Extraordinary
Indians is a collection of Khuswant Singh’s earlier published
pieces. They have been culled out from his estate, after his death.
So this book comes with a disclaimer that it is difficult to
accurately source the name of the publication in which the pieces
first appeared. That doesn’t make the book any less interesting.
The
personalities in this book range from Gurunanak to Indira Gandhi and
from Kabir to Protima Bedi. The book is divided into six sections –
Politicians, Spiritual Leaders, Writers/Artists, Family and Friends
and Others. Lal Krishna Advani and Sanjay Gandhi are listed under the
section And Two Who Flattered To Deceive. Whether this heading is the
handiwork of the author or the editor, we will perhaps never know.
The
old Sardar was a living storm and even after his death he continues
to ruffle a few feathers. The same is evident from the way he
describes the cold, dry and detached attitude of Mother Teresa while
tending to the sick. Speaking of Abdul Kalam he says, ‘However
one hopes that like Atal Behari Vajpayee Kalam too will stop his
little attempts at versification after he takes over as President of
India.’
Figures
of history like Gurunanak, Kabir appear an oddity in this collection.
But yet Khuswant Singh enlightens us on little known faucets of these
gems. Speaking of fasting Roza he tells us that Ghalib wrote ‘I
observe fasts, but keep my fasts well-humoured with occasional sips
of water, and a few puffs of the hookah. Now and then I eat a few
morsels of bread also. People here have a strange sense of things and
a strange disposition. I am just whiling away the fast, but they
accuse me of non-observance of this holy ritual. They should
understand that skipping the fasts is one thing, and whiling them
away is quite another.’
In the post on Mir Taqi Mir he tells us that at one time Urdu
novelists and chroniclers used to have appendices to their works in
which they included their favourite jokes which had nothing
whatsoever to do with the themes of their books.
Speaking
of Maulana Azad he says that about Samad he said, ‘He stood on the
minaret of love from which the walls of kaba and the temple appeared
of equal height.’ He tells how Mr. Azad was against the partition
of the country. Rather he had sensed it was of the opinion that
Muslims should never be at the forefront of the freedom movement. He
tells us that though there were translations of the Holy Quran in
numerous languages, Mr. Azad felt that it had complicated the
otherwise simple word of the God and hence undertook the task of
translation.
Khuswant’s
Singh writing as usual is piquant and engaging. Whether you are fan
of Khuswant Singh or not, you will immensely enjoy this book.
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