New Delhi: Former MP Vijay Darda’s sway among top ministers and parliamentarians was on full display at his book launch. With the Waqf Bill being discussed in the Rajya Sabha that day, MPs made short appearances before rushing off. If half the lawmakers were in the Upper House, the rest were at Darda’s book launch.
Darda, chairperson of the Maharashtra-based Lokmat media group and Rajya Sabha member for 18 years, clearly still had pull. His political memoir, The Churn, was launched by Arjun Ram Meghwal, minister of parliamentary affairs, at Delhi’s India International Centre on 3 April. Bigwigs like Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi registered their presence, as did parliamentarians such as Ashok Mittal, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Sanjay Deshmukh.
But the big debate at the launch wasn’t about the Waqf Bill—it was about the title of the book. How exactly was it pronounced, successive speakers wondered: The Churn, The Choorn, or perhaps The Charan?
“Is this the Churn or the Choorn? I am unable to understand,” said Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla, amid laughter. “Actually, it’s both. Vijay Babu’s life has seen so much churning, but he has always found a way through conflicts. And Choorn because this book is a dollop of his life experience, you can eat it like a puriya of chooran.” Before the matter could be settled, he rushed off.
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Churned, not stirred
The confusion over the title crossed party lines. BJP’s Syed Srinivas Hussain picked up where Shukla had left off: “I didn’t understand how to pronounce the title, Churn or Choorn? Maybe Rajdeep ji will tell us. Anyway, this is Vijay Darda for you… not easy to understand!”
Hussain called upon veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, who was on the panel of speakers, for a final word. But his clarification did little to stem the flow of jokes and puns about the book’s title.
“Someone called the book the Charan, another called it Chooran. I think this is pooran (complete),” said Jain monk Dr Acharya Lokesh Muni.
The loudest laughter, however, came later when RPI MP Ramdas Athawale narrated a poem. He was coerced into speaking by Darda with a cryptic remark, classic reporter style: “I just want two minutes of your time. Remember you wanted to meet Barack Obama when he visited…?”
At this, Athwale, clearly in a hurry to go to the Upper House, sprang up and obliged with a quick speech.
“If Lokmat didn’t publish my news I wouldn’t have been such a big name in Maharashtra,” he said, before reciting his shayari:
“Vijay Darda ji Jawaharlal ji ka sapna kar rahe poorna,
isliye aapne kitaab likhi hai The Choorna.”
(Vijay Darda is making his father Jawaharlal’s dream complete—poorna
That’s why he’s written a book called The Choorna.)
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‘Worked across party lines’
When the levity had subsided somewhat, the conversations finally turned to what was inside the book. Among other facets of his career, The Churn traces Darda’s nearly two-decade stint as an MP, including major legislative battles, governance issues, and efforts to reform institutions.
NCP Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare said the book would serve as a guide for leaders like him.
“To be elected as an independent in Rajya Sabha is no mean feat. I have decided to read a page of Darda’s book every day. It will keep me motivated and help me understand the role I need to play in Parliament,” he said.
After a few brief speeches, Darda took the mic for about an hour. He spoke about his life in the Rajya Sabha, and the book he’s written about it. A debate moderated by Rajdeep Sardesai had been planned for the end of the programme, he said, but couldn’t take place because of the ongoing session in Parliament.
Darda revealed that during his career as a parliamentarian, he’d tabled 34 private member’s bills, and asked 2,255 questions. Some of his famous proposals included establishing a national judicial commission, as well as creating special regional benches of the Supreme Court, with one to be set up in Nagpur.
His political career, he said, had begun when Bal Thackeray visited his residence and asked him to join the Rajya Sabha on a Shiv Sena ticket. Darda refused and instead contested the elections as an independent candidate. In 2004 and 2010, however, he was nominated by the Congress.
“As a parliamentarian, I kept the interests of the ordinary man at the heart of the issues I raised. I followed the principles of truth and justice in my work. I have worked across party lines,” he said.
Perhaps to make sure everyone had a chance to absorb his message, copies of The Churn were distributed for free to audience members at the end of the programme.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)