the party lost badly. Now he is in thick soup in UP. His flunkies in congress party keep singing that he is the only beacon of light to guide India ( if not world) as a PM fully knowing that they were speaking absolute and brazen lies and they imagined that they would win hands down. . But they had to do the job for their survival. Otherwise who will throw crumbs and pieces of bones at them? What a sad story? How foolish they are! They are running after a mirage. Congress party will be soon sunk into million fathoms deep creek with Rahul at the helm of affairs. One should not think that just because he is from Nehru family, he can do a magic and win hands down wherever he goes. In fact, no one can do a magic. The days of magic are over. Congress party will be soon wiped out, the way things are moving in India and one day it has to satisfy itself with single digit numbers. Rahul will soon play swan song for congress while his flunkies would play brass band.Fire is already on in the party with higher ups screaming at full throat that heads would roll for the tragedy.We have to see which head would roll first for the loss of face of the party in UP elections and at some other places too.But UP is most important.It has already been declared that Dr Man mohan singh will continue. They have to find some other scape goats now for the sacrifice.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
MYSTERY OF DISAPPERANCE OF NANA SAHIB, THE SELF PROCLAIMED PESHWA DURING 1857 WAR……DID HE DIE IN NEPAL OR ESCAPED
MYSTERY OF DISAPPERANCE OF NANA SAHIB, THE SELF PROCLAIMED PESHWA DURING 1857 WAR……DID HE DIE IN NEPAL OR ESCAPED
CAPTURE AND LIVED LONG IN DISGUISE?
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
PREFACE
Nana Sahib better known as Dhondupant was the adapted son of exiled last Peshwa Baji Rao II. He played very important role during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 as dubbed by the Englishmen while Indians claimed it as first war of Indian independence. All Maratha forces rallied around him during the struggle.He was well supported by his commander in chief Tantya Tope in the war. The rebellion was the outcome of the outrageous policies of Lord Dalhousie of East India company , their doctrine of lapse, ill treatment of native troops and greasing of rifle cartridges with fat of pigs and cow. He has to be squarely blamed for the uprisng. He was in hurry to grab princely states and succeeded in raising the revenue to the company. But he did great damage to the organization and sowed the seeds for hatred and discontentment in Indians. The Englishmen who came earlier as traders slowly entrenched themselves in the country and got involved in the local political feuds between various princely states along with the French men. They soon became powerful with the decline of power of Mughals at Delhi. After the battle of Plassey in 1757 fought against Nawab Sirajuddaula of Bengal by Lord Clive of East India Company and they almost became masters of large provinces and with in few years, their influence spread throughout India. In south too, they became very powerful after the defeat and death of Mysore tiger Tippu Sultan the ruler of Mysore kingdom at Srirangapatnam. He was considered a very great and grave threat to the Englishmen in India.(1).
EARLY LIFE
Dhondu pant was born to Narayan Bhatt and Ganga Bai in 1824. In 1827 his parents went to the court of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II. Nana Sahib was adopted by Baji Rao on 7 June 1827, and thus he became heir-presumptive to the throne. Nana Sahib was well educated. He studied Sanskrit but had no Western education. He subscribed to all the leading Anglo- Indian journals which were translated to him daily by an individual. He was married to a cousin of the Chief of Sangli. Tantia Tope and Nana Sahib were close friends from child hood . Rani Laxmi Bai and Nana Sahib were extremely fond of each other from their childhood. He had an excellent stable of horses, elephants and camels. His armory was stocked with weapons of every age and country. He moved freely in public and graced by his presence on all occasions of festivity and pomp.
He was much proud of his birth and being an Indian. He was very fond of entertaining the English gentry at Kanpur and every now and then arranged parties in the European style in his mansion at Bithoor ( in UP). His generosity endeared him to the Englishmen who came in contact with him. They all praised him with one voice for his generosity and hospitality. His knowledge of English, however, was scanty. Nana Sahib however did not like various reforms of the English men.
REASONS LEADING TO PARTICIPATION IN MUTINY
In 1851, the exiled Peshwa Srimant Baji Rao II passed away and the annual pension of Pounds sterling 8,00000/00 granted to the last Peshwa was discontinued and Nana sahib was not recognized as the successor to Baji Rao II by virtue of doctrine of lapse made by Lord Dalhousie the Governor General of East India Company in India . This hurt him much. He pleaded his case by sending the Diwan Azimullah Khan to the court of directors in England, but it was disallowed. Although he was unhappy, Nana Sahib did not prefer any open hostility with the Englishmen whom he befriended. In fact, Nana sahib appeared reconciled to his position and did not contemplate any military uprising and force of arms. However on 4 June 1857 Sepoys at Kanpur revolted and it is believed that Nana Sahib was in fact forced to join the mutineers under threat to his life and prevalent circumstances compelled him to join the rebellion.. His troops sent to assist the Englishmen joined the rebels. Various accounts have been written by many writers including some historians glorifying Nana’s role in the rebellion and in the massacre of the surrendred Englsihmen, women and children.. He was in fact forced by the circumstances (2).
EVENTS AT KANPUR ( CAWNPORE)
Nana Sahib won the confidence of Charles Hillersdon, the Collector of Cawnpore . It was planned that Nana Sahib would assemble a force of 1,500 soldiers, in case the rebellion spread to Cawnpore.
