Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Progress of Politicians

No, no don’t think I am a dreamer. For using a phrase which is contradictory in terms! Politicians won’t progress. That I know clearly. I was coming to something else.

The Printing industry in the country has seen tremendous advancement in recent years as much as others. That’s what is causing this progress. There was a time when any announcement on public meetings, functions were done is cheap materials. The supposedly larger than life politicians were all just stencil drawings. And then slowly it started improving and anyone who was willing to spend money wishing the leader a million years of life was duly noticed and rewarded with some posts that promised a lot of potential. So it was a rich man’s exclusive sycophancy game.

But now Vinyl’s are so cheap. Almost anyone can spend a little and put up huge billboards etc. You anyway don’t pay the corporation fee if you are in politics, so just making charges alone. So much so that even a family function like a girl attaining puberty is advertised big time with all the mug shots of what we call in Tamizh as ‘sutratthar & uravinar’ ( meaning Relatives & Neighbors ). Even I am tempted to erect a cutout for myself in front of my house when I get a new job. Just putting some names wishing me well and claiming me as the lifelong occupant of the new position and savior of the world. Only thing that stops me is the pathetic condition of these vinyls after a few days. There was this poster in which half the face of a guy got peeled off and it was extremely scary to see at nights. I would be damned if he would have maintained his self-esteem had he seen that.

Coming back to Politicians, didn’t I say that they have progressed? Now it is time to explain. All I meant was that their faces are clear now in the announcement. They are not that cartoons anymore. And not at the mercy of the painter’s hands. And that’s progress. And on the other hand, since everyone can play the bootlicking game so easily, now it is time for his or her creativity to capture the imagination of the leaders. Like fire-walking, padayatra’s etc. And that’s progress too!!!

3 comments:

sidwho? said...

talking of progress & politics...
is it a coincidence that for most of the post-Independence era , our nation has been governed by a political party the name of which ("CON"gress)is diametrically opposite to "PRO"gress

Shrikanth said...

Thats a good one. :))

sidwho? said...
This comment has been removed by the author.