Shiban Khaibri
On the horrendous assassination of Journalist Shujaat Bhukhari , the golden words that “the pen shall supersede the sword” get a lot of credence and plausibility and the occasion reminds us about a famous poem of a well known Scottish poet Charles Mackay which we used to innocently chant in our School days , perhaps , not evaluating the contents then which , now , have proved to possess a lot of potential of generating hope that ” A good time coming ; Wait a little longer ” . The poem captioned “The Good Time Coming” has a golden axiom, an irrefutable truth, a heavily laden truism and a perceptible declaration that “The pen shall supersede the sword”. This line of phenomenal depth of truth must make the trigger happy , swords wielding – misled , deluded and grossly mistaken people in Kashmir queasiest. Shujaat became a martyr for upholding the tenets of journalism, his pen or for that matter any journalist’s pen, writing fearlessly, courageously and truthfully shall never get killed. The greatest thing about the macabre incident is that the victim and his pen shall always be remembered and earn tributes.
Debates, thoughts, discussions, arguments and the like are stronger in this civilized world than bullets and cannons and the poet says,…”But thought is a weapon stronger; we will win our battle with its aid, wait a little longer. The pen shall supersede the sword ; And right , not might shall be the lord……..The proper impulse has been given; Wait a little longer…” Nearly two hundred years back, these words spoken by the poet are going to prove right in Kashmir which is pathetically reeling under Pakistani sponsored armed terrorism and religious hatred for the last three decades.
A patriot, a proud son of the country, Rifleman Aurangzeb attained martyrdom when the brave Indian military man, on leave was travelling home to celebrate Eid with his family and was abducted from a vehicle, tortured and martyred. The shrieks of his mother holding the photo of the brave son close to her chest wailing and hysterically crying, must have melted stones around and his father, himself having retired as an Army person , though grieving for the irreparable loss, was wondering how and why the cowards did an act which even a Satan would not do and why these marauders and killers were not sternly dealt with. Two days earlier, two selection grade personnel of the state Police were martyred who , minutes before had talked to their family members about joining them to celebrate the Eid. What purpose , one wonders , was going to be achieved by the agent saboteurs and trained mercenaries of Pakistan by spilling blood of innocents in such a way, excepting death and destruction but how long and how much? Again , in the words of the poet…” War in all men’s eyes shall be a monster of iniquity ; In the good times coming , Nations shall not quarrel then , to prove which is the stronger; Nor slaughter men for glory’s sake ;- Wait a little longer….” Respectful big salute to martyrs, whose martyrdom shall never go waste.
We are, in the run up for 2019 elections poised for “learning” and “knowing new and unbelievable ones, call it compulsion or just an exposure to galling and exasperating situation and that also, from the President of the Grand Old Party who dug out the antecedents of the founder of Coca- Cola to have been selling :”Shikanji” . Shikanji , he elaborated a process where “sugar was added to water” and an ordinary Dhabawala (food joint owner) rose to become McDonalds . “Their skills were recognized and rewarded”, trying to vain fully and aimlessly mock the Prime Minister as only two issues , he parrots to harp on to an extent of eliciting nausea and irritation – Modi and the RSS. For every problem in this country of 1350 million and persisting for the last six decades , he must religiously put the blame on the RSS and his bête noire Modi. He put a question to Modi albeit the gathering, “Show me one person who runs a Dhaba and has sent up a coca-cola in India .Ford was a mechanic , so was Honda.” It may be recalled that he has a model of fast Economic Development , perhaps authored by him, known as “Escape Velocity Economic Model” which he made a mention of in his “address” to a gathering of economically not so well off, as back as in 2013. The only reaction to this intricate complex and vexatious explosion of the dashing, all innovative and revolutionary economic model was that he lost more than half of the audience whilst trying to explain his “model” .
His attack on his bugaboo Modi Ji about “helping only a few industrialists” and not keeping the Bank vaults open for whosoever wanted money had been, perhaps done during the “illustrious” 10 year rule of Phases 1 and 2 of the UPA, if fugitive Vijay Mallya and others are any indications of mounting NPAs of many Banks in India. Without taking sides, Jan Dghan Yojna and Mudra Yojna have demolished any barriers between the Banks and the honest, hard working Shikanji walas, Dhabha walas, mechanics, artisans, professionals and tiny and micro enterprises. Analogies and comparisons must be such to get easily swallowed, not forcefully thrust down the throat holding the nose by a tight pinch. Charles Macky’s poem under reference, is apt to be again quoted. Says he, ” Worth – not birth shall rule mankind ; And be acknowledged stronger ; The proper impulse has been given …but wait a bit little longer…”
We have “experienced” a lot of Samajwad and in abundance, during Samajwadi rule in the state of Uttar Pradesh. One such “towering personality” from the Samajwad lot is “secular” Aazam Khan. He had sent a massive Police force hunting and retrieving within hours his thieved buffaloes even if for months criminals would not be apprehended during his Raj. He, unlike his ally Rahul Ji is sharp in firing satirical bows , at times , though being of below the average standard, has not taken “kindly” the morning fitness and yogic exercises of the Prime Minister and when he was asked a pointed question where he could have not easily avoided bats in his belfry, very wisely but intentionally exclaimed , “Desh unfit magar PM fit” . Imagine, if he would have been unlucky one to have taken birth in Russia where President Vladimir Putin starts his morning fitness programme with two hours swimming, to a tough crazy workout and does much of his thinking done during his three and an half hours strict fitness schedule which includes, curiously, playing with his dog , riding horses, spear fishing etc, what would have been his comments , definitely not what he has spoken against Modi mockingly . The poor PM neither swims, nor rides horses nor goes to gym and never spear fishes but walks bare footed on pebbles, stones and grass, but Samajwadi secular Aazam Khan, finds problem in that.
Four CMs of the country leaving their files behind are morally and physically supporting Kejriwal who has been taking rest for the last few days on sofas along with his four “nears” in Lt. Governor’s cozy AC room and with this Rahul Ji’s apple cart is shaking if not upset as yet, for 2019 scheming, of course. Sounding strangely incredible, indeed.
Concluding, again with the same poem- A good time coming; The people shall be temperate: And shall love instead of hate:…They shall use and not abuse: And make all virtue stronger: It will be a strong enough one day: Wait a little longer.”
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