On June 5, 1857, at the time of rebellion by forces of the East India Company at Cawnpore, the British contingent had taken refuge at an entrenchment in the southern part of the town. Amid the prevailing chaos in Cawnpore, Sahib and his forces entered the British magazine situated in the northern part of the town. The soldiers of the 53rd Native Infantry, who were guarding the magazine, thought that Sahib had come to guard the magazine on behalf of the Company. However, once he entered the magazine, Nana Sahib announced that he was a participant in the rebellion against the Company, and intended to be a vassal of Bahadur Shah II.the Mughal nominal emperor at Delhi.
After taking possession of the Company treasury, Sahib advanced up the Grand Trunk Road stating that he wanted to restore the Maratha confederacy under the Peshwa tradition, and decided to capture Cawnpore. On his way, Sahib met the rebel Company soldiers at Kalyanpur. The soldiers were on their way to Delhi, to meet Bahadur Shah II. Sahib wanted them to go back to Cawnpore, and help him defeat the British. The soldiers were reluctant at first, but decided to join Sahib when he promised to double their pay and reward them with gold, if they were to destroy the British entrenchment.
ATTACK ON GENERAL WHEELER’S NTRENCHMENT
On June 5, 1857, Sahib sent a letter to General Wheeler informing him to expect an attack next morning at 10 AM. On June 6, Sahib's forces (including the rebel soldiers) attacked the Company entrenchment at 10:30 AM. The Company forces were not adequately prepared for the attack but managed to defend themselves as the attacking forces were reluctant to enter the entrenchment. Sahib's forces had been led to believe that the entrenchment had gunpowder-filled trenches that would explode if they got closer. The Company side held out in their makeshift fort for three weeks with little water and food supplies, and lost many lives due to sunstroke and lack of water.
As the news of Sahib's advances over the British garrison spread, several of the rebel sepoys joined him. By June 10, he was believed to be leading around twelve thousand to fifteen thousand Indian soldiers During the first week of the siege, Sahib's forces encircled the attachment, created loopholes and established firing positions from the surrounding buildings. The Company Captain John Moore retaliated and launched night-time sorties. Sahib retreated his headquarters to Savada House (or Savada Kothi), which was situated around two miles away. In response to Moore's sorties, Sahib decided to attempt a direct assault on the British entrenchment, but the rebel soldiers displayed a lack of enthusiasm.
The sniper fire and the bombardment continued until June 23, 1857, the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Plassey. The Battle of Plassey, which took place on June 23, 1757, was one of the pivotal battles leading to the expansion of the East India Company rule in India. One of the driving forces of the rebellion by sepoys, was a prophecy that predicted the downfall of East India Company rule exactly one hundred years after the Battle of Plassey. This prompted the rebel soldiers under Sahib to launch a major attack on the entrenchment on June 23, 1857. However, they were unable to gain an entry into the entrenchment by the end of the day.
The entrenchment had been steadily losing its soldiers and civilians to successive bombardments, sniper fire, and assaults by Sahib's forces. It was also suffering from disease and low supplies of food, water and medicine. General Wheeler's personal morale had been low, after his son Lieutenant Gordon Wheeler was decapitated in an assault on the barracks.
Sahib and his advisers came up with a plan to end the deadlock. On June 24, Sahib sent a female European prisoner, Rose Greenway, to the entrenchment to convey their message. In return for a surrender, he promised the safe passage of the Europeans to the Satichaura Ghat, a dock on the Ganges from which they could depart for Allahabad. General Wheeler rejected the offer, because it had not been signed, and there was no guarantee that the offer was made by Sahib himself.
Next day, on June 25, Sahib sent a second note, signed by himself, through another female prisoner, Mrs. Jacobi. The entrenchment divided into two groups with different opinions — one group was in favour of continuing the defence, while the second group was willing to trust Sahib. During the next day, there was no bombardment from Sahib's forces. Finally, Wheeler decided to surrender, in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. After a day of preparation and burying their dead, the Europeans decided to leave for Allahabad on the morning of June 27, 1857.
SATICHAURA MASSACRE
On 27 June 1857, Europeans who had been promised safe passage from Wheeler's entrenchment arrived at the Sati Chaura Ghat (jetty) to take the boat out when Sahib's army ambushed them and killed many
On the morning of the June 27 a large column led by Wheeler emerged out of the entrenchment. Sahib sent a number of carts, dolis and elephants to enable the women, the children and the sick to proceed to the river banks. The Company officers and military men were allowed to take their arms and ammunition with them, and were escorted by nearly the whole of the rebel army. They reached the Satichaura Ghat (now Satti Chaura Ghat) by 8 AM. Sahib had arranged around 40 boats, belonging to a boatman called Hardev Mallah, for their departure to Allahabad.
The Ganges river was unusually dry at the Satichaura Ghat, and the Europeans found it difficult to drift the boats away. Wheeler and his party were the first aboard and the first to manage to set their boat adrift. There was some confusion, as the Indian boatmen jumped overboard and started swimming toward the banks. During their jump, some of the cooking fires were knocked off, setting some of the boats ablaze. Though controversy surrounds what exactly happened next at the Satichaura Ghat, and it is unknown who fired the first shot , the departing European were attacked by the rebel sepoys, and most either killed or captured. Some of the Copmpany officers later claimed that Sahib had placed the boats as high in the mud as possible, on purpose to cause delay. They also claimed that Sahib had previously arranged for the rebels to fire upon and kill all the Europeans. Although the East India Company later accused Sahib of betrayal and murder of innocent people, no definitive evidence has ever been found to prove that Sahib had pre-planned or ordered the massacre Some historians believe that the Satichaura Ghat massacre was the result of confusion, and not of any plan implemented by Sahib and his associates.
