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At the time of writing this column, inflation is a little down, but the elections are reaching fever-pitch. The contenders have become hysterical. The dictionary meaning of the word “hysterical” is “a state of extreme excitement, fear or anger in which a person, or a group of people, loses control of their emotions and starts to cry, laugh etc.” Persons like me have nothing to do with it, except to keep their fingers crossed and play the role of being silent witnesses.

The circus is about to commence. The government has banned the commissioning of animals like horses, dogs, tigers, elephants and monkeys. The helpless ring-masters have converted men into animals and are wielding the whip. The animals are running helter-skelter and crossing the rings. Do they rush towards the gallery and cause havoc? They have to play their gimmicks before the onlookers. The gimmick is an unusual trick or unnecessary device that is intended to attract attention or to persuade people to do something. They are indulging in a gimmickry also. They are crying hoarse. They bray like animals and giggle nervously as they wait for their turn. But the ring-masters are mercilessly driving them out of the rings. But alas! They are disappointed. How can they perform if they do not find a place within the ring?

Multi - ringed tamasha:
But they do not lose hopes. This is multi - ringed tamasha. If they are driven out of a ring, they can think of jumping into some other ring. But it is not so easy. There is the risk of breaking their legs or tumbling. Every ring-master has his own problems. The animal-like performers find it enormously difficult to pierce the domains of other performers. Each ring-master has the same problems. He says “hands are full. I cannot manage my own performers. They are far in excess of the required number.”

The performers have become rebellions. If none of the three or four rings accommodate them, what can they do? They can either join the minor rings or form their own rings. Then they become both ring - masters and performers. “I am both the horse and the rider. I am the master of all I servey”, they say. But the sceptics advice them to think before jumping into the fray. Fools rush where angels fear to tread.

The independent performer does not agree. “You are under-estimating my ability. You will see it. I will enter, I will see, and I will conquer!” “But what can independents do? Lone voices are not heard. Unity is strength”.

“I do not agree”, says the independent. What is unity? Don't you know that "unity" is made of "unit" and "y"? When no ring - master gets the majority to perform and wants one or some lone - rangers, my joining the ring assumes great importance. The performance depends on me!

While this drama is going on before readying the performers for the act, those who have already gained a place in the rings are overtly and covertly making every attempt to attract the attention of the onlookers and enlist their support, which they have to express on the “D” day! That is on the polling day. Whichever ring gets the greatest support and gets sufficient number of successful performers will commence the play. All the other rings go into oblivion!

There are certain rules of the game. The umpire has framed a number of rules regarding the conduct of the aspiring performers. They should not spend money to enlist the support of the onlookers. Bribing is prohibited. What about a drink? Not very intoxicating. A welcome dose.

No, please. It is also banned. The sale of liquor has risen by 80 per cent in the last two months. But stocking it is of no use. It is an offence. The authorities do not permit its distribution. No money, no drink, nor dhoti or saree. You cannot show your affection in cash or kind after the elections are over, mind you — not as a token of your gratitude. But the performers are anxious to win and perform. Their agents (some of them) are indulging in notorious activities. Car - loads of cash and kind — bundles of notes and gifts are caught.

So many people who were expecting to make a killing by marketing their goods and rendering service to the intending performers are disappointed! “Have mercy on us”, they pray. Cut - outs, flex - boards, engaging vehicles in unlimited numbers and crying hoarse day and night, about the merits of a party and its candidates as well as the demerits of another party and its performers day and night is prohibited. Let our future netas be civilised.

Innumerable problems:
But what are your objectives? What sort of society do you intend to build? How are you going to solve the innumerable problems of the masses? Don't talk about your castes. We want to cast our votes in their unsullied form. Make your manifestos more meaningful. Creation of employment, empowering the masses — giving them water, providing them health conditions, educating them, removing the several evil practices, ensuring gender equity and respect for our womenfolk, working for the restoration of the honour of our language by forcing the government to grant classical status to it.

What programmes have you to create an egalitarian society, and rid the society of the dangerous money and muscle power as well as the mining, real-estate and other lobbies? Will you dare to achieve all this? If so, enter the arena.

HSK
Courtesy: Star of Mysore

Click here to go to the main page of Star of Mysore.
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Please send your feedback, opinion and articles to shshenoy at yahoo.com