May 21, 2008

Among a thousand disgruntled party ticket aspirants, one was my wife who always believed she was indispensable within her party.  Not only she boasted about her integrity to her party and its policies, she also at times described how much her party president loved and respected her.

Whenever I tried to correct her misconception in the past, she always maintained that she would rather leave me, but not her party.

“I am a disciplined soldier of my party” - she preferred calling herself. “My contribution to my party is beyond dispute. I am a grass root level worker. I have sacrificed my family life for the sake of political life”- so on and so forth.

 Whenever I over heard her conversation with our dog, Tarzan, (her undisputed confident, of course), I had no clue what such high funda terms meant to a layman like me. But as a matter of fact, I at times was in agreement with her last statement that she has sacrificed her family life for the sake of political life. There could not have been any doubt about it.

But the day she was denied a party ticket she reacted as if the roof of our house has fallen on her head. To make the things worse, her political opponent who had newly joined her party a week before was offered a party ticket.

“This party has gone to the dogs” she declared in front of our dog, that fateful day. I was not sure whether her pet dog was also a member in her party, but naturally Tarzan was not too impressed with her statement.

“Madame” said the dog “Don’t forget that we are a faithful clan, no one in the past has questioned our integrity towards our master”. 

“I did not mean that” she clarified with a great sense of guilt but the damage was already done to the reputation of our dog. Tarzan was highly hurt for what she has already said.

“But you did call us by name. Didn’t you?” questioned the dog. “You politicians can afford to say anything and get away with that. Don’t ever compare our integrity with any other living creature in this world. You should be aware that Syndicate Bank has retained a dog as its ‘brand ambassador’ irrespective of so many changes in the organizational set up since so many years”.
 
My wife realized her mistake soon enough to beg pardon for the twist of her tongue, but our dog was not going to budge.

“It was not my intention to hurt you, darling” she said. “At times we politicians get so confused; we don’t get anyone around to redress our grievances. I could have easily blamed the press, the opposition, but I am sure they did not have a role in depriving me a party ticket”

“Why don’t you blame your own party high command” said the dog.

“No way” my wife says. “We can blame the whole world but not the high command. They know well how to handle a situation. Probably some local goons have played tricks against me. The justice will prevail and soon they will realize that I am the right candidate”

“Are you going to revolt then, or perhaps contest as a rebel candidate?”

“No way” says my wife. “There is no scope for rebel candidates in this country. Look what happened to Babu Jagajivan Ram in the olden days. No sooner he broke up with Indiraji, he met with his own debacle and later died a silent but disgraceful death. Look what happened to Bangarappa? He is neither here nor there. Look at the sad state of Sharad Pawar. He is waiting for his turn as to when Sonia would welcome him back to the Congress. As a disciplined party worker, I wish to fight my own battle against whoever has spelled my downfall”

“Are you following the steps of Jaffer Shrif Sahib?” – Tarzan wants to know while I am quite impressed with the political sense of our dog.

“Don’t ever compare me with others” said the wife. “Look, don’t be stupid, my integrity is nothing lesser than yours. I am who I am. Neither a Bangarappa nor a Jaffer Sharif can come closer to my credentials and principles.”

“But you’re being let down by your own party?” says the dog. ‘What would be your next move?”

“I am going to raise this at the right time, at the right place. But for now I have no other option but to keep my fingers crossed’.

And suddenly on second thought she says in a low tone - “Look Tarzan, I seek your patronage as much as Syndicate Bank needs it. You are the only one in whom I can confide.. I have already made my stand crystal clear to my high command and am just awaiting for their response”

Just then the telephone rang and my wife jumped to receive the call.

“I am sure its some one from the high command” she said out of great anxiety and nervousness.

But it looked like there was some one else on the other side. The conversation lasted for almost more than an hour.

The common political terms such as “I am a person of high integrity’, ‘I had always been a faithful servant’, ‘I have always sacrificed my family life…” etc. were heard quite often as if my wife is presenting her credentials for a lucrative -job at Infosys. 

At the end of conversation her face brightened as if she has won a grueling battle. In my own evaluation, even Jhansi ki Rani Laxmibai may not have sounded so ecstatic after winning her first day’s battle against the British. She was beaming with untold pleasure. I presumed that the high command has finally worked out a formula to keep her in good spirit.

“Is there anything worth sharing with us” the dog was quick to ask.   “You’re sounding so euphoric?”

“I am going to file my nomination right away” declared my wife in full confidence.

The dog was stunned as much as I was.

“Has your high command realized your worth, finally?”

“Who wants a ticket from them” says my wife. “I am not going to be a rebel candidate either. I am going to contest the polls as a genuine candidate of a national party.

‘Are you going to defect to another party?”

“What’s wrong with that” – retorts my wife. “Acharya Vinoba Bhave said once – “when you realize your people no longer follow you, turn your back towards them and you will find all of them behind you”

“So what are you going to do now?”

“I am going to turn my back towards my party” declares my wife to our great surprise. And looking at our dog in high esteem, she says – “It was none other than Mayawatiji herself – in flesh and blood - talking to me a while ago. Such a kind hearted lady she is, I don’t see another female politician as committed to the cause of oppressed women like me. Mayavatiji has offered me a party ticket to contest against Bangarappa and whatever it takes to win the seat”.

(P.S: Surprisingly, within the same week my wife had to withdraw her nomination for reasons unknown – even to her pet dog)