Nevertheless, the fact that sniper fire from cannons pre-positioned along the riverbank was reported on the scene might suggest pre-planning. Whatever the case, amid the prevailing confusion at the Satichaura Ghat, Sahib's general Tantya Tope allegedly ordered the 2nd Bengal Cavalry unit and some artillery units to open fire on the Europeans. The rebel cavalry sowars ( Horse mounted soldiers) moved into the water to kill the remaining Company soldiers with swords and pistols. The surviving men were killed, while women and children were captured, as Sahib did not approve of their killing Around 120 women and children were taken prisoner and escorted to Savada House, Nana Sahib's headquarters during the siege.
The rebel soldiers also pursued Wheeler's boat, which was slowly drifting to safer waters. After some firing, the European men on the boat decided to fly the white flag. They were escorted off the boat and taken back to Savada house. The surviving men were seated on the ground, as Sahib's soldiers got ready to kill them. The women insisted that they would die with their husbands, but were pulled away. Sahib granted the British chaplain Moncrieff's request to read prayers before they were killed. The British were initially wounded with the guns, and then killed with the swords The women and children were taken to Savada House to be reunited with their remaining colleagues.
BABIGHAR MASSCRE
The surviving women and children, around 120 in number, were moved from the Savada House to Bibighar ("the House of the Ladies"), a villa-type house in Cawnpore. They were later joined by some other women and children, the survivors from Wheeler's boat. Another group of women and children from Fatehgarh, and some other captive women were also confined to Bibighar. In total, there were around 200 women and children in Bibighar. Nana sahib placed the care for these survivors under a prostitute called Hussaini Khanum (also known as Hussaini Begum). He decided to use these prisoners for bargaining with the East India Company. The Company forces consisting of around 1,000 British, 150 Sikh soldiers and 30 irregular cavalry had set out from Allahabad, under the command of General Henry Havelock, to retake Cawnpore and Lucknow. Havelock's forces were later joined by the forces under the command of Major Renaud and James Neill. Sahib demanded that the East India Company forces under Havelock and Neill retreat to Allahabad. However, the Company forces advanced relentlessly towards Cawnpore. Sahib sent an army to check their advance, and the two armies met at Fatehpur on July 12, where General Havelock's forces emerged victorious and captured the town.
Sahib then sent another force under the command of his brother, Bala Rao. On July 15, the British forces under General Havelock defeated Bala Rao's army in the Battle of Aong On July 16, Havelock's forces started advancing to Cawnpore. During the Battle of Aong, Havelock was able to capture some of the rebel soldiers, who informed him that there was an army of 5,000 rebel soldiers with 8 artillery pieces further up the road. Havelock decided to launch a flank attack on this army, but the rebel soldiers spotted the flanking maneuver and opened fire. The battle resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, but cleared the road to Cawnpore for the Company forces.
By this time, it became clear that the Company forces were approaching Cawnpore, and Sahib's bargaining attempts had failed. Sahib was informed that the British troops led by Havelock and Neill were indulging in violence against the Indian villagers. Some believe that the Bibighar massacre was a reaction to the news of violence being perpetrated by the advancing Company troops.
Sahib, and his associates, including Tantya Tope and Azimullah Khan, debated about what to do with the captives at Bibighar. Some of Sahib's advisers had already decided to kill the captives at Bibighar, as revenge for the murders of Indians by the advancing British forces. The women of Sahib's household opposed the decision and went on a hunger strike, but their efforts went in vain.
Finally, on July 15, an order was given to kill the women and children imprisoned at Bibighar. Although some Company historians stated that the order for the massacre was given by Sahib, the details of the incident, such as who ordered the massacre, remain unclear. According to some sources, Azimullah Khan ordered the killings of women and children at Bibighar. At first, the rebel sepoys refused to obey the order to kill women and children. When they were threatened with execution for dereliction of duty some of them agreed to remove the women and children from the courtyard. Sahib left the building because he did not want to be a witness to the enfolding massacre .The women and children were ordered to come out of the assembly rooms, but they refused to do so. The rebel soldiers then started firing through the holes in the boarded windows. After the first round of firing, the soldiers were disturbed by the cries of the captives, and adamantly refused to fire at the women and children.
An angry Begum Hussaini Khanum termed the Sepoys' act as cowardice, and asked her lover Sarvur Khan to finish the job of killing the captives. Sarvur Khan hired some butchers, who murdered the surviving women and children with cleavers. The butchers left, when it seemed that all the captives had been killed. However, a few women and children had managed to survive by hiding under the other dead bodies. It was agreed that the bodies of the victims would be thrown down a dry well by some sweepers. The next morning, when the rebels arrived to dispose off the bodies, they found that three women and three children aged between four and seven years old were still alive. The surviving women were cast into the well by the sweepers who had also been told to strip the bodies of the murder victims. The sweepers then threw the three little boys into the well one at a time, the youngest first. Some victims, among them small children, were therefore buried alive in a heap of corpses.
