Few days ago I saw a tweet: “The more one learns about socialism, they abhor it. The more one learns about capitalism, they like it”. At the young age, if one is not a socialist, it means he or she never cared for others. If one remained a socialist even after twenty two or twenty three, he or she is experiencing a stagnated life, living in dreams far from the reality. So produced are sick minds that curse the hardships of real world but like the cruelty imposed by doctrines.
The story of Sudheendra Kulkarni is not different from such day dreamers. His own description about himself “People like me were living in an illusory land. I realised very late in my life that Marxist ideology is not suitable in India. In fact, I would say it is unsuitable for any corner in the world.” Ever since he realised he wasted his life, he embarked on a mission to replicate his success. He chose not a small target. The man who was the original hawk of Hindutva politics. This failed Marxist ensured the political future of Lal Krishna Advani too followed downward trajectory, despite Vajpayee shouting from rooftops: India is Shining! After ensuring political obituary were written for Advani, Kulkarni moved on to don the hat of a Liberal.
As someone said, freshly converted are more orthodox than the original followers – of any doctrine. And the original Marxist thoughts are the best foundations to build a liberal image. Sudheendra Kulkarni has now appealed to Narendra Modi to let Pakistan establish its consulate in Jinnah House, that is now in the custody of Indian Government as it is designated as “Enemy Property”. Kulkarni wants this to represent friendship of India and Pakistan. He wants India to respect the sentiments of Pakistan as this was the house built by their father of nation.
Correct. As mentioned in his article, once Jinnah was called ‘An Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity’ by none other than Gopalakrishna Gokhale. Like all good old liberals, Kulkarni failed to mention what caused such a staunch unity symbol to turn into a unswerving separatist who carved out the nation in the name of religion. When Sudheendra Kulkarni was glorifying the magnanimity of Jawaharlal for obliging Jinnah’s wish regarding the house, he failed to acknowledge the fact that it was the way Gandhi and Nehru led the national movement that forced secular and patriotic Indian Muslims like Jinnah and Iqbal to turn fundamentalists.
Another irony is if one reads the so called appeal by Sudheendra Kulkarni in The Quint, it shows a random link to another article titled “Free to Go to Your Temples In This State of Pakistan: Jinnah, 1947”. Kulkarni may question the books of history read by BJP MLA Mangal Parbat Lodha, who wanted the government to demolish the building to erase the symbol of partition.
But, if Sudheendra Kulkarni reads what Jinnah promised and realises what he created, he could only compare it with the aim that Marx had in him mind while writing ‘Das Kapital’ and how Lenin and Stalin used it to kill people in the name of empowering them.
If Sudheendra Kulkarni really cares to read history, he would be surprised to know that Jinnah’s daughter Dina Wadia, who made a litigation about the ownership of the house pleaded her case stating that Hindu law would be applicable to decide the inheritance of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who created Islamic Republic of Pakistan, because he was a Khoja, Shia. In fact Dina Wadia expressed her wish to stay in the house where she lived as a child. However, as her father willed the house to his sister Fatima, who migrated to Pakistan rendering the house to become enemy property.
Considering her old age, the government might have allowed her to stay in that house, but the litigation went on. The building was handed over to Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in and ‘South Asia Centre for Art & Culture’ was supposed to be built in the site. The centre could not be built only due to the litigation by Dina Wadia, who moved court in 2005. The existing building may still house the centre, as was noted by Kulkarni even without being demolished. But, that depends on the needs and suitability and purely a technical concern.
Coming to Sudheendra Kulkarni, he talks of friendship between India and Pakistan, a surprising thing to note. I fail to see any friendliness in the way Pakistan had occupied part of Kashmir enslaving them to the oppressed regime. Nor in the countless terror attacks the Islamic neighbour planned and executed against India. There never was any friendship when Pakistan starts politicising Kashmir in all important and unimportant international forums. Certainly Pakistan has not respected when they gifted away Aksai Chin to China and allowed them to build CPEC through the land that belongs to India rightfully.
Forget respecting Indian sentiments and being friends with India. Did Pakistan respect the man they call their father of nation? Against his wishes, Mullahs converted Pakistan into an Islamic Republic. Jinnah dreamed of a secular state, where everyone is free to practise their own religion. Pakistan ended up exactly opposite to what Jinnah wanted it to be. I wonder how Sudheendra Kulkarni could argue in favour of Pakistan quoting of the ‘friendship’ between India and Pakistan. His advises to Narendra Modi to engage the country to take forward the relations….. This is the standard diplomatic nonsense that produces many sentences without meaning anything. Humbug!
The world is witness how hard Modi tried to engage Pakistan. Never was there a gesture – not even by the magnanimous Jawaharlal; of Indian prime minister visiting Pakistan’s prime minister only to wish on his birthday. What was the result?
I too finally agree with Sudheendra Kulkarni’s self assessment of living in an illusory world. Only part wrong in that assessment is about his realisation. He has not realised. He still lives in the illusory world only. None in the real world would never have made such an appeal like the one he made.
Maybe the soul of Jinnah still haunts the house. Dina Wadia was so vocal in her objection in calling it ‘Jinnah House’. She prefers to call it ‘South Court‘ the name it was given originally by the architects. If Jinnah’s soul really haunts the building, it only means the soul disliked the ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ and moved to his own house, as he expressed his wish in his communication with Indian Government. In such case, Jinnah would never want even a single Pakistani stepping into his secular house. So, I rest my case.
