shwetank's-pad

The Congress was founded by Indian and British members claiming that it had the objective of obtaining a greater share in government for educated Indians and to create a platform for civic and political dialogue of educated Indians with the British Raj. Obviously the Congress party was created in its core DNA as a political alternative for ‘ruling’ India and never to achieve any real socio-political change. After relentlessly looting mother India for close to 60 years, Congress is staring at the gates of the graveyard.

Sonia Gandhi, waited for 7 years before taking over the reins of the Congress party in 1998 and another 6 years to enjoy the power to rule India without any responsibility whatsoever in 2004. In her quest to assume ultimate power to rule and corrupt India, she found a rare man called Manmohan Singh, absolutely undeterred, immensely uninterested. He was such a blunder that he affected both the looter and the looted. While India faced a decade of decay, Manmohan Singh also assured he remained the last of the Congress emperors, the Bahadur Shah Zafar of Congress.

Mirza Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last of the Mughal emperors that ruled over India for over hundreds of years. Bahadur Shah was placed on the throne when he was a little over 60 years of age. He was a weak ruler due to the British domination over India at the time. Bahadur Shah Zafar presided over a Mughal empire that barely extended beyond Delhi’s Red Fort. The emperor in Delhi was paid some respect by the Company and allowed a pension. The emperor held the authority to collect some taxes around the city of Delhi and to maintain a small military force in Delhi, but he posed no threat to any power in India. Bahadur Shah himself did not take any interest in statecraft or possess any imperial ambitions.

Manmohan Singh the weakest personality in the congress coterie, was nominated by Sonia Gandhi to become the Prime Minister of India in 2004 at the age of 71, which allowed her to assume complete power without any accountability or responsibility. Manmohan Singh neither could nor he did ever win a single election in his life, yet was the Executive Head of India and leader of democratically elected parliament for a decade and presided over a cabinet that barely extended beyond Lutyen’s Delhi. The legend of economics led India to an economic debacle, never voiced his opinion or idea about his Govt’s policies neither did he take any interest in statecraft or possessed any imperial ambitions.

As the Indian rebellion of 1857 spread, Sepoy regiments seized Delhi. Seeking a figure that could unite all Indians, Hindus and Muslims alike, most rebelling Indian kings and the Indian regiments accepted Zafar as the Emperor of India, under whom the smaller Indian kingdoms would unite until the British were defeated. Zafar was the least threatening and least ambitious of monarchs, and the legacy of the Mughal Empire was more acceptable a uniting force to most allied kings than the domination of any other Indian kingdom.

In 2013 when Narendra Modi led BJP was emerging as invincible to form the next government, regional political kingdoms of Mulayam, Lalu, Pawar, Omar, Nitish or Yechuries were aligning against BJP towards blue turbaned Zafar.

The administration of the occupying army under leadership of Zafar was chaotic and troublesome, although it continued to function haphazardly. The Emperor nominated his eldest surviving son, Mirza Mughal, to be commander in chief of his forces, but Mirza Mughal had little military experience and was treated with little respect by the sepoys. Nor did the sepoys agree on any overall commander, with each regiment refusing to accept orders from any but their own officers.

Manmohan Singh’s cabinet was a bunch of monkeys … no, moneys are intelligent species, it was chaotic, crooked bunch of sycophants. Every other day one would hear a mega scam defeating the previous one. Manmohan too with the blessings of his almighty, saw nomination of dynasty’s revered son Rahul Gandhi to be the second in command, of Congress Party. The magnanimous Manmohan said “Rahul Gandhi would be the ideal choice for the post of Prime Minister and he would be very happy to work in the Congress under Rahul’s leadership”. Although Rahul like Mirza Mughal, made efforts to put the congress party in order, his writ extended no further than the 10 Janpath.

Zafar also had a staunch belief in ta’aviz or charms, especially as a palliative for his constant complaint of piles, or to ward off evil spells. During one period of illness, he gathered a group of Sufi pirs and told them that several of his wives suspected that some party or the other had cast a spell over him. Therefore, he requested them to take some steps to remedy this so as to remove all apprehension on this account. They replied that they would write off some charms for him. They were to be mixed in water which when drunk would protect him from the evil eye. A coterie of pirs and miracle workers were in constant attendance to the emperor. On their advice, he regularly sacrificed buffaloes and camels, buried eggs and arrested alleged black magicians, in addition to wearing a special ring that cured indigestion.

Manmohan also had a coterie of pirs and miracle workers namely Kapil Sibal who invented the ‘ZERO Loss Theory’ or Digvijay Singh for that matter who could swiftly blame RSS for each and every ill that India faced during Manmohan’d decade of decay.  Manmohan Singh is not known for any complains of piles or a believer of charms. Only his fascination for the ‘Blue Turban’ and permanently fixed constipated expression creates all the doubts.

When the victory of the British became certain, Bahadur Shah took refuge at Humayun’s Tomb and hid there. Company forces led by Major Williom Hodson surrounded the tomb and compelled his surrender on 20 September 1857. Bahadur Shah was tried for treachery and other criminality, and was found guilty on all charges. Respecting Hodson’s guarantee on his surrender, Bahadur Shah was not sentenced but exiled to Rangoon, Burma in 1858.

Manmohan Singh was despicably brave. Congress was torn apart by the people of India into 44 small pieces for the conduct of his loathsome governance, yet he did not take refuge to hide. He is also facing inquiry and also been summoned by Indian Court as accused, but his case won’t be finalised like Zafar’s in 40 odd days because government in charge is not headed by Hodson.

Bahadur Shah Zafar was a devout Sufi and prior to his accession, in his youth he made it a point to live and look like a poor scholar and dervish. In 1828, Major Archer reported, “Zafar is a man of spare figure and stature, plainly apparelled, almost approaching to meanness. His appearance is that of an indigent munshi or teacher of languages”. Manmohan Singh did’nt have to put efforts to look like either a ‘scholar, or a ‘munshi’, it was stamped on his personality. Zafar was an accomplished Urdu poet and calligrapher. Even in defeat it is traditionally believed that he said:

” ग़ज़लों में बू रहेगी जब तलक ईमान की; तख्त-ए-लंडन तक चलेगी तेघ् हिन्दुस्तान की”

(As long as there remains the scent of faith in the hearts of our Gazals, so long shall the Sword of Hindustan flash before the throne of London).

Manmohan Singh was no less. Even when the whole of India was outraged and wanted an explanation from him of limitless scams of his government he was found saying this:

“हज़ारों जवाबों से अच्छी है मेरी खामोशी; न जाने कितने सवालों की आबरू रखी”

Emperor Bahadur Shah never in life would have imagined that some in India would also see him as a freedom fighter fighting for India’s independence from the Company, but Manmohan Singh certainly knows how history will judge him.