Advocate
Ansari : I am almost fed up, Sir, with the tales that
I am asked to hear from my clients, about assaults,
raids, riots, stabbing and the like.......
Prof. Pandu : Where else can they go, Mr. Ansari, to
get help ..... seniors are engaged in cases involving
Constitutional issues ...... civil laws and the like.....
Doctor Damu : Which means, Professor, that Mr. Ansari,
is just a criminal lawyer and nothing more.
Prof. Pandu : Oh! No! I was just making remarks in a
lighter vein ...... No offence, Mr. Ansari......
Advocate Ansari : You know Professor! I never take serious
note of your remarks. Old age gives you license enough
for such awkward remarks. I was mentioning about that,
not without purpose. Our country has become the arena
for clashes and skirmishes. I am much worried about
that. Our country has becomes so poor and ignorant,
that crimes dangerous and despicable, dastardly and
dirty are growing in number day after day.
Doctor Damu : Degeneration they say is the outcome of
poverty and ignorance.
Prof. Pandu : One cannot attribute the backwardness
and poverty of our country as the sole reason for the
very many clashes, tensions and tumults.
Doctor Damu : But one cannot forget that ugly situations
dirty deeds, bloody clashes are to be found in a larger
number in countries where there is much poverty and
ignorance.
Prof. Pandu : Sir! That is exactly the wrong impression
that I want to correct. Of course poverty breeds ignorance,
and ignorance naturally leads to brutality. But it is
rash and wrong to assume that in countries where there
is a better standard of living and education, savagery
is not at all to be found. As a matter of fact in countries
that are labelled as 'advanced' we do find explosions
terrific and barbaric. The important factor to be considered
is, how best to tackle the problem.
Doctor Damu : Ah! Therein, you are going to come round
to my point of view. The poorer the country the lesser
the ability to tackle the problem ...... you will agree.
Prof. Pandu : Sir! I would present it from another angle
..... and the correct angle. In countries where there
is poverty and ignorance, one can at lest get comfort
from the fact that country has not got intelligent methods
and means for tackling the problem. But even that excuse
cannot be advanced as far as the advanced countries
are concerned. And yet look at what has happened in
America.......?
Advocate Ansari : You are referring to the outbursts
in American cities ..... the clashes between the Whites
and the Negroes.....
Prof. Pandu : Sir! It is not an outburst ....... it
is a rebellion. Somebody who has studied it at first
hand has stated that it appears to be a war between
two countries........
Doctor Damu : As fearful as that ...... you consider
Sir!
Prof. Pandu : Yes Sir! It is. In the course of the riots
that have rocked the cities in America, the lives lost
run to four figures .......it is not a hit and run,
or shoot to scare affair ..... it is regular attack
and counter attack. Property destroyed is estimated
to be of the value of one billion dollars.
Advocate Ansari : That is true ...... I found in the
papers that the Negroes, demand a separate State .....
a Black State within America.....
Prof. Pandu : Extremists are toying with that idea also.
But the general situation is best described by the term
of 'Black power out for the final clash....' How then
can we say that clashes brutal and bloody occur only
in backward countries? In the country where there is
the U.N.O. - the institution for world peace and concord
- this clash between the White and Black has assumed
such a dimension. Social tensions, unless properly handled,
emit violence ..... be that country rich or poor. If
the country is poor, sticks and swords are used, if
rich, guns and bombs! But killing is the same, in countries
rich and poor. It is not enough for the rulers to merely
mouth social reforms! What is needed and in a good measure
is an understanding of social psychology.
Advocate Ansari : But that is not an easy affair! Especially
when one has got a preconceived notion. For instance
Professor! UThant of the United Nations Organisation
has stated boldly that the Vietnam War is a War of Liberation
.... like the one Americans themselves wage against
Britain. But President Johnson refuse to accept that
view....
Prof. Pandu : True, Mr. Ansari! And that attitude is
much to be regretted. President Johnson allowed himself
to be hypnotised by the thought, that he is to be the
saviour of mankind from the Red domination ..... And
so strong is his conviction that he is not prepared
to be convinced by U Thant or eminent men of his own
country.
Doctor Damu : Poor Mr. U Thant! All his efforts to put
an end to this Vietnam War have failed....
Prof. Pandu : Frustrated, he announced his intention
of quitting U.N.O. But President Johnson's statement
is grim. The days may become years but we will stay
as long as aggression commands us to battle.
Advocate Ansari : It is a crime against mankind that
so much of blood is poured for an unjustifiable cause.....
Prof. Pandu : President Johnson talks about sacrifice
..... Americans can keep out of the conflict ..... allowing
North Vietnam to annihilate South Vietnam. But that
would be unmanly, he says.
