Our State, in the view of the Man from Madras Musings, has for long been led politically in pairs. The original Tweedledum and Tweedledee both wore black glasses and one of the two had a fur cap to add to his phenomenal charisma. After he faded out, we had the mom of all Tweedledees who gave old Tweedledum of the former pair a run for his money. Thereafter we had a seesawing battle for power, with crown, throne, orb and sceptre going alternately to old Tweedledum and his bête noire, the mom of all Tweedledees. The lady has since gone but old Tweedledum, has rather incredibly enough, survived, after a fashion, and is a mere shell of his former jousting self.

In something akin to mitosis, old mother Tweedledee’s party has its own set of Tweedledum and Tweedledee. They initially set out to do battle but then buried the hatchet when faced with the prospect of an evil stepmother. They are since then walking about arm in arm, though MMM learns from reliable sources that behind the scenes they are locked in armed combat. It is only by stealing Tweedledum’s rattle has Tweedledee brought about a modicum of peace.

But all of this in MMM’s view, pales into insignificance when compared to the other pair of Tweedledum & Tweedledee, namely the former matinee idols who are now testing political waters with their toes. Both are of the kind that will lower themselves into the water only when they can see the bottom and so they are contenting themselves with issuing statements for anything and everything. And every once in a while, when they find time hanging heavy on their hands, they call on original Tweedledum, who as MMM said has survived rather in the manner of Methuselah and seen it all. MMM wonders as to what old Tweedledum thinks of the new pair. Probably not much is MMM’s analysis.

But to get back to the modern day pair. Not a day passes when they don’t issue a statement or two on matters about which their understanding is clearly quite low, rather like the level of water in the river that our neighbouring State is always damming up. On one day if Tweedledum is issuing a statement demanding communal harmony, Tweedledee is tweeting on water. The next day they reverse roles. On day 3, they praise each other. On day 4, Tweedledum, who has stolen a march on Tweedledee by forming a party while the latter is only speaking of his intentions in that direction, trashes Tweedledee by stating that he, Tweedledee, has in his, Tweedledum’s opinion, got no fight in him. On day 5 Tweedledum issues statements calling for the stepping down of the Tweedledum and Tweedledee in power, while arch rival Tweedledee maintains silence. On day 6,Tweedledee clears his throat and his fans go wild with joy. On day 7, they both rest. And so life goes on. What surprises MMM most is that there are plenty of believers in the pronouncements of Tweedledum and Tweedledee. How many are genuine followers will however be known only when elections come about. For all you know, old Tweedledum, who has seen it all, may still have the last laugh.