Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is considered the architect of India’s economic reforms during the PV Narasimha Rao rule, which paved the way for the country’s economic growth. But apart from economics, his other abiding interest was ‘shayari’ and he often used verses to launch attacks on political rivals inside and outside Parliament.

These poetic attacks drew loud cheers from both the Treasury and the opposition benches at a time when humor, not hostility, dominated the mood in Parliament. Mr. Singh’s shayari strokes found their worthy counterpart in the 15th Lok Sabha. From 2009 to 2014, late BJP stalwart Sushma Swaraj was Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the ‘jugalbandi’ or ‘shayari’ between the two was nothing short of a delight.

In March 2011, there was outrage in Parliament over a Wikileaks cable accusing the then-ruling Congress of bribing MPs during the 2008 confidence vote. As leader of the opposition, Ms Swaraj took aim at the Prime Minister with Shahab Jafari’s famous lines: “Tu idhar udhar ki na baat kar, yeh bata ki kafila kyun luta, humein rahjano se gila nahi, teri rahbari ka sawal hai.” The lines can be roughly translated as follows: “Don’t change the subject, just say why the caravan was plundered. We have nothing to say about the robbers, but that is a question of your leadership.”

The Prime Minister responded with Allama Iqbal’s rhyme, which made Ms. Swaraj smile and greet the House with cheers. “Mana ki teri tat ke kaabil nahin hoon main, tu mera shauq dekh mera intezar dekh“I know I’m not worth your attention, but look at my longing.”

In 2013, another couple’s war broke out between the two heads of state during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address.

In a sweet attack on the opposition, former Prime Minister Singh used Mirza Ghalib’s lines: “Humein use hai wafa ki ummeed jo nahin jante wafa kya hai.” (We expect loyalty from those who don’t know what loyalty is.”)

The opposition leader responded with two shers. The first was by Bashir Badr. “Kuch to majuriyan rahi hongi, yun hi koi bewafa nahin hota (There must be a reason to betray love)”

On her second shayari attack, she added, “Tumhe wafa yaad nahi, Humein jafa yaad nahi, zindagi or maut ke toh do hee tarane hain, ek tumhein yaad nahi, ek humein yaad nahi“. The lines translate to: “You don’t remember loyalty and we don’t remember disloyalty, life and death have two rhythms, you don’t remember one, we don’t remember the other.”

When Ms. Swaraj died in August 2019, Dr. Singh described her as a great parliamentarian and an exceptionally talented Union minister. “I was shocked to hear about Sushma Swaraj’s sudden demise. I have fond memories of my association with her when she was Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha,” he had said.

Because Dr. Singh passes away today, the two leaders and their ‘Shayari Jugalbandi’ will only live on in our memories of a less polarized political discourse when there was less chaos and more jubilation in debates in Parliament.