The philosophical king who never was!

The Emperor Who Never Was
Dara Shukoh in Mughal India
Author: Supriya Gandhi

Genghis Khan (and Timur, who followed suit later) likely established the tradition of not designating a successor. He believed that the issue of ascension should remain open. It was anticipated that the most capable individual, able to vanquish rivals for the throne, would emerge as the strongest ruler and govern the Empire more effectively. It was irrelevant if brothers, stepbrothers, widows, and uncles fought against one another; politics took precedence over emotions. Primogeniture, the right of succession granted to the firstborn, as seen in feudal rule, is noticeably absent in the Mughal Empire.

Naturally, the Mughals, whose ancestry arose from these barbaric races, continued that tradition. After Babur, animosities among siblings to usurp the corridor of power were frequent occurrences. Factions formed, with one parent siding with a particular son or grandson. Moreover, emperors had multiple wives. Shah Jahan, known as Kurram before seizing the throne, faced such a situation. Khusrau, Kurram's elder brother, had a long-standing battle with their father, Jahangir, before Jahangir blinded him. After becoming emperor, one of the actions he took was to execute his stepmother, Nur Jahan, and his half-brother Shahar, among others. Such was the brutal process of succession. During the later part of his reign, Jahangir was half the man he once was. Long-term use of opiates and alcohol had taken a toll on his health. Nur Jahan effectively took over the realm.

We have all read about Aurangzeb and his antics during his lengthy reign as one of the last emperors of the Mughal Dynasty. However, we rarely hear of his elder brother and half-brother, Dara Shikoh.

Dara Shikoh was Shah Jahan's third child and his firstborn son. Jahanara, Shah Jahan's first child, grew up as Dara's confidante, seeking wisdom. She was erudite, never married, and followed the path of spirituality. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal had four sons: Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad Baksh.

It is fantastic to read about the childhood these princes had. Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb were caught in Shah Jahan's bizarre mutiny attempt against his father, Jahangir. Jahangir took Dara and Shikoh hostage in a political chess game. Naturally, they matured precociously.

By the age of 19, Dara showed his killer instinct by hunting down and slaying an amok elephant. Following in the footsteps of his father, Shah Jahan, and his grandfather, Jahangir, Dara Shikoh displayed an affinity for exploring spiritualism, Sufism, and other religions prevalent in India at the time. Perhaps, like his great-grandfather, Akbar, who proposed 'Din Illahi', he was moving toward the monotheistic concept of a One God common to all religions. In the tradition of the Mughal courts, Dara was proficient in Farsi, Sanskrit, Urdu, and Arabic. He was favoured and groomed by Shah Jahan as his successor. Dara endeavoured to promote religious tolerance in his philosophical journey in association with the renowned Chisti and Qadiri Sufi Orders, much like Akbar before him. He translated the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita into Persian. Throughout his life, hardships, such as losing two newborn children, illustrated his susceptibility to depression, much like how his father, Shah Jahan, was affected by the loss of Mumtaz, his favourite wife, who died of haemorrhage after her 14th delivery. Perhaps this is why Shah Jahan kept him close, depriving him of the military exposure that proved crucial later on.

Dara Shikoh

To keep Aurangzeb out of the throne's loop, Shah Jahan sent him far away with the army to conquer new lands in Central Asia and Kandahar, ensuring the vassal states towed the line. Aurangzeb received his religious guidance from more hardline orthodox Islamic scholars, who were quick to label Dara Shikoh a heretic. 

One day in 1657, Shah Jahan was afflicted with what is now assumed to be infective prostatitis. Dara Shikoh was designated as the natural successor, being the philosophical ruler who understood the scripture, earned the respect of the masses, and demonstrated courage. He was also Shah Jahan's favourite son. Upon hearing this, the remaining brothers rushed to Agra to assert their place in the Empire. Aurangzeb, the one skilled in military affairs, emerged victorious. He had his father, Shah Jahan, imprisoned and had Dara decapitated. His head was presented on a platter to Shah Jahan while he was having dinner. This exemplifies how much brutality was normalised in the Mughal Empire.

