[This
is about my trip to Madrid—of course while dozing! For
how else do you expect poor me to go to such distant
place! And even if I take an actual trip is it possible
for an 'ordinary'—to meet Generallissimo Franco and
the Sha of Iran!! certainly. No!
Royal personages now-a-days, are really very active—
more active abroad than when they are in their own domain!
The Sha of Iran has been travelling the European continent
—for purposes, educational, cultural, etc. etc. And
he had the delightful experience of meeting Franco,
the Father of Spain—the dailies or even the weeklies
have not favoured us with an account of the intimate
talks that these two. 'Top—Men'had had! How could these
papers, give an account of what they do not know—or
are not in a position to know. But dozing. I had an
excellent opportunity of feasting mine eyes with the
delightful sight—the two celebrities meeting—and even
overhearing their talk. Now let me take one and all
of you into my confidence! here is a gist of what the
two 'persona gratas' were pleased to talk.]
Sha of Perisa : Wonderful! Really, wonderful!
Generallissimo Franco : That is the universal opinion
... all do appreciate the richness, variety and the
exotic beauty of these forests! I am really thankful
to Your Majesty, for this tribute, to our terrain....
Sha : I am sorry, I have not made myself, more explicit
Generallssimo! Of course I do appreciate these hunts—but?
I had something else in my mind, when I exclaimed 'wonderful'.
Franco : Something else! Not surely the very ordinary
banquet that was arranged....
Sha : Oh! Me! One confusion, leads to another. Pray
let me explain. I was thinking about your august self—or
rather about the august office you hold—when I was exclaiming
'Wonderful..'
Franco : Wonderful—Your Majesty is pleased to state—
even after such a long number of years.
Sha : As years grow, the wonder grows too! All over
the world people swear by Democracy—and are not satisfied
with the semblance of it! They have also the proletarian
regime, as they term it. And yet, you are having your
sway over this ancient land of the Moors—as its dictator!
How very wonderful indeed!
Franco : It is indeed a wonderful world we live in.
Ruler of the Rich Oil land! But, believe me, the Dictatorship
that I shoulder, is more irksome, than the burden of
Democracy that these Eisenhowers and Macmillans bear;
for if the people are tired of them, they are easily
displaced, and displaced they become more powerful than
when they were on the 'Gadi'; But poor, me, I can not
be in Mufti—even—for once I become unwanted, then I
become non-existent!
Sha : True! True!
Franco : Young though, Your majesty is, I am almost
sure that what I point out is .....
Sha : Perfectly understandable! In fact, when my country
was made very hot for myself, I was thinking of returning
to the reverie ...
Franco : I can't afford such sweet thoughts! Mine is
to work to stay and stay to work.
Sha : May I ask, if that won't be considered as impertinent,
the secret of your success ...... Generallissimo.
Franco : There is no secret about it—the inherent weakness
in Democracy and the impotency of the many to master
it and mend it, gives me atmosphere for thriving! Bullets,
Yours Majesty! more and more pile them up—you can dispense
with the Ballot Boxes.
Sha : How very pleasant to hear this dictum!
Franco : And yet, believe me Your Majesty, I am not
happy over this 'lot' of mine.
Sha : Not happy? With the country, at your beck and
call! Unbelievable!
Franco : I bear the stigma, your majesty, forgets—I
am a dictator—after all! A term, denoting barbarity—so
do political dictionaries say! And when I think about
those fortunate men who are able to wield the same power
and even more, and yet don on democracy, I have to heave
a sigh of sorrow, and say unto you, after all I am not
in a position to be a dictator in a democratic set-up.
That is far more wonderful, than, the position which
I am favoured with.
Sha : Generallissimo! Why not visit Delhi ....
Franco : To learn the trade!
Sha : Oh, No! Not at all! I happen to be on very friendly
terms with the powers that be at Delhi. I am simply
suggesting a holiday, Generallissimo, not at all a study
tour.
Franco : Thanks—Very many thanks, Your Majesty—But in
my absence .....?
The Sha of Iran—has got a future—especially because
of the fact, that the dark hours that threatened him
have passed away—thanks to Uncle Sam!
It is always good to have an uncle—especially a rich
one! Don't ask me the awkward question, what can one
do, if the uncle is endowed with riches, and burdened
with an unpresentable daughter! That's not my look out—no,
not at this age anyhow.
But no rich uncle could have given a new lease of life,
as Uncle Sam was pleased to give to the Sha of Iran—lend
and lease they term—which means in precise lend and
then take the lease!
So, rid of dangers and troubles, the Sha of Iran is
able to saunter with all the majesty that is his—viewing
capitals and studying forms of Government, and in between
these activities, attending to certain other delicate
private matters too.
Threatened at one time by the good old man Mossadeq,
the Sha had to flee his land—but gone are those days,
and now firm on his saddle. The Sha feels that he can
have all these sight-seeings.
Dame fortune they say spurns for a long time—but once
she begins to lavish her favours, she goes on loading
them with more and more.
See for instance the prospects of the Sha of Persia,
to-day. Pakistan, through its medium, Dawn, is pressing
the Baghdad powers, to make the Sha of Persia the president!
A coveted place in fact, and one which the Sha of Persia
would have expected least of all! The Sha ought to be
mighty elated, one is bound to conclude—but Frederick
Sands says an emphatic "No".
The Sha of Persia, is on a different errand altogether
says Sands!
The Sha wants a 'Male Heir'—yes the throne needs one
not an ordinary throne by the by—it is the famous Peacock
Throne. Now, the Sha is endowed with everything - political
prospects are bright—his international relations are
note-worthy, and he has got his "sweet Soraya!"
But Soraya has not yet given what the Sha wants—No male
heir, as yet!
Soraya is the saddest girl in the world—they say and
I may add, the most terrified one too—far the Queen
of Persia ought to have known, that the Sha divorced
Fawzia sisterof King Farouk of Egypt, just because the
then queen did not present the Sha with a male heir.
Four of Switzerland's leading experts in the medical
field are busily engaged in a medical treatment.
The Sha, head over heels in love with Soraya, spared
no pains, to get this apple of his eye.
In fact, it is said that on the night, the Sha proposed
to Soraya, he presented the 'most charming' damsel.
an engagement ring of dazzling beauty, worth £ 25,000.
"The Sha wants to see your daughter—can you come
over to Tehran?" asked the Persian Ambassador and
the 'mother' of the girl at once knew that a throne
awaited Soraya. And so it turned out to be. A happy
marriage!
A saga of love! and all that. But of what use? The Sha
is anxious to have a male heir.
Soraya has travelled for four years to the world's best
clinics, to try to discover why she has not borne the
Sha a heir—Paris—New york—Rome—London—Moscow—and now
Switzerland.
In all these capitals, the lime - light is thrown upon
this Queen—and smile she must—but those of the intimate
circle know, that Soraya is the saddest girl today!
So you see, that Royalties tour countries, for purposes,
other than strictly political! But, why not politics
now and then—especially when there is a lot to learn—from
men like Franco?
Persia - known as Iran, is an independent state with
an area of 6,28,000 sq. miles and its economy depends
on oil! The rich oil fields have been the cause of much
bloodshed - but now, the Sha has succeeded in pulling.
himself out of the maze and mire—but what of his one
ardent desire—his longing to have a male heir? In Capital
cities he gathers political experience—but it is to
the clinics that he is looking up—longingly—just for
a male heir!
(Homeland
: 16-06-1957)