Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Comic trip (Published in 'The Statesman' on 18/04/12)

The chief minister of a certain state in the eastern part of India has, of late, been in the news for all the wrong reasons. After a series of unpopular and controversial actions by the CM that resulted in people’s reaction changing from disillusionment to bewilderment to repugnance, it has come to light that most people have now started finding her funny.

Some news channels were even speculating that the CM might have been a stand-up comedian before she joining active politics. “How else can you explain the arrest of a professor who circulated a harmless joke to a few people? By arresting him, she has made sure that what would have remained confined to a handful is now being viewed across the country. The cartoon is all over Facebook and Twitter and people are challenging the CM to arrest them after posting messages criticising her. Even English news channels are flashing the cartoon every now and then. Only a seasoned comedian can conceive of such a masterly act,” declared a panelist on a certain news channel.

In response, the CM addressed a hurriedly-convened Press conference yesterday. The principal objective of the Press conference was to dismiss recent media reports that suggested that the chief minister had been a comedian before assuming the chief minister’s office. “I am not a comedian. I was never a comedian. Please take me seriously. I am come from the grassroots,” the CM said at the Press meet. When a journalist present at the conference noted that “even grass comes from the grassroots”, he was swiftly arrested.

Jest Kidding has also learnt that the chief minister had recently protested against the “Marks for sports” campaign by NDTV to promote sports. After a lot of struggle to make her understand that it was “Marks for Sports” and not “Marx for sports” as the CM had assumed it to be, she has withdrawn her protest. She also issued an order stipulating that the term “marks” no longer be used in schools in her state to measure the performance of students in examinations as it was odious, obnoxious and had evil connotations. She has ruled that the term “score” be used instead.

The chief minister had even threatened legal action against Hindustan Unilever Limited (which owns the deodorant brand Axe in India) for a television commercial that has the tagline “Even Angels will fall”. She relented only after receiving a communique from HUL that clarified that the tagline actually read “Even Angels will fall” and not “Even Engels will fall” as the chief minister had thought it did.

PS: Jest Kidding wholeheartedly supports all the highhanded activities of this chief minister. Please do not arrest the writer.

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