1857: Some rare eyewitness accounts By Amar Nath Wadehra

Sarguzashte inquilab 1857 compiled by Kashmiri Lal Zakir and Prof. Sadiq

Mayyar Publications, Delhi. Pages: 176. Price: Rs. 150/-

Call it Sepoy Mutiny, India’s First War of Independence or the last hurrah/gasp of India’s effete princely states, there is little doubt that it was a cataclysmic event that firmly established the British as the subcontinent’s undisputed masters. The revolt lasted nearly two years. After the British annexed the kingdom of Oudh in 1856, many sepoys of the Bengal Army – who actually hailed from the areas comprising UP and MP – felt that their traditions were being trampled upon. When the East India Company issued new rifles along with cartridges greased with the fat of cows and pigs both Hindus and Muslims were outraged. On May 10, 1857, at Meerut, 85 soldiers, who had been chained for refusing to use the cartridges, were freed by their comrades. After killing many officers, the mutineers set out for Delhi, which they captured. Violence, anarchy and bloodshed touched the zenith reminding one of a couplet: har ek dasht-e-kaza mein kashaan kashaan pahuncha/jahan ki khaak thi jis jis ki woh wahaan pahuncha (Every one sooner or later reached the desert of death; arriving at the place to which his dust (body) belonged).

Contrary to the popular perception, in these hitherto ignored accounts, the rebels do not emerge as idealistic, gallant freedom fighters although the likes of Karl Marx had descried the rebellion as a befitting response to the treachery and venery of the British. This anthology comprises writings by those who were alive in those days and had been victims of or witnesses to all-round savagery, and the notorious disunity among Indians. There was no dearth of quislings, collaborators and tergiversators in the subcontinent that put paid to the aspirations of genuine seekers of liberty.

Ghalib describes the events in Delhi that took place between 11 May and 31 July 1857. The rebels, who had come from outside, were helped by the Indian soldiers in the Delhi garrison. Communication, mail and transport were disrupted and the “Quiladar Sahib” and “Agent Bahadur” were murdered. He calls the rebel soldiers namak haraam. He considers the rise of the British inevitable, and rationalizes that the destruction of one entity becomes the basis for the rise of another.

Fazal Khairabadi was a vocal critic of the British who had issued fatwa declaring jehad against them. He was arrested and exiled to the Andamans, where he died in 1861. Giving graphic details of various conflicts he mentions how, when the desperate British asked “western Hindus” for help, Maharaja Narinder Singh of Patiala and ‘dishonest Muslims’ helped them. He also alludes to Bahadur Shah’s escape to Humayun’s mausoleum where he was subsequently captured.

Another eyewitness, Abdul Latif, used to publish a Persian language paper. Although he had chronologically recorded the events from 11 May to 4 September reports only up to 11 June are available. Perhaps those accounts pertained to atrocities by the British and were deleted. He narrates how the embers of mutiny lit up in Meerut reached Delhi as inferno. He too terms the rebels namak haram and ehsaan faramosh. They killed the officers, looted and burnt their homes, broke open the jails and freed the criminal inmates who joined the mutineers in murder and pillage. Those dressed in western clothes were killed indiscriminately. Capt Douglas, who looked after the Red Fort’s security and Simon, the Resident, requested the Mughal King to issue a ‘hokum’ to put down the revolt. Latif further writes, ‘Those who tried to maintain the law and order were mercilessly put to sword. In brief, this namak haram and bad-anjam lashkar’s atrocities put even Changez Khan’s massacre to shade.’ On 16 May Bahadur Shah ordered Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan to put down the rebels with heavy hand. On 26 May, Kanwarjit Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala’s representative, came with supplies in support of the British.

Moinuddin Hassan Khan, who was kotwal of Paharganj, had saved Metcalf’s life from the rebels. Metcalf got his eyewitness account Khadang-e-gadar translated and published in English in 1898. The original manuscript remained unpublished till 1972 when Khwaja Ahmed Farrukhi published it as Aag-o-khoon ja-ba-ja. He repeats the gory story, but recounts some tragic-comic episodes too. For example a rumour in Hissar of a fight between the rebels and British forces on Id-ul-fitr (25 May) turned out to be a scrap between the local Dogar and Mali communities. At Allahabad, one Maulvi Liaquat Ali declared himself as Imam and began instigating people against the British. Freebooters and riff raff became his followers. Encouraged, he declared himself a Khalifa and started holding court. But when the British forces came looking for him he found himself abandoned by his followers, and fled. Later he was arrested in Bombay and sentenced to death. At Danapur rebels tried to smoke out besieged British soldiers by burning sackfuls of red chilies. Unfortunately the wind changed direction and the acrid smoke made them run helter-skelter.

