Rahul Gandhi In Chennai
Rahul’s three day Chennai-prowl to seduce young voters to the old congress could not possibly be a point on which pollsters would hazard a bet, for no other promising party had ever kept the promises so generously made, than Mu Ka’s Kazagam.
The young woman who helps Lakshmi in washing clothes and kitchenware, was ecstatic the other day to report “Amma, we got our colour TV yesterday… The One-Rupee [per kilogram] (about US $0.02) rice is very good. I shall bring some for your iddlies. The ration shop pulses are fine and we get them for less than one fourth the price you have to pay. Free cycles are also given now for our school going children. How can the Delhi chap try to convert us, unless he promises a Nano car to all the voting families?”
“Very good question, Rosalin. He may wangle a scheme with good man Ratan Tata to establish a Nano factory in a thousand acres of central government land given free for an exclusive factory for those identified as receivers of the free TV and the other gifts. Noble Ratan would probably supply it free and add a stepney… Mamata may cancel all trains running to TN, but we can cope… If you don’t know how to operate a computer, join an institute and be ready to receive a computer as gift from a party bent on toppling the present rulers.“
“Thank you amma, for this beautiful thought. We can browse the Net and perhaps become bloggers.”
“You are the darling of the vote catchers. People like us get nothing but demands for payment of increased taxes. All the thousands of houses in this city were charged by the Metrowater a flat rate of Rs. 50 per month payable half-yearly. Suddenly some bureaucrat planning a stick up of the citizen, contrived an order from the government, like Indira’s midnight order, making the installation of water meters mandatory, with perhaps instructions to the meter maker to make it defective like the Auto rickshaw meters. And so it was that households paying Rs. 300 half yearly, found that though the trickle from the pipelines did not increase, the meters were running amuck. People who had palaces and acres of land for gardens, perhaps revolted and the order was withdrawn, but those who were foolish to buy cubby holes or rabbit warrens called Apartments, are paying ten to fifteen times the original bill every month even though there is only one sump! Our bill for May was Rs. 6000/- It is nothing short of robbery. So if Rahul promises reversion to the old consumption charges for man’s most essential food: water, if his young brigade sweeps the polls, I promise him my vote in advance. Even in the Gulf countries, where the only water is sea water after desalination, charges are minimal…”
“I shall be careful amma, in spending water like money. I shall speak to somebody who knows Kalainger and ask him to bring to his notice this injustice. In fact water and air should be free. Somebody has promised us free solar lamps costing Rs. 1500 each… let’s see what Rahul can offer…”
