The Hindu : A gentleman rebel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 30, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

A gentleman rebel

By M.G. Devasahayam

It was sometime in early February 1977. Emboldened by the reports of ``success'' of the Emergency regime and the perception that opposition to her rule was crumbling, Indira Gandhi called for the Sixth general election to Parliament. A day after this announcement, Kedar Nath Sharma, the local Congress bigwig came to see me, the then District Commissioner of Chandigarh. Our conversation turned to the election prospects and Mr. Sharma was categorical in his assertion: ``D.C. sahib, the elections are going to be a mere formality. Our candidates are strong and sure everywhere. The Opposition people are either languishing in jails or lying in bed with a leg or a hand broken. They will not even find candidates to contest the polls. Even if they find candidates, they will have no means to contest.''

In the next couple of weeks the election process of filing of nomination at Chandigarh commenced with me as the Returning Officer. One of the first to file nomination was Sat Pal of the Congress, a millionaire liquor magnate, smelling of the best French scent all over. He came with all fanfare, in the manner of a conqueror and went through the formalities with the kind of arrogance reserved for sure-shot winners. I was rather feeling uneasy about this ``Congress heavyweight'' who may represent the most literate constituency in the country. A day or two later, a mild, intellectual-looking man in a crumpled `kurta' came to file his nomination with just a couple of men in tow. That was Krishan Kant, the Janata nee BLD candidate representing the Opposition. Though I had heard of Kant as a `Young Turk' this was the first time I was meeting him and was duly taken in by his simplicity. Within days of filing nomination, the election battle was heating up. Sat Pal hit the ground with all cylinders firing and had the distinct advantage of money, muscle and material over the austere Krishan Kant and his supporters who were still reeling under the trauma of Emergency and the fear psychosis that went with it. Every evening, minions spread out to the ``labour colonies'' — a Chandigarh euphemism for `slum' — with cases of liquor and wads of currency. Each voter was given ``one bottle and one note'' (hundred rupee). But unknown to Sat Pal, a different scene was being enacted every morning in the same ``labour colonies'' where Krishan Kant went to seek votes in the morning. The colony dwellers came out in large numbers and handed over the hundred rupee notes to him saying, ``this is part of the Sat Pal loot. We have finished the bottle. This note is for you as you do not have resources. Be assured of our votes too.'' When Sat Pal came to know about this he was furious and for unknown reasons squarely blamed me for this about-turn in his fortunes. Later I learnt that this anger was mainly due to the innocent blurting out of some of the Tamil labourers that they will vote as per the direction of the `ayya', referring to me. Sat Pal carried the complaint to Bansi Lal who was then the country's Defence Minister. But nothing came of it and the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner leading to the resounding victory of Krishan Kant.March 16 to 20, 1977 were the finest hours for India's democracy when the `people's power' asserted itself and convincingly defeated the ``forces of autocracy'' trying to lead India towards a ``directed democracy'' a cloak for dictatorship. At the centre of this popular uprising was the feeble and ageing Jayaprakash Narayan attached to a dialysis machine in his spartan home in Patna. Krishan Kant was one of JP's foot soldiers leading his crusade against corruption and mal-administration from the front.

JP had great faith in Krishan Kant and gave him several responsibilities, including the task to suggest electoral reforms that needed to be taken up on top priority. I was invariably involved in these exercises and both of us came out with a dramatic suggestion to really put the `people's power' to practice by giving the electorate the `right to reject' by placing an additional column in the ballot paper. Had this suggestion, which had the blessing of JP, been acted upon the Indian electoral system would have been cleaned up long ago and we would not be hearing the cacophony of noises that is being dinned in our ears in recent weeks.

Krishan Kant was a rebel. He defied the ``power politics'' of Indira Gandhi and cast his lot with the `people's politics' of JP along with the other `Young Turk' trio of Chandra Shekhar, Mohan Dharia and Ram Dhan. He was very much aware of the trials and tribulations he had to undergo for taking this course, and he went through them with the tenacity of a rebel. But even after his electoral victory, rewards did not come his way. He had to wait a full 15 years till he was given a public office in 1992 as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. The well-merited Vice Presidentship soon followed. But the Presidentship of the Republic eluded him narrowly, though arguably he was the most eligible person in the country to hold that post. The fact that the political establishment did not finally select him only goes to prove that the rebel streak in Krishan Kant had not died away and he had not bent low to capture the highest office of the land!

Krishan Kant was also a gentleman. Being a scientist by education, he had an uncanny capacity of analysing and understanding complex issues. Even so, some of his opinions were guided more by passion than by reason. One such was the need for India to develop nuclear weapons. Our sharpest difference was on this issue — he was for nuclear weapons and I was totally against it. But our friendship became stronger for this. That was the gentleman in Krishan Kant.

He belonged to the vanishing breed of political intellectuals rooted in the `spirit of independence' of Mahatma Gandhi and the `passion of freedom' of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan. He has now joined them and would be looking down at this parched land still struggling to come to terms with the basics of Independence and freedom. May his soul rest in peace.

(The writer is a former IAS officer.)

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