FALL OF KANPUR TO THE BRITISH
The Company forces reached Cawnpore on July 16, 1857. General Havelock was informed that Sahib had taken up a position at the Ahirwa village. His forces launched an attack on Sahib's forces, and emerged victorious. Sahib then blew up the Cawnpore magazine, abandoned the place, and retreated to Bithoor. When the British soldiers came to know about the Bibighar massacre, they indulged in retaliatory violence, including looting and burning of houses. On July 19, General Havelock resumed operations at Bithoor, but Nana Sahib had already escaped. Sahib's palace at Bithoor was occupied without resistance. The British troops seized guns, elephants and camels, and set Sahib's palace to fire.
DISAPPERAENCE OF NANA SAHIB
Sahib disappeared after the Company recapture of Cawnpore. His general, Tantya Tope, tried to recapture Cawnpore in November 1857, after gathering a large army, mainly consisting of the rebel soldiers from the Gwalior contingent. He managed to take control of all the routes west and north-west of Cawnpore, but was later defeated in the Second Battle of Cawnpore.
In September 1857, Sahib was reported to have fallen to malarious fever; however, this is doubtful Rani Laxmibai, Tatya Tope and Rao Saheb (Nana Sahib's close confidante) proclaimed Sahib as their Peshwa in June 1858 at Gwalior. By 1859, Sahib was reported to have fled to Nepal. In February 1860, the British were informed that Sahib's wives had taken refuge in Nepal, where they resided in a house close to Thapathali. Sahib himself was reported to be living in the interior of Nepal .
Shree K. V. Belsare's book on the Maharashtrian Saint Shree Brahmachaitanya Gondhavalekar Maharaj states that after losing the battle with the Company, Shree Nanasaheb Peshwe went to Naimisharanya, the Naimisha Forest in the vicinity of Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh where he met Shree Gondhavalekar Maharaj, who assured Shree Nanasaheb:
Tumachya Kesala dhakka lagnar naahi. Ya pudhil ayushya tumhi Bhagavantachya chintana madhe ghalavave. Me tumachya antakali hajar asen.(No one can harm you now. You should spend rest of your life in God's service. I will be near you at your last breath)
Shree Nanasaheb then was living in a cave in Naimisharanya with his 2 servants (from 1860 to 1906, until his death). He occasionally visited his family at Nepal to meet his wife and son Shamsher Bahadur. According to the book, he died on 30th / 31st Oct / 1st Nov 1906 at the age of 81 years, when Shree Gondhavalekar Maharaj was present with him. Shree Maharaj performed all his rituals after his death.
A new evidence has been claimed in 1953 as reported in Hindu news paper. As per the report published, Nana Saheb Peshwa who led the war for Indian Independence against the British in 1857 had actually been alive till 1926 according to Bajirao alias Suraj Pratap, who claimed to be a grandson of the famous Maratha leader. Historians had written that Nana Saheb died in Nepal in 1858, leaving behind a daughter, Bayabai, who was married into the Gwalior family, and died early in the 1920s. Suraj Pratap met Mr. A. G. Kher, Speaker of the U.P. Legislative Assembly in Lucknow with a Hindi translation of the diary of Dewan Azimullah Khan, one of the lieutenants of Nana Saheb. According to the diary, after the 1857 war Nana Saheb went into hiding in Nepal but did not die there. The then British Government was misled into thinking he died, as the body of a servant of Nana was sent to the King of Nepal, who informed the British Government accordingly. Dewan Azimullah Khan recorded that Nana Saheb later returned to Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh and had three sons. Mr. Suraj Pratap claimed to be a son of Nana Saheb Peshwa's youngest son, who, the diary said, had married a Kayastha girl in Pratapgarh district. The diary indicated that Nana Saheb died near the Gomti River near Naimisharanya in Sitapur district in 1926 at the ripe old age of 102 (3).
Thus we find that a mystery surrounds the death of Nana sahib. The Englishmen gave up their efforts to arrest Nana sahib after some years. It was presumed that he died in the jungles of Nepal due to Malarial fever. It is also rumored that he died during a tiger hunt having been attacked by a ferocious tiger. Things are not clear about his death. It is necessary that all available evidence should be scrutinized thoroughly and mystery should be solved. But as usual, the pseudo secular Indian leaders who matter are busy in vote politics, money making, various scams, loot mar ( Money making by ill means) hoarding money at Swiss banks, ensuring dynastic successions have no time to correct the Indian history and turn Nelsons eye to the truths. Let us hope some day truth would prevail. Sadly Indian youth have no time to dwell on past history and are very busy in keeping themselves involved on face books, twitters, , running after film actors and their new born grand children, drinking, gossiping and shaking their groins at pubs and in IT craze. They have forgotten our past heroes such as Shaheed Bhagat singh, Raj guru, Sukhdev, Chadrasekhar Azad, Ramprasad bismil, Subhash Chandra Bose, Laxmibai, Kiladi Rani Chennamma, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Rani Abbakka, Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj, cHatrapathi Sambhaji Maharaj, Peshwa Baji Rao I, Uddham singh, Rani Durgavathi, Thakur Durga Das, Amar singh Rathore, Maha Rana Pratap singh, Veera Pandya Katta Bomman, Veer Savarkar, Velu Thambi, Veer kunwar singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, General Tantya Tope, General Tanaji Malsure, Kapayya Naika,Veera Ballala, Vema Reddy, Krishna deva Raya, Prataparudradeva, Jambukeswara, Baji Prabhu, Mangal Pandey and many more. Let us pray to almighty that our youth would soon wake up and tread on right path and bring glory to the nation..