Sayyed Zaheer-ud-din Zaheer Dehlvi says in Yam-e-gadar mein dekhi-suni that realizing their wakening position the rebels requested Bahadur Shah to flee with them but he declined. Later, one Sanders escorted the king to Delhi. At the Delhi Darwaza Sanders made him witness the massacre of civilians by the British forces. Thereafter the king was taken to his abode. Next day Bahadur Shah’s sons, daughters, grandchildren etc, numbering about 30, were rounded up and beheaded and their heads presented to him.

Pt. Kanhaiyya Lal’s inquilab-e-1857 gives details of the battles in the territory comprising modern Haryana. There is also a mention of Hindu traders pleading with the British officials to save them from Muslim looters.

Mrs. Hortistit’s memoirs were translated into Urdu by Zafar Taban as Gadar Kay Manazir. She was a French woman married to an Englishman. She too affirms that Indians – like Maharaja of Patiala and other rulers in Punjab, Rajasthan and elsewhere helped the British re-establish and perpetuate their rule.

The events of 1857 certainly coalesced feudal interests with the rising popular resentment against the firangi. This eventually metamorphosed into a powerful and focused nationwide movement that gave birth to a united Republic of India in 1947.

This volume is a welcome addition to the saga of India’s freedom struggle.

The Tribune

Life, death and strategic management By Randeep Wadehra

Life is, death is not compiled & edited by Satjit Wadva

Lahore Book Shop, Ludhiana. Pages: 160. Price: Rs. 300/-

Since time immemorial sages, seers, philosophers and assorted thinkers have been trying to understand the phenomenon of death and purpose of life. Hinduism and other Hindic religions look upon death as a transition period for the soul to shed its old garb and don a new one. But, this is not a definitive view as concepts of moksha, swarg, narak, rebirth and karma lend sophistication to the entire phenomenon. Most of the other religions like Islam and Christianity look upon death as final. However, death keeps us obsessed; it looms large on our subconscious. No wonder literature is full of it. John Donne remarks, ‘Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.’ Tennyson puts a pithy poser, ‘A day less or more/At sea or ashore, /We die – does it matter when?’ And, Osho has the last word, “We don’t know what life is then how can we know what death is… Life is; death is not!’

This collection summarizes various religions’ views on the subject in its first part. The second part has articles, poems and anecdotes by the likes of Ghalib, Gibran, Khushwant Singh, Amrita Pritam et al. It ends with enumeration of the last rites prescribed by different religions.

Competing with the best by Rajnish Karki

Penguin Portfolio. Pages: xi+242. Price: Rs. 450/-

When opening up of the Indian economy was being debated during Rajiv Gandhi’s regime the late Prem Bhatia had strongly advocated glasnost in the columns of The Tribune, articulating full confidence in the Indian business community’s ability to take on foreign competition successfully. Today, the Tatas, Ambanis, Birlas, Mittals et al have vindicated his stand which he had taken at a time when non-socialist utterances were still considered heresy. Today India Inc has become a respectable entity in the global corporate world thanks to its aggressive and innovative strategic management techniques. Karki seeks to evolve new strategic management approaches that are practicable and should stand our companies in good stead in the global arena. The chapters Corporate Configurations, India-Focused Configurations and others – especially the case studies provided therein – can prove rewarding to tycoons and management students alike.

