Friday, October 8, 2010

Ayodhya – Hey Ram!

“Religion is the opium of the masses” – This Marxian precept is always true as events rush to prove with sickening frequency. Once the addiction rules head and heart, the society gets wobbly and the line between right and wrong gets blurred. The merchants of this opium – from bigots to politicians – can hardly resist investing more and more in this eternally profitable business.

Ayodhya has been a hugely successful venture for these merchants. A fringe party got itself catapulted to the centre stage riding piggyback on this opium-peddling. A generous dose was dished out to masses – and the masses blissfully drank. The merchants basked under windfall gains by capturing power.

A trader should have never-say-die attitude. The latest judgment on the issue brings loads of malt and barrels of intoxicating stuff can be brewed and the brewing has started in right earnest. But this time, aided by neo-liberal brainwashing, materialistic vodka seems to provide more hallucination to the middle class steeped in hypocrisy. The old brew does not command major market share right now and merchants are perplexed.

But the ruling raises several questions. The demolition squad has been rewarded by giving a share of the demolished property thus providing the stamp of approval to the anti-social act. Had the structure been not razed, how the settlement scheme of partition would have proceeded, remains an interesting point. While suit of one of the parties was dismissed on limitation, it has been given a share in the property. One can put hundred questions but the fact remains – the ruling has been a perfect blend of settlement and amnesty with all trappings of extra-judicial solution. For now there is some calm – why worry about the ruling now?- GK

2 comments:

Balu said...

One good thing after this judgement, with the internet, we find that a lot many people have quit that opium.
This is the brighter side. Many now know what is that extra-judicial means.Anyway I loved your language and metaphor

Raj said...

A nice post very well narrated. Kudos Kishore. But you could have also talked about the other merchants, who, having become bankrupt when the other merchants captured the power, fed the masses (atleast one section) with a more intoxicating stuff and managed to recapture the power. Even after recapturing power, they still sell their intoxicating stuff and, worse, protect those who take it and indulge in State violence.