Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Mannu-ji my PM

Dear PM-sahib,

I write this note to you not due to what would-be-well-earned disgust, anger or frustration, but with a strange cocktail of puzzlement and disbelief that one feels when Sehwag is out for a 2nd golden duck (yes it still hurts, but I digress, that's the 2nd biggest Indian let down of the decade, so must wait). Once the initial hair pulling (and Glass smashing if it's an innings defeat) anger is done with, I look for solace in reason, surely it must be the shoulder surgery that made his arms a tiny bit shorter (you get the drift..) and that's usually enough for me to sleep over. But this time, you haven't given me any such solace .. For no matter how much I look, there seems no reasonable explanation for what you're doing.. I understand why the congress is doing this, but why are YOU?

Surely the happenings in Egypt, Libya and Sudan must be fresh in your memory, at least kapil-ji with his new rishwat-owned 105 inch tv would've educated you about the perils of crossing the line with the youth of a country.. Surely some old memory of Hk must remain in your memory from several years back.. Of course you were a very different man then.. But then so was sehwag 2 IPLs and a WC earlier (btw did u know that sehwag is autocorrected to sewage in the iPhone?).

Surely, you have thought a few times about how you are at the fag end of your career, and how you'd like to be remembered. While the brilliant work of 1991 may have been marred by your scam-ophiliac term as PM, people will still be willing to forgive and forget and store you in the minds section titled - 'spineless but oddly cuddly'... So why suddenly take this suicidal single just because the nightwatchman said so?

Surely, you know that the people you're supporting, standing with, are the very people who will leave you to decay and pin you down as the one to blame when it all goes awry? Surely you know that the heir apparent is already warming up on the sidelines while you are busy typing another sailors knot to the nets that bind you. News articles already read - 'Rahul speaks to the PM about...'. On thank you dear yuv-raj, rescuer of the downtrodden.. Seriously, this isn't that tough to figure out, it it?

Surely, you've not forgotten the reaction when Anna started his fast the last time in April, surely you know that this awareness escalates rapidly in the new online world (or did Raje-Saab have yet another hidden slide in his telecom license presentations), surely you know that the supporters of Anna have chosen some good people on their team, crane-ji has a ruthless but 'deeply wronged' equity.. Ravishankar/Ramdev are complex men, but with many a devotee..

Surely, you knew that there is a line that if crossed would accelerate all this burning.. You knew that, and still u get him arrested, you know how we hate being muzzled and you block SMS campaign, you blockwebsites.. Why you're china again! No ones missing tiananmen square now.. It doesn't take much to see what will happen to this movement if you don't do something now (hint: take 5 figure number and take an exponential index).

Surely you knew that this would soon transform from a anti-corruption to a anti-congress movement, and the second that happens, all opposition parties would weigh in and scream murder. Everybody is looking for distraction from their sore points and you've thrown the biggest red cape there was.. Heck Obama and the EU are probably lining up to make this the reason for all the financial issues.. Not much u can say to Sreesanth when he says 'so what if I'm am listless and slow, so is my PM!'

Surely you knew that you will be the reason that usually lazy bystanders like me have the urge to say something, all suddenly. You got me writing again, which was last achieved through a combination of complete joblessness and the chance to impress a girl.. heck, i'm considering fasting one meal a day (the 5th one), and I assure you this time it's not cos some asked me to diet!

You don't have to care about the movement, you don't have to care about corruption, lokpal bill, Anna or the Indian team for that matter to see that this this was the silliest of battles to take on for you given you had such little to lose. Let Madame Italiano fight the battles if needed.

Nuff said, pls wake up and shake yourself dry. I haven't given up hope, you can still do quite a lot, to start with write a real heartfelt speech for the Independence Day and re telecast it.

Puzzled-ly yours,
Shiv