Wings of Destiny: Ziaur Rahman Ansari – A Life
By Fasihur Rahman
Highbrow Scribes Publications, New Delhi
The book on the life of Ziaur Rahman Ansari (1925-1992), who served as union minister in the council of ministers of two Prime Ministers – Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, is an interesting mix of memoir, biography, historical account related to pre and post-independence and political upheavals of the 1960s through 1990s. The book is based on considerable primary and secondary sources and diligently weaves narratives from books, media, documents, letters and published work of several eminent scholars. The book’s large canvas setting include various personalities - poets, politicians, writers, musicians, singers, historians, academia and religious scholars, some of them surface as a reference point in the book.
The author reveals that prior to the 1980 Parliamentary elections, rumors abounded that either Sheila Dikshit (later chief minister of Delhi) or her father-in-law, Uma Shankar Dikshit, former union minister, would be fielded from Unnao constituency. To seek clarification on the rumors, when Ziaur Rahman went to 12 Willingdon Crescent (later Mother Teresa Crescent), Sanjay Gandhi was in the front lawn surrounded by fawning aspirants for the party ticket. Ziaur Rahman shared with Sanjay the rumour that he was likely to be asked to contest from a constituency other than Unnao, to which Sanjay agreed. Later, when he met Indira Gandhi, he clarified from Indira Gandhi whether Sheila Dikshit or Umashankar Dikshit wanted to contest from Unnao. Indira replied in affirmative. “If this is the case and either of them is fielded from Unnao,” Ziaur Rahman clarified to Indira Gandhi, “Then, I would not be campaigning and camping in Unnao, because if they are defeated, I would be blamed and I am sure that neither of them can win from Unnao.”
The book contains an exhaustive section devoted to the debate on the Supreme Court judgment in the Shah Bano Case. The author provides a different perspective, for and against, from jurists, senior journalists, social activists, academia, political persons and civil servants. The book also contains excerpts from Mr. Ansari’s speech in the parliament.
The last section of the book provides gloomy days in Ziaur Rahman’s life. The last two years of his life were marred by a neurological disorder and as a result of which he had completely lost his speech. Once he expressed his pathos by composing an Urdu couplet:
Naz tha taqate guftar pe gis insan ko
Aaj tum uski zuban bandi ka manzar dekho
(Watch how he is gagged and muted today
He, whose eloquence was his pride and power)
The book should have been written nearly two decades ago, when a large number of persons from the political circle, named in the book, were alive.