What Pak can teach ASI

Lahore, indeed, was a great experience. The cricket was superb. So was the grand banquet hosted by Punjab CM Parvez Ilahi at the majestic fo...

Lahore, indeed, was a great experience. The cricket was superb. So was the grand banquet hosted by Punjab CM Parvez Ilahi at the majestic fort. Nawaz Sharief had hosted a banquet at the same fort when Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Lahore. Another royal banquet was hosted for former US President Bill Clinton.

Amer Khan, one of Lahore’s most influential men, was sitting next to me. I was pleasantly surprised when he told me that as per the old records archived there, the samadhi of Lav, Ram’s elder son, was below Lahore Fort. He claimed that according to many experts, the city of Lahore was actually named after Lav, and that a not-too-distant town Kusur was named after his brother Kush. He assured me that he had all the data to back these claims.

History really comes alive at the Lahore Fort. Emperor Akbar stayed here for quite some time. Jehangir’s legendary affair with Anarkali took place here. Salim’s love was eventually buried alive in this fort. Raja Ranjit Singh’s and Guru Arjun Deo’s graves are also in the vicinity. They are all well maintained. Be it Jama Masjid, Ranjit Singh Gurdwara or the ancient varsity of Taxila — everything is impeccably maintained.

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The Archeological Survey of India must learn a lesson or two from its Pakistani counterpart. In Pakistan, they preserve their past in an exemplary way. While our forts house government offices, the Pakistani government has preserved them for State functions. A banquet, with classical music in the background, at Lahore Fort is what fantasies are made of. In India, one needs so many permits to enter or shoot inside heritage sites. And once inside, one encounters illegal constructions or at least ugly mindless writings all over the stone structures. So much for our heritage management.

And if you thought the Pakistani Government only cares about ancient sites like Harappa and Mahenjodaro, you are mistaken. Contemporary history isn’t neglected either. Walk down to Lahore’s Gwal Mandi and see how old buildings have been refurbished and the lane converted to Food Street. The vintage look is left intact, with pronounced Hindu identities of most buildings untouched. One wonders when the ASI will realise that preservation is not only about strict policing, but creative promotion too.

Stop ‘no-balls’ please

Political optimism, and no other person than the Prime Minister himself, made us believe that finally, after more than half-a-century of parliamentary democracy, this election would be fought over issues of substance and the fare would not degenerate into petty party and personal mudslinging. But no amount of experience can compensate for lack of political integrity and complete disregard for the laws of the land. So long as we have leaders like Narendra Modi and Vinay Katiyar among us, our polity cannot come of age. How else can one explain such bad taste — or lack of political integrity — and their complete aversion for serious issues. Every time leaders like them open their mouths, they reduce this epic celebration of democracy to some cheap farce.

Modi and Katiyar have been saying unspeakable words about Sonia Gandhi, and now even cruder words about Rahul. Modi even went to the extent of saying that Sonia could not even get a clerk’s job and Rahul, despite holding a driver’s license, would find no employer. One doesn’t expect them to become responsible leaders overnight. But the fact that the BJP top leadership has apparently lost control over such elements in the party is alarming.

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When Pramod Mahajan started targeting Sonia’s origin, none less than Prime Minister Vajpayee — the BJP’s ultimate leader — advised his partymen against making personal attacks during campaigning. Party president Venkaiah Naidu tried to restrain Katiyar following a particularly vitriolic speech against Sonia. Yet, Modi mounted a vicious personal attack against Rahul in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, and got away with it.

The Gujarat BJP unit has expressed its displeasure over Modi’s remarks, even the Election Commission has objected, but the Gujarat Chief Minister is in no mood to listen. Instead, he has tried to hush up the issue by saying that he would not throw any ‘‘wide’’ or ‘‘no balls’’ in future. Such incidents will soil the spirit of campaigning. Similarly, the charges being levelled against the Prime Minister should be substantiated. Otherwise the entire election process will be trivialised into a free-for-all mudslinging match. One sincerely hopes that good sense will prevail before that happens.

Cutting party lines

While most BJP leaders are getting crudely personal in attacking Rahul Gandhi following his decision to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Amethi, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley has been an exception. This key member of the BJP’s poll strategy team sounds thoroughly impressed by Rahul and has been openly praising the young Gandhi for his knowledge of political and economic affairs, his modern outlook and his understanding of the national issues. Not surprising that the two found so much to chat about in the VIP box at Karachi stadium while watching the Indo-Pak one-day final. It’ll be interesting to watch how long Jaitley can retain his spontaneous personal opinion, which is completely contrary to the vitriolic campaign his party is running against Rahul.

The writer is a Congress Rajya Sabha member