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A Prophecy Belied
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 When Winston Churchill prophesied that if India were granted freedom, power would pass into the hands of ‘men of straw’, our leaders were greatly hurt by the unkind remarks and resolved that thenceforth, every leader should be a man of steel.In the light of the happenings in the political arena in the last half-century and more, it is evident that the resolve was strongly held, though it is a different matter if the steel should be in the form of a dagger, a sword or a gun. But no leader of ours is a man of straw. To call a dacoit, a gangster, a scamster or a murderer, a man of straw would be absurd! They are courageous, daring and strong. The wise citizens of this great country, if only to rebuff Churchill, have elected these men of steel to rule over them. Of course, a Laloo or two might deal with straw meant as fodder for cattle, but he is definitely no man of straw! How the entire country waited with bated breath as the strongman of Bihar stood against the press, the judiciary and public opinion with defiance cannot just be forgotten. And, in a spirit of great sacrifice, he offered his throne to a humble and illiterate woman, who incidentally happens to his wife. These are definitely not acts of any man of straw! Under the rule of a mighty leader not of straw, we have had the Emergency, when the press was censored and dissenters arrested and jailed without trial. We have shown the world that we even have women of steel - stronger than any dictator! It is indeed heartening to note that India has many firsts to her credit. She became the first nation in the world to have an elected woman-dacoit in the highest law-making body. That the late Member of Parliament, earlier in her career, had allegedly massacred the men of an entire village community, and the fact that she was the terror of the Chambal ravines prove that she was not a woman of straw! In fact, she is the role model for another aspiring leader, who is at present in gainful employment in the tough business of poaching and smuggling. A present-day Robinhood, the moustachioed brigand - after years of decapitating elephants and policemen, has expressed a desire to enter public life. And, on hearing about his lofty ambitions, the powers-that-be stepped up efforts to nab him, if only to preserve the fiefdom of another woman of steel. This woman of steel has proved her mettle many a time, in her feisty battle with the judiciary and opposition. To prove that she isn’t a woman of straw, she sent her minions to drag her political opponent, kicking and screaming, to the police station in the middle of the night, on flimsy charges. Thankfully, the entire episode was telecast to the nation the very next day. Otherwise, the world would never have known the steely resolve of hers’ in keeping her opponents in place. Another leader in the making is a don. And the mafia could hardly be equated with something as weak as straw. This gentleman, who lives in a lowly Mumbai chawl, is the dispenser of justice - quick and effective, to people living in that city. And our people, in a valiant bid to prove Churchill’s prophecy wrong, have joined his party in lakhs making him a leader in his own right. We even have tigers and tigresses in the political firmament of the country. This tiger - though a cartooning kind, has engineered the biggest bloodletting in the history of the country, when the financial capital convulsed in the throes of communal violence and hatchet-killings. He becomes especially alive during cricket matches, exhorting his underlings to vandalise pitches and grounds. He, like the famed Tigress of Bengal, is lying low at the moment owing to adverse political conditions. But, a tiger or tigress - active or wounded, cannot be likened to something as ordinary as straw! A few years ago, the nation had a rude shock when the Election Commission announced that criminals would not be allowed to contest elections, but we heaved a collective sigh of relief when leader after leader rejected the EC’s suggestion, which thereupon decided to leave it to the political parties to do the needful. Thus, our knowledgeable leaders averted a national catastrophe. If the EC had its say, the nation would have been bereft of almost all its leaders. And pray, how can a leader prove that he is not a man of straw, unless he has a couple of criminal records up his sleeve? In this half century and more of Indian independence, we can proudly proclaim to the world that men of straw would not rule our country for a long time to come! Mr. Churchill, your prophecy hasn’t come true! Mera Bharat Mahaan! Mathew Joseph RECENTLY ON JAAL: Feet Feat Saddam, Here We Come (Again) Season's Gratings Osama In Bollywood Sab Maya Hai If The Taliban Win... Vox Judicutura! 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