Hung-Ho-Hum

While the entire Indian media seems gung-ho over the much delayed execution of Ajmal Kasab, cartoonist Vikas Sabnis emerged with an extremely significant cartoon today. In which a common housewife, looking at Balasaheb’s picture on the wall, remarks ‘His remote–control seems to be very active once again.’

Even Sabnis may not have conceived how accurate this remark would turn out to be. Because not only have the Shiv-sainiks meted out punishment to two Palghar girls over an innocuous comment on Facebook, but in spite of the furore against the act, they have publicly threatened one Abhay Kamble with appropriate action for an undisclosed FB comment. This is of course, if the police fail to arrest Kamble within 8 days.

Meanwhile, some government sources have announced that Balasaheb would soon be making an entry into school books in Maharashtra. Here I must make mention of the news that the charred Mantralaya building’s repair job (worth Rs.138 cr) has been rewarded to the builder of ‘Matoshree’ (Mr Thakerey’s address for the last few decades!)

One Marathi sms doing rounds these days puts it very well , it says “Balasaheb laagle kamala, Aadesh dile yamala, Mhanale  bolavun ghe Kasabla”. Loosely translated it means ‘Balasaheb gets down to work and orders Yama (the hindu God of death) to lift  Kasab from the earth.’

It would seem like Yamasaheb did oblige Balasaheb and the Indian government conducted the top-secret orchestra at Yerawada.

Meanwhile, the Taliban it seems, are not ‘hung-ho’ that India did not hand over kasab’s body for an ‘Islamic burial’ (this is after Pakistan refused India’s offer to send the body over to them). In retaliation, they have threatened to attack Indians ‘anywhere’ and with no intention of returning their bodies to India.

Imran Khan (ex-cricketer & current Pak P.M – hopeful), on the other hand, has demanded that the indian prisoner Sarabjeet Singh be ‘hanged’ immediately.  

While on the subject of ‘hanging’, here are are some other news stories that caught my attention:

Mamta Banerjee (who gets cartoonists arrested) is moving a ‘no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha which could result in nothing less  than ‘a  hung-parliament’.                                                                              

Sachin Tendulkar (who has not scored more than 20 runs in an inning in his last 20 outings in international cricket) is finally considering ‘hanging’ his boots in 2012. 

--by Manu