The Great Indian Circus
"Think small-think as small as um..calling them bad names!" - squeals the balding man, his rotund figure hugged by his polyester kurta. He's one among the many paunchy men seated around an oval teakwood table-strategizing. In a parallel universe, my friends and i gather round the TV with bowls of popcorn in hand-the blubbering politicians are being telecasted (on a channel dedicated solely to comedy shows, mind you)-their discussion accompanied by a young commentator with a deep, husky voice-"Who falls lower on the dignity scale? Tune it to your local Indian assembly election to find out!" he booms, and we let out a collective giggle. In the recent years, Indian politicians' speeches have become an all-you-can-eat buffet for comedians. Arguably the most powerful tool of a politician-his words- have lost their value. The recently concluded Gujarat assembly elections is a prime example. For instance, when modi addressed the gau raksha controversies-the ever e...