The Hero we once had

Abraham Lincoln once said….. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to truly test a man's character, give him power”. Well! We gave power to a person we once considered our leader, but more than any other power, we gave him the power of our unfailing trust, power over ourselves and power to determine our common fate. And what did that person do? He left us in the lurch and deceived us with his failing judgment and mis-placed wisdom. Like things once dear to us, it’s tough to say goodbye, but here I am saying my adieu to the leader we once had.

Like the spark that lights the fire, he once emerged from the dark shadows and ignited our fight for freedom from the tyranny of Bengal government. He told us stories unlimited on why we need to be recognized and acknowledged as different by the Government of India. He told us why we deserved better than what we already had and how we could live a better life by having our own separate state. He dared people to dream, and like a sorcerer conjuring his magic trick, people followed him and did dare to dream with him… dream of a better tomorrow, dream of determining ones own fate and dream of being ones own master. After a bloody agitation, and killing among brothers, he signed an accord on behalf of us all.

I remember the speech he made after signing the Tri-Partite Agreement with the Government of India and West Bengal… he had said on that day…. “… yo hill council bhaneko baag ko damaru ho… pacchi gayera yo baag hunecha….” (… This hill council is like the tigers cub, with time it will become a tiger...). People cheered, and gave their approval…. for their hero was leading them to that Promised Land.

Five years down the line, people started to realize that not all of his closest allies were truly dedicated to make our lives better as promised; many of our councilors were either busy filling their pockets or were simply incompetent to deliver development. At this point in time, people had expected their beloved leader to cleanse his operating mechanism, by chucking out those who didn’t perform for the welfare of the people. But this was not to be and that’s when he started to loose his touch with those who had given him all they ever had… their trust, their belief and their pride.  

What every one failed to realize was the fact that our leader had changed with the power he had, the power that was accorded to him by his people had gone on to poison his thoughts and corrupted him beyond redemption. He ceased to be a leader and diversified himself as an engineer, a spiritual person, a philosopher, an astronomer and what not? In short he was a Mr. know it all.

He started to show favors, and played favorite within his closest allies. He knew the golden art of divide and rule and used it to keep everyone in check. No surprise! Many of those who lost his favor either lost their jobs or even their lives in some cases. As Lao-tsu points out “To lead people, walk beside them ... As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate ...”

So how did this transition take place? How the leader we loved so much eventually went on to become the tyrant we hate. Well! For starters, he lost touch with the grass roots. He never bothered to see what people actually wanted. His eccentricities forced people to question his sanity.

For instance, his plan to build an airport at Tiger Hill, and similar attempts at Dhotrey T.G, left people wondering if he was thinking straight. When the plan to build an airport at Dhotrey failed he organized horse racing there instead (Sundhara Ghora Jatra). He started to find god in every stone and he cleared the natural lakes in Tiger Hill and Jorepokhari (both homes to endangered Himalayan salamander) and planted fake stones and stone idols in those places. So much was his obsession with finding god in stone that people started to say “if you are suffering from gull bladder stone, don’t say that aloud…. Coz if the chairman finds out about it, he will construct a temple right there…”

He did not bother to see how the education system was working or if it was working at all. What he did instead was give discourse on medicinal properties of garlic. He did not bother to check what the status of unemployment in the hills was. What he did instead was to distribute audio cassettes for which he had penned the lyrics. He did not stop to ask if people were happy with his chosen deputies, he did not bother himself with the mundane task of finding out peoples will. Rather, he started to test people’s patience and tolerance.

He started to say we should not pray to the idols… people tolerated, he said we should start drinking Jaar and Raksi (local wine)... people tolerated, he said let’s dress tribally… people tolerated, he started certifying jhakris (our traditional shamans and priests)… people tolerated… there is no water to drink in Darjeeling, but he put up a dancing fountain at Chowrasta… people tolerated. But enough was enough and people realized that their leader was nothing but a self-indulgent selfish individual, who did not care how others fared as long as he was indulging in luxury. That’s when people started to demand his ouster.

There are still many who would give their all to see their leader, their hero triumph again. We are people who are known world over for our loyalty, so no surprises there. But, I believe it’s high time for us to stop this hero worshiping; as we cannot always keep on justifying someone’s action just because he is our leader. He was our leader no doubt, but he benefitted most from it. He led our beloved hills towards utter chaos, and economic degradation. It’s because of him that we- the people of Darjeeling now lag behind in every aspect.

It’s high time that we stop hero worshipping our leader from the past, and say it out loud… “This far and no further…” I know the path which we select from now on is going to be difficult and torturous for many years to come, but if we persist with a vision to have our own land, and do away with the leader who deceived us, I am sure, we will eventually triumph.

Finally, I leave you all with immortal line as stated by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. “…. to say that there is a case for heroes is not to say that there is a case for hero worship. The surrender of decision, the unquestioning submission to leadership, the prostration of the average man before the Great Man -- these are the diseases of heroism, and they are fatal to human dignity. History amply shows that it is possible to have heroes without turning them into gods.”

Hope! I made some sense