At a time when intolerance masquerading as faith is prevalent, the name Dara Shikoh shines as a beacon of hope that united all of India.

[P.S. Plato's idea of a perfect leader is a philosophical king who possesses profound knowledge and a love of wisdom. These qualities, in Plato's eyes, made them true rulers, not just power-holders, to rule justly in a harmonious society. Obviously, in the real world, increasingly the sword and the wealthy hold the corridors of power at ransom.]

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Fight smart till the last strength.

Joy of Cancer (2002)
Author: Anup Kumar

The book's title sounds oxymoronic. How can one find joy after a diagnosis of cancer? The title itself prompts potential readers to pause and take notice. Many must have found that the book makes great sense, as it has become a recommended reading for those who wish to fight cancer. 

Indeed, it is natural to deny and to ask questions such as ‘Why me?' and ‘What did I do wrong?' while indulging in the blame game. However, these questions will not address the immediate and pressing danger affecting the patient. 

This describes the author's experience of successfully battling Stage IV lung cancer. In 2000, a suspicious shadow was detected on his chest X-ray during a pre-employment screening. Further tests confirmed his serious diagnosis. 

He was at the ebb of life. A highly qualified advertising executive with a postgraduate degree in nuclear physics, he had spent all his life savings on his daughter's wedding, and his previous employer had gone under. Moreover, his outstanding wages from his prior job remained unpaid. This was the main reason he sought new employment in the first place.

First and foremost, perhaps it is the butterfly effect. Life happens. One cannot expect a rational explanation for everything that occurs to us. It offers no guarantee that everything will be all right, either. Once one moves past denial, the quest for blame, and resistance, one can resign to the clear and present danger. In the author's experience, embracing the matter at hand, he made it his point to understand everything about his cancer, for his life actually depended on it. He wanted to be part of the battalion that fights the enemy. He worked alongside his cancer team, inquiring and clarifying his own misconceptions. He had to be completely immersed in the treatment regime. After all, it is his life they are dealing with. 

Friends and relatives mean well, but their eagerness to help sometimes becomes a nuisance. Repeating the already precarious situation time and again to relatives who are sometimes 'concerned’ and other times merely asking out of obligation can be exceptionally irritating, especially when the numbing effects of chemotherapy are in full force. In such situations, reclusiveness may be preferable. 

Scars and hair loss are temporary. Clutching at straws, he held on to whatever he could. Abstaining from noxious substances, eating healthily, and even chanting and listening to calming slokas played their roles. He had been a chronic smoker before. 

The last time I checked, Anup Kumar continues to live after undergoing two complete courses of chemotherapy, approaching each day with ambiguity and hoping it will be better than the one before. Not bad for someone who was given just four months to live in January 2000 when his diagnosis was first made. He advises maintaining a positive outlook from Day 1, investing in the right people, and creating a mind-body continuum to combat the illness, alongside the appropriate support groups. That forms a watertight battle plan. 

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The Man with so many Dark Secrets!

A Convenient Death (2020)
The Mysterious Demise of Jeffrey Epstein
Authors: Alana Goodman & Daniel Halper

The turn of the 21st century witnessed the rise of conspiracy theories, including Pizzagate, #MeToo, following the exposé of Harvey Weinstein, and QAnon. One prominent news story that captured public consciousness was that of Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein began life as the modest son of a refuse collector in Coney Island. Although poorly qualified and lacking a university degree, he fabricated his resume to secure a teaching position at a school. He was an intelligent man, but when his deception was revealed, he transitioned to the money market. Despite lacking formal qualifications, he succeeded in persuading his clients to invest significantly through him.

Epstein claims to have made millions for his clients, but some insist that he keeps the liaisons going through well-crafted blackmail.  

He is said to have made tonnes through his shady business of pimping minor girls and arranging them for some 'special' clients. His close clientele may include Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson, Alec Baldwin, MBS, Ehud Barak and maybe Trump.

Many of those mentioned in his later exposé deny ever knowing Epstein, but video evidence is plentiful. The mastermind behind Epstein's recruitment was Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of Britain's disgraced media baron Robert Maxwell. She is reported to have a network for procuring underage girls to get the ring started.

