E R RAMACHANDRAN writes: After supper, Ajji usually keeps herself busy reciting ‘Rama, Krishna’ till she falls asleep. Since I didn’t hear that, I called out and asked whether she had gone to sleep.
“No,” she said, briefly, and after a while called out my name. I reckoned she was still busy with worldly affairs.
“Ramu. Aren’t these Election Commission officials heartless? Our neighbour Sunandamma told me that they did not allow our CM to distribute the gifts he had brought for all of us. Also, it seems the Congress leader who brought cash for us was not allowed to distribute. It has come in newspapers it seems. ‘Idu Christmas time alweno! Yellaru giftu liftu kodtharalla… Why should the officials stop them?”
“Ajji! They wanted to buy votes by giving presents. That is the reason they were hauled by the officials.”
“Howdaa? They must have spent a lot of money in the Chamundeshwari election?”
“It is in crores, I understand.”
“One crore is one followed by seven zeroes, alwa… .?”
“Howdajji. They say Rs 200–300 crore must have been spent in Chamundeshwari constituency!”
“If they spend so much in a ‘Bayyo’ election, how much would they spend, when they fight in a general election all over All-India? If you write ‘1’ at one end of India, and keep writing ‘zero’ till you reach other end, won’t that many crores be spent on a general election?”
I was amazed at Ajji’s acumen in Number Theory! She was like Sourav Ganguly, not willing to give up.
“Ajji! I don’t know how many crores they usually spend. But, it will be close to what you have just described!”
“Our neighbour Puttathayamma told me that from now on, Sonia Gandhi’s birthday would be celebrated as ‘Hennumagala Dina’ antha. (Girlchild day). Instead of pouring so much of money down the election drain, if they use the same money wisely, why girl-child, they can solve the problem of ‘Hotte-Batte-Hatti’ of the entire population, alweno! If you add the suitcase money and all the gifts, Juttge mallige hoovanu agirodhu!’
“Ajji! What you say is so true. It’s such a simple thing to understand. But they don’t want to do it.”
There was silence quite sometime.
“Ajji, Have you gone to sleep?”
“Illappa. Manassige bejarayithu, Ashte.”
‘manassige bejaarayithu’, probably, yellarigu ee vishaya vannu keLidre manassige bejaaru aagtade.
The likes of this article is what makes Churumuri so special and makes us come back even when we go awy disappointed with either stale or non-mysore (Sometimes both ) write ups. Keep writing stuff like this KP.
What Puttathayamma said is very true. It could have solved the hotte-batte-hatti problem really. Some put the number at 40 crores.
One more interesting thing. One of my friend was standing outside her house (about 7 in the morning)… And two men came saying: “amma prasaada takoLLi”… And my friend said: “namdu innu snaana aagilla.. hEge takOLLOdu?”…. and they said: “illa amma paper cover madhya iTTu koDteevi takoLLi.” . After some time her father came out and realised that “prasaada” was nothing but 500 rupees note kept inside a paper cover!! Then he told: “hOgi naavu hangella nam vote maaralla.”
Both “leading” parties have distributed their gifts. But one party distributed like “maamool”.. while another distributed in the way the people had never seen before.
Well, even we all felt that if the same money had been spent properly, then our Chamundi constituency roads would have improved very well.
ivrugalella ad agency open maadidre, creative ideas-ge yenu ‘bara’ iralla!
“Illappa. Manassige bejarayithu, Ashte.” Ohh – what a great ending! Certainly one of the ‘churumuri’ special items ! :)
Bejaar aaguva vishayaane. Had that Rs.200-300 crores been spent on development, Chamundeshwari constituency would have become like the Vijaynagar empire.
all this is pointless!!!!!!!!!!!
if u desire change be the change.
else just keep these to yourselves..for this will not bring forth any change.
do not pontificate.
get the point?
We can’t help you ajji. Because it is ill got and ill spent. Adaru ondu samadhana andre, namma rajakarnigalu kone paksha chunavane samayadalladru ill got moneyna (black money) horage thegitare. Adare, ee industrialistsgalu ee kade income taxannu kattolla aa kade black moneyna karmikarigu kodalla. Edarindage namma Bharat ennu bada rastravagiroudu allwa
Well said Arun Padaki…But who is bothered about the developments, but for Votes. As long as the non-educated voting mass exist….thes kind of Charpu/Prasada will also exist…For the sake of it, the current day politicians would never work towards 100% literacy in India
Kudos
:-)
I remember a saying by Swamy Vivekananda. Our leaders are one among us. If we have bad leaders, then we are responsible for it. (not exactly the same.. but gives the same meaning).. Almost same thing was repeated in a dialogue of Rang De Basanti movie.
So if our people voted by thinking about development work of the leader… then there would be no need to give money. If the money is given,, then there are people who are expecting it. If liquor is distributed, then there are stupid people who will do anything for it. So as long as people AWAKEN, we cant stop this.