Manmohan Singh's Budget in 1991 is a landmark in Indian financial history.
Credit: PTI File Photo
“Yunaan-o-Misr-o-Rom sab mit gaye jahaan se/ Ab tak magar hai baaki, naam-o-nishaan hamara”— former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had quoted Urdu poet Allama Iqbal in 1991 as the then finance minister, and read to the House the Narsimha Rao government's landmark budget that liberalised Indian Economy with a slew of reforms. Iqbal's lines roughly translates to 'Old civilisations of Greece, Egypt and Rome have vanished from the earth. There is some reason why our civilisation is still alive.'
While Singh's Union Budget speech stands to be the longest to date, time and again, finance ministers from different governments have recited phrases from works of famous poets. Some have penned the verses themselves— to show the significance of the policies, or even, take a dig at the opposition.
Poetry is one such literary artform which weaves the intention and the emotions of any subject, living or dead— and makes a reader or a listener pay heed to the depth of the message. One such message was delivered in 2021 by the Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac as he presented the Budget of the Left Democratic Front government.
One such poems that Thomas recited while presenting the state budget read : "Oh let my dreams- Gently grow wings!- And therein blow the conch- The morning clarion- Of a radiant new age." These were the words written by K P Amal, a students of Class 7, of GHSS School from Kannampadi, Idukki.
Former finance minister, late Arun Jaitley had also penned a few verses for his 2017-18 Budget speech— attempting to share insights about Union government's motive behind demonetisation.
Jaitely recited: “Nayi duniya hai, naya daur hai, nayi hai umang- Kuch the pahle se tariqe to kuch hain aaj ke rang-dhang - Roshni aake jo andheron se takrai hai- Kaale dhan ko bhi badalna pada aaj apna rang,” Jaitely said as he referred to the black money reserves which the Modi government was tracing.
During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, when India had undergone a health and economic crisis of unimaginable levels, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman was presenting the Union Budget. She had then quoted Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's words, "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."
Another such instance is the 2001 Budget speech presented by then finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who had said: "Taqaazaa hai waqt ka ke toofaan se joojho, kahaan tak chaloge kinaare kinaare?" which translates to— "The times require you to battle the storms. How long will you keep walking the shore?"