Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh breathed his last yesterday, i.e., December 26, at AIIMS in Delhi after battling with age-related illnesses. The last rites of Dr Singh will be performed with full state honours tomorrow.
Meanwhile, dignitaries from all walks of life have paid tribute to the former PM, who is known to have played a significant role in shaping India’s economy in tough times.
Those who have followed him closely say that Dr Singh was fond of Shayaris. His literary taste and his love for poetry echoed beyond politics. He often used poetic verses to target his political rivals inside and outside the Parliament, drawing appreciation from leaders.
Do you remember the iconic poetic banter between Dr Manmohan Singh and Sushma Swaraj?
In March 2011, the Parliament witnessed a war of words between the ruling party and opposition over corruption allegations. Late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj, attacked the-them PM with Shahab Jafari’s famous lines, “Tu idhar udhar ki na baat kar, yeh bata ki kafila kyun luta, humein rahjano se gila nahi, teri rahbari ka sawal hai.”
The lines roughly translate to, “Don’t beat around the bush. Tell me why the carvaan stopped. We have nothing to say against the robbers but this is a question on your leadership”.
Dr Manmohan Singh’s response left Swaraj smiling and the parliamentarians clapping. Quoting Allama Iqbal. Dr Singh replied, “Mana ki teri deed ke kaabil nahin hoon main, tu mera shauq dekh mera intezar dekh. (Agreed I am not worthy of drawing your sight. But look at my zeal, my longing).”
“Humein unse hai wafa ki ummeed…”
Another epic poetic banter that was witnessed between the two leaders was during a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in 2013.
In a playful attack on the opposition, Dr Manmohan Singh said, “Humein unse hai wafa ki ummeed jo nahin jante wafa kya hai.” (We expect love from those who do not know what love is).
Sushma Swaraj, the then-Leader of Opposition, responded with two Shayaris. “Kuch to majuriyan rahi hongi, yun hi koi bewafa nahin hota (There must be some reasons, or nobody betrays love just like that).
In her second shayari strike, she had said, “Tumhe wafa yaad nahi, Humein jafa yaad nahi, zindagi or maut ke toh do hee tarane hain, ek tumhein yaad nahi, ek humein yaad nahi”. (you don’t remember loyalty and we don’t remember disloyalty, life and death have two rhythms, you don’t remember one, we don’t remember the other).
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