Ishu Parashar
In this great nation of ours there lies a state in Eastern part of India. This state at the time of its peak had produced many famous literary figures and freedom fighters. Just after the independence of India this particular state was counted among the most developed and the best governed state in India. But as the times changed so did the fortune of this particular state also declined and these days it is absolutely in despair even when a woman who right now is the chief minister of this state came into power by promising better governance and development.
On this one particular day Madam Chief Minister was sitting in her office going through the development report on her state which had been prepared by the Planning Commission Of India and it was giving her a serious headache. The report painted a very unflattering picture of her state. She knew that tomorrow's newspapers would be full of articles which would be critical to her government, the heads would certainly roll in the coming days but whose heads would be those was yet to be decided. She was wearing her a trademark white saree over a white blouse with her hair tied her behind in a tight bun. At the first glance she would not have struck as a chief executive of a state but would have rather appeared to be a sad, little widow.
As she was going through the Planning Commission's report when her faithful secretary Debprotim Roy who had been with her for nearly two decades entered the room looking very frantic and worried and immediately rushed towards her.
Looking up from the report," What is wrong Debprotim ? Why are you so worried ?", she asked him.
"Madam, chief minister have you seen this ?", Debprotim handed her the newspaper. The paper was open third page and a huge cartoon of the Chief Minister dominated the a good portion of the page. When she saw this her blood started to boil. Her faithful secretary had never seen his boss so angry so much so that the smoke was literally was coming out of her ears and her nostrils were flaring. In rage she tore the paper in half and threw it at her secretary's face, Debprotim ducked in time otherwise it was headed right for his like a tomahawk cruise missile.
She got up and started pacing her office like a caged lioness. All the time talking to herself in an angry voice which was filled with contempt and rage.
"How dare this idiot make such an inflammatory cartoon about me ? I will have him arrested or no better yet I would have him fried in hot oil just like devil does in the hell. No that is also not good I should have him castrated or better option I would have have his freaking hands cut"
"But Mam, all these options which you are saying would it not be a little bit extreme ? After all we live in a democracy", Debprotim pointed out to her boss. She turned towards him and looked at him in such a manner that it looked like she would kill him with her eyes only. At this moment she appeared not less than goddess Kali.
" Do not tell me what would not be a good option. Do you understand or would like to be fired from your job. Get me the name of this cartoonist, find out where he lives and I want this information on my table in next ten minutes.", Chief Minister ordered her secretary, who took off from her office running like a scared rabbit scampering towards the safety of his hole. At this moment all Debprotim wanted to do was to avoid his boss.
After ten minutes Debprotim came back with the information. The cartoonist who made this cartoon his name was Vishwas Chatterjee, he worked for the ' The Telegraph' newspaper and he lived in the salt lake. Hearing this she ordered her secretary to get the station in-charge of the Salt Lake police station on phone.
Inspector Ravi Ganguly was sitting in his office drinking tea and was chewing on some Marigold biscuits. It was a slow day for him as till now no one had come to register any complaints. He was relishing the fact that at the end of the day he would finally get some much needed alone time with his wife, whom he had not seen in three days because of the municipal elections. He was sure that he had done an excellent job and was promised a promotion to the post of superintendent of police for the excellent job he did during elections.
As he was day dreaming when suddenly his day dreaming came to an end due to his desk phone ringing which completely pissed him off as he did not like anyone to disturb him while he was daydreaming.
"Hello, Inspector Ravi Ganguly speaking. Who is this ?", Inspector Ganguly said in an irritated voice over the phone.
"Inspector Ganguly, is this the way you talk with your boss ? This Chief Minister speaking." on hearing the voice of the super boss herself on the phone Inspector Ganguly nearly felt out of chair and Chief Minister's voice did not had a happy tone. For a moment he wondered that what he has done because of which the Chief Minister of the state is calling and how this is going to get his ass handed to him on a platter.
"No mam, sorry mam tell me how this measly inspector can be of service to you ?", Inspector Ganguly said stammering.
"Inspector Ganguly,have you seen today's paper and my cartoon in it ?", asked the Chief Minister. Inspector Ganguly said yes he had seen it and said to her that it was very degrading trying to smooth over the ruffled feathers of the most powerful woman in the state.
"Well, since you have seen it and agree that it is very degarding. I want you to arrest this cartoonist and throw him in the jail.",
"But madam how can I arrest him without with any complaint or FIR being filed it would be illegal.", Inspector Ganguly protested. But the Chief Minister was not ready to listen to anything as she was beyond herself. Every single argument fell on the deaf ears.
