♠ Netaji’s comrade pins hope on Arvind Kejriwal ERAM GHA,TNN Mar 27, 2014, 08.57 PM IST ♠ ALIGARH: Toothless and frail, 95-year-old Abbas Ali may be among the last living members of the Subhas Chandra Bose-led Indian National Army (INA), but thoughts on the 67-year-old republics political future continue to occupy his mind. When Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal were united under the India Against Corruption banner in 2011, he joined them in the struggle for a corruption-free India and left Aligarh. Under the impression that Kejriwal was an RSS man, a cleric tried to dissuade him from travelling to Delhi. If the struggle is for eradicating corruption, I will go anywhere and even join Satan, he claims to have told the cleric. More than two years later, the INA captain continues to pin his hopes on Kejriwal who is president of the Aam Aadmi Party now. After decades, I am seeing a man who is raising pertinent questions about widespread corruption, he says, referring to Kejriwals verbal attacks on prominent industrialists — including Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani — who, according to Ali, controls the Congress as well as the BJP. If AAP wins 50 seats (in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls), the face of our country will change, says Ali, who also sees a blend of Bose and political activist Ram Manohar Lohia in Kejriwal. Had Bose been alive, he would have encouraged Kejriwal, he says. Netaji should have been our first wazir-e-azam (prime minister). He was for the people and wouldnt have encouraged policies that widen the gap between the rich and the poor. When asked to compare the leaders of his time with the current crop, he rues the distance that todays leaders maintain from the people. Desh ka neta hawa mein nahi zameen pe hota hai (A true leader doesnt need a chopper to reach out to his people), he says. Today, no matter where the politicians go, they get a chopper. Who is financing their rides in the air and what are they doing with it - building castles in the air? The mention of Bose, Lohia, elections and Kejriwal inject an uncanny youthful energy into him even as he expresses disappointment over the way he was treated during Emergency. I fought the British, joined the INA but Indira Gandhi charged me under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) and put me in jail for two years. I was charged for blocking railway signals when I was innocent, he sighs. He seems concerned over the state of Muslim in the country. Indian Muslims are powerful voters. A party against the interest of 20 crore Muslims cannot be at the Centre. They should realise their strength and vote carefully. Today one thing that is responsible for the poor condition of Muslims is the lack of proper representation. The last one was Dr Abdul Jaleel Faridi (founder of the UP-based Muslim Majlis party) and Muslims have been looking for a voice ever since, he says. ♠
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 13:14:57 +0000
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