“Power comes & goes but Azad deserves a salute”, these words laced with emotion and appreciation came from no less a person than the Prime Minister himself while bidding farewell to Congress leader and the LoP in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and three other MPs from Jammu and Kashmir who were slated to retire next week from the Rajya Sabha. The other three MPs are Nazir Ahmed Laway, Shamsher Singh Manhas and Mir Mohammed Fayaz. Politics apart, human relations and association even for a few days create a wonderful attachment and reason to remember one another for many years. Undoubtedly, no one can help but being emotional when there is parting, whom to ”fight with” and complain and again, whom to keep affectionately engaged in the pursuit of furthering relations, becomes a sort of developing a feeling of something very valuable being no more around. That is why, PM Modi wondered “who will fill the shoes of Azad”. Ghulam Nabi Azad has to his credit a long career in politics where he has emerged unblemished and clean. He enjoyed the cosy seat of power, the responsibilities of being in opposition and most of the time as LoP as also demonstrate his capabilities in tailoring coalition relations in respect of his party with other political parties across the country and emerge successful in organisational matters. His tenure of three years as Chief Minister (the then state of) Jammu and Kashmir saw many administrative changes towards an effective governance. Representing Jammu and Kashmir in the Rajya Sabha, he took up various issues concerning the UT in the Parliament. As Union Minister too he kept interests of Jammu and Kashmir in his mind and tried to ensure (the state of) Jammu and Kashmir got riddance from terrorism and treaded the path of peace and progress. Feeling upset with the status of his party being in disarray, he did not dither or feel hesitant in expressing his concern in writing to the party leadership along with a group of 31 more leaders of his party. That showing the capabilities of a man in all circumstances endeared him to one and all which the countrymen saw on Monday Feb 9 in Rajya Sabha. Relations between the people developed at the place of work of whatever hue where communications and handling conflicts are directly related to the quality of relationships developed and that all depends on one’s intrinsic qualities of giving greater space to co-operation and coordination while not compromising on principles. That is what we saw during the last six years between the PM and Ghulam Nabi Azad when at many a time, there were arguments and counter arguments but never at the cost of personal relations . Body language, smiles, humour, punches and pranks, satires and criticism along with serious rhetoric are all human relations skills communication and seeing the same in Ghulam Nabi Azad, the PM virtually broke down many a time trying to control his pent up emotions of association with him. Azad in his response made it clear how on reciprocity forgetting political affiliations, on festivals and other occasions, how Modi regularly was among the first ones to extend greetings to him which he valued the most. What, however, made both very emotional was recalling the horrors of a terror attack near famous Nishat Garden in Srinagar on a tourist bus from Gujarat when both were CMs of their respective states. Many precious innocent lives were lost in the attack. Azad set at rest and virtually rubbished the manufactured fears of insecurity among Muslims articulated by a few self styled leaders when he proudly said that India was safest places for its Muslim population while most of the Muslim countries fought among themselves killing Muslims as “there were no Hindus or Chirstains” around in those countries. PDP MP Mir Mohammad Fayaz said that they worked for the country and have taken the flag of the country to villages , when separatists were giving call to observe hartals, they were resisting but felt upset on being branded as anti-national by media and others. Shamsher Singh Manhas too gave a detailed account of his public life and service for the general masses and that he would continue to do so in future too. The scene in Rajya Sabha on the occasion was that of a united one family all engrossed in the feelings of bidding farewell to four of its members and one wondered whether it is the same House where members at times troop in the well, take part in debates and counter debates at times amidst pandemonium and even shouts and walk outs. That being the facets of democracy and democratic ways of functions are all contributing towards the resilience and strength of our democratic institutions where we have dissent, criticism, debates, differences etc on issues but all in the spirit of cooperation, understanding and wonderful personal human relations.
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