History repeats itself! Because Humans reproduce themselves!! Following the Telangana's unprecedented struggle for creation of a new State for the region invariably reminds us of several epoch-making events of the History. The English East India Company - a trading company at the outset could later rule the country for 2 centuriess because of traitorous Indians siding with them at the very critical moments. The Battle of Plassey, undoubtedly the decisive battle that paved the way for British rule in India is a case in point.
Robert Clive who fought battles against the French successfully was deputed to fight the young Nawab - Siraj-ud-daula. Clive used treachery as his main weapon. He induced Mir Jafar - a commander in Siraj's army with the Throne of Bengal if he colludes with the British. Mir Jafar along with some other traitors sided with the British and turned the guns against their own Bengal Army. The Battle of Plassey was no exhibition of strength but of treachery, to state the obvious fact. The victorious British instated Mir Jafar as the Nawab. The puppet Nawab reciprocated with humongous amount of money as war indemnity and bribes to the British officials. But Mir Jafar soon realised his folly and knew that the thirst for the money and presents of the British can never be quenched. When Mir Jafar started to question this, he was removed from the office citing incompetence as reason. He was replaced by another puppet ruler Mir Qasim. Unlike Mir Jafar, Qasim was quick to reassert the independence of the Nawab much to the displeasure of the British. Then in Battle of Buxar the Nawab was defeated to be reinstated by Mir Jafar again. Followed that was history - that looked 'an eternal gloom for India '!
There were Mir Jafars. There are and there will be. Time and space may differ but their modus operandi remains the same just as their masters' barbaric means to achieve the rapacious ends. What would also not change is the ignominy they face at the end of the story!
The EIC, initially was interested in getting trade concessions from the Emperors of India and Nawabs of Bengal. They got the privileges in the form of duty-free trade by means of dastaks. Dastaks are like passes which will be given to the Company. The passes were not to be used by the officials for their private trade. However, the greedy Company officials started misusing the passes and even started selling them to other Indian traders thereby depriving the Indian rulers huge tax money. Worse still, they started levying exorbitant taxes on Indian goods and Indian merchants. However, Bengal with a streak of able and self-respecting rulers did not tolerate this. Siraj-ud-daula, the young Bengal ruler attacked the British cantonments and factories and made them to flee to an island - Fulta island - in the Bay of Bengal. The Young Nawab was amateurish in celebrating the victory while the cunning British were cooking the conspiracies from the sea. The British realized that they needed a puppet as the Nawab for their interests to be served unhindered.
Though separated by centuries in time, the Telangana political leaders of the day are playing Mir Jafar of that age. When the shameless Seemandhra leaders took to coercion and did a volte face within hours of the Decemer 9th statement from the Governement of India, the Telangana leaders withdrew from performing their Dhrama. Worse still, some of them became hand-in-glove with the Seemandhra leadership targeting those who are relentless in their fight for the Statehood. The Seemandhra leaders' colonial doctrine of 'divide and rule' was put in place and these leaders are more than willing to play Mir Jafar. The subservient Telangana TDP leaders' attacks on people questioning their party's stand on the issue and the chameleon Babu's veiled contempt for the pro-Telangana TDP leaders deserved them the title Mir Jafar in 'Group category'. The acceptance of Deputy CM post by Damodara Rajnarsimha, Deputy Speaker post by Bhatti Vikramarka is another case in point. When hundreds of agitators died and thousands put their life at risk participating in the movement these spineless leaders once again bargained self respect for the power. The irony of the Telangana movement is that people's fight for throwing the Seemandhra vested interests yoke resulted in the selection of their puppets to the high office! Another duo of Danam Nagender and Mukesh Goud have been living Mir Jafar to the core. But the 'Best Mir Jafar enactment' must go to Sangareddy MLA T. Jayaprakash Reddy. When the Congress leaders announced their decision to resign en masse, he became the lone hope for the Seemadhra leaders and vested interests - not to forget the Seemandhra news channels. Can't help but feel pity of the anti-Telangana movement!
There were Mir Jafars. There are and there will be. Time and space may differ but their modus operandi remains the same just as their masters' barbaric means to achieve the rapacious ends. What would also not change is the ignominy they face at the end of the story!
3 comments:
'Mir Jafars' are there and will be there in the society. Good thing is that people of telangana are noticing them through media.
They are in impression that with few people (paid party workers) around them, they can comment anything on the statehood of telangana. But they are forgetting that party workers will leave once they loose power, but people will be with those leaders,who support there struggle for basic rights.
Cant agree with you more Madhav !
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