Bibilography.
1.Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Did the Englishmen really hang Tantya Tope the brave Hindu commander in 1857 war? Sanghparivar.org, 01 March 2012, http://sanghparivar.org/blog/[user]/did-the-english-men-really-hang-tantya-tope-the-brave-hindu-commander-of-1857-war-after
2. Nana Sahib, Wikipedia
3. Nana sahib, new evidence, Hindu, Dated July 1, 1953, http://www.hindu.com/2003/07/01/stories/2003070100830900.htm
.
CAPTURE AND LIVED LONG IN DISGUISE?
Dr K Prabhakar Rao
PREFACE
Nana Sahib better known as Dhondupant was the adapted son of exiled last Peshwa Baji Rao II. He played very important role during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 as dubbed by the Englishmen while Indians claimed it as first war of Indian independence. All Maratha forces rallied around him during the struggle.He was well supported by his commander in chief Tantya Tope in the war. The rebellion was the outcome of the outrageous policies of Lord Dalhousie of East India company , their doctrine of lapse, ill treatment of native troops and greasing of rifle cartridges with fat of pigs and cow. He has to be squarely blamed for the uprisng. He was in hurry to grab princely states and succeeded in raising the revenue to the company. But he did great damage to the organization and sowed the seeds for hatred and discontentment in Indians. The Englishmen who came earlier as traders slowly entrenched themselves in the country and got involved in the local political feuds between various princely states along with the French men. They soon became powerful with the decline of power of Mughals at Delhi. After the battle of Plassey in 1757 fought against Nawab Sirajuddaula of Bengal by Lord Clive of East India Company and they almost became masters of large provinces and with in few years, their influence spread throughout India. In south too, they became very powerful after the defeat and death of Mysore tiger Tippu Sultan the ruler of Mysore kingdom at Srirangapatnam. He was considered a very great and grave threat to the Englishmen in India.(1).
EARLY LIFE
Dhondu pant was born to Narayan Bhatt and Ganga Bai in 1824. In 1827 his parents went to the court of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II. Nana Sahib was adopted by Baji Rao on 7 June 1827, and thus he became heir-presumptive to the throne. Nana Sahib was well educated. He studied Sanskrit but had no Western education. He subscribed to all the leading Anglo- Indian journals which were translated to him daily by an individual. He was married to a cousin of the Chief of Sangli. Tantia Tope and Nana Sahib were close friends from child hood . Rani Laxmi Bai and Nana Sahib were extremely fond of each other from their childhood. He had an excellent stable of horses, elephants and camels. His armory was stocked with weapons of every age and country. He moved freely in public and graced by his presence on all occasions of festivity and pomp.
He was much proud of his birth and being an Indian. He was very fond of entertaining the English gentry at Kanpur and every now and then arranged parties in the European style in his mansion at Bithoor ( in UP). His generosity endeared him to the Englishmen who came in contact with him. They all praised him with one voice for his generosity and hospitality. His knowledge of English, however, was scanty. Nana Sahib however did not like various reforms of the English men.
REASONS LEADING TO PARTICIPATION IN MUTINY
In 1851, the exiled Peshwa Srimant Baji Rao II passed away and the annual pension of Pounds sterling 8,00000/00 granted to the last Peshwa was discontinued and Nana sahib was not recognized as the successor to Baji Rao II by virtue of doctrine of lapse made by Lord Dalhousie the Governor General of East India Company in India . This hurt him much. He pleaded his case by sending the Diwan Azimullah Khan to the court of directors in England, but it was disallowed. Although he was unhappy, Nana Sahib did not prefer any open hostility with the Englishmen whom he befriended. In fact, Nana sahib appeared reconciled to his position and did not contemplate any military uprising and force of arms. However on 4 June 1857 Sepoys at Kanpur revolted and it is believed that Nana Sahib was in fact forced to join the mutineers under threat to his life and prevalent circumstances compelled him to join the rebellion.. His troops sent to assist the Englishmen joined the rebels. Various accounts have been written by many writers including some historians glorifying Nana’s role in the rebellion and in the massacre of the surrendred Englsihmen, women and children.. He was in fact forced by the circumstances (2).
EVENTS AT KANPUR ( CAWNPORE)
Nana Sahib won the confidence of Charles Hillersdon, the Collector of Cawnpore . It was planned that Nana Sahib would assemble a force of 1,500 soldiers, in case the rebellion spread to Cawnpore.
On June 5, 1857, at the time of rebellion by forces of the East India Company at Cawnpore, the British contingent had taken refuge at an entrenchment in the southern part of the town. Amid the prevailing chaos in Cawnpore, Sahib and his forces entered the British magazine situated in the northern part of the town. The soldiers of the 53rd Native Infantry, who were guarding the magazine, thought that Sahib had come to guard the magazine on behalf of the Company. However, once he entered the magazine, Nana Sahib announced that he was a participant in the rebellion against the Company, and intended to be a vassal of Bahadur Shah II.the Mughal nominal emperor at Delhi.
