President's Rule

Ananya.s.guha

18 July, 2012

This is a satire based on an imaginary conversation. The recent episodes of molestation of women in the country leaves one wondering what will happen next.

MY FRIEND was quivering with excitement. If you seethe with rage, you can also quiver with excitement. His face was flushed and you could see that the volubility would emerge in a flash. I simply had to stoke the embers, ignite the passion.

"Anything?" I asked innocuously.

"Anything?" he roared like a cage-less lion.

"Everything my friend, everything . . ."

"Calm down my friend" I said, trying to soothe his taut nerves. "Exorcise your anger. It doesn't help you know. I know you are an activist of sorts, your great motive is redemption of society, fighting for the rights of the weak, the exploited and the deprived".

"Oh, cut that off" he snapped. "You people can only exult in platitudes, big talk".

"Now, what is the matter?" His words rang with such resounding fury that I almost winced.

"The matter my friend, is that nothing matters, especially in this country. The truth is that it would have been much better if the British still ruled".

"That, my friend is apostasy" I exclaimed.

"Why not?" he thundered.

"Tell me one thing that is right in this god forsaken country".

"That" I said "is God's infinitude, His way of showing how much he loves us. We are totally at His mercy". By now, I looked meditative philosophical.

"Don't you see the news?" he quaked.

"No, I don't see it. I said calmly. "I read it, old fashioned you know love the feel of newspapers".

"The greatest blessing to us now is the media. Through it, we see news, feel it like a cinema, the narrative unfurls like fiction, episode after episode. . ."

"Now, now, come to the point" I insisted.

"Didn't you read what happened to that girl in Guwahati on 9th July, didn't you read about the school girl who was made to taste her urine in West Bengal, didn't you hear about the pregnant MLA who was beaten up in Assam . . ."

"Of course I know all that" I was quick to reply. "But what should we do, tell me, how do you know that there are not many more such gory incidents?"

"Gory is not the word" he shouted. "It is macabre, barbaric".

"Solution, tell me the solution?" I asked.

He seemed stumped.

"The solution is, is" he said slowly. "I got it, I got it" he said gleefully.

"Simply wait for July 19th and after; when the President of the country takes office. Then we will fight for President's rule!"