It is said that Epstein was audacious in his actions. He flaunted his private jets, including a Boeing 727 whimsically named 'Lolita Express', about the 1962 film 'Lolita', to win over VIPS, and even acquired his own island for his alleged illicit activities. His net worth remains questionable. Some even doubt whether he is truly worth what he claims to possess. Conversely, much like he does for his clients, he may have concealed his wealth in offshore accounts, beyond the scrutiny of prying eyes. Epstein was known to be a philanthropist, donating to numerous institutions of higher learning and funding research. His most prominent client was Leslie Wexner, the owner of 'Victoria's Secret', who availed himself of more than just his financial management services.

In 2005, one of the girls recruited as an escort reported to the police. This soon opened a can of worms that would not disappear. Epstein's house of cards collapsed. Ghislaine was also implicated. One by one, Epstein's acquaintances claimed not to know him. After receiving a jail sentence for soliciting a prostitute and an underage one, he was released in 2009. In 2019, he was rearrested on federal sex trafficking charges. A month after his arrest, having rewritten his will and preparing for his trials with his team of lawyers, he was found dead in his cell. The cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging. Even though Epstein was on suicide watch, the CCTV was not functioning. No staff had observed his activities for an extended period. The post-mortem findings were contradictory, such as the ability of a tall man to hang himself without sufficient leg space. The pattern of neck injury was also questioned by detractors.

For a man carrying so many dirty secrets which could tarnish the image of many, there is every reason for him to be dead and not wash their dirty linen in public.

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The Mysterious Demise of Jeffrey Epstein

By 

By 

A daring investigative journalism

Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover-Up (2016)

Author: Rana Ayyub

On one hand, she is celebrated as an exceptional journalist at the Washington Post and has received numerous awards for her courageous reporting of breaking news. On the other hand, she is labelled public enemy number one. The Indian courts accuse her of insulting Hindu deities and inciting racial discord, and there is even an ongoing trial concerning the misappropriation of public funds.

For background information, the cover-up in Gujarat referenced in the book pertains to the events that followed the Godhra train burning incident in 2002. In February 2002, 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya lost their lives in a train blaze. Multiple commissions failed to ascertain the true cause of the disaster. The Mehta-Nanavati report was employed to convict 31 Muslims for the train burning.

Communal riots erupted shortly after the fire. For years, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, and his party members faced allegations of orchestrating the riots. Repeated election victories seemed to strengthen public confidence in Modi's non-involvement. Nevertheless, the Western media continued their efforts to undermine Modi and the BJP's reputation, often disparaging them before major general elections through publications such as the BBC and its affiliates.

Following the riot, the police initiated a wave of arrests, and several high-profile police staged encounters occurred in Gujarat between 2003 and 2006. Rumours spread that these deaths were orchestrated by right-wing politicians, specifically Modi and Amit Shah. At one point, Amit Shah was also apprehended for his involvement in the staged encounters.

For approximately eight months, from 2010 to 2011, Rana Ayyub, who was then employed by Tehelka, went undercover as an American documentary maker. She adopted a fictitious Hindu name, Mthali Tyagi, complete with Sanskrit credentials. Accompanied by her purported cameraman, a 19-year-old French student named Mike, she conducted a sinister mission to interview various figures directly involved in the notorious fake encounters, employing her camera and, later, a concealed recording device when they wished to speak off the record.

With her charisma and the Indian public's susceptibility to foreigners, NRIs, and "goras", Ayyub successfully obtained recommendations by conducting counter-references to interview high-ranking police officers, intelligence officers, anti-terrorist squad personnel, former MPs, and even former Commissioners of Police in succession. Many of the interviewees have since retired, and while some were initially somewhat hesitant to open up, they eventually relented.

