talking of india’s independence and current conditions, i came across an interesting email which actually is a joke but a bitter reality. I got this from one of my “local” friend and i feel offended, but seriously, this left me speechless. How true this is, i leave it to my readers.
U.S
VERSION
Ant
& Grasshopper :
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer
building its house
and laying up supplies for the winter.
The
Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays
the
summer away.
Come winter ,the Ant is warm and well fed. The
Grasshopper has no food
or shelter so he dies out in the
cold.
INDIAN Version:
The Ant works hard
in the withering heat all summer building its house
and laying up supplies
for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs &
dances & plays
the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering
Grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the Ant should
be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and
starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the
shivering
Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with
a
table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be that this
poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer
so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant’s
house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers
demanding
that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during
winter.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian
Government
for not upholding the fundamental rights of the
Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking
support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for
prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance)
.
Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for ‘Bharat
Bandh’
in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM in
Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working
hard in the heat
so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants
and
Grasshoppers.
BJP wants Sonia Gandhi’s apology.
Lalu Prasad
allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian
Railway Trains, aptly
named as the ‘Grasshopper Rath’.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts
the ‘Prevention of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act’ [POTAGA], with effect
from the beginning of
the winter.
Arjun Singh makes ‘Special
Reservation’ for Grasshoppers in
Educational Institutions & in Government
Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having
nothing
left to pay his retroactive taxes,it’s home is confiscated by
the
Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered
by
NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it ‘A Triumph of Justice’.
Lalu
calls it ‘Socialistic Justice’.
CPM calls it the ‘Revolutionary
Resurgence of the Downtrodden’.
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to
address the UN General Assembly.
.
.
.
Many years
later…
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion
dollar
company in Silicon Valley ..
100s of Grasshoppers still die of
starvation despite reservation
somewhere in India ….
As a result of loosing lot of hard
working Ants and feeding the
Grasshoppers, India is still a
developing country!!!
& Grasshopper :
The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer
building its house
and laying up supplies for the winter.
The
Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays
the
summer away.
Come winter ,the Ant is warm and well fed. The
Grasshopper has no food
or shelter so he dies out in the
cold.
INDIAN Version:
The Ant works hard
in the withering heat all summer building its house
and laying up supplies
for the winter.
The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs &
dances & plays
the summer away.
Come winter, the shivering
Grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the Ant should
be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and
starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the
shivering
Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with
a
table filled with food.
The World is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be that this
poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer
so?
Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant’s
house.
Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers
demanding
that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during
winter.
Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian
Government
for not upholding the fundamental rights of the
Grasshopper.
The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking
support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for
prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance)
.
Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for ‘Bharat
Bandh’
in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
CPM in
Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working
hard in the heat
so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants
and
Grasshoppers.
BJP wants Sonia Gandhi’s apology.
Lalu Prasad
allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian
Railway Trains, aptly
named as the ‘Grasshopper Rath’.
Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts
the ‘Prevention of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act’ [POTAGA], with effect
from the beginning of
the winter.
Arjun Singh makes ‘Special
Reservation’ for Grasshoppers in
Educational Institutions & in Government
Services.
The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having
nothing
left to pay his retroactive taxes,it’s home is confiscated by
the
Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered
by
NDTV.
Arundhati Roy calls it ‘A Triumph of Justice’.
Lalu
calls it ‘Socialistic Justice’.
CPM calls it the ‘Revolutionary
Resurgence of the Downtrodden’.
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to
address the UN General Assembly.
.
.
.
Many years
later…
The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion
dollar
company in Silicon Valley ..
100s of Grasshoppers still die of
starvation despite reservation
somewhere in India ….
As a result of loosing lot of hard
working Ants and feeding the
Grasshoppers, India is still a
developing country!!!
You just said it!