Doctor Damu : Yes! Somewhere Mr. Johnson has mentioned
about sacrifice too ..... referring of course to the
thousands and thousands of young Americans who are sent
to Vietnam....
Prof. Pandu : Whatever be the justification, Sir! War
is a crime ... a betrayal of humanity ...... War takes
a terrible toll ..... not the weak and infirm and the
aged but the virile young men! Young men - the architects
of the future of their country. They either kill others
or die, killed by others. It is agonising to kill a
man. You do not even know well enough to hate. And yet
the President persists, while world opinion against
the war is getting more and more pronounced.....
Advocate Ansari : Only when all the countries agree
to go to the International Court of Justice for the
settlement of disputes, can war be averted.....
Prof. Pandu : It is exactly like saying that only when
tigers turn vegetarian, can deers and lambs escape death
.... Mr. Ansari! That is an advice that the Bigger Powers
offer to the smaller ones ..... I should not say 'offer'
- dictate is the appropriate term.
Advocate Ansari : You are right Professor! America takes
every opportunity to advise us to come to terms with
Pakistan....
Prof. Pandu : There seems to be a sort of coldness between
the two countries. Some days ago President Ayub has
come forward with the declaration that there is no Peking
Pindi axis.....
Doctor Damu : Does that mean that the Pakistani ruler
has realised the danger, such an axis would bring forth......
Prof. Pandu : I don't think so. But Indonesia ought
to have taught him a mighty strong lesson. Burma too.
Advocate Ansari : Internal clash and confusion in China
would have also effected a change in the mind of Ayub.
Prof. Pandu : May be true. It is said that in spite
of his roar, Ayub is a practical man .... unlike Bhutto
and such other Big drums .... He seems to have stabilised
his position too. At one time East Pakistan was almost
in revolt. One does not hear anything about that now......
Doctor Damu : Nor do we hear anything now about the
demand for Pakthoonisthan.
Prof. Pandu : Yes! Ayub has somehow managed to put down
these demands. If he has failed in that Pakistan would
have become another Nigeria by this time.....
Doctor Damu : Nigeria....? Was there not a coup and
military regime there.......
Prof. Pandu : Not one, but a series of jolts and convulsions.
Finally you know, that General Gowan emerged as the
strong man ... but his might has been challenged by
a part of Nigeria ... the Eastern part ..... it has
seceded from the Federal Government.
Advocate Ansari : But General Gowan's armies are on
the march...
Prof. Pandu : ..........and the fighting is going on
for some weeks, but the seceding part has not surrendered.
Refuses to. Biafra, the secessionist state claims that
it has driven away the Federal forces. The fight there
is not merely about forms of Government or about federal
and state relationship; it is more than that. Nigeria
is the home of different races and tribes, and the Ibos
of Biafra refuse to be subjected by the Hansas and other
races that dominate the Federal Government of Nigeria......
Doctor Damu : It seems to be that Federal set up has
instead of solving problems, given birth to new and
difficult problems. For instance the Quebec problem
in Canada has suddenly become big and pressing.
Prof. Pandu : Not suddenly Doctor! The Quebec problem
is decades old. The Canadian Government had to constitute
a Royal Commission too, for settling the problem. What
has given it now an international Status and importance
is General De Gauller's speech in Canada - he declared
there "Long Live Free Quebec" ...........
thus giving a hint that he would support Quebec as against
Federal Canada.
Advocate Ansari : But jurists argue that "free"
does not mean Independent. Quebec can remain in Canada
and yet be free....
Doctor Damu : That is a delightful interpretation but
it is not capable of giving a hope and daring to the
Quebec people to revolt against Canada. I think that
it is highly objectionable on the part of a head of
a state to pronounce such a view.....
Prof. Pandu : Sir! De Gaulle is noted for his verbal
bombshell. As a matter of fact there is a section of
people in France which thinks that he talks too much
and too unnecessarily. One French Weekly ridiculed the
attitude of De Gaulle, by publishing an advertisement;
'Here is your chance,' said that advertisement. Today
Le Canard is the only paper not publishing De Gaulle's
speech.
Doctor Damu : Boring speeches too can be allowed if
they are not harmful. But this talk about secession
.... that is dangerous.....
Advocate Ansari : But there seems to be no other word
to strongly express sentiments of distress and dissatisfaction.
Last week in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly when member
after member rose to criticise the attitude of the Central
Government as regards the Nagarjuna Sagar Project, some
declared frankly that if this policy was continued they
would secede....
Doctor Damu : Did they openly talk about Secession.....?
Prof. Pandu : Yes, Doctor! And that too from the most
unexpected quarter. Mr. Nagi Reddy said all through
the 15 years of planning Andhra had been denied power
and irrigation projects by the Central Government. He
said the Nagarjuna Sagar Project was the only exception
and now efforts were being made to put spokes in the
wheel. If such was the treatment meted out to the State
by the Centre why should it remain in the Indian Union
at all?
