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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, December 1: Delhi Chief Secretary Omesh Saigal is not the only officer in the Indian Administrative Service with a penchant for creative writing, but is perhaps the first one to write a book on Gandhi — Never Gandhi, Not Again. The Mahatma, says Saigal “was a mediocre man who broke out of all of social limitations to become one of the most influential figures of the century.” He has chosen verse to tell the story of Gandhi’s life and plans to have it staged as an opera.
Now, he has his Song of Mahatma published in Hindi at the initiative of the Delhi Hindi Academy. Mahaprana Gandhi: Amar Kavya Gatha, the Hindi version was translated by Ram Prakash. To be released on Friday at a glittering show, Saigal has lined up political heavyweights from the BJP (L.K. Adavni, Murli Manohar Joshi, Arun Jaitley) and the Congress (P.M. Sayeed, Sheila Dikshit) to share the stage. “The Magic of Mahatma,” he calls it.
This is the second attempt. The first time was when I was 17 or 18. I called it Bapu: A study in Verse. It was an emotional response. My elder sister badly wanted to come to Delhi to meet Gandhi. This was around ’47. Father said she could come later. But it was too late. We realised that Gandhi was not a Taj Mahal or a Qutub Minar, a monument which one could visit anytime. From then on Gandhi was invested in my memory. In my personal history in a strange way.
Why now? Is it because he seems to be emerging as West’s most favourite Asian?
Our studies on Gandhi have never been as multi-dimensional as Western biographies. Mine is no different. I sat on it for a long time. The main reason why I chose this time was because I am convinced that we are passing through the same kind of transition as we were in the ’20s, before he appeared on the scene and changed history of our national politics. We need to understand that life and that he was one of us.
But what was Gandhi? A mediocre man who could break out of social limitations of his time to emerge as one of the most influential men of the century, with an entire country for a following. His achievements were limited to begin with. After 25 years struggle in Africa all he could achieve was the abolition of Å“3 tax.
What about the Indian national movement? Gandhi did have a social impact.
For a short period, yes. The common man could identify with him. He could transform a despondent and divergent India into a resurgent nation. He confidence was infectious. He could bring people like the Nehrus and the Jinnahs out of their drawing room on to the street. That was his achievement. But it is a fact that we could forgot him fast enough. His dreams were never addressed.
Today’s leaders are woefully lacking in vision. It is against them that he seems to be completely un-reachable. The government now is of ragtag politicos.
What made you chose verse? Biographies are rarely written in meters. Did the poet get the better of the biographer?
It is a Hindu tradition to write on great men in verse. (On second thoughts)…I mean, the great Indian tradition. It’s wasn’t a spontaneous thing (Rabindrath) Tagore’s Ekla chalo re’.
In fact, it was a studied response. Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha which made the Red (American Indian) hero an unforgettable character inspired me. Of course, in my case the equation is quite the opposite.
How much research went into the book?
Not much really. I’ve flipped through the 100 volumes of Gandhi. Apart from that I read the more classical biographies. I’ve taken generous help from Sarojini Naidu. But none of the recent ones which tend to make him out to be a wily politician, even costume-conscious! What they miss is that Gandhi took a lot from Hindu philosophy and was a Catholic in lifestyle.
