Khadi Gandhi

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Our World Class Cabinet Minister is in the news again (for the wrong reasons).

As far as I could glean from News Reports (surely deniable), the facts of the case are as follows:

He was attending a State Function in Rajasthan. He was offered a spun cotton khadi garland. As is the custom he took it off and placed it on the table. Then, I don't know what happened. Suddenly, he lifted his right leg above his left thigh and took a piece off that khadi garland and wiped his shoe clean with it.

Murphy's Law prevailed, as usual, and the shoe-cleaning ceremony coincided with the moment when the CM of Rajasthan was exhorting the audience to realize Gandhian Values in their lives.

Much happened then which I don't have space to narrate, but it all culminated in BJP Workers burning his effigies saying he insulted the Father of their Nation.

See for more details:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/jairam-ramesh-wipes-shoe-with-khadi-garland/1/146222.html

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I want to stoutly defend our Cabinet Minister's unintended offense (if there is one). You must have seen that in my 710 or so blog posts, I have rarely taken up any political issue or event. But I wish to make an exception in this case; for the simple reason that us IITians must stick together when assaulted by outsiders. We may have our differences whether Bombay is more World Class than KGP, but that is between us.

Yudhister laid down the law eons ago:

"Vayam Panchadhika Shatam"

Which meant that Pandavas are 5 and Kauravas are 100 when they fight among themselves. But when Gandharvas attack Kauravas, blood becomes thicker than water, and they make up 105 defending one another.

So here is my Defense:

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1. It is just a weird coincidence...not premeditated that the Rajasthan CM was speaking of Gandhian Values. How could our Cabinet Minister guess that BJP Workers would be offended (the Improbable although not Impossible...he is no Sherlock Holmes!)?

2. Whenever the Resident Crow at Harry's decided to shit on my head when I was preparing for my Lecture on the cement bench, I automatically used to wipe my head with the khata in my hands. It is a reflex action. The QM khata (topoed from Feynman) just happened to be handy. If someone claims that I was insulting Feynman and burns my effigy, they are welcome...Their case wouldn't wash in any Court of Law...Judges too perhaps wipe their dirty gowns with the nearest Law Tome available when they are hit unexpectedly by airborne chappals 'projected' by their Lady Typists in Court Halls:

http://gpsastry.blogspot.com/2010/02/shake-leg.html

3. It must be remembered that it is hardly a week since our Cabinet Minister was promoted to the Cabinet Rank and shifted to a weightier portfolio. I recall when I was promoted (unduly) as a Professor I was walking in a daze on my Cloud Nine and was prone to wiping my Black Board with my hankie...ask Aniket or Kedar or Supratim or Saswat...they must have heard the story if at all there was any inter-batch mixing on Hall Days and their Arabian Nights.

4. Also, the affairs of the New Office which must have been in tatters before he took over must be bothering him inwardly...us Intellectuals are different from the run-of-the-mill aam janata politicos...we come from the Upper House with all its rarefied 'aumbiaance' (as my son corrects my speech...he learns it from his Yankee Customers).

I rest my Case...Ishani is threatening to pick it up from here, and I can't quite trust her...she is not an IITian...not yet.


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