Raju Ganapathy

Drama Tragedy

3  

Raju Ganapathy

Drama Tragedy

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

4 mins
180


Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who is the second most powerful Indian on earth? The HMV asked expectantly. The mirror kept mum. Then the HMV repeated the question and said “you are not answering my question. Is it because you think it is the Monk with the Shaven Head (MSH) is the one?”


The mirror said “Oh! Dear how is it that possible? MSH is not a game changer but merely a name changer! He can certainly can beat Tughlaq in that kind of game.” After a pause it continued “I know that you wanted me to name you. But unfortunately, when COVID struck you, business was as usual in the country. Nobody did pray for you in the temples for your speedy recovery. The bhakts didn’t go on rampage blaming the termites. No lynching incident took place. As much as one didn’t like, peace prevailed.”


The HMV was taken aback and quite irked. “Then who is it?” he barked in his irritation. The mirror said after much reflection my considered opinion is that it must be the Jumbani. Had he taken sick due to the virus the Sensex would have crashed and the investors’ health must have got eroded by a few lakhs million USD; GDP would have contracted further. Internal communication in the country would have got disturbed. There is a huge domino effect. He governs the country without governing. Minimal governance and maximum impact.” The HMV got so angry he smashed the mirror into smithereens.


In the meantime, the farmers were laying a siege to the capital. It was a challenge to his authority. Earlier in the year it was the anti-CAA protest. The vastu in the capital was not right for him. He must get that checked immediately. He dialled the vastu pandit Ramachandra Shastri who agreed to come by the afternoon. Shastri did a yagna which the media criticised as adding to the pollution in the capital. Then he concluded that capital alignment did not suit HM and he would be better of moving to the city of Karnavathi (name changed). But HMV would have none of this argument.

So, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He ordered to give the farmers a welcome shower using water cannon in the cold weather. He told the farmers following the SC order he has earmarked a public space for their protest, which the farmers said thank you and declined to move to the protest area. He asked his hand maiden police department to lathi charge them. Farmers were far too weathered. Life was beating them every day. Police beating them didn’t matter at all.


HMV’s discomfort was growing day by day. Grapevine was that his boss was looking at a third term. The concept of margadarshak mandal would be given a decent burial. HMV’s waiting would grow longer. 2029 looked like ages. People were talking about the name changing MSH in the same breath. The gamble at the valley has not paid off. The master stroke didn’t fetch a six or not even a boundary. Merely winning elections were not enough anymore. Bangladesh getting ahead of India in GDP terms has made CAA and termites riddance a non-issue.


The real issues were back to economy and unemployment. Nothing rabble rousing about them. No good economist worth his/her salt remained in the government. The two issues were something the boss takes care. Anyway, with COVID around boss has been grounded. Now Boss is into inaugurating every sundry conference and high-ways leaving nothing for him to do and forced to campaigning for municipal elections in Bhagyanagar. He reflected that having a brute majority in the parliament was also a liability in the sense that one got arrogant and did away with any discussion on issues. Farm laws were one such and it was boomeranging. Parliamentarians’ views and people’s views need not be same. He regretted smashing the mirror which would have helped in better reflection.


His Master’s Voice wondered when he would get his OV (Own Voice)? Then suddenly he heard a feeble sound saying pitchai pitchai. HMV angrily glared at the mirror and asked “are you now saying Google’s Pitchai in the fray too?” Then the mirror piece said “I am made in Chennai and ‘pitchai means to beg. I am not one of the ‘tukde tukde’ gang. Yet, I am shattered to pieces and in my dying moment please consider my last wish. Let Hyderabad be Hyderabad and not make it mini India as you have said. Let cow belt and saffron speak be confined to India and not brought to Hyderabad.”

Now HMV was in a great dilemma ‘to fulfil or not to fulfil’ the last wish of the broken mirror. In some ways the society and polity of India represents the broken mirror. He heaved a sigh and thought once broken always broken.


He thanked the British Raj for their legacy of the divide and rule policy. Maurya’s Chanakya talked of unity but the British talked of division and it was division which was paying dividends.


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