THE pre-introduction debate on the Lokpal Bill in Parliament reminded me of a one act play I got opportunity to direct and perform long years back. Must have been the third year of graduation class, and the occasion the annual college fest. The play was called Andhon Ka Haathi, Hindi poet-writer late Sharad Joshi’s celebrated work, satirizing the prevailing political class of 1970’s. Joshi gave us the famous Vikram Aur Betal serial in our growing up years, and his works continue to get profiled on the small screen.
Briefly, the play revolved around a set of blind men and an elephant. The men try to comprehend the elephant with their understanding limited by only that part of the pachyderm’s body that they can lay their hands on. Anchored by a sutradhar – played by yours truly – the narrative revolves around juxtaposition of what the blind men feel to what the nation’s political class understands of the country’s ills.
Midway through the act, hoots and shout-downs made dialogue delivery impossible. If eggs and tomatoes did not come our way it was perhaps because the auditorium did not have a supply close by. The organizer of the show – an all size Gujarati-speaking Bongo – came to the blinds and frantically gestured to get our elephant off the stage ASAP.
But I digress.
As leader after leader from all shades of the political spectrum rose to speak in Parliament, it was clear what they were doing. Obfuscation. A right wing Sushma Swaraj could not but raise the issue of minority reservation and hence reject the Bill. The party is as yet to steady its view on CBI’s inclusion in the Ombudsman. A corrupt Lalu could not have but cautioned all MPs about how dangerous it would be if even ex-MPs were included as possible targets of Lokpal hounds. For the CPM, Basudev Achariya stuck to their stand that the elephant can’t but be shepherded only by the Parliament. Owaisi of the MIM of course could profusely thank the government for having brought in the Muslim reservation in an eight-member constitutional body.
All this while the treasury bench occupants watched with a certain contentment, even some glee. Manmohan could not have bargained for anything better than this to puncture Anna’ third leg of the Chameli revolution - our own version of Arab spring. Could someone smell Diggi’s hands in the till on this? We are yet to find out. Or perhaps, journalistic grapevine already knows it inDelhi
Joshi wrote Andhon Ka Haathi in 1970’s. But as I watched the debate in Parliament unfold I thought it was being re-enacted again. Only that the shouts and hoots were kept out and one could not throw eggs and tomatoes on the television screens, even if one had supply at hand.
Briefly, the play revolved around a set of blind men and an elephant. The men try to comprehend the elephant with their understanding limited by only that part of the pachyderm’s body that they can lay their hands on. Anchored by a sutradhar – played by yours truly – the narrative revolves around juxtaposition of what the blind men feel to what the nation’s political class understands of the country’s ills.
Midway through the act, hoots and shout-downs made dialogue delivery impossible. If eggs and tomatoes did not come our way it was perhaps because the auditorium did not have a supply close by. The organizer of the show – an all size Gujarati-speaking Bongo – came to the blinds and frantically gestured to get our elephant off the stage ASAP.
But I digress.
As leader after leader from all shades of the political spectrum rose to speak in Parliament, it was clear what they were doing. Obfuscation. A right wing Sushma Swaraj could not but raise the issue of minority reservation and hence reject the Bill. The party is as yet to steady its view on CBI’s inclusion in the Ombudsman. A corrupt Lalu could not have but cautioned all MPs about how dangerous it would be if even ex-MPs were included as possible targets of Lokpal hounds. For the CPM, Basudev Achariya stuck to their stand that the elephant can’t but be shepherded only by the Parliament. Owaisi of the MIM of course could profusely thank the government for having brought in the Muslim reservation in an eight-member constitutional body.
All this while the treasury bench occupants watched with a certain contentment, even some glee. Manmohan could not have bargained for anything better than this to puncture Anna’ third leg of the Chameli revolution - our own version of Arab spring. Could someone smell Diggi’s hands in the till on this? We are yet to find out. Or perhaps, journalistic grapevine already knows it in
Joshi wrote Andhon Ka Haathi in 1970’s. But as I watched the debate in Parliament unfold I thought it was being re-enacted again. Only that the shouts and hoots were kept out and one could not throw eggs and tomatoes on the television screens, even if one had supply at hand.