Rana Ayyub
https://tcij.org/person/rana-ayyub/

Through her research, she uncovers a significant amount of misconduct within the police force. Some individuals were conscientious and performed their duties diligently, without fear or favour. Nevertheless, a culture of subservience to both superiors and politicians prevailed. Rana suggested that police officers exhibited discrimination against their peers from lower castes. The extra-judicial killings carried out under the guise of police encounters were executed with indifference, according to her. Rana Ayyub, in so many words, implies that Modi is the mastermind behind the unrest in Gujarat, with Amit Shah as his trusted aide who carries out all his orders.

As her sting operation draws to a close, Rana Ayyub manages to secure an interview with Narendra Modi himself. However, the book concludes abruptly afterwards, leaving the outcome of the interview unexplored.

Ayyub's audacious attempt to uncover the root of the unrest in Gujarat raises ethical questions about such an operation. Betraying people's trust, exploiting their vulnerability, and inserting oneself into their lives under a false persona may not be moral. However, individuals are unlikely to volunteer information without prompting. This encapsulates the essence of investigative journalism; one cannot solely rely on official statements.

Whatever Ayyub attempted to unleash has evidently yielded no results. As time has shown, Modi must be doing something right. The BJP's successive victories in elections, its popularity, the current state of the economy, and the general mood of its citizens suggest that India is on the right trajectory. One must consider the broader context. However, checks and balances remain essential. 

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In a secular nation?

Hindus in Hindu Rashtra(2023)
Eighth-Class Citizens and Victims of State-Sanctioned Apartheid
Author: Anand Ranganathan

I felt as if I were listening to him debate on Indian internet television. For the uninformed, a debate in the Indian context differs from the BBC's 'Hard Talk' or a conventional debate in which one person is given the stage to speak while others listen.

On these Indian shows, what we see on our monitors are multiple smaller windows, reminiscent of those in 'Brady Bunch' or ‘Hollywood Squares’, with everyone yelling at the top of their lungs simultaneously to make their point. With the rapid-fire speed of speech, often seen in speed debates, and the caustic choice of words, it is quite a spectacle. Everything is drowned out in the cacophony of each speaker's voice. Amidst all this, the anchor begins to argue at a higher pitch without turning off the guests' microphones. Sometimes, I wonder why the guests bother to attend at all. 

Anand Ranganathan has attended numerous such debates. His strong command of English and fluent expression of thoughts make him a standout in right-wing media. 

After listening to so many of his arguments on X, the book evokes a sense of 'déjà vu'. His premise is that Hindus in India are receiving a raw deal. After being overrun by foreign invaders from the West before the Common Era, India finally attained independence 75 years ago. Despite the change in rulers, he argues that Hindus continue to be treated as the stepchildren of the nation. The British governed this vast country using their 'divide and rule' tactics, which, regrettably, persist to this day. 

Ranganathan presents eight points regarding why Hindus in a Hindu nation are receiving a raw deal. Although India's Constitution declares the country to be secular, the State deems it appropriate to oversee the management of Hindu temples. For thousands of years, the temple ecosystem has served as a centre for worship, education, community living, trade, economy, statecraft, and even defence. Every invader understood that to dismantle India, they had to dismantle the temples. The law allows for the appointment of non-Hindus to the boards managing temples. In contrast, mosques and churches govern their own affairs. Court cases seeking the independence of Hindu temples have been ongoing for years.

Back in the 1990s, 700,000 Kashmiri Hindus were systematically driven out of their homes. Thirty years after the massacre, the state finds it more profitable to have them return as tourists for foreign exchange, but not to their ancestral homes. In contrast, Rohingya Muslims are permitted to settle in Jammu and Kashmir. Is the abrogation of Article 370 the right path to rectify the status quo?

The Waqf is considered the third largest landowner in India, after Defence and Railways. What began during pre-Independence times by the British to appease the Muslims has since expanded. Many prominent landmarks around Delhi, as well as Ambaini's house, are now believed to be Waqf land. Any property adjudged arbitrarily by Muslim law irrevocably belongs to Allah for all time. It reached a point of absurdity when a 1,500-year-old Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu is claimed to be situated on Waqf land, despite Islam being only 1,300 years old. The archaeological and physical evidence of lingams at the Gyanwapi Mosque serves as proof that it was constructed atop the grand Kashi Vishwanath temple. Even Aurangzeb, in his verified biography, Masir-e-Alamgiri, conceded to demolishing the aforementioned temple to erect a mosque. The 1995 Waqf Act solidifies the authority of the Waqf Board; however, these days, Parliament is attempting to amend this.

