Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is credited as the architect of India's economic reforms during the reign of PV Narasimha Rao, which paved the way for the country's economic growth. But besides economics, his other abiding interest was 'shayari' and he often used verses to launch attacks on political rivals inside and outside parliament.
These poetry attacks drew loud cheers from both the treasury and the opposition benches at a time when humor, not hostility, dominated the mood in Parliament. Mr Singh's shayari attacks found their worthy match in the 15th Lok Sabha. From 2009 to 2014, the BJP stalwart, the late Sushma Swaraj, was the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and the 'jugalbandi' of 'shayari' between the two was nothing short of a delight.
In March 2011, Parliament erupted over a Wikileaks cable accusing the then ruling Congress of bribing MPs during the 2008 confidence vote. Ms Swaraj led the opposition's charge, targeting the Prime Minister with Shahab's famous statements Jafari: “Tu idhar udhar ki na baat kar, yeh bata ki kafila kyun luta, humein rahjano se gila nahi, teri rahbari ka sawal haiThe lines roughly translate to: “Don't change the subject, just say why the caravan was plundered. We have nothing to say about the raiders, but this is a question about your leadership.”
The Prime Minister responded with Allama Iqbal's verse, which drew smiles from Ms Swaraj and cheers from the House of Representatives. “Mana ki teri did ke kaabil nahin hoon main, tu mera shauq dekh mera intezar dekh“(I know) I'm not worthy of your attention, but look at my desire.”
Another war of verses broke out between the two leaders in 2013 during the debate on the vote of thanks to the President's speech.
In a sweet attack on the opposition, former Prime Minister Singh used the words of Mirza Ghalib: “Humein unse hai wafa ki ummeed jo nahin jante wafa kya hai.” (We expect loyalty from those who do not know what loyalty is.”
The leader of the opposition responded with two shers. The first was by Bashir Badr. “Kuch to majuriyan rahi hongi, yun hi koi bewafa nahin hota (There must be a reason to betray love)”
In her second shayari attack she added: “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“. The lines translate to “you don't remember the loyalty and we don't remember the disloyalty, life and death have two rhythms, you don't remember one, we don't remember the other.”
When Ms Swaraj died in August 2019, Dr Singh had described her as a great parliamentarian and an exceptionally talented Union minister. “I was shocked to hear about the sudden death of Sushma Swaraj. I have fond memories of my interaction with her when she was Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha,” he had said.
Now Dr. Singh is gone today, the two leaders and their 'shayari jugalbandi' will now only live on in our memories of a less polarized political discourse, when the debates in Parliament were less chaotic and more jubilant.