The Communist |
The Kerala state budget was passed yesterday adding a
lot more burden to the people. The prices of most things went up. “Oh my God!”
I said reading about the additional cess on petrol. The simple delight of
driving will now become dearer. Maggie came rushing hearing my cry of shock.
“What happened? Are you ok?” She
thought I had developed a sudden heart problem because my palm was on my chest.
She came and rubbed my chest frantically. I loved it. If a budget can bring so
much love, let there be more budgets even if it means paying what I cannot
really afford, I thought as I reclined on my sofa to enjoy Maggie’s caressing palm
on my chest.
Maggie is no fool, however. “You’re
faking it?” She asked.
“No, darling,” I said earnestly. “Look
at this.” I showed her the newspaper.
“So what?” She asked after absorbing
the price rises. She has mastered the art of absorbing anything having lived
with me for more than quarter of a century.
“Even our simple drives will become
beyond our budget,” I pointed out.
“But it’s for the country and the
state,” she explained. “As good citizens, it is our duty to make sure that our
rulers live in good condition.”
That’s true, I thought. Our Prime
Minister rides in a car that cost Rs 12.5 crore. He doesn’t have to pay
anything for its fuel or insurance or driver or anything. Maggie and I use the
cheapest car available in the country: Maruti Alto. We save fuel and thus save
the environment. We are good citizens so that our King can ride in a Mercedes
Maybach S650.
“Why do you pick on Modi all the
time?” Maggie fulminated. She is a Modi bhakt. She thinks nobody can bring
development to India as Modi does. “This is the state budget.” She points at
the newspaper. “Your favourite left government of Pinarayi Vijayan has brought
out this budget.”
That’s true. It is then I became
enlightened. The Buddha was wrong to leave his wife for seeking enlightenment. Without
Maggie, I would have been a mere Sancho Panza bringing only comic relief to my acquaintances, and especially our
relatives.
My beloved Chief Minister, who
imposed this new cess on my simplest delight of driving, uses a Carnival
Limousine. He goes abroad for medical treatments. He tells the media, let alone
the common people, to “get out” when they go to interview him. And we pay for
all that.
It’s a nice system, I say to myself. I don’t say it loud because Maggie will start enlightening me on why it is really a nice system. She calls it positive thinking.
The Ascetic |
Hari Om
ReplyDeleteDifficult, having opposing views in the household... or family. In ours, we have one who won't hear a bad word about Boris Johnson. I have nothing good to say... about him, or about our current state of politics. YAM xx
Our PM is the most popular leader now in the world, according to a new report. I will have to learn to admire him now.
DeleteEnjoyed reading!
ReplyDeleteGlad. Thank you.
DeleteLovely read Tom. I didn't know your wife was a Modi Bhakt. My mother and father are Modi Bhakts.
ReplyDeleteMaggie isn't a bhakt really. She wants me to be safe, that's all. 😊
DeleteA hilarious account of a grim reality!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's better to laugh.
DeleteCome 2024, we have a few things in our hand
ReplyDeleteYes. But the prospect doesn't seem very promising.
Delete