UG stayed for a few weeks
in Mukesh Bhatt's ( Mahesh Bhatt's brother ) flat in Mumbai, during the late 90s.
It was evening time. A
motley crowd had gathered around UG. Mahesh Bhatt who was missing from action
since morning trooped in. After greeting UG in a loud voice, he settled down on
a nearby settee. He seemed to be in a great mood, looking for some fun! There
was a sudden surge in energy and a lot of expectation in the air!
With Mahesh around,
invariably UG would light up! Mahesh teased out the very best of UG’s
invincible repartee!
As eloquent and articulate
as ever, Mahesh began his speech, along the lines of a TV anchor,
“ Sir ! Please tell us
what do you think will happen to the biggest democracy in the world? Elections
are over, the results are coming in. My sources are telling me that it will be
yet another hung parliament like last time! Things are not going well for
us poor Indians! They say you are an enlightened man, you are also
holding an Indian passport, but you sit here the whole day and keep talking ,
you don’t seem to be really bothered about the man on the street .. Come on!
….Time for you to act….Act now…..Tell us how as an enlightened man, you can
really help the suffering millions? We are subjected to this torture of
elections and now this hung parliament ! I demand an answer….. !”
UG flared up ,
“ Hey mister, you are
telling me about those suffering people? Take a look at yourself first! What
about the millions you have amassed? Your millions came from those poor people,
people on the street, from those slum dwellers ( pointing in the direction of
slums in the neibhourhood ) they are the ones who made you rich and famous!
They don’t mind paying any amount in black to see your B grade movies!
Get this and get this
straight ! You are least bothered about those people. The fact is you are
scared of hung parliament ! Not they! They couldn’t care if there is a
parliament, hung parliament or no parliament! They know very well none will
really help them! It is you - rich and filthy bastards, who are afraid that without
a parliament, there would be no government! You are afraid that these guys next
door ( slum dwellers ) will crash into your houses , attack your wealth and
finish off everything that you have accumulated. You are scared that without a
government, with no law and order, these guys might loot your houses, steal
everything from you… You are a frightened chicken! You are utterly selfish and
you need a government , you need the policeman, to safeguard your millions, to
save your skin! Don’t you tell me that you are concerned about the people on
the street…you only think of yourself and your money all the time…nothing
else…don’t talk of a hung parliament …don’t give me the crap !”
UG’s exposé on democracy was a lesson on the
shallowness of the celebrated institution!
" Those who do not worry about the chaos of the world but enjoy order in their own bodies, can be engaged in the conversation about the Way ( Tao or Life ) " - Lao Tzu
Thank you!
ReplyDelete"Not they! They couldn’t care if there is a parliament, hung parliament or no parliament! "
ReplyDeleteTypical UG's statement and UG's way of giving us the courage to stand alone.
Yes Madhu, UG had no investment in anybody or anything that turns one into a dependent, makes one into a weakling, making one vulnerable. His walked the talk by living according to his oft repeated dictum ," uncompromising , uncomplaining self reliance".
ReplyDelete