Old truth

Sir — A controversial book written by a former media advisor to the prime minister has resulted in a political slugfest in the midst of Lok Sabha elections. However, in The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru has spun a yarn around a “common assumption” that people familiar with the Congress work culture would be aware of (“Aide to the prime minister”, April 13). Baru implied that it was the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, who called the shots in the United Progressive Alliance government and not the prime minister, Manmohan Singh. The party has subscribed to the culture of dynasty politics since pre-Independence days.

Baru has stated that Singh may have been in office, but he did not wield any real power. In the Indian National Congress, the party chief takes most of the important decisions and others have to act in accordance to the wishes of the ‘high command’. Sonia Gandhi is usually given credit for the UPA’s achievements. But Singh has had to bear the brunt of the criticism for the poor decisions taken by the higher authorities.

Yours faithfully,
Jorhat Singh, Mumbai

Sir — Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were the de facto heads of the UPA government. Manmohan Singh never had much command to begin with. He “was made prime minister by Sonia Gandhi when everyone expected her to take the top job”. The book by Sanjaya Baru only confirms some widely-held beliefs. The theory that it is the Gandhis who hold the reins of the government has also been backed by the former cabinet secretary, T.S. Subramaniam.

The Congress spokesperson, Abhishek Singhvi, has accused Singh’s former media aide of “betrayal, greed, ambition and sensationalism”. Several Congress leaders have denied Baru’s claims. But they cannot change the fact that the party has been run by the members of the Gandhi family for the larger part of its existence. This hullabaloo has laid bare some deep-set flaws in India’s oldest party which has lost most of its credibility.

Yours faithfully,
K.V. Seetharamaiah, Hassan, Karnataka

Role play

Sir — The veteran lyricist and former Padma Bhushan winner, Gulzar, has been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 2013. Gulzar has received so many honours in his career that he probably does not have room for any more trophies. This talented poet has written meaningful lyrics for Hindi film music. He once said that literature and poetry are his passions. Gulzar’s lyrics often reflect the changing socio-political dynamics of society.

Gulzar began his career by penning the lyrics for the song, “Mora gora ang laile” from the movie, Bandini, in 1963. He wrote several other melodious songs like “Humne dekhi hai un ankhon ki” (Khamoshi), “Maine tere liye hi” (Anand), “Chhaiya chhaiya” (Dil Se), “Beedi jalaile” (Omkara) and “Kajra re” (Bunty Aur Babli).

Beautiful lyrics are rare today. The present generation prefers foot-tapping rhythms. Such a preference makes the lyricists’ job quite difficult. But Gulzar knows how to keep up with the times. Many contemporary filmmakers still prefer him over others. Before becoming a poet, Gulzar worked as a car mechanic in a garage in Mumbai. His real name is Sampooran Singh Kalra. Although he has modified his poetry to suit the needs of the times, I would still say that songs like “Humne dekhi hai un ankhon ki” are far more haunting than his recent works. Incidentally the song, “Jai ho”, fetched him an Academy award.

Yours faithfully,
Subhayu Saha, Murshidabad

Sir — The Dadasaheb Phalke award is considered to be India’s highest honour in cinema. The recipient for 2013, Gulzar, is a writer, lyricist and director. But above all, he is a renowned poet. His films offer rare insights into human emotions and possess a lyrical quality. Films like Mere Apne (1971) and Mausam (1975) had left a deep impression on the audience. Mere Apne starred Meena Kumari, Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha in prominent roles. Gulzar’s Achanak is path- breaking as it has no songs. Khushboo and Aandhi, both directed by Gulzar, are also considered cult films.

Yours faithfully,
Radhakanta Seth, Sambalpur, Odisha

Sir — The lyricist and director, Gulzar, certainly deserves the Dadasaheb Phalke award for his contribution to Hindi cinema. It is unfortunate that this honour bestowed by the government has not been given to Manoj Kumar. Kumar was nominated for the award in 2012 but the prize went to Soumitra Chatterjee instead. Kumar’s films like Upkaar and Purab Aur Paschim speak volumes about his calibre as an actor. The government must consider Kumar as a deserving candidate for this distinction some time in the future.

Yours faithfully,
R. Sekar, Visakhapatnam