It does not take more time for Indian political chameleons to change colours: Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh is known for such experiences since 1857. Once a Sardar of Peshwa the Maharaja of Gwalior Jiyajirao Scindia refused to support the “First War of Independence” in 1857 and supported the East India Company. Swatantraveer Savarkar described the Maratha Maharaja as “Cobra, traitor and a coward” who led to slavery of India for next nine decades. Present day ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state and at the Centre reminded the Scindias of their past action of 1857 during the bye election held in May 2017 calling Jayajirao Scindia a traitor trying to attack his Congress descendant Jyotiraditya Scindia branding with his forefathers. Of course, when the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh and the national General Secretary of BJP Kailas Vijayvargiya must have forgotten that the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia was the founder Vice President of their party and two of her daughters Vasundhara Raje and Yashodhara Raje were the leaders of BJP.
March 2020 brings a change and the leadership of BJP declared the same “Maharaja” Jyotiraditya a hero who was instrumental in installing Shivraj Singh Government by demolishing the Congress-led Kamal Nath Government! It be reminded that in 1967 one of the closest friends of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and a Congress MP Rajmata Scindia left Congress following refusal of ministerial berth. She joined Jan Sangh and was instrumental in formation of Sanyukt Vidhyak Dal ministry in Madhya Pradesh. Her son Madhavrao Scindia remained with Jan Sangh but opted to join Congress to have long lasting career as a Congress MP and Union Minister till his death in a plane crash. His son Jyotiraditya who lost his Lok Sabha election in May 2019 and was denied the Chief Ministerial berth in the state also remained with the Congress till he joined the BJP in March 2020.
The Rani Laksmi bai of Jhansi had cautioned Nanasaheb Peshwa, her co-leader in the Revolution of 1857 along with Tatia (Tatya) Tope, but the Scindia ditched even his ancestors’ boss for safeguarding his own interest at the cost of Swaraj and Swadharma. Barrister Savarkar writes: “They had written to the Scindia, ‘We are coming to you, so that we shall be enabled to proceed towards the south.’ But this ungrateful man had forgotten the former relations. Well then, remember the former and the present relations too. ‘The ancestors of the Scindia were our servants, our Hujres-that was the former relation. And, the present relation? The whole army of the present Scindia had joined us. Tatia had gone to Gwalior, seen the leaders, and gained all necessary information!’ But still, forgetting all this the Scindia, with all his army and all his guns, advanced on the Peshwa on the 1st of June, near Gwalior. The Shrimant (Peshwa) who deserves the respect of the whole country thought for a moment that the Scindia had repented and was coming forward to salute the flag of Swadesh. But, Lakshmi said that he was coming, not to salute, but to smash that golden flag. She came forward with her three hundred horsemen and advanced right on the guns of the Scindia. Soon, she caught the view of Jayajirao Scindia and his personal guard the brave ‘Bhaleghate’ troops. The cobra shows not such rage when it is trodden upon as Lakshmi showed at the sight of this traitor!”
Savarkar describes; “Jayajirao Scindia, coward as he was, and his minister, Dinkar Rao, fled, not only from the field, but from Gwalior itself, and ran to Agra!....how can he who goes against his own country and against his own Dharma be a ruler ? …. On 3 June 1857, a big Durbar was held in Phul Bagh. All Sirdars, statesmen, noblemen, shiledars, and cavalry officers, who joined the Shrimant, took their seats according to their rank. Tatia Tope and the Arabs, Rohillas, Pathans, Rajputs, Rangdes, Pardeshis, and others under him came to Durbar in their military uniform and with swords by their side. The Shrimant himself was dressed in the Peshwa’s uniform Shirpana and Kalgitura on head, pearls in his ears, and pearl and diamond necklaces, round his neck…..all stood up in reverence, salutes were received, and the Shrimant ascended the throne.” The victory over Gwalior was celebrated but Lakshmi was missing since she preferred the battlefield to the Durbar. Lieutenant Rose attacked Gwalior and captured it too. Away from there even the Rani was killed. Thus ended the last organized resistance of the Rebellion. In the famous words of Rose, she was the “best and bravest of the rebel leaders”.
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s celebrated poem “Jhansi ki Rani” is being recited even today by the people of India, presenting the darling queen; but the Government of Rajasthan headed by Vasundhara Raje Scindia got the poem removed from the school textbooks since it presented the Scindia ancestors in bad light. Of course, it raised a controversy. The RSS leader, Kanaiya Lal Chaturvedi openly challenged the Scindia government’s decision saying it was a historical fact that the Scindia of Gwalior sided with the British in 1857. Vasundhara’s mother, Rajmata Vijaya Raje, in her autobiography, “Rajpath se Lokpath par”, tried to influence the readers to believe that the Maharaja of Gwalior, Jayajirao, was a nationalist and tried to help the Peshwa under whom the natives tried to challenge the English rule in 1857. Most of the historians have come to the conclusion that the Scindia sided with the British. Savarkar preferred to call him “a Cobra and a Traitor”. And now unfortunately, the Indian political chameleons are busy making efforts to change or rewrite the Indian history.
Next Column: A reformist Rajarshi of Kolhapur Shahu Chhatrapati
Photo-lines:
1.Maharaja Jiyajirao Scindia who was branded as traitor by Savarkar
2.The Titular Maharaja Jyotiraditya Scindia being received by BJP President J.P. Nadda
