Once upon a time!

Once upon a time

O

nce upon a time, far away in the eastern subcontinent, there existed a Jungle, called “Bharatvan”, inhabited by vast species of animals. Unlike most of its counterparts, Bharatvan was far too advanced to be called a mere jungle, for it had everything that commanded respect of a well managed civilization – from hospitals and schools to movie theaters and cricket stadiums and above all, a well established law and order, maintained under a fairly competent government.

           Harry, the deer – a resident of Bharatvan, was out on a regular shopping with his father one day. They were running through various stalls of herbs and browse at the market, his father haggling their way out at almost each store, when they heard some commotion nearby. Twisting his tail in curiosity, Harry’s father turned back to look what the fuss was all about.

 

          It turned out that nearby Rocky, the wolf was eve teasing a fellow lady deer.People had gathered around them, but nobody dared to do anything to help the poor deer. Well, we know how some animals just can’t stand the injustice around them, right? Guess what? Harry’s father was one such animal. So, pushing his way through the crowd, he attempted to stop the evil wolf.

          Cutting the drama short, all here it is to tell is that the wolf was enraged at this defiance of his authority and so he leaped at Harry’s father. The poor deer tried to duck, but the wolf managed to inflict a serious wound on the deer’s neck, with his claws. Again, for the final showdown, the wolf leaped at the poor deer, this time, the deer although in excruciating pain, managed to duck and the wolf ended up ramming his head on a metal casket instead.

          Both ended up unconscious, and some animal, with a little animality left, summoned the police and the ambulance at the scene. Reports were taken, charges filed and the deer was admitted to the hospital. 

          ‘It’s too early to comment on your father’s condition Harry,’ Dr Dollar, the dolphin said to Harry at the Aquatic hospital. ‘The sepsis from the wound is spreading badly in the entire body.”

Poor Harry couldn’t believe what had transpired in front of his own eyes in just a matter of few hours. But, when he reached out at his home, he faced the worse.

          ‘An evil deer has apparently attacked Mr. Rocky, the wolf in what appears to be a public altercation between the two parties,’ Vulpino fox, the newsreader said, as she read the news on the national news channel. 

          To Harry, this was both shattering and disgusting but to the others present at the scene – those who had watched the drama unfold, silently, this wasn’t unexpected. The Wolves belonged to the minority in the jungle and were apparently downtrodden under the majority. It was said that the wolves had migrated from a nearby Jungle to Bharatvan, a couple of decades back and were then awarded the status of the minority and the downtrodden among the majority of the herbivores that inhibited the Jungle originally.

          And even though it was decades ago, and more carnivores including the panthers, bears, Sharks, snakes and others had long since inhabited the jungle, they all still reveled under the “tag” of being in the minority. The political parties of the Jungle for years had long since been biased towards different sections of the animals species, and needless to say, majority of them favored the minority, for the cheap political gain. There weren’t any animals in Bharatvan anymore. You were either a minority, or you just didn’t exist – as simple as that!

          ‘This is intolerable,’Ophido, the snake hissed, melancholically. ‘This is disgusting! For years our brothers in the minorities have been tortured by those in the majority. And this again is the case of same injustice. We won’t endure this intolerance anymore! Brother Rocky has our complete support in this ordeal!’

          Ophido belonged to the ‘Aam Pashu Party’, one of the two major political parties of Bharatvan that had since its inception, survived on the cheap politics and support from the apparent minorities. Apparently the savior of the common animal, the party had always been involved in stupid publicity stunts, strikes and fueling the public outrage.At present, they were debating on the same news channel that Harry had just switched to.

          ‘This is sheer stupidity,’Roxo, the monkey retorted, incredulously. ‘How are we supposed to believe that a poor deer could attack a violent animal like a wolf? Mr Ophido, it’s high time that we talk some sense now.’

          Roxo, actually had a point here. And hey, no doughnuts for guessing that he belonged to the opponent major party – ‘Bhartiya Bajrang Dal’,that had always supported the majority, albeit for no different reasons then others – gaining the political strength! The ‘Bhartiya Bajrang Dal’ was also infamous for raiding and attacking unannounced, the innocent animal couples, deeply in love with each other. “Those animals had deteriorated the animal culture”according to the self styled moral police that this political party had become.

          ‘Well, we surely expect to hear some sense from you Mr Roxo,’Vulpino, the fox interjected, playing her role of true controversy-fueling journalist. ‘After all the mass slaughter of the minorities under your rule, in 2002, we surely do!’

          With this and all the stupid banter, the debate went on for hours and it really sickened Harry to hear all the goddamn ludicrous logic. Soon, Rocky wolf was released on bail from the police station, under the constant pressure from the likes of ‘Aam Pashu Party’ and the biased media reports. And Rocky received a handsome welcome with orchestra and all ostentation possible. And then the inevitable happened – Harry’s father passed away, succumbing to his wounds.

          As soon as Harry heard the news, he went to hospital, broken and shattered. Once there, he again heard some commotion. This time it was Roxo monkey of the ‘Bhartiya Bajrang Dal’. He had come to the hospital and his sidekicks began ransacking the entire hospital.

          ‘My dear fellow animals,’ Roxo shouted, from the centre of the makeshift stage his sidekicks had created at the hospital verandah. ‘We are deeply sorry for the loss of one of the brave sons of mother Bharatvan. The brave deer succumbed to the tyranny of the wolves like Rocky and the alike. But it shall be avenged. I declare the open strike against the injustice!’

