Rumours generate more faith than truth can. The reasons are simple: Truth has become so much a stranger that we wouldn’t recognise one even if it confronts us head on. On the contrary, rumours are attractive, interesting and most of them invariably meet people’s imagination, so much so, that they are easily lapped up.
Also people love to believe what they like and truth woefully falls much short of this expectation. Truth has to be told and retold several times before its presence is even acknowledged while rumour gets instant acclaim not to speak of the speed with which it spreads. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but the latter is eminently more popular.
The inspiration for this profound discourse too has come from a rumour that took the state by storm a few nights back. Though no amount of rationalisation can yield a clue on who started it all, the CM himself ended the suspense by confirming that he was alive and kicking.
A very emotional CM is now reportedly still wallowing in the wave of sympathy that enfulfed him in the aftermath of that rumourous night for it is not often that one gets to witness such things during one’s own lifetime. But the whole episode does inspire us to delve into the world of rumours and what follows is a check list of some popular ones that have been doing the rounds the past few years and are all set to achieve posterity as truths that never were. The parade of rumours, quite aptly, begins with–you guessed it–the CM.
Krishna water soon: The CM dishes out this rumour with impunity whenever he is confronted by thirsty citizens with parched throats who sound more like dravidian politicos awaiting a bottle of soda after a rather fiery speech. The CM would prefer to rationalise that Krishna water is already in TN if one were to go by the map of the erstwhile Madras Presidency, but the people are unlikely to be humoured by this rumour. With dog days beckoning the harassed Chennaiite, this rumour is likely to be repeated more often, at least to cool his heart if not his throat as he looks skyward for succour.
Singara Chennai: The CM’s son who is also the city’s father, for his part, loves to spread this rumour about making the city a Singara Chennai. The rumour has become almost a joke that people have started wondering who the hell this Singaram is or what sort of a dravidian leader he was. But all is not lost. The rumour can still be converted into a truism by making a simple amendment to the slogan in the form of a small insertion, making it Singaram vs Chennai!
Brigand Veerappan surrenders: This is one of the most long standing rumours and its sponsors include a wide range of admirers beginning with the government, its CM, a few union ministers, people from all walks of civilisation, besides, of course, moustached journos and not-so-senile ex-cops.
This rumour generally surfaces during election times or whenever the government needs a red-herring, though the brigand himself is a man for all seasons for all the wrong reasons. Magazine editors normally double up as wholesale dealers of this rumour and as an incentive, are often bestowed with exclusive audiences with the brigand on which occasion they are presented with more such rumours -with the precise dates, times and venues for the surrender- to be offered for public consumption, ideally over satellite TV. Discerning readers and V fans would have observed that the phrase ‘Veerappan nabbed’ will not figure even in rumours.
Rajini to enter politics: This is one super-rumour that has been repeated over a hundred times but to no avail. Purveyed for the consumption of inflammable fans who are just waiting to get ignited by an airborne cigarette that is en route to the star’s waiting lips, the rumour even keeps politicos on tenter-hooks.
For his part, the super-hero, when he is not knocking off villains mid-air, also keeps the pot boiling through his regular ventrilloquism shows. This is one rumour he would not like to scotch, though he himself loves sco…
Jaya dumps Sasi or vice-versa: Though no one believes this rumour or rather, none dare believe it, still it emanates often, probably as an expression of hope or even prayer, by well-wishers of both and of the State, too. This is one rumour that has stood the test of time and has survived to live as just a rumour even after the former CM herself announced in the aftermath of her electoral debacle in 1996 that the bond with her foster sister is all but over. But rumours regarding foster sons have not been so fortunate and have perished to become realities.
Moopanar decides: It would be unfair to blame the TMC leader for this outrageous rumour for, honestly, the poor soul had never had anything to do with decision making all his life. Small wonder that all attempts at catching him red-handed while taking decisions have turned futile.Yet if several decisions get attributed to him, it is purely owing to the handiwork of overzealous mediamen who somehow claim to know what is on his mind. The rumour gains credence because GKM too doesn’t mind.
Also mediamen are not experts in lip-reading and invariably see a scoop even when the leader is only chewing paan. And so it is that with every bite of the betel leaf, a new decision gets announced. That is, a new rumour gets generated, as we all know only too well that Moopanar never…well, forget it.
Basu to quit: Even the State can wither away, but not Basu. Yet, the comrades would love to bask in this belief and speculate on his succession. Like several things communist, this fantasy too has never materialised but then the leftists are entitled to their delusions.
Their passionate but endless debates held in the devil’s idle workshops called Politburo invariably end with the truly revolutionary resolution that Jyoti Basu will succeed Jyoti Basu. Meanwhile, the eternal Basu stumbles along, having the last cough at this rumour.
Ayodhya not on agenda: This is a statutory rumour that is spread by the BJP for the consumption of its allies. For their part the allies are aware that it is only a rumour but still feign satisfaction at this assurance for the consumption of their respective vote banks.
The opposition parties too know that it is a rumour, but raise it for the consumption of the secular lobby only when they have nothing else to raise; on other ocassions they join the BJP in putting the issue on the backburner. The people again know it to be a rumour, but they care less, consumed as they are by their daily problems.
Rationalism, Self-respect, Anti-Brah-minism: This three-in-one package rumour was purveyed originally by a very big man but the credit should go to his numerous successors for giving the lie to the adage that one cannot fool all for all the time–fifty years to be precise.
While the DMK version comes in a package wrapped in an yellow towel, the DK prefers the black shirt to shroud the contents. The AIADMK would love to place the object unobtrusively at the feet of its Amma and look the other way. Though all of them vie with each other to sell the package to the unsuspecting masses, they themselves are quite careful not to buy it. Quite rational, indeed.
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