Light Elements

Mr. Optimist and Mr. Skeptic were good friends. Optimist was very happy
with the policies of the new Government. He felt that now the things would be
better. The new Government has promised clean governance, minimum intervention
of administration, healthy external policies, ease of doing business,
transparency, financial inclusion, and what not! He started day dreaming for a
happy and peaceful life for the common man.

One day after the Union Budget, Mr.
Optimist met Mr. Skeptic.

Optimist :   Hello. What do you feel about the budget?

Skeptic :    Well. It is same as every year’s. Nothing
new!

Optimist :   Are you not happy with the policies announced
by the FM?

Skeptic :    Practically all FMs so far have been
promising the same thing.

Optimist :   But the implementation was bad. Bureaucrats
were not allowing good things to happen. 
There was corruption.

Skeptic :    Do you think bureaucracy has changed? Do you
think corruption will stop?

Optimist :   Well; we should always hope for the better.
They are taking good steps in that direction. Everything is becoming ‘on-line’.

Skeptic :    So, what you feel will happen now?

Optimist :   I am sure, there will be stability and
growth!

Skeptic :    Ha! Ha! Ha! I will tell you a story.

There was a very poor country. It was faced with the menace from rats.
All fields and other places were infested with rats. They were causing lot of
damage to the crop, to the properties and everything. The Government was
helpless. People didn’t know how to tackle this problem.

Once, they convened a conference in which international experts were
invited to solve this monstrous problem. They made their presentations which
were very impressive.

A few experts suggested electronic
devices; but the host country said – “we are too poor to afford such expensive
gadgets”. A few others came out with chemical solutions. Again there was
helplessness due to cost factor. 

Chemicals would also spoil the fertility of the soil. It seemed the conference
would be futile. Nothing was working out.

Finally, one Indian expert stood up. He said –‘I can suggest a simple
remedy’. All listened to him very intently.

“Look here”, he said; “Take a knife and keep it horizontal on the floor;
or on the table. Take two small plates and keep one on each end of the knife.
Put some gud (Jaggery) in one plate and some kopra (coconut) in
the other.

“How will it
help?” – People wondered.

“Rat will come;
stand before the knife and have a dilemma. What to eat first? ‘Gud’ or ‘kopra’.
He will move his neck violently. In the process, his neck will get cut! And
your jaggery and coconut will remain intact”!

People applauded
very loudly. They were all extremely happy. Same night, there was a cabinet
meeting of the ministers. The mood was very joyous. Suddenly, somebody pointed
out – The remedy is alright. But how can we afford so much gud and kopra?
We are so poor! There was a long and deep silence. Finally, they rang up the
expert again and explained to him the problem.

“Don’t worry”,
assured the expert. I will think of a solution. Let’s meet tomorrow morning.

Next day, there
was again an assembly of selected persons. The expert said, “ I have found the
solution. Keep the same arrangement, horizontal knife and two dishes; but let
them be empty’.

People got
puzzled. “How will it help?”

Expert – “See,
the rat will come, look at both the dishes; and will wonder “Arey! Gud bhi
nahi aur kopra bhi nahi! (Neither jaggery nor coconut). He will again shake
his neck in despair! Result, you know. Cutting of his neck!”

Optimist
realised the fate of ‘stability’ and ‘growth’! And also that the citizens of
our country are like rats._