Entertainment galore! The long standing deadlock between the producers and multiplex owners has finally been resolved, the Twenty20 World Cup opener at Lord’s started with a bang – Netherlands stunned England by a 4 wicket win and the JD(U) chief, Mr Sharad Yadav threatened to “consume poison” in the House if the women’s reservation bill was passed in its present form. I am not able to decide which of these 3 news promised bigger entertainment.
Gandhiji resorted to death threats (popularly known as fasting until death) as a last resort to make sure that people followed what he thought was the right and truthful way but politicians in India are giving people threats of a different kind to force their agenda on them. Sharad Yadav’s threat reminds me of a few more entertaining threats issued by our politicians over the years. In hindsight I feel they were opportunities lost. In the larger interest of entertainment and the nation they should have been allowed to follow through their threats.
Sushma Swaraj, present deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and health minster in the A.B. Vajpayee cabinet protested against moves to make Sonia Gandhi the Prime Minister of India. She declared that she will live like a sanyasin if a “foreigner” ruled the country. Uma Bharati, the true and official sanyasin of BJP would have felt more threatened than Sonia Gandhi, I am sure. The end of the story was quite boring although not predictable. Sonia declined the post and Sushma continued to be the materialistic politician she always was.
My nana used to tell me a story which could be called mythological because Indra the king of devtas was the main character. The story goes something like this, a sadhu decided to perform tapasysa to please God and attain super powers. Indra true to his character felt threatened (singhasan dol gaya) that he will lose his throne and he tried to scare away the sadhu by taking the form of a ferocious elephant. The petrified sadhu folded his aasan (seat) and started running. A friendly akaashwani said- gajo mithya which in English means that the elephant is fake. The sadhu spread his aasan once again and said gajo mithya to bhago bhi mithya, if the elephant is fake my running away is also not true. If Sonia is not the Prime minister why should Sushmaji forfeit her worldly pleasures. Sushma Swaraj with a shaven head, wearing white saree, sleeping on the floor, and making chickpeas and water her staple diet would have been quite an interesting sight. An opportunity lost!
While campaigning in Rampur Samajwadi Party General-Secretary Amar Singh said that actor-turned-politician and his party’s candidate from northern Rampur seat, Jaya Prada might commit suicide if she loses the poll. The emotional Indian public voted for her and she won the election despite Azam Khan’s selfless and untiring campaign against her. I don’t think she would have commited suicide but it would have been quite interesting to know how she would have wriggled out of the situation. One more opportunity lost. Phew!
In 1996 Mamata Banerjee is said to have threatened to strangle herself in public if a party colleague with a criminal record was given a ticket by local Congress bosses. Mamta di is alive, kicking and enjoying power. Whatever happened to the criminal candidate, she is safe. An embarrassed Ms Banerjee would have been a sight to behold. I am sure she would have found ways to wriggle out of the situation, politicians are great survivors . The Indian public missed one more chance of entertainment.
Now Sharad Yadav says- “I will consume poison and die but I won’t allow the women’s reservation bill without a quota for Dalit/Tribal women.” Let us buy some popcorn and enjoy the spectacle. Who knows this could be as entertaining as the T20 world cup or the latest Hindi movie!
from Vishesh :)
from Reema :)
23 Comments
June 6, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Hilarious, isn’t it? Sometimes I think our politicians are more entertaining than our actors!
June 9, 2009 at 11:21 am
I don’t know whether we should cry or laugh.
June 17, 2009 at 1:09 am
they are definitely more entertaining
i agree with mahendra
June 6, 2009 at 9:26 pm
When actors become politicians, why won’t the latter take to acting?
Mahendra and you should both know!
June 6, 2009 at 10:09 pm
I don’t know why we keep having such useless politicians. Its our fault. I dont understand why we even have caste-based reservations, why can’t we have reservations for disabled and based on economic conditions. Why Dalit woman? Woman from any caste can be poor and in need of reservation? For that matter, why only woman, man of any caste be poor. We have got it completely wrong so far, such stupid antics by politicians dont help us a bit.
June 6, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Such drama queens/kings we have for politicians
Anything for a little publicity.. Yeah – so many missed opportunities:) Now with Sharad Yadav – lets truly enjoy 
June 7, 2009 at 12:47 pm
loz..really nicely wriiten..it would have been fun to watch these guys walk the talk
June 7, 2009 at 4:00 pm
very humorous;)… n very sad 2 know the sorry state of indian politics still existing..
June 7, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I’ll rather sit on a roller coaster.
They are a bunch of jokers.
June 7, 2009 at 8:24 pm
It’s all drama to get a media byte! I challenge one of them to actually go on a hunger strike and try and starve themselves to death, like Gandhi did. They never will ofcourse. They are paper tigers.
June 8, 2009 at 12:12 am
We have successfully wiped off the almost non-existent thin line between acting and politics.
June 8, 2009 at 2:14 pm
gajo mithya to bhago bhi mithya
This was fun to read
also remember Karunanidhi’s hilarious threat to go on a fast into death a few days back over the Lanka issue?
Our politicians are draamebaaz if nothing else…which is why if the bill does get passed..it would be highly entertaining to see SY wriggle out of this one
hemlock anyone?
June 9, 2009 at 11:26 am
Thanks Indyeah.
June 9, 2009 at 1:08 am
I didn’t know about all this! I still haven’t developed the habit of reading newspapers regularly; most of my “general knowledge” these days comes from blogs. But I hadn’t read about all these incidents… seriously, politicians can as entertaining as most movies, and more entertaining than some.
June 9, 2009 at 11:25 am
Welcome and thanks for the visit Sumedha.
June 9, 2009 at 10:36 am
Nice post, i liked the mythological story. Don’t worry Mamta di is going to give another opportunity soon, she is up against divestment now. Sharad Yadav quoting Socrates example, my my i wish he read more from socrates
June 9, 2009 at 11:25 am
Welcome and thanks Anirudh.
Sharad Yadav should read Socrates, good idea!
June 9, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Politicians..they are the kind to promise to build bridges, even where there are no rivers!
It is said that when they call the roll, the politicians do not know whether to answer ‘Present’ or ‘Not guilty.’
June 9, 2009 at 8:14 pm
No wonder that the melodramatic movies are so popular among Indians!
BTW, weren’t there some Congress sycophants who promised some dire consequences for themselves if Madam were not to be chosen as the PM?
June 11, 2009 at 11:58 am
The world is populated with people who could not keep their promises they made to themselves. Those who did made a difference. Categorising Gandhi’s fasting as a Death threat is contorting a hugely symbolic statement and a philosophy in mobilising a country of poor, exploited classes in a dauntingly diverse country. The message of self reliance and inculcation of the temper not to bow down to an unjust system because of the blackmail of survival and sustenance does not deserve tobe treated with humourous triviality. His fast was never a farce.Neither was British rule a mithya nor was his fast a mithya.
June 11, 2009 at 12:01 pm
The world is populated with people who could not keep their promises they made to themselves. Those who did made a difference. Categorising Gandhi’s fasting as a Death threat is contorting a hugely symbolic statement and a philosophy in mobilising a country of poor, exploited classes in a dauntingly diverse country. The message of self reliance and inculcation of the temper not to bow down to an unjust system because of the blackmail of survival and sustenance does not deserve tobe treated with humourous triviality. His fast was never a farce.Neither was British rule a mithya nor was his fast a mithya.
June 14, 2009 at 2:47 am
Excellent write up dear friend.
June 19, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Really! who needs multiplexes when we have parliament?