After taking possession of the Company treasury, Sahib advanced up the Grand Trunk Road stating that he wanted to restore the Maratha confederacy under the Peshwa tradition, and decided to capture Cawnpore. On his way, Sahib met the rebel Company soldiers at Kalyanpur. The soldiers were on their way to Delhi, to meet Bahadur Shah II. Sahib wanted them to go back to Cawnpore, and help him defeat the British. The soldiers were reluctant at first, but decided to join Sahib when he promised to double their pay and reward them with gold, if they were to destroy the British entrenchment.
ATTACK ON GENERAL WHEELER’S NTRENCHMENT
On June 5, 1857, Sahib sent a letter to General Wheeler informing him to expect an attack next morning at 10 AM. On June 6, Sahib's forces (including the rebel soldiers) attacked the Company entrenchment at 10:30 AM. The Company forces were not adequately prepared for the attack but managed to defend themselves as the attacking forces were reluctant to enter the entrenchment. Sahib's forces had been led to believe that the entrenchment had gunpowder-filled trenches that would explode if they got closer. The Company side held out in their makeshift fort for three weeks with little water and food supplies, and lost many lives due to sunstroke and lack of water.
As the news of Sahib's advances over the British garrison spread, several of the rebel sepoys joined him. By June 10, he was believed to be leading around twelve thousand to fifteen thousand Indian soldiers During the first week of the siege, Sahib's forces encircled the attachment, created loopholes and established firing positions from the surrounding buildings. The Company Captain John Moore retaliated and launched night-time sorties. Sahib retreated his headquarters to Savada House (or Savada Kothi), which was situated around two miles away. In response to Moore's sorties, Sahib decided to attempt a direct assault on the British entrenchment, but the rebel soldiers displayed a lack of enthusiasm.
The sniper fire and the bombardment continued until June 23, 1857, the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Plassey. The Battle of Plassey, which took place on June 23, 1757, was one of the pivotal battles leading to the expansion of the East India Company rule in India. One of the driving forces of the rebellion by sepoys, was a prophecy that predicted the downfall of East India Company rule exactly one hundred years after the Battle of Plassey. This prompted the rebel soldiers under Sahib to launch a major attack on the entrenchment on June 23, 1857. However, they were unable to gain an entry into the entrenchment by the end of the day.
The entrenchment had been steadily losing its soldiers and civilians to successive bombardments, sniper fire, and assaults by Sahib's forces. It was also suffering from disease and low supplies of food, water and medicine. General Wheeler's personal morale had been low, after his son Lieutenant Gordon Wheeler was decapitated in an assault on the barracks.
Sahib and his advisers came up with a plan to end the deadlock. On June 24, Sahib sent a female European prisoner, Rose Greenway, to the entrenchment to convey their message. In return for a surrender, he promised the safe passage of the Europeans to the Satichaura Ghat, a dock on the Ganges from which they could depart for Allahabad. General Wheeler rejected the offer, because it had not been signed, and there was no guarantee that the offer was made by Sahib himself.
Next day, on June 25, Sahib sent a second note, signed by himself, through another female prisoner, Mrs. Jacobi. The entrenchment divided into two groups with different opinions — one group was in favour of continuing the defence, while the second group was willing to trust Sahib. During the next day, there was no bombardment from Sahib's forces. Finally, Wheeler decided to surrender, in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. After a day of preparation and burying their dead, the Europeans decided to leave for Allahabad on the morning of June 27, 1857.
SATICHAURA MASSACRE
On 27 June 1857, Europeans who had been promised safe passage from Wheeler's entrenchment arrived at the Sati Chaura Ghat (jetty) to take the boat out when Sahib's army ambushed them and killed many
On the morning of the June 27 a large column led by Wheeler emerged out of the entrenchment. Sahib sent a number of carts, dolis and elephants to enable the women, the children and the sick to proceed to the river banks. The Company officers and military men were allowed to take their arms and ammunition with them, and were escorted by nearly the whole of the rebel army. They reached the Satichaura Ghat (now Satti Chaura Ghat) by 8 AM. Sahib had arranged around 40 boats, belonging to a boatman called Hardev Mallah, for their departure to Allahabad.
The Ganges river was unusually dry at the Satichaura Ghat, and the Europeans found it difficult to drift the boats away. Wheeler and his party were the first aboard and the first to manage to set their boat adrift. There was some confusion, as the Indian boatmen jumped overboard and started swimming toward the banks. During their jump, some of the cooking fires were knocked off, setting some of the boats ablaze. Though controversy surrounds what exactly happened next at the Satichaura Ghat, and it is unknown who fired the first shot , the departing European were attacked by the rebel sepoys, and most either killed or captured. Some of the Copmpany officers later claimed that Sahib had placed the boats as high in the mud as possible, on purpose to cause delay. They also claimed that Sahib had previously arranged for the rebels to fire upon and kill all the Europeans. Although the East India Company later accused Sahib of betrayal and murder of innocent people, no definitive evidence has ever been found to prove that Sahib had pre-planned or ordered the massacre Some historians believe that the Satichaura Ghat massacre was the result of confusion, and not of any plan implemented by Sahib and his associates.
Nevertheless, the fact that sniper fire from cannons pre-positioned along the riverbank was reported on the scene might suggest pre-planning. Whatever the case, amid the prevailing confusion at the Satichaura Ghat, Sahib's general Tantya Tope allegedly ordered the 2nd Bengal Cavalry unit and some artillery units to open fire on the Europeans. The rebel cavalry sowars ( Horse mounted soldiers) moved into the water to kill the remaining Company soldiers with swords and pistols. The surviving men were killed, while women and children were captured, as Sahib did not approve of their killing Around 120 women and children were taken prisoner and escorted to Savada House, Nana Sahib's headquarters during the siege.
