The maker of modern Haryana, Ch. Devi Lal – our
Tauji – the Jan Nayak; the spirited non-conformist against the shadowy overtures
of lopsided development at the cost of countryside; the man crowned with the
unadulterated halo of farmers' interests.
It
is a matter of pleasure and pride to dedicate this write-up – these
simple pen strokes of countryside nostalgia – to the Jan Nayak. I feel it is a Godly
intercession in my little literary journey that I have'n provided the opportunity
to hitch my tiny literary cart to the strong and swift horses of his legacy.
There
is voluminous testimony to the impressiveness of Ch. Devi Lal's calmly
commanding personality. And if a son of Haryana – the karmabhoomi of our
farmers' messiah – entails himself to the fag end of our Tauji's enormously
elderly aura and legacy, then it should be forgiven and appreciated.
The
Jan Nayak's overriding benevolence has'n shining and will continue to do so
endlessly through the rack and ruin of time. His unblemished character and
works for the country's downtrodden have made his luminous memories firmly fade-less. Lustrous whirls of extravagant
green decorated so pridefully in the agricultural fabric of this country will
continue to inspire generations to come. His work, worry and weariness for the
cause of rural India make him outstandingly standout amongst the rag-tag
parliamentary disorder.
Despite
achieving so much at the highest level of Indian politics, he was uncommonly
sobered; his simple, stout spirit, merry and mellow elderly aura made him
immensely approachable to the people from the lowest rung of life. Where else
would you find a Chief Minister, who dropped in by a poor hutment and heartily
enjoyed the frugals offered like he had'n served with choicest delicacies from
the costliest restaurant. Every settlement in Haryana happily cradles myriads
of such sweet memories. By the God's greatest glory, he'd arrive at the scene
mired in heartbreaks and dejection. And lo ! An encouragingly buzzing
transformation would take place. His mere presence will sprinkle new life. His
malleable sensitivity, kind and condescending behaviour, subtle and statuesque
physique dispelled the disharmony and dispassion from the scene.
We
grew up in our village taking him the single synonym of all that 'politics'
means to the children. Such has'n the sweeping scope of his charisma across the
length and breadth of Haryana! That casual flightiness of flickering childhood
can still clearly recall the grand impressiveness of his hold over the
ruralites' psyche. While I was 13-year-old, finding me unconcernedly lost in
the slow grandeur of childhood, my grandfather– a devout follower of the Jana
Nayak – exhorted me :
"You
haven't yet learnt how to talk like a youth. At your age, Ch. Devi Lal not only
spoke like a fiery youth, but acted like one also. At such a tender age of 13,
he raised the flag of revolt against the Britishers and courted arrest for the
cause of mother India!"
It
was then I got to realise the real force of his selfless valour, courage and
conviction.
Generic
sacredness of his socially prominent policies, for which he life-longly lugged
it out and lugged it in, made him the favourite son of Haryana's destiny. The
Jan Nayak was compulsively attached to the cause of sons of the soil.
Throughout his life, he ladenly slogged ahead, shouldering the responsibilities
of those whose interests – up to that time – were politically sterile. And this
cherished goal of his would never get off his uncomplaining shoulders till he
left us. Even during his last days, his feeble, old eyes envisioned a golden
future for the deprived and dispossessed masses of this country. A very-very
old farmer whom I met in a bus broke down while he narrated the dreamy moments
he shared with the farmers' messiah when the latter had'n bedridden by the
inevitable and cruel hand of age.
"His
eyes were peacefully closed," the farmer told me about his life-long hero.
"When I touched his feet, slowly but with sudden urgency his eyes opened.
He had energy just enough to say few words and asked, 'How is it with the
crops?' And then those big, passionate eyes were closed again, as if he was
praying for me and the crops."
Tauji's
all-fired urgency had blossomed fresh morning's verve in the sublime-stillness
of the traditional hinterland of Haryana. Yes! We as children have'n first hand
witness to this silent revolution of 'coming of age of the ruralites.' His name
connoted all that leadership, politics, elections and statesmanship meant to
us. Far away from the hoot and holler, and flimsy vanities of 'utilitarian
politics' the 'leader of common man' was selflessly busy in his mission. And
later when his benevolently beaming imagery shone at the national level,
perhaps for the first time this country came to understand and realise the real
worth of the Jats, who have always been the bread earners of this big country,
and who in return were uncomplainingly scraping a living — 'barely' — for their
impoverished and almost famished families.
It
is a pungent irony that the mountainously-big legacy and stature of this great
son of Haryana has proved to be too broad and comprehensive for the local
literature to accommodate in its pages. May be it is due to the fact that
literature is in its nascent stage in this traditional land of agricultural
community. Inevitably and naturally, the myth and legend of the Jan Nayak is
bound to grow exponentially, I think local literature must brace up its wordy
effort to provide full justice to the great man's mission and philosophy. In my
humble capacity, I've tried to take a few steps in this direction by paying
literary obeisance to our Tauji. It has been a revealing experience, at the
emotional level, to catch the glimpses of his memories in the poem titled 'Tauji'. I feel privileged in dedicating this
anthology to his cause and mission. These are the heartfelt songs from the land
he worked for all along his immensely productive life.
As
all of us suffer from some stringent frailty. Yours truly is also no exception
to that. If my poem 'Tauji' does not match the Jan Nayak's real greatness then
this beginner deserves forgiveness. May be, time and experience will provide me
the capacity to portray this great man's exceptional simplicity, magnificent
profusion of his forthrightness, his unflinching righteousness and his fierce
possessiveness about the cause of downtrodden and deprived.