Gerald D'Cunha

  A while ago, I was having my mid-morning ‘cutting’ at a nearby tapri . That’s the place, I, often, get to hear some serious discussions/debates   - about politics, religion, or life at large… often, some finest dialogues, and, even, the choicest expletives! This morning, I was ‘privileged’ to overhear some serious discussion over the latest Maharashtra politics. The paanwala and, apparently, his regular customer, a rickshaw-wala . The paanwala , who seemed to be a North Indian, sounded extremely excited and satisfied about the development… He wanted the MVA government to collapse. The Rickshaw-wala – apparently, a Maharashtrian – was angry at the political development. He was feeling cheated and was cursing his heart out on those leaders, who, he thought, were betrayers… He was blaming BJP for engineering all the drama… “Ye sab game hai; saare chor ha i.” He was fuming with frustration and disappointment. The chaiwala, a Rajasthani middle-aged man – who gets to witness...

Pic.: Ashok Ahuja F or many of us, the morning newspaper is as important as the morning cup of tea. Likewise, the  prime-time  night-news is as badly a need as the supper on our table! But, honestly, it is no more so for me. The morning newspapers lie there for days sometimes, yes, un-touched… And, the nights are noiseless, for days together, while the supper is on… Is my curiosity, the urge, the desperation to know what’s happening around me is just induced by my weak, gullible mind? What if I go about my life without knowing who wins elections and who loses, who is sent to jail and who is sent to Mars? Am I just addicted, just as to my cup of tea or to someone to his puff or peg? I seriously think, life will go on beautifully – in fact, more peacefully, without newspapers and noisy TV news… So addicted we all are, so desperate that we do not realize how we end-up watching more advertisements than news on the newspapers as well as TV...