How can one live without humour? Even when during the freedom movement in India, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mualana Azad and other leaders were in jail, they cracked jokes and enjoyed laughing at each other or even at self. One would hardly expect the serious personalities like Gandhi and Patel having such lighter moments but after all they were human beings and could not resist laughing while enjoying jokes or lighter comments. In his book, “The Elephant, the Tiger & the Cell-phone: Reflections on India in the 21 st Century”, Shashi Tharoor notes: “There is, sadly, very little evidence today that Mahatma Gandhi’s puckish sense of humour is inherited by his political heirs. Asked once what he thought of western civilization, the Mahatma replied, ‘It is a good idea.’ Upbraided for going to Buckingham Palace in his loincloth for an audience with the King-Emperor, Gandhi retorted, ‘His Majesty had enough clothes for two of us.’ Gandhiji was an exception: the Indian nationalist leaders and politicians who followed them in general a pretty humourless lot.” Of course, none can match Nehru. He knew how to laugh at himself. One may come across, “Don’t Spare Me, Shankar”, a compilation of about 400 of 1,500 cartoons Shankar, the renowned cartoonist of 1950s and 60s, drew of Nehru, most of them for his magazine, Shankar’s Weekly. Nehru enjoyed a hearty laugh- often at his own expense.
One would not be surprised if the medical practitioners come up with a conclusion after carrying out a survey of present-day Indian politicians and Ministers that to live longer one should be lighter in life and enjoy laughing. The most glaring example has been Vajubhai Vala, the Governor of Karnataka, who unlike other colleagues in Gujarat Ministry, was known for cracking jokes and making everybody lighter. “Humour and wit are gradually fading away from Parliamentary proceedings as members are apprehensive as to what colour the 24x7 (media) would give to even one proverb they utter,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. He was speaking at a function at which Arun Jaitley, Karan Singh and Sharad Yadav were presented the outstanding Parliamentarian awards by the then President Pranab Mukherjee in the presence of the then Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in August 2014. Modi recalled a barb by Sushma Swaraj on Sharad Pawar during a function in Parliament some decades back dubbing him as Lalita Pawar (veteran actress known for her negative roles) and added while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader thoroughly enjoyed the remarks, there was no proper coverage of the lighter banter. Even the Finance Minister of India, Arun Jaitley, feels that humour and satire, which had a place in most democracies, are losing their space in the Indian political discourse. “There was a lot of place for humour and satire in Indian politics, which slowly has come to an end.” Jaitley recollects the use of humour and satire by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well as late parliamentarians, Piloo Mody and Madhu Dandavate. But unfortunately, the phase has come when Rahul Gandhi, the Congress President and a Lok Sabha MP, tweets using the spelling of Jaitley as “Jaitlie” sarcastically, the ruling party moves a motion of Privilege against the opposition MP in the Parliament or a cartoonist is arrested by the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, in West Bengal!
Hilarious humour is recorded by Mahadev Desai, the Mahatma’s secretary, in the Diaries between Gandhi and Patel. Bina Rathva, a tribal research scholar at Sardar Patel Research Institute-CERLIP, brought out a book “Sardar Patelno Vinod” (SPV) with such episodes which may change the image of both Mahatma and Patel as serious leaders. She was so impressed by both the charectors that even for her Doctoral research preferred to take up “Humour of Gandhi and Sardar”. As such right from the childhood days, not only Barrister Vallbhbhai but his elder brother, Barrister Vitthalbhai Patel, who became the first Indian President of the Central Legislature of India, was also known for enacting humourous actions. Both the brothers used to enjoy such innocent mischievous acts with malice towards none. As Gopalkrishna Gandhi writes : “Gandhi loved Nehru, trusted (Rajendra) Prasad, admired Rajaji, esteemed (Maulana) Azad. But Patel, he leaned on and laughed with. Patel regarded Gandhi as his mentor, his leader.” On 11 June 1932 at Pune’s Yerwada Jail, when Bapu said ( in a somber mood, contemplating death): “ Some day or other one must mount the shoulders of the bearers”, Patel was quick to convey: “Bring the ship to shore first and then go anywhere you like.” Of course, the Mahatma died on 30 January 1948 after India got Independence on 15 August 1947! As Vallbhbhai told Bapu in jail that he would like to be a Sanyasi after independence, Patel never aspired to be the Prime Minister or even the Minister. Even as the Deputy Prime Minister, he was so devoted to the nation that at the time of his death, his bank balance was just Rs.262!
Sardar offered services as a Principal !
Gandhiji was having a brainstorming on the Nationalist Education system with various scholars. He had thought of establishing Gujarat Vidyapith(Established in 1920) at Ahmedabad. Discussion was on who should be appointed the Principal of the College. Everybody was discussing and giving a thought on various options but could not zeroed down a suitable name. Vallabhbhai in a lighter way offered his services as a Principal saying : “ If you cannot get any, make me the Principal. I am quite capable of making the students forget what they have learnt.” Everybody including Gandhiji laughed, but the Mahatma could understand the pun Sardar made about the educated Indians who behave like Englishmen! (SPV)
Making Buffalos the Cows
Sardar Patel was the main organizer of the Congress Convention at Haripura, Surat in 1938. Subhash Chandra Bose was to preside over and top leaders of Indian National Congress including Mahatma Gandhi were to attend. The Mahatma was keen that every delegate should get cow milk. He conveyed it to Vallabhbhai. The Sardar replied promptly, “Don’t worry. It will be arranged. We have lot many buffalos in Kheda district and will convert them into cows by painting them white!” Gandhiji was taken aback. He asked him again: “Do you get me? We have to serve only cow milk.” Sardar Patel told him not to worry and Gandhiji was relaxed. Patel used to make fun of Gandhi.He not only arranged the cows for providing milk to each delegate but gifted those cows to the farmers after the convention. (SPV)
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(The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail : [email protected] )
