Gone are the days when I-Day eves meant doles for the masses from their political masters. Though such populism is still in vogue, they are no longer deemed trendy. Instead, the best gift that a government of the day has to offer to its hapless citizens is to let loose a bunch of hardened criminals in their midst in mute acquiescence to a bandit’s demands, heedless of the fact that it sullies the very spirit of the national day.
Not that the release of the five tamil extremists booked for specific offences on any other day would have brought us cheer; but the timing and the inherent tragic irony does cause distress. No other option, our rulers would tell us even as they blissfully inaugurate bridges, pen TN’s IT future through full page ads and distribute awards to all and sundry.
But then the governments never displayed any keenness to examine any other option in the first place, and on the contrary, hastily lapsed into crawl mode in a sort of pavlovian response to the brigand’s kidnap announcement. The bandit and his backers had only to ask and the world would be at their feet. And by god, how mercilessly are they trampling on a defunct State?
Little wonder, that while the national flag flutters atop its mast, our heads hang in shame. Our national symbols get the salute, but brigands walk away with the honours. Lawful citizens are kept captive, but savage outlaws enjoy total freedom. Duly elected leaders bow before unduly pampered scoundrels with the latter getting emboldened enough to dictate the State’s agenda and the latter becoming adequately weak to wilt before them.
When it is courage that needs to be summoned, it is cowardice that proxies instead. If the victim is a popular hero, emotions are conveniently unleashed to camouflage rank incompetence with the people’s protectors themselves turning up unabashedly at the head of the queue to lead the surrender procession as if it were a political rally.
Blackmail and browbeating begets instant bonhomie even as reason and goodsense gets banished to oblivion. With rulers abdicating, remorseless rascals rule the roost and even bandits on the lookout for a booty parade as pundits espousing a cause. Ransom and extortion get the official seal as legitimate earnings, legitimate enough for even the taxmen to raid the dens, that is, if they can. The long arms of the law are kept folded even while footloose emissaries reach out to the villains in a jiffy.
CM’s and their cops, with all their werewithall, twiddle their thumbs in despair and prefer to languish in plush secretariats awaiting the entry of enterprising editors who had just exited the ‘impenetrable’ jungles. With all their listening posts turning deaf and therefore drawing blanks, intelligence gathering has come to mean evesdropping on mediamen who seem better informed about the life and styles of brigands.
Commissioners of Police and DGPs have very little to offer except shameful silence, while press briefings of emissaries overflow with info of encyclopaedic proportions on jungle life and bandit psychology. Ignorance becomes a State virtue even as rationalism takes a sabbatical. Stars and even superstars get ready to shine over the jungles while fans tighten their sinews to storm the brigand’s bastion. The cops cannot even afford such bravado, for that may anger the brigand. Hero worship is passe. It is now villain worship that delivers.
And talk of press freedom. Indeed it has come to mean pressing for a bandi’s freedom. The kept press that the outlaws pamper with exclusive interviews and rare insights on their vocations, not to speak of unknown largesses, has truly risen to the occassion as ordained by the jungle king to the extent that it would be traitorous not to grant amnesty to the bandit.
With the eminent emissary editor himself declaring that any talk of nabbing the brigand should be shunned forthwith lest it ‘irritates’ his moustache-sake, the profession of editordom has indeed touched its pinnacle with its fame itself all set to spread far and truly wild. By siezing the initiative and patenting the jungle trail, the fourth estate has clearly stolen a march ahead of the other three, with the latter-the legislature, executive and the judiciary– awaiting its final verdict on what to offer the prolific killer.
And what would that be, our I-Day gift for the first citizen of the jungles. A blanket amnesty, for sure. A plush and secure bungalow bang in the middle of the city with a few just-released terrorists thrown in for company. A party membership with the prospect of an electoral ticket.
A few titles, say like , Neo-Thaanai Thalaivan or even, Jungle Rathna, bestowed at a grand function for all his sterling services in savagery? A fat purse that in any case may make its way to him, if current filmy trends are any indication, and thereby making it all official and even tax-free.
And topping it all with a citation that list his heroics-read victims- and ideally written in blood. But then we are being a bit too presumptuous and even impetuous, for we know not the mind of manic killers. For really worthy suggestions one has to wait for the brigand media to return from its next foray into the forests.
And then the inevitable press briefing at a city hotel by the emissary whilst he will announce the State government’s latest policy statement on tackling brigands to the public and of course, to the CMs too. A blanket amen from the rational raj has already been secured and in any case, which ruler would dare ‘irritate’ the brigand and his, I mean, the emissary.
Rationalism and self-respect are certainly flying high this I-Day in Tamilnadu.
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