The Foot-in-Mouth Disease

[Notice: This is not a humorous piece except for some limericks at the end of it. The cautionary statement implies that my other posts were supposed to be…. Didnt know, did you?]

When fellow-blogger Indian Home Maker (IHM) asked me “No post on the politician’s gaffe?” I had responded to her that it was no laughing matter and that I had no intention of posting what everyone is already reading about in the press and the reports on TV.

But when I read this editorial in Times of India, “Learn to Talk – Politicians must be trained to handle mass media”, dated 4th December 2008, I was prompted to write a letter to the Editor, TOI, which may not get published due to their perpetual shortage of print space. I produce it below, exclusively for my blog readers!

Text of my letter sent to the Editor TOI

“This refers to the editorial “Learn to Talk – Politicians must be trained to handle mass media” (Dec 4). One wonders whether these incidents were a result of inadequacy of skills in dealing with the mass media at all? For once, the general public got a glimpse of what goes on in their minds, when the moment of truth arrived suddenly, unannounced.

RR Patil couldn’t have thought that the oft-repeated dialogue in a Bollywood block-buster DDLJ, (which goes something like “itne bade desh mein aisi chhoti choti batein hoti rehti hain”), would entertain the aam admi, did he? I would tend to agree with him if he had truthfully agreed that “Aise haadse hote rahte hain”, because that indeed is what is happening! And again, that is exactly what we are up in arms against, and the entire public is seeking your action against!

You just need to be a sensitive citizen to say “I understand the loss suffered by Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s father and empathise with him in his loss” instead of referring to the canines calling on them..

In fact one expects all politicians to say “We understand your anger, you are justified and we need to pull up our socks and put our house in order” instead of defending themselves. Would any training be necessary to teach them this elementary stuff? I beg to differ that they need skills to face the media. Would we need an institute to teach our politicians basic human values of compassion, respect, concern for public, accountability? If so, go ahead and build that institute - the one that sets their thinking right!”

Friends, my last post being that on limericks, I was tempted to write a limerick based on this episode too, which goes thus:-

Our leaders speak at length with ease,
we have to beg them to stop, “o, please!”
With the recent attacks,
the best of wisecracks
got infected by the foot-in-mouth disease!
[That’s me getting better each day - always wanting to improve,ahem!]

Blogger’s Post Script
1. Readers may pardon my posting serious articles here. I cannot resist it with such overwhelming feelings overcoming my thoughts daily. As Prasoon Joshi says “Is baar Nahin”. I may keep posting something about our struggle and sharing our success which is imminent.

2. Friends, I have some really spicy, naughty limericks that I will put up only after you all send me one limerick each (at least)! Now this tag is for all my readers and all fellow bloggers, who may or may not have commented on my blog!

Having provided you with the bare basics
there is no such thing as a quick-fix.
Please sit down and think
and maybe, have a drink,
so you can send some funny, naughty limericks
[Oh that’s me again! The drink will not be sponsored by me]