And what is so different that they are saying? Here are some media quotes of today the 20th; then there are mine of 17th and 18th!
It surprises me that a section of the Pakistani media is jumping around with joy.
They say:
"It is the writer's personal viewpoint and has nothing to do with party matters. Such acts show the BJP's severe hatred towards Pakistan. The BJP never wants good ties with the neighboring country," say Pakistan-based experts.
The only times there have been good ties or attempts at some bus, train services have been when the NDA was in power, whatever be the motives.
I told you so:
Pakistan will want to deal with these lost sons, not the Aruns. These are old-timers with history written on their faces. And Jaswant Singh would fit in right with the elite Lahore crowd, his safari suit notwithstanding.
He says:
I am being treated like Ravana…I am sad…they told me on the phone…
I told you so:
The RSS makes Jaswant a martyr…Don’t feel sorry for him. Saint Jaswant Singh will be okay.
He says:
I will do what I have always done —work for my constituency in parliament. At the end of the day, it’s honour that’s most important.
I told you so:
Jaswant Singh, good Rajput that he is, will surely bring out a sword to defend his honour. He will talk like those maharajahs of old who served in Mughal armies and project himself as a balanced person who can see an honourable enemy.
So, these experts, many still groping with the Lahore Declaration, are going, “hrmph, aargh….lookie, those people have not even read it.”
Yeah. Not read it. Don’t intend to. But the Jaswant Singh PR machinery is active and kicking. It isn’t unusual for the clarificatory details to be passed on and then for the reviewers to quote it and post those clarifications as their own hard work. If one accepts and applauds the ability to speed-read such a book, then too finding out that he has not been such a bad boy isn’t all that tough. There is something called the Index at the end of books. You must look for the relevant words, go to the pages where he has not said anything nasty about the nice guys of un-independent India and, hey, you have it there. Then you flash it around.
Great. Take a bow and stay there.
Is this how reviewers work?!JS has become a hero and his book a hit even before release. Do you have any idea about how Pakistan would market it?
ReplyDeleteYou are supporting bjp??Congress at least has little secularism left
ReplyDeleteAmeya:
ReplyDeleteNot all reviewers but quite a few, esp if something lands on their table. Have no idea when it will release in Pak but it won't need to be marketed. That's been done.
KB:
No! Am just trying to see other devils too.
I wonder if Jaswant Singh, in his preparation of the booked considered:
ReplyDelete1. The recently released documents in UK show that Jinnah was in touch with Churchill through his secretary, whose principle aim was to have a corner of India which will be more favourable to British and Westren powers to confront Russia.
2.His comment that Mr. Jinnah, unlike Mr. Gandhi and Nehru was self made which is true- but Mr. JS forgot torealize that it Mr. Gandhi and Nehru gave up their wealth. How many self made people give up their material wealth even though it may be inherited. Mr. JS himself belonging to a feudal class may not understand that the 'act of giving' is far better measure of one's character than being only self made and rich.
3. Mr. William Shrier- the writer of The Third Reich- in his book mentions that Mr. Jinnah hated the poor and downtrodden with whom Mr. Gandhi identified.
4. Finally Mr. Jinnah ostrcised Mr. Azad who was the President of the Congress Party and instead of showing him courtsey, Mr. Jinnah refused to shake hands with him at Shimla Conference.
There are a number of many other instances where one can look into see Mr. Jinnah complex character , including the work of Rafiq Zakarai's book 'The Man who divided India'
Please edit any typographic mistakes.
Thanks
Thank you Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteI think I got the drift of what you are saying without editing it, which incidentally I cannot do while posting. It goes as it is or is deleted by me!
I don't know what JS should have known or what he has put in the book. Everyone, including Mr Zakaria, looks at history the way they would like to see it. My grouse is the sudden making of heroes out of this.
With due respect to Maulana Azad, he surely had his reasons for not going along with Jinnah. And I don't agree that Nehru or Gandhi gave up much.
Good to have these bits of info, though. Please try and sign with a nickname.