Fools of the Bandh..!
Robert Clements
Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - A country like ours which can ill afford to lose even a few seconds of production, loses a whole day, as a stupid bandh is enforced. As I walked through the streets, saw shops closed, taxis off the roads, buses and trains empty, I wondered how we would fare were we in the position Greece and Spain are in today:
“Austerity measures needed by India if you want to stay in the union!” say the other countries and immediately there is an uproar in India.
“From now on, if the Union wants to address us, let them speak in Hindi!” says the leader of the opposition, cheered by the whole country. “European colonization,” says a member in the House and all other members thump their tables and shout their approval.
“Burn the euro,” shout students from the capital’s colleges and hunt for Monopoly fake money to burn, find even that too expensive, and instead burn newspapers with the euro sign painted on it.
We talk proudly about BRICK which are the countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and Korea, but you can bet your bottom dollar that we may do trade with each other, and much to their advantage not ours but no country will form any union with India, till we stop getting fooled by such political gimmicks.
Something that the UPA II can be proud about is passing the Right to Education Bill. Nothing will change our mindsets but education. Once we are able to educate our youngsters, they will throw away the blinkers that are now covering their eyes, and see how they’ve been fooled.
They will realize that mandir or masjid at the disputed Ayodhya site is not going to solve the economic woes of the nation, that throwing out north Indians or south Indians, throwing out ‘others’ from a city will be disastrous. That having police stations taking down FIRs in languages which only the policeman understands just moves justice away from the people. It is just a matter of time the youth see the selfish ways our leaders have exploited the ignorance of the masses.
Just a matter of time, when they will turn to you and say, “Dad, ma, can’t you see you are being fooled? This bandh will ruin the nation!” “But the petrol prices have gone up!”
“All over the world dad, and not because of Manmohan Singh!” A whole day wasted, because our leaders like those in Greece and Spain can still fool the public. We are, all of us, fools of the bandh..!
—Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
“Austerity measures needed by India if you want to stay in the union!” say the other countries and immediately there is an uproar in India.
“From now on, if the Union wants to address us, let them speak in Hindi!” says the leader of the opposition, cheered by the whole country. “European colonization,” says a member in the House and all other members thump their tables and shout their approval.
“Burn the euro,” shout students from the capital’s colleges and hunt for Monopoly fake money to burn, find even that too expensive, and instead burn newspapers with the euro sign painted on it.
We talk proudly about BRICK which are the countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and Korea, but you can bet your bottom dollar that we may do trade with each other, and much to their advantage not ours but no country will form any union with India, till we stop getting fooled by such political gimmicks.
Something that the UPA II can be proud about is passing the Right to Education Bill. Nothing will change our mindsets but education. Once we are able to educate our youngsters, they will throw away the blinkers that are now covering their eyes, and see how they’ve been fooled.
They will realize that mandir or masjid at the disputed Ayodhya site is not going to solve the economic woes of the nation, that throwing out north Indians or south Indians, throwing out ‘others’ from a city will be disastrous. That having police stations taking down FIRs in languages which only the policeman understands just moves justice away from the people. It is just a matter of time the youth see the selfish ways our leaders have exploited the ignorance of the masses.
Just a matter of time, when they will turn to you and say, “Dad, ma, can’t you see you are being fooled? This bandh will ruin the nation!” “But the petrol prices have gone up!”
“All over the world dad, and not because of Manmohan Singh!” A whole day wasted, because our leaders like those in Greece and Spain can still fool the public. We are, all of us, fools of the bandh..!
—Email: bobsbanter@gmail.com
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