The Tribune

Awards, honors and games politicos play by Randeep Wadehra

It’s a cliché but television is a powerful medium and cricket a great crowd-puller-cum-opiate; further, Twenty20 is the latest craze if only for the fact that the men in blue are current world champs in this version. This potent combination didn’t go unexploited by Punjab’s politicos. They held a Congress XI versus Akali-BJP XI T20 match at Mohali which was duly telecast by Zee Punjabi. Although the camera understandably focused largely on politicians and partly on spectators, it also panned, occasionally, on the physically challenged invitees to buttress the organizers’ claim that they were holding a charity match. But this wasn’t the only reason touted for the show. According to Sukhbir Badal it was meant for promoting amicability among the ruling and opposition parties by inculcating the game’s vaunted values of sportsmanship, ignoring the current wisdom that it’s no more a gentleman’s game, whatever the version. This became manifest when Parkash Singh Badal took a swipe at his bête noire on the issue of “vendetta politics” even as he assumed grandfatherly mien while advising the legislators to cooperate in the smooth running of legislative proceedings. So, even while one was puzzling over the purpose of the entire razzmatazz one espied Rajinder Kaur Bhattal seated on a sofa, looking forlorn, wearing a baffled smile. One wonders why. Even if the Congressmen had lost the match, the political fraternity had won. After all who is going to remember the handicapped guests after their fifteen seconds exposure to dubious limelight? The actual winner? Politicians. And we know that winner takes all.

Then there was this news clipping of Punjab’s sportspersons being honored. All one saw was a less than ten seconds shot of happy recipients and more than a minute long footage of a garlanded Sukhbir Badal being ‘honoured’ by an official. Period.

Another netaji who has become adept at drawing public attention and scoring brownie points with his constituency is MS Bitta of the Anti-Terrorist-Front fame. Sensing an opportunity in the growing popularity of Kashmir Singh he too decided to organize a function to honor the alleged spy who came back from the cold. Using superlatives in praise of the guest Bitta exhorted the government to get other ‘brave sons of India’ released from Pakistani prisons. Now that he has studied neta log quite closely since his return one wonders whether Kashmir too is contemplating becoming one – the ruminative expression on his face seemed to indicate as much. The symbiosis between popularity, politics and pelf is natural, enduring and alluring in the extant milieu. Let’s not forget how the media helped assorted politicians extract political mileage out of the Sarabjit issue. Now, reportedly, his hanging has been postponed to 30^th of April. Enough time for Punjab’s politicos to switch over from cricket to the more familiar game of political ducks and drakes.

The Scarlette Story By Amar Nath Wadehra & Randeep Wadehra

Why do we watch television? For infotainment of course. But what is infotainment? Information + entertainment of course. How does one discern which one is which? Stupid question? Not really. But let us first admit that information can be entertaining – as you would have discovered while watching Discovery, National Geographic and History channels – and entertainment, on television, can be informative; the socio-cultural snippets about the place where a cricket test match is being held, for example. Understandably not all information is entertaining, and not all entertainment informative. Both can be repulsive too. And, of late, revulsion has come to impact one’s sensibilities in a big way thanks to the crass handling of crime related news stories, lending infotainment an odious odorat.

Crime is not merely reported, it is dwelt upon lingeringly in various TV news channels. Obnoxious details and images hit you hard on the nose. Whether it is Star News or Aaj Tak telecasting live the lynching of a chain snatcher in Bihar or Zee News giving gory details of domestic violence/crime in its Crime Reporter show, one detects more than a hint of scoopophilia. The slant in newscasts by channels like NDTV and IBN7 is decidedly pro-upper middle class. They either ignore the hinterland or cover only such happenings that impact upon urban lifestyle. But sensationalism and hypocrisy are not limited to these channels alone. There are no honourable exceptions, lamentably. Let us contextualize the latest example from Goa.

A fifteen year old is raped and murdered on the silvery sands of Goa. The local police try to be casual about it and would have got away too, but for a minor detail. Scarlette was a White Brit. On learning this, our electronic media went hyper-active. The police was hauled over the coals. The latter got respite in time when the British tabloid press dug up the victim’s mother Fiona’s “credentials”. The tone and tenor of our television chatterboxes changed perceptibly all at once. Horror was replaced with disdain, condescension and other attitudinal hues reserved for non-PLUs. Worse, there was an element of morbid voyeurism in the way the injury marks on Scarlette’s body were repeatedly splashed across the screen and “extracts” from “her diary” read out; shedding the sensitivity that was so abundant when Jessica Lal and Shivani Bhatnagar murder cases were televised a few years ago.

