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“MY COUNTRY HAS GONE TO THE
DOGS!”
In the hundreds of interviews that fol=
lowed
after the Mumbai blasts, someone, somewhere, gave this profound statement:
‘My country has gone to the dogs’ he said with a pompousness I
could not comprehend. However, before we proceed with my reaction, let me
enlighten you with a story.
Once upon a time (roughly just a few m=
inutes
earlier) as I was lazily changing the television lanes with my remote, I was
arrested midway. ‘Courage comes in all shapes and sizes’ Oprah
Winfrey was saying, ‘but what you are about to see will change your
entire perspective of perseverance and grit’. The show’s impres=
sive
preamble, as to what the audience was about to witness, carried on for a few
more minutes- about how Faith was abandoned on the streets because of her
deformity and how a caring family had lovingly adopted her and how she was =
here
today to demonstrate to the world what conviction and dedication was all ab=
out.
It went on about how Faith was this how Faith was
that, creating just the right amount of tension before Faith finally made h=
er
grand entrance on stage. She was supposed to be a miraculous freak of Natur=
e.
Instead she turned out to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
When Faith was called, the
three-year old strutted in proudly, with her head held high, dressed in not=
hing
but her birthday suit. Instan=
tly
there was a collective gasp from the entire audience, including me. But Fai=
th
continued to walk, straight as a ramrod, on her two steady feet, without a =
care
in the world, her stark nakedness, accentuating her mutilated body’s
every single detail of deformity. Yet she looked ethereal. She proudly para=
ded
across the entire stage, as if it were a ramp and she a fashion model, affe=
cting
as polished a façade as her rudimentary upbringing would allow.
Astonishment soon turned to wonderment which in turn led to admiration. And
finally, a few tears were also shed. After making a full circle, she ginger=
ly
came to Oprah and looked at her questioningly.
‘Hello Faith’ Oprah sa=
id,
trying to regain her composure. Even the most famous and composed of TV anc=
hors
looked a bit shaken at what she had just witnessed. It was also her first
meeting with Faith. In reply to her greeting, Faith simply nodded. She could
not do much else. She could not shake Oprah’s hands because hers were
amputated. She could not talk back because her language was unintelligible.
Oprah gently bent down and Faith brought her elongated face as close to her=
. A
few more handkerchiefs fluttered and I could have sworn even Oprah was figh=
ting
back her tears. Finally all three settled down.
The rest of the show F=
aith
remained still, while Oprah did all the talking. The cameras however were
focused entirely on her as she surveyed an uncommon scenario. With her neck
held high, she continued to appraise the audience, each and every one of th=
em,
her keen eyes taking in every single detail of the foreign setting. She was
probably used to the daily attention that an amazed world gave her. But tod=
ay
she was a celebrity. Yet there was not an iota of conceit in her manner. Wh=
en
the show was over and it was time to go, she got up as elegantly as she cou=
ld
on her two not so wobbly legs. She then tried to stand as straight as she c=
ould
and looked furtively around. Then on the insistence of Oprah she obliged
everyone again by taking a second walk down the circular ramp amidst thunde=
ring
applause. Finally, without turning back, she left, with as much dignity as =
she
had arrived. Suddenly there was an eerie silence- a sort of hush that seeme=
d to
reverberate back and forth as if the cameras and the crowd were whispering =
to
each other. Finally Oprah found her voice. ‘That was amazing.
Wasn’t it?’ she said.
It was. It was the most amaz=
ing
thing I have ever seen in my life. Like watching Nature
challenging mankind with its inexhaustible wonders. Like
watching the rules of gravity being defied. Like
seeing a replay of the theory of evolution- in this context of a different
creature. In case you are still wondering what this is all about, le=
t me
tell you who Faith is. Faith is a female dog, born with an abnormality that
left her with only two hind legs. Two beautiful feminine legs that this can=
ine
uses to walk tall like a human being. One has to see her to believe it!
So naturally that
‘profound’ statement was like a slap in the face of Nature. How
could it be so? If our country had really gone to the dogs, it would be lik=
e a
dream come true. For then it would be led by a team of unswerving, selfless=
, reliable,
faithful, loyal and a committed breed. If it were, there would be not just =
smooth
talks and incessant ‘barks’ but an occasional bite too. If it w=
ere,
each of the terrorists would be long snuffed out by a dedicated sniffing sq=
uad.
And most important, if it were, there would be no religious squabbles, no
social stigmas, no caste distinction, no class divide and no gender
discrimination.
So the next time I hear anyone utt=
ering
such a profound statement, I will give them a piece of my mind. Next time I
hear any Jat yelling ‘Kutta
Kameena’ I’ll ask him to go use a
mouthwash. And the next time I hear the ‘B***H’ word, I’d=
ask
the person to think twice before speaking. Mouthing such obscenities to a b=
reed
that believes in blindly ‘following the leader’ is not only a s=
lur
in our supposedly dignified human character. It is also an insult. To FA=
ITH!
And to all that she proudly stands for.
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