Demure Disham Guru is playing the father figure

Demure Disham Guru is playing the father figure
Santanu Saraswati
Palajori (Deoghar), May 27—He plays the father figure, the patronizing adult, the “Disham Guru”. But he acts like a child, giggly and a trifle nervous. He loves to speak unlikely a politician. What he says, is just what a father advices his confused son. The ways he showers his love, is just what an elderly guardian does to his children. Sometimes he weeps in their sorrow and sometimes laughs just like a five-year-old son in their joy. He plays with his men as the lion play with its cub. This is what one can sum up “Disam Guru”, Shibu Soren’s poll-campaign in Dumka-2 Lok Sabha by-poll scheduled to be held on May 31. As his cherry-colored Sumo readies to leave the Palajori, a purely Manjhi and Muslim dominated village yesterday at about 5 p.m, the radial tiers whirring, he lunges forward and complains: “Its not my election. It’s your battle against the oppressors and the communalist who misguided you. I am not here to ask for your vote. Don’t vote for me. But just think about your children and hear what your heart is telling.”“Bhasan dene ka koi zaroorat nehi hein humko. Sirf pahechan lena hein kaun sahi hein aur kaun galat (I have no need to give you lectures. You just have to identify what is right and what is wrong). A crowd of 3000 Manjhi and Muslim, suddenly seemed awaken about their rights. Some started crying. Some started giggling in hush. Shibu Soren again boarded from his Sumo and started scolding the septuagenarian Monohar Kisku: “Baba rona nehi. Aapka gurujee abhi bhi zinda hein. Ramgarh mein BJP-ka Gunda hum par goli chalaya. Manjhi logo ne bola Gurujee aaj ispar nehi to uspar. Hum ne bole, hum to jibit hein. Unko Bhagawan par chor do (Father, don’t cry. Your Gurujee is still alive. The BJP-hoodlums attempted to kill me at Ramgarh. They shot fire at me. The tribals went on asking my permission for retaliation. I told them when I am alive leave them for God). And the crowd started chanting slogans: “Disam Guru zindabad. Bir Shibu zindabad). We could hear them aloud till our car moves few kilometers ahead towards Sarat—our next destination, but few of them; mostly children seemed staggering after his convoy. As we reached Sarat, the famous “Pati, Patni Aur Who”—Shatrughan Sinha, was campaigning for the BJP candidate Romesh Hembrom—a political dwarf in front of the JMM-S chief. There were less people watching Shot Gun in action, more busy seeing the helicopter for the first time in their life. We passed the make shift podium of the Saffronites. A open-hooded Mahindra Jeep, boarding the ex-Sarat MLA, Uday Shankar Singh, and his musclemen followed us shouting slogans in favor of the “Lotus” in hoarse and filthy languages against Gurujee. They attempted to instigate the staggering tribals for inciting violence for the second time. Gurujee again boarded from his car and waves his hand showering love. The crowd turned a deaf ear to Singh’s musclemen. And we moved towards Simla More, eight kilometers away from Sarat Main Chowk. We were already late. For our daily routine duties but never for the love showered by the Disam Guru towards his men. He seemed stronger inside to take on the battle realizing that the tribals are still with him and for all time to come. “Ranchi bahut duur nehin hein kya?” asked JMM-S chief asked me with a big smile. EOM.
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