Politics
by Amit
Parmessur
This story is
mainly meant for those who are not interested in
hearing it. For those who already know it, you
may go home, have a nice shower and carry on with
your own politics.
Wikipedia
cleverly defines politics as a process by which
groups of people make collective decisions. (I’m
tempted to think of collective blunders!).
According to the esteemed encyclopedia, the term
is mostly applied to behaviour within civil
governments, but politics has been observed in
other group interactions, including corporate,
academic and religious institutions.
Wikipedia
adds that politics consists of social relations
involving authority or power and refers to the
regulation of a political unit, and to the
methods and tactics used to formulate and apply
policy.
Let’s
face it – it is a very clear
definition, but still can everyone really
understand what politics is? The story I am going
to tell you to define politics was told to me by
a friend, who himself was told the story by his
grandfather, who was told the story by his
passionate and illiterate concubine.
So, once in a
busy town, there was a not-so-curious child who
wanted to know everything around him. One rainy
afternoon, he asked his father solemnly,
“Pops, can you explain the meaning of
politics to me?”
After a heavy
pause, the father answered calmly,
“It’s simple. I’ll give you an
example – our family.”
“Our
family?” the boy demanded enthusiastically.
“Yes. I
am the bread-winner, so I represent capitalism.
Your mother handles financial matters so she is
the government,” the father continued.
“Ah!
Interesting! That’s politics? Indeed very
simple.” The boy was lost in his thoughts
and about to depart. “It’s not over yet
son,” snapped the father. “Your
grandfather who ensures that everything is going
on smoothly is the Parliament. Our maid is the
working class. We have all only one aim, which is
your welfare, so you are the people. Your little
brother is the future.”
The boy seemed
excessively contented as the rain thinned outside.
Night fell and everyone went to bed.
Suddenly the
boy could hear his little bro crying bitterly. He
got up to examine the situation. The baby had
urinated all over its cradle and on the floor too.
What’s to be done, reflected the boy
wretchedly.
He went to his
parents’ room only to find that his mother
was sleeping all alone like a drunk cow. He moved
to the maid’s room and there, gosh! He saw
his father in the young and beautiful girl’s
bed. While rushing back to his brother’s
room he noticed his grandfather in the corridor
watching the rain through the window.
The next day
the father asked, “So son, any more doubts
about politics?”
“Oh, not
the least,” the boy said firmly.
“Politics is so clear to me.
Capitalism exploits the working class while the
government is sleeping and the Parliament watches
without saying a single word. What the people
think has no importance and the future is
seriously screwed.” He departed.
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