Mikhail Gorbachev is no more. In his funeral he was denied the full state honour. Frankly speaking, this should not surprise one, notwithstanding the tributes paid to him by the Western leaders.
How can a state accord full state honour, to a person who inadvertently or otherwise, had a role in the collapse of the then nation – the Soviet Union? This role would cast a long shadow on all other virtues Gorbachev may have had.
I vividly remember an incident in the decade of the 90s during an international training in Zimbabwe. The participants were drawn from various countries including Russia. During one of our conversations, I praised Gorbachev, his perestroika and the glasnost.
The leader of the Russian delegation became somewhat pensive. His subsequent observation forced me introspect.
According to him, Mikhail Gorbachev will always be remembered in Russia, as a person responsible for the breakup of the Soviet Union, notwithstanding the praise he may receive. It was true that the clock cannot be turned back, but Gorbachev’s role cannot be overlooked either.
I could not help draw a parallel with the role of Bibhishan. Even after siding with Lord Ram himself, ‘Bibhishan’ is not an honorific term even in Ayodhya. It remains a pejorative term thousands of years later as well.
It is a different matter that Bibhishan got placed in the list of seven immortal persons, but in public discourse, Bibhishan is a term that is used derisively.
Gorbachev did not side with the West as explicitly, but can't disown his role in the breakup of the Soviet Union. The birthmark port wine stain on his forehead has ceased to exist with his death, but the stained role in the breakup of the nation will be difficult to erase.