Speaking Is Our Culture

Governments, be they of the State or the Central variety, were in a hurry to conduct as many events as possible during the last fortnight. This was apart from showering largesse on farmers, those below the poverty line and other probable voters. The reason, so The Man from Madras Musings learns is that once the electoral code of conduct kicked in, there could be no events of this kind.

Among the many that our local Government decided to celebrate was the birthday of a former CM. MMM was one of the recipients of an invite to one of these celebrations, where something that had been chugging along peacefully for years under a different name was to be now renamed after the late lamented. The card, ostensibly to a cultural event, had MMM scanning and then poring over it, to detect where the cultural element was. It had a series of speakers and beyond that nothing. It was large, glossy, with the obligatory photographs and as in the manner of all things Government, reached MMM a day after the event. MMM was not disappointed at this tardiness though.

But he did make bold to call one of the organisers and ask as to where the cultural element was. Pat came the answer that it was so necessary to invite all the speakers that there was no time for any cultural programme! It was the thought presumably, that counted.