Law Kumar Mishra
Arjun Singh, veteran leader of Madhya Pradesh was born on November 5, 1930.
He was governor of Punjab following Longowal accord, union HRD Minister, three times Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh besides working president of Congress. Like, Kamlapati Tripathi he too wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister and party president. His letter was drafted by an IAS officer from Kerala. He was soon out of grace of the party chief.
He was not from the breed of * Tuccha* politicians. Once , the then director of public relations, who rose to become secretary in the union health ministry, informed Arjun Singh that the young daughter of a former Chief Minister and prominent opposition leader had eloped with the PSO.
The officer suggested this news can be widely published in news papers and fair image of the opposition leader can be badly damaged. Arjun Singh admonished the officer and asked him to keep quiet. “Today , daughter of …ji has eloped, tomorrow it may be mine or even yours,” Singh exhorted.
Unlike contemporary leaders, he was a silent helper to the needy, never made public his contributions as they remained limited to himself, his PA Mohammad Yunus and the beneficiary only. Arjun Singh politely chided an editor level journalist who offered him a bouquet on his birthday. “It is not expected of you,” he said.
Unlike contemporary politicians, he was a voracious reader of books and used to accept the freshly published books as gifts, very particular about the words he used at press conferences, no deviation of a word was appreciated. Hundreds of journalists in MP and Chhattisgarh have genuine reasons to feel obliged to the erstwhile Churhat-Satna ruler.
Arjun Singh will be recognised as the leader who got dreaded Phoolan Devi surrender with many outlaws of Chambal, rehabilitated their families in the Shyopur colony exclusively for the surrendered dacoits, arranged education for their children. Son of Malkhan Singh joined police to become deputy SP, Madho Singh’s daughter became a doctor. They have genuine reasons to be obliged to the Thakur Saheb, who was a man of few words.
Arjun Singh must be given credit for turning hundreds of journalists in MP and Delhi into crorepatis,
allotted land to the management of many national and local papers and agencies at highly subsidized rates.
(The author is a senior journalist based in Patna and has worked in Madhya Pradesh as Times of India Correspondent)