Doctor Damu : That is a strong indictment .... against
the spirit of National Integration.
Prof. Pandu : They made a pointed reference to the secessionist
demand of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Madras and
said that that policy had paid off there ...... I am
quoting the Times of India.....
Doctor Damu : Mr. C.Subramaniam, the former Food Minister,
issued the other day a note of warning to those who
attempt to damage the unity of the country ...... Was
it Professor, aimed at the DMK......?
Prof. Pandu : I don't think so. It won't be appropriate.
The DMK does not advocate 'seceding'- No! But in a way
the former Finance Minister was chastising those in
the North who adamantly press for making Hindi the sole
official language. His warning was aimed at them ....
for he knows that they are by their attitude sowing
seeds of dissension, disunity and secession.....
Advocate Ansari : Apart from this homily, the former
Finance Minister ridiculed and condemned the C.M. .....you
know the C.M. comes late for most of the functions.
Prof. Pandu : Sir! I beg to differ from you. Mr. Subramaniam
did ridicule the habit of late coming. He even said
in derision that such men think that people will think
that the late comer is so busily engaged .... and so
on, But why should you think that it was aimed at C.M.?
There are hundreds of instances to show that Mr. Kamaraj
arrives hours late for functions. They are reported
too ...... Mr. C.S. wanted perhaps to hit him and not
the C.M. of Tamilnadu.
Doctor Damu : Anyhow it is a bad habit - late coming
and the C.M. should get rid of that.......
Prof. Pandu : Sure! I fully agree. But I would also
appeal to those who seek him for various problems, to
help him keep his time.
Advocate Ansari : He should be a bit more strict - fix
up time for interview, time for study, and the like.
Prof. Pandu : Easy. Sir! Very easy. The only trouble
is, then some would begin another story - Oh! The C.M.
refuses to see us, dismisses us within some minutes,
he had become the boss, so on and so forth. And Mr.
Subramaniam will thunder forth against the C.M. for
the dictatorial ways. Anyhow I too would like to advise
the C.M. to cultivate punctuality.......
Doctor Damu : Apart from this, Professor! I was struck
with one other aspect in the mode of the speeches of
men like C.S. - and when I compare it with the speeches
of leaders of the DMK, I am pained too. The latter never
hesitate to pay due respect to the Congress leaders.
In fact, whenever there is an occasion our C.M. pays
rich tributes to the former ministers. Not one sentence
of praise or goodwill or friendly feeling for the DMK
leaders comes forth from any Congress leader - including
Mr. C.S. Why, I wonder?
Prof. Pandu : There is nothing to be wondered at! The
DMK leaders have got robust confidence in the people
and are sure of getting their support, and so are emboldened
to pay due praise to the leaders of other parties. They
are sure, that their supporters - the public - will
not run after those leaders, the moment they are paid
compliments. But the Congress leaders lack that self-confidence.
They think that if they say any good word about any
DMK leader, the people would desert the Congress and
join the DMK Camp. That is why the Congress leaders
avoid saying anything in praise of the DMK leaders.
Doctor Damu : But that is not a trait of the high order.....
Prof. Pandu : The Congress leaders think, perhaps that
for self-preservation they should deride, and damage
the image of the DMK leaders.
Doctor Damu : Do you mean to say Professor, that keen
observers do not note the difference in the attitude
of these two parties.....
Prof. Pandu : They do make a careful note, Sir! And
they render ample justice also. The talent for evaluation
is remarkable as far as the public is concerned. But
that is not the important point! Democratic etiquette
should be cultivated ..... the Congress refuses to cultivate
it. Parties exist, not to deride one another but to
supplement one another, Sir! Winston Churchill was considered
to be an autocrat. But do you know his famous pronouncement
- his appeal for cooperation from the other party, the
party opposite. Said he on one occasion, "It is
my faith that if we work together there are no problems
that we cannot solve, no dangers which we cannot ward
off ourselves, and no tangles through which we cannot
guide the freedom-loving people of the world."
Doctor Damu : A noble statement.......lofty sentiment.......
Prof. Pandu : The finest democratic tradition I should
say, and I hope and trust that in spite of the attitude
of the Congressmen, the DMK will build up, maintain,
and further this democratic etiquette.
Doctor Damu : It is this aspect in their speech that
gives me delight.....
Advocate Ansari : And why not we get this delight a
bit .... there is a meeting of the DMK, at the Big Market
..... shall we.....
Prof. Pandu : Yes, we shall just take a stroll and hear
them .... may be they would discuss about this Prosperity
Brigade. Let us make a move.
(Home
Rule - 6-8-1967)