Rajaji – An Integrated Personality

RAJAJI-AN INTEGRATED PERSONALITY

DR SANKARA SREE RAMA RAO

There are people who distinguished themselves in some field or other. But there are few–pretty few–who could claim equal proficiency in all fields of human endeavour and hold an undisputed sway over them for a whole lifetime spanning nine decades. It is a unique honour that Rajaji enjoyed in a spirit of utter humility.

A scholar more scholarly than all the proclaimed scholars of his time; a politician who was head and shoulders above his contemporary politicians; a strategist who can beat the top strategists of the century without resorting to unethical means; a rationalist much more rationalistic than many of the vociferous rationlists we know of; a statesman without an equal in constructive statesmanship; a realist with a far sight and foresight none of his colleagues could lay hands upon; an orator more convincingly argumentative than many silvery-tongued orators of his era in Indian history; an independent thinker with few equals in modern public life; a fearless patriot, who never shrank from dangerous and at times unpopular situations; a real Sanyasi without the traditional robes of the order but very simple and absolutely austere in day-to-day life; an administrator who was second to none in administrative ability and decisive action; a reformer par excellence; the very embodiment of honesty. Rajaji was a unique personality of Himalayan dimensions that strode the country like a colossus from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas.

All these qualifications are nothing–a mere nothing–compared to his stature as a man, as a real human. His humanism is natural and positive.

He could write a commentary on Ramayana or Mahabharata with as much ease as a small premier in Tamil for the tiny tots of the kindergarten classes. What a versatile personality! What encyclopaediac knowledge! And yet what humility!

After filling the august position of Governor-General, he didn’t hesitate to come and take up the chief ministership of a province.

With all his love and reverence for Gandhiji, the most popular leader of his time, Rajaji dared to differ from him and pursue a path that is not palatable to his mentor. That shows the courage of conviction with which he pursued his work, sometimes a lonely furrow.

Who but he could have dared to organise an all-India party against the formidable and time-honoured Congress party when he found it absolutely corrupt. He christened the Congress party a leaky boat in his characteristic satirical manner. His parables against the corrupt administration were incisive and told much that was not revealed in black and white. He named it permit-licence-Raj and waged a war against it for clearing the public life and administration of the filth that accumulated with political power.

He was as critical of the Indian maladministration as of the British exploitation of the older days of the British Raj.

When everything seemed evaporated with Gandhiji's assassination, Indian partition and its aftermath of inhuman and demonical violence, Rajaji alone stood amidst the encircling darkness as a beacon light, as the conscience of the real Indian nation and its ancient and deathless culture.

He lived full of years and honours advocating all good causes and giving praise unequivocally when and where it is due.

Rajaji, the relentless critic of India’s policies, gave her unstinted praise when she came out victorious in the Bangla conflagration with deft and appropriate handling of a very difficult and trying situation. It speaks volumes of the human element of the man and his sterling honesty.

I can’t conclude this article without a personal note. When I published my book of English poems “Song of Life”, I casually sent him a copy, without soliciting his opinion, as I sent to some literary stalwarts of the time. I was thrilled when I opened his letter which ran thus – “I generally avoid reading these days as my eyes have gone very weak. But somehow by reason of some unseen force, I began to read your “Song of Life” and kept up till the end (1) to (100). I was astounded at such good poetry and such divine thoughts. I don’t believe in our poets writing in English. But it seems you are an exception.”

There he is, the cent per cent man, not a lopsided scientist or humanist but a whole man with all his Satvic attributes of head and heart.

Can there be one like him again? I don’t think so. He is a rare specimen of God’s expert workmanship sent into the world to remind forgetful humanity of their inherent divinity.