The rebel soldiers also pursued Wheeler's boat, which was slowly drifting to safer waters. After some firing, the European men on the boat decided to fly the white flag. They were escorted off the boat and taken back to Savada house. The surviving men were seated on the ground, as Sahib's soldiers got ready to kill them. The women insisted that they would die with their husbands, but were pulled away. Sahib granted the British chaplain Moncrieff's request to read prayers before they were killed. The British were initially wounded with the guns, and then killed with the swords The women and children were taken to Savada House to be reunited with their remaining colleagues.
BABIGHAR MASSCRE
The surviving women and children, around 120 in number, were moved from the Savada House to Bibighar ("the House of the Ladies"), a villa-type house in Cawnpore. They were later joined by some other women and children, the survivors from Wheeler's boat. Another group of women and children from Fatehgarh, and some other captive women were also confined to Bibighar. In total, there were around 200 women and children in Bibighar. Nana sahib placed the care for these survivors under a prostitute called Hussaini Khanum (also known as Hussaini Begum). He decided to use these prisoners for bargaining with the East India Company. The Company forces consisting of around 1,000 British, 150 Sikh soldiers and 30 irregular cavalry had set out from Allahabad, under the command of General Henry Havelock, to retake Cawnpore and Lucknow. Havelock's forces were later joined by the forces under the command of Major Renaud and James Neill. Sahib demanded that the East India Company forces under Havelock and Neill retreat to Allahabad. However, the Company forces advanced relentlessly towards Cawnpore. Sahib sent an army to check their advance, and the two armies met at Fatehpur on July 12, where General Havelock's forces emerged victorious and captured the town.
Sahib then sent another force under the command of his brother, Bala Rao. On July 15, the British forces under General Havelock defeated Bala Rao's army in the Battle of Aong On July 16, Havelock's forces started advancing to Cawnpore. During the Battle of Aong, Havelock was able to capture some of the rebel soldiers, who informed him that there was an army of 5,000 rebel soldiers with 8 artillery pieces further up the road. Havelock decided to launch a flank attack on this army, but the rebel soldiers spotted the flanking maneuver and opened fire. The battle resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, but cleared the road to Cawnpore for the Company forces.
By this time, it became clear that the Company forces were approaching Cawnpore, and Sahib's bargaining attempts had failed. Sahib was informed that the British troops led by Havelock and Neill were indulging in violence against the Indian villagers. Some believe that the Bibighar massacre was a reaction to the news of violence being perpetrated by the advancing Company troops.
Sahib, and his associates, including Tantya Tope and Azimullah Khan, debated about what to do with the captives at Bibighar. Some of Sahib's advisers had already decided to kill the captives at Bibighar, as revenge for the murders of Indians by the advancing British forces. The women of Sahib's household opposed the decision and went on a hunger strike, but their efforts went in vain.
Finally, on July 15, an order was given to kill the women and children imprisoned at Bibighar. Although some Company historians stated that the order for the massacre was given by Sahib, the details of the incident, such as who ordered the massacre, remain unclear. According to some sources, Azimullah Khan ordered the killings of women and children at Bibighar. At first, the rebel sepoys refused to obey the order to kill women and children. When they were threatened with execution for dereliction of duty some of them agreed to remove the women and children from the courtyard. Sahib left the building because he did not want to be a witness to the enfolding massacre .The women and children were ordered to come out of the assembly rooms, but they refused to do so. The rebel soldiers then started firing through the holes in the boarded windows. After the first round of firing, the soldiers were disturbed by the cries of the captives, and adamantly refused to fire at the women and children.
An angry Begum Hussaini Khanum termed the Sepoys' act as cowardice, and asked her lover Sarvur Khan to finish the job of killing the captives. Sarvur Khan hired some butchers, who murdered the surviving women and children with cleavers. The butchers left, when it seemed that all the captives had been killed. However, a few women and children had managed to survive by hiding under the other dead bodies. It was agreed that the bodies of the victims would be thrown down a dry well by some sweepers. The next morning, when the rebels arrived to dispose off the bodies, they found that three women and three children aged between four and seven years old were still alive. The surviving women were cast into the well by the sweepers who had also been told to strip the bodies of the murder victims. The sweepers then threw the three little boys into the well one at a time, the youngest first. Some victims, among them small children, were therefore buried alive in a heap of corpses.
FALL OF KANPUR TO THE BRITISH
The Company forces reached Cawnpore on July 16, 1857. General Havelock was informed that Sahib had taken up a position at the Ahirwa village. His forces launched an attack on Sahib's forces, and emerged victorious. Sahib then blew up the Cawnpore magazine, abandoned the place, and retreated to Bithoor. When the British soldiers came to know about the Bibighar massacre, they indulged in retaliatory violence, including looting and burning of houses. On July 19, General Havelock resumed operations at Bithoor, but Nana Sahib had already escaped. Sahib's palace at Bithoor was occupied without resistance. The British troops seized guns, elephants and camels, and set Sahib's palace to fire.