This skewed sensibility, this hypocrisy, was quite manifesting during the Getanjali Nagpal case too. On at least two news channels the troubled girl – whose marriage and budding modeling career had gone awry – was hounded by assorted journalists who, embarrassingly, had joined the onlookers in sniggering at her. Things changed dramatically once her German husband called from abroad reiterating his love for her. Mercifully, the girl has since been allowed to be rehabilitated in peace. But what takes the cake is that the same anchors who were earlier busy painting Getanjali in all the lurid hues suddenly started claiming credit for “rescuing” her from her predicament. With unashamedly straight faces too.

Coming back to the Scarlette case, things touched the nadir during NDTV’s We, the people show. What should have been a searching interrogation of the working of the police and the state government, turned into an inquisition targeting Fiona’s parenting. One wonders what the proceedings would have been like if she were an upper class Briton with exactly the same traits as she reportedly has at present.

A star on the make

He loves to display his six-pack abs and jackets – not simultaneously though. He has a collection of 150 jackets from all around the world including Australia where he had gone for the Singh is King shoot. Son of a much awarded academic, Dr. Saroj Sood from Moga, Sonu Sood is himself an electronics engineer making his mark as actor in Bollywood. He is an ex-fashion model who loves doing daring stunts, like jumping from high-rise buildings. He is a tough looking hunk who is politeness personified. You will find these contrasts even in his acting career. Born and brought up in Punjab he debuted in a Telugu movie! Then he did a series of South Indian flicks – including comedies – before he got a break in a Hindi movie.

If you have seen Jodha Akbar you cannot forget the character of Sujamal. Yes, the same aggrieved Rajput prince who eventually sacrifices his life for the sake of his sister Jodha and her husband. Sonu Sood, our munda from Moga, impresses in the role. When complimented, he modestly shrugs it off. No wonder. He has impressed in movies like Yuva, Aashiq banaya aap ne etc and has done lead/meaty roles in Ek vivah aisa bhi, Shahid-e-Aazam Bhagat Singh, Mission Mumbai, Sirf and several others. Currently he is working with such prominent directors as Aashutosh Gowarikar, Mani Ratnam and Shyam Benegal. You can also enjoy his portrayal of ‘King’ opposite Akshaye in the comedy Singh is King. In fact after a few initial hiccups, Sonu is fast gaining reputation in the industry as a talented actor with the potential for becoming a superstar. When that happens he would be emulating Dharmendra who is the only superstar who was actually born and brought up in Punjab.

Novella, plays and a blast from the past by Randeep Wadehra

Dance by M. Mukundan (Translation: D. Krishna Ayyar & KG Ramakrishnan)

Katha. Pages: 123. Price: Rs. 175/-

This slim novelette has a rather large canvas that spans Kerala, Europe and America. The protagonist, Agni alias Balakrishna, is a youthful exponent of kalaripayattu – Kerala’s martial art form wherein, like in our classical dance forms, one has to be mentally focused, physically agile and spiritually aware in order to generate heightened experience for the performer and the aficionados alike. One day Agni is noticed by Rudolf – a famous European dancer – who invites him to join his company. Thence begins his journey to fame, riches and sexual promiscuity that ends in tragedy. The story is retailed by Agni through a series of emails to Sreedharan. The narrative is smooth and the translation flawless – you wouldn’t have known it was a translation if it was not mentioned on the cover-flap. But there are glitches too, e.g., Mukundan calls the communication link between Kremlin and White House a hotmail instead of hotline. He draws a politically incorrect analogy of master and slave while comparing skin colours of Alexis and Agni. This readable work would have become absorbing had various mindscapes been explored, and emotional interplay been depicted. Characters have not been fleshed out, barring, to some extent, those of Raji, Agni and Sreedharan.

Shakespeare’s daughter & other plays by CD Sidhu

Writers Workshop. Pages: 422. Price Rs. 200/- (flexiback)

In a milieu wherein staging of adaptations of Russian/western originals is considered a matter of pride, an original Indian work is like a waft of fresh air. This volume contains five plays that portray various situations in our towns and villages. Their aspirations and deprivations, toils, troubles and struggles have been vividly depicted. The detailed stage settings are good enough to inspire a tele-filmmaker to adapt Sidhu’s scripts to the electronic medium. Having said that one must point out that the translation is disappointing, more so because Sidhu’s credentials in English, Hindi and Punjabi are impeccable and he is translating his own works. For example Jeeto’s dialogue, “Let father milk her…” may have been effective in Punjabi, but is stilted and awkward in English. He could have avoided literal verbatim translation and used his talent to come up with better prose. However, if the dialogues are rewritten, keeping in mind the English knowing audience, these plays can wow theatre buffs.