          And with this, the hospital staff was forced out of the hospital by the party’s workers, shutting down the hospital as a sign of protest against the injustice (read: as a technique to ferment public outrage). Harry was thrown away from the hospital too and his father’s dead body was taken. 

Hundreds of patients would suffer without the medical aid and many might succumb to their ailments due the shutting down of the hospital. But did that matter? We already know the answer to this one now, don’t we?

          The party workers reached an open stadium with the dead body amid the heavy slogans and rally staged in advance. And Roxo, began his ‘amaran annashann’ on the body of the poor dear, who had died at the hands of evil animals like Rocky.

           Needless to say, it was all a big and cheap publicity stunt to get media attention. Poor Harry wasn’t allowed to have the last chance of wishing goodbye to his already dead father. And he was torn inside. But more than that, he was furious. As it happens after every big controversy, Rocky wolf was appointed as the face of upcoming elections by the ‘Aam Pashu Party’ and so he was delivering a public speech at one of his rallies.

 

          ‘My dear brethren, I’m a son of a poor farmer,’ he began with the usual lines to gain sympathies. ‘I belong to the minority, and so I was attacked. But we won’t surrender to these faithless bastards now, would we? It’s our right to be treated right and we shall achieve it. And if this doesn’t come, then  Bharatvan ki barbaadi tak, jung rahegi, jung rahegi!’  

          The normal reaction should’ve been a public outrage at the filth’s filthy language and his open defiance to the land that he lived in, but so corrupted was the politics of Bharatvan that his hateful speech ended amid loud applauds and cheers. He was stepping down the stage when, a brick hit his face hard. Blood began to ooze out and he momentarily lost consciousness. And the security was agile enough to catch the perpetrator at once.

          It was Harry. For what else could he have done? His father was dead, he wasn’t allowed to have the last meeting with his father and above all, the media and the entire Jungle was blaming his father as a mentally imbalanced perpetrator. The agony of losing his only family and being served the injustice, had bereft Harry of any sanity. And so here he was. Needless to say, he was arrested quickly and a dozen charges were filed against him.

           The police, under the political pressure from ‘AamPashu Party’ began torturing Harry to confess, that he and his father had indeed been a part of the conspiracy of the opposition to kill Rocky wolf. Harry lay motionless in his cell, all beaten up and bruised, wondering whatever his fault had been. But he couldn’t reach a valid conclusion.

         ‘Hero or a devil?’Vulpino fox announced on her show again, ‘Welcome everyone! We’re here to discuss the alleged role of Harry deer and his father in the conspiracy to kill the minorities’ leader Rocky wolf today.’

          What had begun as a normal feud to curb injustice on a poor lady deer, had now completely been changed to an alleged conspiracy to kill the original perpetrator, thanks to the bloody politics and morally incompetent media. Many soldiers passed away daily, protecting Bharatvan and nobody bat an eyelid. And the filths like Rocky wolf, received all the media attention – even at just getting as much as grazed by a stone – just because of a bloody tag of being in a minority.

          On the other hand, the social media was seething with frustration against the injustice inflicted upon Harry and his father. Facebook posts, memes, WhatsApp chats or be it any social media; this was the topic that was on everyone’s priority lists. #JusticForHarry, #ReleaseHarry and other Twitter handles got viral.

          In the world of the technological age today, social media is being used to serve revolutions&justice, while the electronic media is just another resort to leisure and entertainment, agreed!

          The door opened. Someone entered Harry’s cell. It was Roxo monkey of ‘Bhartiya Bajrang Dal’.

          ‘Hello Harry,’ he said. ‘How are you, my boy?’

          Harry should’ve been infuriated at this. But he no longer had any strength or courage left to be.

          ‘Why is this happening to me?’ he begged for answers instead, half dead.

          ‘Let’s just say that you’re too naïve to understand the politics of the Jungle, boy!’

          ‘What?’

          ‘Forget that. I’ve an offer for you.’

***

5 years later:

          Harry sat in his cabin, when his PA rushed in. ‘There has been a feud between the Wolves and the Sheep, at the market sir! The wounded are admitted to the hospital and one of them has passed away.’

          Harry looked up from the cluster of papers surrounding him and the national flag of Bharatvan resting on his desk, and smiled. ‘Interesting!’

          He was now the official spokesperson of ‘Bhartiya Bajrang Dal’ for the state under, Roxo, the monkey. And it had been five years since that fateful day at the market, where it all had begun. Roxo had offered him his bail in return of his acceptance of the membership in party and he had agreed, reluctantly. And together, they had beaten Rocky wolf in the state elections. Roxo was the Chief Minister now, and Harry was the spokesperson.

          ‘Alright,’ Harry said, as he got up from his chair, ‘Gather the media, ask the police to confiscate the dead body of that one sheep, as instructions from the CM’s office and bring it to the rally.’

          ‘What rally sir?’ the PA asked, confused.

          ‘Ah, right, arrange a public rally too. And make sure to bring the dead body to the rally too!’

‘But sir, people are dying!’

          He looked at the PA, who was shocked and exasperated, and smiled through the same frustration he had felt once. The agony, the anger and all the helplessness amid the despondence that he had felt once, came back to him, albeit momentarily.

          ‘The police are there to take care of that my friend. We are here to take care of the justice and politics. And yeah, don’t forget to shut down the hospital too, as a sign of protest.’

          ‘But sir –’

 

           He cut him short. ‘Let’s just say that you’re too naïve to understand the politics of the Jungle, boy! Now do what has been asked of you!’

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