DISAPPERAENCE OF NANA SAHIB
Sahib disappeared after the Company recapture of Cawnpore. His general, Tantya Tope, tried to recapture Cawnpore in November 1857, after gathering a large army, mainly consisting of the rebel soldiers from the Gwalior contingent. He managed to take control of all the routes west and north-west of Cawnpore, but was later defeated in the Second Battle of Cawnpore.
In September 1857, Sahib was reported to have fallen to malarious fever; however, this is doubtful Rani Laxmibai, Tatya Tope and Rao Saheb (Nana Sahib's close confidante) proclaimed Sahib as their Peshwa in June 1858 at Gwalior. By 1859, Sahib was reported to have fled to Nepal. In February 1860, the British were informed that Sahib's wives had taken refuge in Nepal, where they resided in a house close to Thapathali. Sahib himself was reported to be living in the interior of Nepal .
Shree K. V. Belsare's book on the Maharashtrian Saint Shree Brahmachaitanya Gondhavalekar Maharaj states that after losing the battle with the Company, Shree Nanasaheb Peshwe went to Naimisharanya, the Naimisha Forest in the vicinity of Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh where he met Shree Gondhavalekar Maharaj, who assured Shree Nanasaheb:
Tumachya Kesala dhakka lagnar naahi. Ya pudhil ayushya tumhi Bhagavantachya chintana madhe ghalavave. Me tumachya antakali hajar asen.(No one can harm you now. You should spend rest of your life in God's service. I will be near you at your last breath)
Shree Nanasaheb then was living in a cave in Naimisharanya with his 2 servants (from 1860 to 1906, until his death). He occasionally visited his family at Nepal to meet his wife and son Shamsher Bahadur. According to the book, he died on 30th / 31st Oct / 1st Nov 1906 at the age of 81 years, when Shree Gondhavalekar Maharaj was present with him. Shree Maharaj performed all his rituals after his death.
A new evidence has been claimed in 1953 as reported in Hindu news paper. As per the report published, Nana Saheb Peshwa who led the war for Indian Independence against the British in 1857 had actually been alive till 1926 according to Bajirao alias Suraj Pratap, who claimed to be a grandson of the famous Maratha leader. Historians had written that Nana Saheb died in Nepal in 1858, leaving behind a daughter, Bayabai, who was married into the Gwalior family, and died early in the 1920s. Suraj Pratap met Mr. A. G. Kher, Speaker of the U.P. Legislative Assembly in Lucknow with a Hindi translation of the diary of Dewan Azimullah Khan, one of the lieutenants of Nana Saheb. According to the diary, after the 1857 war Nana Saheb went into hiding in Nepal but did not die there. The then British Government was misled into thinking he died, as the body of a servant of Nana was sent to the King of Nepal, who informed the British Government accordingly. Dewan Azimullah Khan recorded that Nana Saheb later returned to Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh and had three sons. Mr. Suraj Pratap claimed to be a son of Nana Saheb Peshwa's youngest son, who, the diary said, had married a Kayastha girl in Pratapgarh district. The diary indicated that Nana Saheb died near the Gomti River near Naimisharanya in Sitapur district in 1926 at the ripe old age of 102 (3).
Thus we find that a mystery surrounds the death of Nana sahib. The Englishmen gave up their efforts to arrest Nana sahib after some years. It was presumed that he died in the jungles of Nepal due to Malarial fever. It is also rumored that he died during a tiger hunt having been attacked by a ferocious tiger. Things are not clear about his death. It is necessary that all available evidence should be scrutinized thoroughly and mystery should be solved. But as usual, the pseudo secular Indian leaders who matter are busy in vote politics, money making, various scams, loot mar ( Money making by ill means) hoarding money at Swiss banks, ensuring dynastic successions have no time to correct the Indian history and turn Nelsons eye to the truths. Let us hope some day truth would prevail. Sadly Indian youth have no time to dwell on past history and are very busy in keeping themselves involved on face books, twitters, , running after film actors and their new born grand children, drinking, gossiping and shaking their groins at pubs and in IT craze. They have forgotten our past heroes such as Shaheed Bhagat singh, Raj guru, Sukhdev, Chadrasekhar Azad, Ramprasad bismil, Subhash Chandra Bose, Laxmibai, Kiladi Rani Chennamma, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Rani Abbakka, Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj, cHatrapathi Sambhaji Maharaj, Peshwa Baji Rao I, Uddham singh, Rani Durgavathi, Thakur Durga Das, Amar singh Rathore, Maha Rana Pratap singh, Veera Pandya Katta Bomman, Veer Savarkar, Velu Thambi, Veer kunwar singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, General Tantya Tope, General Tanaji Malsure, Kapayya Naika,Veera Ballala, Vema Reddy, Krishna deva Raya, Prataparudradeva, Jambukeswara, Baji Prabhu, Mangal Pandey and many more. Let us pray to almighty that our youth would soon wake up and tread on right path and bring glory to the nation..
Bibilography.
1.Dr K Prabhakar Rao, Did the Englishmen really hang Tantya Tope the brave Hindu commander in 1857 war? Sanghparivar.org, 01 March 2012, http://sanghparivar.org/blog/[user]/did-the-english-men-really-hang-tantya-tope-the-brave-hindu-commander-of-1857-war-after
2. Nana Sahib, Wikipedia
3. Nana sahib, new evidence, Hindu, Dated July 1, 1953, http://www.hindu.com/2003/07/01/stories/2003070100830900.htm
.
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