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Chandra Shekhar
Everybody called Chaudhary Devi Lal Tau (elder uncle), and I think he enjoyed being considered so. He regarded himself as the pater familias of the farming community, especially the Jats who loved and revered him.
He had a lot of horse sense and considerable political savvy. It is different that he pretended not to understand the pulls and pressures of coalition politics and wanted things sorted out in his own peculiar fashion, including a generous use of bluff and bluster.
He could be headstrong. Tau would often stick to his point of view and refuse to budge even when coalition partners (like in the government headed by myself) implored him to see reason. If he was angry with somebody, he made it a point to give him a dressing down, no matter how senior the politician was. Diplomacy wasn't his strong point.
Chaudhary Devi Lal was a good organiser. His word was command to his reverential followers who would sweat and toil whenever their Tau exhorted them to come forward and mobilise themselves for a particular cause.
His followers came to him (like at the massive kisan rallies in the late eighties) in their thousands and were intent on only listening to their beloved Tau.
He was grounded in old school politics, where you were either right or wrong. But we later found that he could adapt to the compulsions of modern-day manipulations and political trade-offs with an ease and panache which is to be marvelled at. Tau let it be that known that although he came from a different era, he understood the psyche of the people, notably the farmers to whose cause he was so passionately attached.
Not everybody agreed with him. But nobody could bully him or ride rough-shod over him.
He had phenomenal energy and even as recently as a couple of months ago, this octogenarian was attending political meetings and engagements, despite being supported by aides on either side holding him up.
With Chaudhary Devi Lal's death, the country has lost not only a beloved Jat leader and champion of farmers but an earthy person who did his best to adapt to the changing times.
(Former prime minister Chandra Shekhar spoke to Tara Shankar Sahay)
EARLIER REPORT:
Devi Lal is dead
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