On the other side

PM Modi at Guruvayur Temple

A contemporary parable

The centipede trying to cross the road in Guruvayur this morning was held back by the barrage of traffic that moved in an unusual manner. The creature was not aware that the Prime Minister was coming to the temple for various reasons. There was the wedding of a local BJP candidate’s daughter. Praying at certain temples is one of PM’s ingenious strategies not very unlike his roadshows and other public appearances.

The centipede was not aware of all this. Ordinary denizens of any place will have no time to understand high-level political strategies and dramatics. For example, the centipede had never heard of the legend of the Meditation Cave in Kedarnath. The PM went all the way up the Himalayas to meditate in a cave near the Kedarnath Temple. He changed his costumes as he usually did before every public performance and squatted like the Buddha in the cave. For once he did not wave at anyone or anything. Instead he shut his eyes and went into deep contemplation. After a few moments, he opened his eyes saying, “I’m enlightened.” But then he saw all the videographers and media personnel around and muttered to himself, “Shit! Drama again.”

Costumes were changed many times this morning too. Guruvayur temple has its own dress code. There are many other codes too. For example, the celebrated singer K J Yesudas, who has given classical performances in many temples, was never allowed to enter the Guruvayur temple just because of one of those codes in spite of the many requests he submitted to the terrestrial gods in Guruvayur.  

Film stars and political stars and other stars as well as starlings and starlets had already passed by the waiting centipede. Then came heavily armed and armoured vehicles with all kinds of security men on them. Some big gun is here, the centipede muttered to himself.

When all the rush was over there was a strange hush. The centipede crossed the road.

Having crossed the road with so much patience and effort, the centipede was walking away from where all the stars and starlets were. The reporter of Vishwadarshan TV observed the centipede and turned the camera on it. Thrusting the microphone to its head, the reporter asked, “Why are you going away?”

The creature said rather mysteriously, “I have crossed over to the other side.”