The Right to Education Act (RTE) of 2009 is said to be leading Hindu-run schools towards extinction. The Act dictates financial control, as well as the choice and quota of students and teachers, selectively applying these rules to non-minority schools; failure to comply results in closure. These restrictions compel schools to raise their fees, forcing parents to seek alternatives in schools run by minorities. Even in states where Hindus are a minority, the Act continues to operate against their interests.

The author highlights legislation that appeases non-Hindus but targets Hindus. For instance, bigamy is illegal under Indian law, yet it is permitted under the Muslim Personal Law of 1937, illustrating the double standards. Feminists advocate for equal rights but remain silent when the court permits Muslims to marry upon puberty. The corridors of power are intent on reforming Hinduism and addressing the social ills that characterise Hindu society, while the Abrahamic religions remain untouched.

The author also has a bone to pick with India's fixation on glorifying the invaders of the land. He is particularly scathing about naming one of Delhi's main roads 'Aurangzeb Road,’ referring to a ruthless conqueror who found solace in destroying pagan religions, particularly Hinduism, upholding Islamic law over his territory, imposing jizya on non-believers, and forcibly converting Sikh spiritual leaders. The nearest train station to visit the remnants of Nalanda University is Baktiyapor, named after the invader who burned Nalanda, thus losing centuries of knowledge and wisdom. 

It appears that the actions of the courts show no hesitation in attempting to alter Hindu practices, such as in the Sabarimala case, where women of menstruating age are not permitted to enter the Swami Ayyappa temple. However, the courts chose to remain silent regarding other religions, as exemplified by the case of Nupur Sharma, who is blamed for the killing of an innocent tailor for commenting on the Quran. Ranganathan further illustrates the bias of the Indian courts against Hindus.

Even though the author is an engineer by training, he chose to dedicate most of his time to highlighting the plight of the second class of Hindus in a country where the majority are Hindu. He even states that there is a legislative, judicial, and constitutional apartheid against them. 

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A Rallying Cry!

The War Against Indians(2025)

150 Years of Betrayal, Suppression and Injustice in Malaya & Malaysia.

Author: Suthan Mookaiah

At the outset, the author does not claim the book as a literary work. He professes to merely inking his lived experiences. The sales of his books are a legitimate revenue source for him, as he funds upliftment programmes in Tamil Schools through his movement, Maatram.

Sollayah grew up in Taman West Country, a former estate land in Kajang. He saw the estates in Malaysia flattened in the heady days of Mahathirism. In the rapaciousness to make Malaysia a developed nation by 2020 and produce mega-millionaires of a certain denomination, the country was in heat. There was a land rush. Apparently, nobody, including the Indian leaders who were meant to represent them, had the inkling to think of the millions of Indians who had at least two to generations of a family whose world only revolved around the rubber estates and their surroundings.

Nobody thought of having the ex-estate workers vocational training or structured living programmes. Most economic developmental ideas initiated by its leader went into disarray. The Tamil schools were left unfunded with their structures in deplorable states. Community leaders of other groups were smart enough to care for the down line whilst the Indians were busy fattening their own coffers and running down each other.

The author's father had the wisdom to send his son to be educated in a national school (as compared to a Tamil school, as most nostalgic ex-estate dwellers would) despite the financial restraints. The author's father was odd-jobbing as a grasscutter. Suthan's studies enabled him to secure him a comfortable remuneration overseas. He returned to his homeland around the turn of the last decade and decided to pay back to the society he grew up in.

Through his movement, he tries to expose the decades of systemic marginalisation of the community after the collapse of the plantation economy. He tries to give dignity to Tamil Schools and stop the indiscriminate destruction of Hindu temples. The criminalisation of Indian youth is worrisome.

The author suggests the community to use the power of social to learn and disseminate useful information to hurl up the community to sturdy grounds.

He sells his book through the TikTok shop.

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