The Alipore Bomb Case by Noorul Hoda (Ed.: Shyam Banerji)

Niyogi Books. Pages: 176. Price: Rs. 395/-

In the early 1900s Bengal was the hotbed of revolutionary activities. High-profile British officials in India were targeted. There were intricate networks of secret societies that carried out daring acts of bombing and assassination attempts. The fact that this upsurge in anti-British movement coincided with the looming threat of World War 1 only made the administration more desperate and ruthless. How deep-rooted and widespread the patriotic zeal among Bengal’s youth had become is brought into sharp relief by what has come to be termed as The Alipore Bomb Case. On 30 April 1908 two teenagers Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki threw a bomb at what they thought was District Judge Kingsford’s carriage but killed two innocent British women instead. Consequently, while Chaki committed suicide Khudiram, along with Aurobindo Ghose, Barindra Kumar Ghose and Ullaskar Dutt, was arrested and tried. He was hanged to death, while the others were incarcerated. This volume gives the particulars of the case authenticated with details from official records.

THE TRIBUNE

Quality music needs to be encouraged by Randeep Wadehra

The last fortnight saw cricket almost over-shadowing the two budgets – the railways and the fiscal – and the contrasting fates of Kashmir Singh and Sarabjit Singh. While cricket has become the opiate of the couch potato the human interest story was understandably more emotive and the news channels gave the escape-from-Pakistani-gallows tale its due airtime. But there were other images on the small screen too – of the porters celebrating their ‘promotion’ to the ‘class-iv’/gang-man status. While, for the ruling coalition, this may be a good vote-catching gimmick in the election year no news channel felt it necessary to investigate the effect of this step on the quality of services rendered to railway passengers, and the long-term financial costs involved. Worse, will the public have to deal with one more segment of government employees now? As for the waiver of loans to farmers one has yet to see a detailed pro-and-cons debate on a television forum, although Punjabi farmers are among the worst sufferers of the debt burden. Is the waiver really going to benefit Punjab’s small and marginal farmers? If yes, then to what extent? How do such steps resolve the problems of uneconomic land holdings and socially induced wasteful expenditure? Hopefully, we would be enlightened on these issues in the near future. Let’s look forward to a suicide-free countryside.

Music VCDs regularly hit the market. One of them is Aao Sare Nachiye, a collection of song and dance numbers performed by such artistes as Satwinder Bugga, Nachattar, Satinder Satti and others. Most of these were telecast on ETC on the New Year’s Eve. Quite a few of these are hummable. Satti’s Kikkaran-Beriyan and Koka numbers reveal she is no mean crooner. It appears that the training in classical music has started bearing fruit. Now, apart from being TV anchor, actress, poet and dancer she has become a singer too.

Here is a clarification. This column is not anti-music. In fact we are proud of the fact that our folk culture, which resounds with the baints of Waris Shah's Heer and dohre of Hashim's Sassi Punnu, has given birth to songs for every occasion. Haria, doli, suhag, vatna, ghorlain, sitthian, vaen and alhanian reflect variegated moods generated by assorted social occasions and personal circumstances. Admittedly, it would be a folly to allow our creative genius to stagnate in the backwaters of the past, but it would be wise to use our oral literature as the launching pad for new compositions. For example, Harbhajan Mann has recreated Mirza quite effectively using modern instrumentation and technique, Gurdas Mann has done a great job in Kee khattya mein teri Heer bankay and, of course Hans Raj Hans’s classic song Silli silli still resonates in every Punjabi heart. And, how can one forget the Ghori sung by Sarabjit that pulled at the heartstrings of young Punjabi sisters? Whenever these songs appear on the small screen entire households go into a hush. The point is why are such compositions exceptions rather than the rule? It is a torture to watch one mediocre song after another for hours in the hope of espying a quality composition. Believe me.

THE TRIBUNE PUNJABI ANTENNA