"Inspector Ganguly, how dare you question me ? If you do not arrest him right now then I would have you transferred to Dinapur where you yourself there are more mosquitoes than human and I would make sure that so many mosquitoes bite you that you would die of mosquito bites. You can lodge a complaint or a FIR immediately and send it to my regional party office but have him arrested. Do I make myself clear ?"
Inspector Ganguly was now sweating through the collar of his shirt. He knew that if he did not do as he was being told then she would had him boiled in the hot oil or if the the media got a wind of this then his neck would already be in the line of fire. He right felt like a man trapped between a well and ditch with no way out.
He quickly put down the phone and ordered constables to come with him to arrest Vishwas Chatterjee. When they reached his home at that time Vishwas was sitting on verandah of his house drinking tea. When he saw police officers coming towards for a moment he thought what is going on until Inspector Ganguly started speaking .
"Mr. Chatterjee you are under arrest for publishing defamatory content about the Chief Minister of the state."
For moment Vishwas sat dumbfounded thinking how in the world was his cartoon defamatory and derogatory. His was literally afraid and was now kicking himself for making that cartoon.
"Can I at least call my lawyer before I am escorted to the police station by you and put in jail." Vishwas Chatterjee asked Inspector Ganguly.
Inspector Ganguly knew if he allowed him to call his lawyer then he would not be able to arrest him as he did not had a valid warrant. He also knew that if he did arrest Vishwas Chatterjee right now then on the other side of town a very angry Chief Minister of state whom everyone 'Didi' fondly would have his hide for lunch and that too without any spice and salt. He knew he cannot allow the cartoonist to do that.
"I am sorry Mr. Chatterjee I cannot let you do that. I have strict orders to arrest you and escort you to the police station." said Inspector Ganguly.
Vishwas started protesting," But officer this is simply wrong, I have a right to call my lawyer."
Vishwas' protest fell on dead ears as he was handcuffed and put in the police cruiser and was fleeted off to the police station. Vishwas did not got to call his lawyer before next day. For one entire he had to spend a night in the jail along with scum of the city and till date he is still fighting a court case in which he was charged with defamation and inciting the violence in the city. He ultimately lost the appeal after six months and had to spend one year in jail.
When Vishwas got out of the there was not a single paper in the town who wanted to employ him lest they ended up earning the wrath of the CM of the state. What happened to freedom of speech, what happened to the freedom of press no one asked these questions. In our country these things are flushed down the toilet by the very leaders who have taken an oath to prevent these very things which have been enshrined in the Constitution of India. Sometime ago the then President of United States George Walker Bush said that a democracy in which a person can poke fun at its leaders without the fear any reprisals is a healthy democracy, is a good democracy. It saddens me to see that for our leaders these things just words written in a book and nothing more than that.
On this one particular day Madam Chief Minister was sitting in her office going through the development report on her state which had been prepared by the Planning Commission Of India and it was giving her a serious headache. The report painted a very unflattering picture of her state. She knew that tomorrow's newspapers would be full of articles which would be critical to her government, the heads would certainly roll in the coming days but whose heads would be those was yet to be decided. She was wearing her a trademark white saree over a white blouse with her hair tied her behind in a tight bun. At the first glance she would not have struck as a chief executive of a state but would have rather appeared to be a sad, little widow.
As she was going through the Planning Commission's report when her faithful secretary Debprotim Roy who had been with her for nearly two decades entered the room looking very frantic and worried and immediately rushed towards her.
Looking up from the report," What is wrong Debprotim ? Why are you so worried ?", she asked him.
"Madam, chief minister have you seen this ?", Debprotim handed her the newspaper. The paper was open third page and a huge cartoon of the Chief Minister dominated the a good portion of the page. When she saw this her blood started to boil. Her faithful secretary had never seen his boss so angry so much so that the smoke was literally was coming out of her ears and her nostrils were flaring. In rage she tore the paper in half and threw it at her secretary's face, Debprotim ducked in time otherwise it was headed right for his like a tomahawk cruise missile.
She got up and started pacing her office like a caged lioness. All the time talking to herself in an angry voice which was filled with contempt and rage.
"How dare this idiot make such an inflammatory cartoon about me ? I will have him arrested or no better yet I would have him fried in hot oil just like devil does in the hell. No that is also not good I should have him castrated or better option I would have have his freaking hands cut"
"But Mam, all these options which you are saying would it not be a little bit extreme ? After all we live in a democracy", Debprotim pointed out to her boss. She turned towards him and looked at him in such a manner that it looked like she would kill him with her eyes only. At this moment she appeared not less than goddess Kali.
