‘Tis election time, or rather like Santa Claus, elections are coming along in the none-too-distant future and so the action is hotting up in this our State. Those in power are going around inaugurating, foundation stone laying, scheme announcing, tom-tomming, etc. with a vim. And those not in power are gathering, aligning, coercing, relating, bonding, etc. to claw their way back. Everyone is doing what they are best known for – promising this, promising that and promising just about everything else including the Party Cars.
Party Cars of the Political Class
The Man from Madras Musings was always of the view that the cars of the political class are a class by themselves. Party flags fly on the bonnet, and on the windscreen is invariably a sticker, often illuminated, of the leader to whom they owe allegiance, at least for the nonce. The drivers of these vehicles recognize no traffic rules and above all they discovered the automatic gear shift long before automobile engineers invented them.
Party Cars Beyond the City Limits
This aspect came forcefully to MMM when he was driving around the countryside last week. He then concluded that the lesser the functionary in a party outfit, the louder and more outlandish his car. Some of them need to be seen to be believed. There were a couple that had the party symbol by way of stickers painted all over the body. Others had on their rear window a large photograph of the leader.
Party Cars and Their Loud Display
And all these vehicles had lights of various sizes on the front. These were not just headlights but more floodlights. As these cars careened on their way down highways, the drivers would keep switching on and switching off these lights each time they found a vehicle going ahead of them. This was kept up till the vehicle in front moved to one side probably after the driver in it was blinded temporarily. Some have a loudspeaker attached which belts out songs on the way and then speeches of the leader when at a central location in a town.
This article appeared in Madras Musings-https://madrasmusings.com/vol-35-no-20/short-n-snappy-237/
My book, Chennai, A Biography can be ordered-http://-http://- https://sriramv.com/2021/12/27/how-to-buy-autographed-copies-of-chennai-a-biography-from-outstation/20.ece
