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The Elephant Story-2 Concluding Part.

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Aug 2, 2020.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    THE ELEPHANT STORY-2
    I have digressed again.
    Where were we?
    So you wanted to know why I have titled this story as 'The Elephant Story'. I wanted you to ask this question, though you have every right ask or not to ask any question and I have every right to reply or not to reply. In this case, my option is limited to answering your questions because I am standing by the podium and you are in the audience. I expect the same when the positions are reversed. When among the audience, I have often faced this dilemma of asking or not asking, if asking- why and what asking, if not asking-why and what not asking. What if I ask a stupid question and others laugh at me? What should be the most brilliant question that would stump the speaker for an answer? In the process, others asked the question that I had been thinking of and thus leaving me aghast with envy. Before I could think of another brilliant question, the speech was concluded. Pretty soon I realized that the most stupid question is the one that has not been asked.

    Talking of questions and answers, I admit that the more the questions are raised, the more the answers are vague. There is no direct question and there is no direct answer. Some questions have never been answered. Answers to the question change depending on the person who is answering and the time when it is answered. 'Who am I?" "Where from I came"? "Where shall I go?' have been replied differently by Krishna, Mohammad, Jesus. Until the 18th century, we were known as Vaishnavas, Saivites, or Tantrics, and so on but not Hindus. Even today our Shankaracharyas represent the competitive school of authority. We neither have one Founder nor one Mecca. Called upon to define Hinduism, we look for an answer and hide under the offbeat answer-Hinduism is a Way of Life. Even in modern times answers change depending upon who is replying and when and where. We see it every day. Political parties, in particular, change the answer to a similar question when they are the opposition. It happens in International arena also. When in India, Chinese President may be keeping a smiling face but back home he is his usual self. Ditto for Indian PM.

    OMG, what is happening to me? Why can't I stay on the subject? Am I tipsy? 'No way' as my GD would put it or 'I don't care' as my GS would say with a left-hand wave... ‘How can I be tipsy early in the morning?’ Getting tipsy is not in my genes. Besides there are many other forms of tipsy people like tipsy rich, tipsy beauties, tipsy intellectuals, and tipsy upper cast or even tipsy colored. So there is something else.

    But what is that? See much you try I will stay on track. If I have named the story as it is named there has to be some reason. With a little help from you I could have found out but if your comments or lack of them on the first installment are any indications you have not been of much help. I should have known that. God helps those who help themselves.

    To cut the long story short, even there can be stories within a short story, let me tell you why I named this story as I named it though I am not obliged to tell you because you have not asked and replying without any prompting is considered unnatural or unbecoming of a serious person who has thrived upon beating about the bush when there is neither a drum to beat nor a bush anywhere within sight, reminding me of a some olden times story where a blind man decides to buy an elephant , not exactly knowing what an elephant looks like other than that, as he was told, it has four legs and more importantly why he needed it anyway, but to show the world that a blind man can too own an elephant and therefore visits the animal fair, moves around declaring 'I need an elephant’, is approached by an elephant seller, goes around and around touching the elephant from all approachable angels and parts, shaking his head in disapproval, seeing which the elephant sellers anxiously asks 'what's wrong' and is faced with a question 'okay, okay it does have four legs but where are the damn head and the tail?

    Now you know why I titled this as it is titled as it has no head and no tail. World economy, forget about world economy, what we have to do with that? We are Indians first and India first. Corona has taught us to be ‘Atmnirbhar’ (Self Dependent). The problem is we do not know this elephant, do not know which side the head and which side the tail, demand comes first or supply comes first.If there are no jobs, no money to buy how would the demand rise and if demand will not rise what is the use of creating supply? Conversely if there is supply there will be demand. Remember the story of a shoe salesman reporting from Africa that since no one wears shoes there, there is no demand, while the other salesman reporting from other part of the country request for a ship full of different sizes of shoes because no one wears shoes there and there is hundred percent chance of making a big buck by creating demand.

    But that was a story about Africa from where we Indians came, I am not sure, don’t sue me on that, but whatever, we are much advanced, wear shoes, clothes and what not but have no money to buy that.

    I guess ‘Atmanirbhar’ means be satisfied by what we have or do not have.


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  2. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    The 'title' ended auspiciously
    with a beautiful painting ,politically connected. Readers are self satisfied with the reply. That is 'Atma nirbharatha'
    jayasala42
     
  3. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    Do you hear the sound Hariji? That is my head hitting the wall!
     
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  4. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    Your elephant story reminds me of an old tale. A painter came to the court of King Krishna Deva Raya and impressed everyone with his talent except the jester, Tenali Rama. Rama Boasted that he can paint much better. When the king asked him to come up with a painting, he asked for two days time and then told the King the paintging was ready. So the king and the courtiers went to see the painting Rama said the tit;le of the painting was "Horse Eating Grass. and asked the king to unveil it by pulling a curtain open. When the king did that all he saw was a blank white wall,

    "alright5 where's the painting," asked aN angry king. " Do you see any horse or grass your majesty? " Rama asked.

    "Certainly not, only a blank wall" snapped the king.

    "Of course it is a blank wall. The horse has eaten the grass and gone away" said Rama.
    Well, this is my horse story. The horse there was as absent as the elephant here.
     
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  5. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Tenali Ram, like Birbal was court jesters and thankfully they could get away with anything they did. The 'horse eating the grass' painting reminds me of a actual happening about modern paintings where the painting is hanging upside down but the guide is explaining it in his own professional style.
    The elephant in the room is like, again from some old joke about a philosopher behaving like a blind man looking for a black cat, in a dark room which is not there.
    Sometimes, we do not realise or accept the gravity of situation but keep on harping in words that mean nothing or can mean anything. I hope you know how our babus explain the government policies. Remember 'Yes Minister'?
     

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