The Great Indian Tamasha

The papers are jostling for space with news of the two successive days of blackout in the electrical grid. As if the first days collapse of the Northern Grid was not enough , there was a subsequent one this time taking the Eastern grid also with it too as it sank. Millions of hapless people suffered, some in trains, sub-ways, hospitals etc. As if by stroke of destiny the beaming Power Minister was handed over a bigger portfolio of Home. The collapse would have happened irrespective of the portfolio rejig, but the timing could not have been more apt. Some journalist tried to elicit a regret from the minister but was not very successful.

A day before there was a major train accident where so many lives were lost due to the ill maintenance by railways. The Railway Minister tried to find out a strange bomb-like sound to indicate a possible sabotage. Anyway it is said that he does not find time to visit Rail Bhavan anyway as his powerful boss keeps him occupied in his home state for party work. He also showed no real concern and it is evident that such disasters can only be prevented from reoccurring only by the act of providence- our government as such cooks the complete recipe for the disaster to recur almost every day.

The Home Minister is meanwhile getting ready to step back into his shoes as Finance Minister, trying to portray a calm over the economic climate that is totally misplaced. We are in an economic abyss and collectively the government has no clue what to do to pull the country back from impending disaster.

The Opposition collectively shouts hoarse as if the panacea to all problems is in them changing sides in the House, although the country has also witnessed where the country goes when the baton changes hands.

In another state , lot of brouhaha is created over the condemnable desecration of a statue which should not have been built with public money in the first place.

The new President settles into his new home and sinks into the plush seats of the new Mercedes.

The common man wonders what the tamasha is all about: very soon all these people will come back with folded hands asking for that one vote that matters so much. The writing is on the wall for the voters: Damned if you do (vote), damned if you don’t (vote). This is the Great Indian Tamasha- a never-ending play where actors change with time but the act enacted do not.