Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Jinnah’s Ghost and Jaswant

Posted : August 19, 2009 at 6:21 am [IST]

A book of Jaswant Singh has now become a subject of political controversy. It must be some sort of research based on printed materials available. I don’t think Jaswant would have personally known Jinnah. For me, these books are too costly. However, the subjects of controversy have appeared in media and in interviews. Perhaps the controversies are the selling points of such books, and the book launches with media in presence are the means to make the controversies more marketable.

Why should Jinnah be seen from only a political angle? Why should Jinnah’s ghost be considered as fierceful enough to disturb the peace and stability of a great country even after so many years of independence?

Why should not Indians of the next generation look at Pandit Nehru or for that matter anyone, as a human being with all the human weaknesses and strengths?

To me, both, Jinnah as well as Nehru was very ambitious. Perhaps other contemporary leaders such as Azad or Rajendra Prasad were not so intensely ambitious. They all accepted Pandit Nehru to lead India when Mahatma selected Nehru. Jinnah couldn’t do that. Jinnah was not Mahatma. He wanted to attain all materialistic benefits that any politician today and perhaps in every country attempt to attain out of its political career. Jinnah did everything to make himself the sole leader of Muslims and for that he went to even divide the country to create an exclusive Pakistan for Muslims. I don’t know if Muslims in general got benefitted. For him India as single unit was not so sacrosanct. But as an intelligent man that he was, he would have wished a friendly India as neighbour after the two became independent. As I have understood, Jinnah was not anti-Hindu. Interestingly, Google had 1, 30,000 plus entries on ‘Jinnah on Hindus’.

Nehru would not have agreed for an undivided India on Jinnah’s term. Pandit Nehru knew the intense wish of Gandhi against partition. Nehru was not Gandhi and so succumbed to his best solution, the partition. Without partition, he wouldn’t have realized his ambition to become the prime minister of the largest country of the world that he very much wanted.

Advani earlier and now Jaswant has come out with their viewpoints about Jinnah. I am sure some others also would have similar viewpoints. Why should they be looked down upon for expressing their viewpoints?

The reactions of Congress’ spokespersons naturally remind about its intense endeavour of making Gandhi and Nehru exclusively of and for Congress. I wonder if it does any good with the new generation.
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PS: BJP has expelled Jaswant, 71-year-old former union minister, who has held the portfolios of defence, finance and external affairs for eulogizing Jinnah in his latest book, “Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence”.

Perhaps BJP like the other national party has hardly matured. Everyone must have the right to express his personal viewpoint. I shall agree with Jaswant that his views propounded in the book might have nothing to do with the policies or stances of the BJP. It must have been shocking for intellectual Jaswant. Arun Shourie might be the next. He has been very critical of BR Ambedkar. Has BJP the courage to agree to Shourie’s views?

Such action is alright with RSS, but certainly not from BJP. BJP would have taken the decision democratically after an open discussion by the senior executives. Jaswant must have been taken months for getting the book published and many in BJP would have known the content. Is Jaswant a usual victim of petty mean politics in the party? Will it enhance the image of BJP in people?

Congress must be the happiest with the development.

- Indra

Category: Indian politics |