Yesterday I happened to watch an interview in the flight on my way back to Chennai. I have watched quite so many and often change channels since I get irritated by those mundane questions and the superficial characters of the interviewee.
But, this one was a different experience.I was not only gaping at the personality through the length of the interview but was also moved to tears..which is a new experience to me.
This was a recorded telecast of "Randezvous with Simi garewal "and the personality interviewed was (Late)Benazir Bhutto.
I cant but help myself from penning these few words because this show has haunted me since yesterday and if I don’t write now..i don’t think I can sleep today!!..I was mesmerised by this iron lady and developed a great sense of respect and admiration for her after this programme. She spoke (predominantly) about the men in her life-her Dad who was a mentor and role model and her husband whom she loved so dearly.She said that she always hated politics and given a choice would have opted out of it. But the more she hated it, the more it would lay its tentacles on her like an octopus and bind her. You should see her speak and you would be awestruck at her vocabulary and poise with which she delivers those sentences. Well..a degree at Harvard is not a joke right!
She spoke with a heavy heart about the day her dad was executed and how she wasn’t even allowed to hug her dad to bid good bye. One can feel the pain in her voice when she narrates the instance ..and not a drop of tear in her eye.Oh what a strong woman!
She spoke about how the men in her life had always suffered..Her husband was imprisoned and her Brother had a mysterious death . She spent 6 years of youth in the prison. Despite such terrible happenings in life, how did she manage to keep her cool..to stay balanced and not show her hatred to those barbaric men ? I wonder!
Simi questioned her as to how she coped with the sad death of her dad and the injustice rendered to her..She says her dad would console her that he was going to meet his parents and his maker and so, there was no need to worry..
”So, after that day I never feared death” she said and I couldn’t control myself at that moment..i broke into tears.
I strongly encourage each one of you to see the interview .If you are a man..all the more why you should see it..If you are a chauvinist…don’t miss it..If you respect women , see it.If you are a woman…see it for sure.
Catch those light moments of when she talks about how romantic she thought her husband was, the gift he gave her, her views about democracy and women, India and Kashmir and so much more!
Simi concluded by saying that she wished her Peace and Happiness and she replied “Thanks Simi..You were marvelous” ..Something tells me that after the shutters of the cameras closed, there was atleast one drop of tear in her eye and her heart was probably the heaviest that day!!
I know not about the other side of Pakistan politics nor do I know the differences of opinion that some would have about this leader…But I believe that every word she uttered that day had come from her heart.
Curse be on the men who deprived the world of an able leader and a strong willed woman who I believe would have transformed the lives of so many women in the world.
"அடுத்து ஒரு ஜன்மம் வந்து ஆணாக நீ பொறந்தா பூமியில எடம் இருக்கும் ...போய்வா டி அன்னகிளி "
