Manmohan - Shikhandi?

Prashant Bhushan has beaten a hasty retreat after calling the prime minister a 'shikhandi' on live TV. And Manmohan Singh's emotional reaction to it, offering to step down if charges against him are proved, threatens to turn a battle against sleaze into a war over semantics. Still, since most of the other UPA ministers have not even bothered to react to the serious charges against them, the point to ponder is: did the lawyer get his mythology wrong? Does the 'honest' PM resemble Dhritarashtra from Mahabharata more than Shikhandi?

Bhushan is not the first one to slap the PM with the arguably sexist label. Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha had preceded him in the run-up to the 2009 general elections, accusing the 'shikhandi prime minister' of doing the bidding of an Italian. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Manmohan had let the slur pass then, but was stung by L.K. Advani calling him "nikamma" (useless). But four years is clearly a long time in politics judging from Manmohan's mile-high reaction this time round.

But was there reason for the prime minister to take offence at being compared to a character from the Mahabharata? Contrary to popular perception, Shikhandi was not of 'indeterminate gender', or even impotent, for that matter. Abducted by Bhishma in an earlier incarnation for a dubious 'forced marriage' with Bhishma's brother Vichitravirya which never took place, Amba (the name Shikhandi had in that incarnation) vowed to avenge her humiliation and was granted 'manhood' as a boon in her next birth.

She was reborn as the daughter of King Drupada but with the caveat that in due course, she would acquire 'manhood'. She was brought up as a prince but trained both in the arts and as a warrior. S(h)e also consummated her marriage, according to one version, or proved his manhood by making love with a concubine, according to another. Lord Krishna knew that Bhishma, who was invincible, would not take up arms against a woman, and that he would recognise Shikhandi as Amba. The stratagem succeeded. Bhishma dropped arms after he saw Shikhandi on the chariot, giving Arjuna the opportunity to rain arrows on the unarmed Bhishma.

Thus, there is much that Manmohan Singh can take solace from in Bhushan's label: Shikhandi was not impotent or a hijra. On the contrary, he/she had the attributes of both an accomplished high society lady and a cool dude. He was of a royal lineage and remained a man till his death. And he or she was definitely on the winning side. More importantly, Shikhandi not only sided with the righteous and the wronged, he/she had reason enough to avenge the personal disgrace and indignity inflicted by Bhishma. Moreover, Shikhandi was the chosen one, used as an instrument to defeat the evil forces represented by the Kauravas.

Bhushan, clearly, had got his metaphors horribly mixed. Perhaps he did not mean to take potshots at the PM, perhaps he was implying that the PM's more corrupt and impotent colleagues were taking advantage of him by using him as a shield. Quite unwittingly, though, he has equated the UPA with the Pandavas, who were ranged against a reckless, power-hungry and mindless opposition, willing to bend every rule in the book. The PM should actually feel flattered.

While Shikhandi is not a eunuch or hijra, it is worth recalling that several eunuchs have contested elections in this country and some have even won local elections. Indeed, I remember the slogan coined by one of them, one of the first eunuchs to contest for a seat in the Bihar assembly: "Ab tak aap sabne hijron ko vote diya hai; is baar ek asli hijre ko vote deejiye (You have so long voted for eunuchs and imposters, this time, vote for a genuine eunuch)" is what the posters declared.

The truth also is, public figures do get called names and some of them can and do respond in kind. Indira Gandhi found herself being called "goongi gudiya" (dumb doll). In the recent French presidential elections, Nicholas Sarkozy called his rival a slanderer and a liar. US President Barack H. Obama continues to struggle with the perception that the Hussein in his name makes him a Muslim. Winston Churchill is said to have quipped that Charles de Gaulle looked like a "female llama surprised in the bath".

The taciturn sardar, clearly, is no bulldog, who could turn around and say that members of Team Anna are "mischievous people, who have much to be mischievous about" like the great Briton, who said about Clement Attlee that he was "a modest man, who has much to be modest about". Insults were surely classy in those days. As were comebacks.

Original Here

No one can tell why Manmohan wasn’t referred to as Dhritrashtra, the blind king in the Mahabharata who symbolised blindness to corrupt ways

It's insulting enough for anyone to be described as Shikandi, given the connotations of impotence the name carries on its own; it's even worse for a man who has been caricatured as a yesman, but wears his character and integrity as badges of honour. Deeply hurt by the comparison foisted upon him by senior advocate and Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan, prime minister Manmohan Singh offered to quit public life if any of the charges levelled against him by the anti-corruption crusader were proved. The specific charge is of wrongdoing in the allotment of coal blocks for mining, based on a preliminary CAG report—a scam that has come to be known as Coalgate.

So far, Team Anna had shied away from targeting the prime minister; even at the height of Anna Hazare's campaign, it was the government that was targeted—not Manmohan. But although Bhushan's fellow-campaigner Arvind Kejriwal has since apologised for the former's caustic tongue, Anna Hazare's team maintains the charges need to be investigated. No one can tell why Manmohan wasn't referred to as Dhritrashtra, the blind king in the Mahabharata who symbolised blindness to corrupt ways. But Bhushan's unfortunate comparison caught on; a day after, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha too used it for the prime minister.


Behind this is also perception that Anna, given his age, is vulnerable to pressure from politicians, specially those from his native Maharashtra. Hence the movement now will be channelised and spearheaded by Bhushan, a man whom the government fears and loathes in equal measure. Kejriwal, often referred to as the crowd mobiliser-cum-media planner and strategist, says, "Anna needs rest, given his age and health."

It seems the movement is undergoing a change. What is now being planned is an aggressive attack on the government, more agitations and a fast beginning in the last week of July. "We will fast again," says Kejriwal. The recent attack on the prime minister and his cabinet, one is told, is just the beginning. Gone are the vague attacks on the entire political class and the government. Instead, the attack is sharp and targeted. Says a source from the movement, "It was important for us to let people know the names of the corrupt in the government. While corruption struck a chord with people, it was also important for us to identify the corrupt in the political class. All of them, it would seem, are above the law."

It is also not surprising that the team is not speaking of the Lokpal bill—which, for all practical purposes, has been shelved. While the Budget session has gone by without a discussion, it is learnt that the bill has been slated for discussion in the last week of the monsoon session in July. Even then, there's no guarantee that the bill will come up for discussion. "We are going to adopt an aggressive strategy after July," says Kejriwal. While the team knows that asking for an SIT to examine charges of corruption is unlikely to be complied with by the government, the pitch has been queered. There may well be differences within the team on issues ranging from naming the prime minister to turning into a political movement. Differences, whether imagined or real, between core team members too might crop up ocassionally. What is for real is another round of mobilisation. This time by Bhushan and Kejriwal. And both of them plan to fast to the finish.


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