India-Sri Lanka 5th ODI cricket match happening in Ferozshah Kotla grounds in New Delhi was about to be cancelled due to the poor quality of pitch, after nearly 25 overs of play. Players, umpires, match refree, and other officials were having a conference in the middle of the ground. Among them was a man clad in white kurta-pajama, complete with a Gandhi topi and a pot belly. If you haven't guessed it already, he was a neta. He did not have a clue about what was going on but was there just for cheap publicity. I was revulsed at the sight of him; not quite sure what irritated me more - the game being cancelled or his presence. However, on hindsight I pondered whether politicians deserve the hatred that they get?
Politicians, all over the world, are people who know the meaning of what it is to be truly despised. From Barack Obama to our own Lalu Prasad Yadav, we hate them all, for one reason or the other; all good reasons mind you. But politicians are just not a necessary evil, they are good for our health too. Let me explain. You come back home after a hard day at work with all the pent-up frustration of your stupid boss. You switch on the TV and listen to the news. Five minutes into it, you start blaming all the evils of the world on politicians and release all your anger. Thus, politicans save you from high B.P. and other heart ailments.
They say Indians are passionate about three things - Cricket, Bollywood and Politics. Imagine a world without politicians! What would your grandfather then talk about? What would you discuss with the neighbourhood paanwala/chaiwala? What would happen to the heated discussions in the office canteen about how Raj Thackeray is dividing the country? It would take away our national pastime, man! People would then indulge in more anti-social activities as they have nothing to do, crime rate would increase. Thousands of people, who make banners/posters of politicians who look down upon us with an evil smile on their face from every nook and corner of the city, would be rendered jobless. There would be total chaos.
Absence of politicians would take away the one thing that we love to boast about - about being the world's largest democracy. So to all my friends who wished that the terrorists kill all the politicians who were inside the Parliament when it was attacked, I say, "Love thy netas!". And to all the netas out there, I would make the same appeal which the Amul girl is making in its latest ad - "Slice butter, not India."
Nice article...:-))
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