As Khushwant Singh and I collaborated on his book Absolute Khushwant (Penguin, 2010), where he spoke, and I wrote, he detailed various personalities and politicians he encountered throughout his life. When speaking about Dr Manmohan Singh, he, of course, focused on his caliber as an economist and his outstanding contribution to putting the country’s economy on the path of progress. Khushwant also highlighted Dr Manmohan Singh’s simplicity and integrity.
Let me quote these relevant paragraphs on Dr Manmohan Singh from this book:
“…He is also very humble and simple. He grew up in a small village in a family of very modest means and struggled to get an education. Initially, his ambition was only to be a college professor, find a small flat, and settle in Chandigarh. Then chance changed the course of his life, taking him to Cambridge, Oxford, the UN, and the highest positions in India’s financial institutions. And now he is prime minister. But he remained grounded.”
Khushwant detailed much more:
“I really got to know him during the election he lost in South Delhi in 1999. I was surprised and impressed because his son-in-law, whom my family knew, came to borrow some money—just two lakhs—to hire taxis for the campaign. That they didn’t even have that much to spare! I gave the money in cash. Only days after he lost the election, Manmohan Singh called me himself and asked for an appointment. He came to see me with a packet. ‘I haven’t used the money,’ he said and handed me the packet with all the cash I had given his son-in-law. That kind of thing no politician would do! …When people talk of integrity, I say the best example is the man who occupies the highest office.”
(Significant to point out that when this book was published in 2010, Dr Manmohan Singh was the prime minister of the country.)
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WHERE ARE THOSE BOLLYWOOD ACTORS WHO PLAYED FARMER ROLES TO FAME?
Where are the Bollywood stars who once played the role of farmers? I realize these were make-believe portrayals, often like fairy tales, with characters singing and dancing in lush green fields, meadows, forests, and even bathing in streams, rivers, or village ponds.
As countless filmi characters gained fame by playing farmers, shouldn’t these actors now speak up about the struggles and plight of real farmers? If particular Bollywood stars could rise to fame through their portrayals of rural life, this is the time to stand in solidarity with the country’s farmers.
Today, several actors and actresses’ own farms and farmland, yet they remain silent about the harsh realities farmers face. It’s strange and bizarre how they flaunt their farms but avoid discussing the long-standing demands, dues, and struggles of farmers—struggles that lead to suicides, deaths, and lives riddled with challenges and financial strain. Ironically, the farmer who feeds us is the one facing acute hardships, battling loans, and government indifference.
It’s deeply disappointing that none of the Bollywood stars have spoken out. Why? Is it a lack of time, inclination, or fear of political repercussions? Are they worried about how the political rulers of the day and their machinery might react?
Even during the Gujarat pogrom of 2002, many prominent poets, academics, and intellectuals spoke out against the carnage, but Bollywood disappointed. Few dared to speak against the communal killings. Why didn’t the big names and banners of Bollywood take a stand? Their stark answer: “If we had reached out to the victims, we would have been in the bad books of the government, our films would have been targeted, and we would have been ruined.”
The grim fact remains: Bollywood’s top actors, directors, and producers rarely criticize any upheaval, big or small, occurring in the country. Perhaps they are safeguarding their careers. Even as communal disasters unfold across the nation, Bollywood’s creamy top layer sits silent.
Thankfully, sensitive and passionate poets have always expressed themselves fearlessly, unbothered by political consequences.
Do ponder this verse by Sahir Ludhianvi:
If there is a reason for my angry songs, it is this
That when I see the hungry farmers,
The poor, the oppressed, the destitute, the helpless,
My heart cannot participate in assemblies of pleasure.
Even if I wish, I cannot write dreamy songs of love.
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