Sonia's Hired Halo

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsQuatrain LXII -- Halo and Halloween
Passing through Meena bazaar's core
I was distracted by a rare, virtuous glow
And saw Ahmad Patel* scurry from a pawn store
Tucked in his armpit was Sonia's hired halo

Mayabhushan Nagvenkar
www.ardh-satya.blogspot.com

For now I would like to share my discomfort with those who might agree with me that the 'Office of Profit' issue is the new low that our country's politicians have managed to achieve. So low that the character of our politicians is now flowing above the danger mark. The character of an Indian politician is defined by his or her ability to win the next elections. They are always in 'electoral transit', insecure and afraid of loosing their privileges that accrue to them as politicians. It is this insecurity that makes almost all municipal corporators, MLAs and MPs and ministers corrupt.

Every election needs deep pockets. Even Delhi University's students' elections run into crores of rupees. So Netas need Notes even before they can think of winning elections. Every Neta, therefore, attracts people with deep pockets, people who expect the Neta to get their work done when he is elected. When the Neta gets elected he is permanently obliged to those who supported him with their deep pockets. These Mr. Deep Pockets then become the dalals of the elected Neta.

These guys acquire a reputation in the business circles for being close to politicians who can influence decision-making. So small traders court MLAs. In urban India your friendly-neighbourhood-shop-keepers, restaurant owner and people of their ilk also court municipal corporators. Big businessmen court MPs and the bigger ones, including the Fortune 500 types court ministers and the big names in politics.

Like one Mr. Deep Pocket told me: "In our business there are no friendships, only interests." So it is "interests" that bring the Neta and the Note-Makers together. When the Neta is in power he obliges the Note-Maker, alias the Deep Pockets with contracts, from Public Works Department contract like building roads to getting license for a liquor shop. By the way if you did not already know this before. Have you ever wondered why soon after elections some road or the other is dug up and rebuilt?

So simply put post-election period is payback time. But if the Netas just go about gratifying those who helped him with the moolah to win his vote bank, then how would he make his own tidy note bank? This is where corruption kicks in. He gets his minions to look for clients, people who want to get things done, like transfer posting, getting a petrol pump outlet, get government land on lease and so on. Now that the politician is in power for five years, he tries as hard as he can to be corrupt and acquire new Mr Deep Pocket friends. Why? Its simple to understand. Don't we know our politicians to be an insecure breed, a one of its kind of species?

This intimate and cosy relationship between Netas, Dalals and Paisawallahs is promoted by our electoral system.

And its not as if the Amar Singhs, Jaya Pradas and Sonia Gandhis of our country are not aware of all this stuff. Hypocrisy is fundamentally important in the Indian kind of politics. So what's all this fuss about 'office of profit'? Almost every corporator, MLA, MP and Minister worth is salt is an 'office of profit' all by himself anyways. I can't understand all these paroxysms of anger and indulgent morality. I am sure you also don't. Also why do so many Left MPs and politicians head state run enterprises? The Congress started this 'offices of profit' controversy and today Mrs Gandhi had this to say: "Perhaps you must have noticed that everyone's language has changed after my resignation."

...And all us, brothers and sisters in the fraternity I belong to, called it Sacrifice-II

Here are some more Quatrain gems of my friend, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar. Absolutely brilliant. Support him by reading him.

It's for you and me and its on www.ardh-satya.blogspot.com

Quatrain LXI -- Profit and Gloss
What's there to debate about?
SP* versus Sonia, a silly, kiddish bout
It's always been a politician's penchant, dream
'An office of profit and a bucket of cream'

Quatrain XXVIII -- A Coffin-Full Of Conscience
Once again the Bofors boomed
And all hell broke.
Where is that 'Inner Voice'
Er... did it choke?

Quatrain LXIV -- Parliament
For years now, they are at it without shame
Ravaging the same womb, that begot them
These 800 odd Oedipus' who without lament
Reapetedly mount an ageing Parliament

Quatrain LXIII -- You want law...? Sorry, she's being laid II
When it comes to the last straw
And it's one step from perdition
Parliamentarians can still make up for a broken law
By collectively gang-raping legislation*

Quatrain LI -- Mili, Don't Be Silly
You know her as Mili
Amar Singh's sister, not his filly
Amitabh's already mortgaged his soul to Singh
Now Bhabhiji basks under the vulture's wing

Sign Off:
By the way I don't support any attempt to block the Internet. It's a move fraught with dangers...

'Masghouf and other Iraqi War Stories' will return in my next blog...

Bye, See you soon. first published:March 28, 2006, 19:51 ISTlast updated:March 28, 2006, 19:51 IST
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