" Do not tell me what would not be a good option. Do you understand or would like to be fired from your job. Get me the name of this cartoonist, find out where he lives and I want this information on my table in next ten minutes.", Chief Minister ordered her secretary, who took off from her office running like a scared rabbit scampering towards the safety of his hole. At this moment all Debprotim wanted to do was to avoid his boss.
After ten minutes Debprotim came back with the information. The cartoonist who made this cartoon his name was Vishwas Chatterjee, he worked for the ' The Telegraph' newspaper and he lived in the salt lake. Hearing this she ordered her secretary to get the station in-charge of the Salt Lake police station on phone.
Inspector Ravi Ganguly was sitting in his office drinking tea and was chewing on some Marigold biscuits. It was a slow day for him as till now no one had come to register any complaints. He was relishing the fact that at the end of the day he would finally get some much needed alone time with his wife, whom he had not seen in three days because of the municipal elections. He was sure that he had done an excellent job and was promised a promotion to the post of superintendent of police for the excellent job he did during elections.
As he was day dreaming when suddenly his day dreaming came to an end due to his desk phone ringing which completely pissed him off as he did not like anyone to disturb him while he was daydreaming.
"Hello, Inspector Ravi Ganguly speaking. Who is this ?", Inspector Ganguly said in an irritated voice over the phone.
"Inspector Ganguly, is this the way you talk with your boss ? This Chief Minister speaking." on hearing the voice of the super boss herself on the phone Inspector Ganguly nearly felt out of chair and Chief Minister's voice did not had a happy tone. For a moment he wondered that what he has done because of which the Chief Minister of the state is calling and how this is going to get his ass handed to him on a platter.
"No mam, sorry mam tell me how this measly inspector can be of service to you ?", Inspector Ganguly said stammering.
"Inspector Ganguly,have you seen today's paper and my cartoon in it ?", asked the Chief Minister. Inspector Ganguly said yes he had seen it and said to her that it was very degrading trying to smooth over the ruffled feathers of the most powerful woman in the state.
"Well, since you have seen it and agree that it is very degarding. I want you to arrest this cartoonist and throw him in the jail.",
"But madam how can I arrest him without with any complaint or FIR being filed it would be illegal.", Inspector Ganguly protested. But the Chief Minister was not ready to listen to anything as she was beyond herself. Every single argument fell on the deaf ears.
"Inspector Ganguly, how dare you question me ? If you do not arrest him right now then I would have you transferred to Dinapur where you yourself there are more mosquitoes than human and I would make sure that so many mosquitoes bite you that you would die of mosquito bites. You can lodge a complaint or a FIR immediately and send it to my regional party office but have him arrested. Do I make myself clear ?"
Inspector Ganguly was now sweating through the collar of his shirt. He knew that if he did not do as he was being told then she would had him boiled in the hot oil or if the the media got a wind of this then his neck would already be in the line of fire. He right felt like a man trapped between a well and ditch with no way out.
He quickly put down the phone and ordered constables to come with him to arrest Vishwas Chatterjee. When they reached his home at that time Vishwas was sitting on verandah of his house drinking tea. When he saw police officers coming towards for a moment he thought what is going on until Inspector Ganguly started speaking .
"Mr. Chatterjee you are under arrest for publishing defamatory content about the Chief Minister of the state."
For moment Vishwas sat dumbfounded thinking how in the world was his cartoon defamatory and derogatory. His was literally afraid and was now kicking himself for making that cartoon.
"Can I at least call my lawyer before I am escorted to the police station by you and put in jail." Vishwas Chatterjee asked Inspector Ganguly.
Inspector Ganguly knew if he allowed him to call his lawyer then he would not be able to arrest him as he did not had a valid warrant. He also knew that if he did arrest Vishwas Chatterjee right now then on the other side of town a very angry Chief Minister of state whom everyone 'Didi' fondly would have his hide for lunch and that too without any spice and salt. He knew he cannot allow the cartoonist to do that.
"I am sorry Mr. Chatterjee I cannot let you do that. I have strict orders to arrest you and escort you to the police station." said Inspector Ganguly.
Vishwas started protesting," But officer this is simply wrong, I have a right to call my lawyer."
Vishwas' protest fell on dead ears as he was handcuffed and put in the police cruiser and was fleeted off to the police station. Vishwas did not got to call his lawyer before next day. For one entire he had to spend a night in the jail along with scum of the city and till date he is still fighting a court case in which he was charged with defamation and inciting the violence in the city. He ultimately lost the appeal after six months and had to spend one year in jail.
When Vishwas got out of the there was not a single paper in the town who wanted to employ him lest they ended up earning the wrath of the CM of the state. What happened to freedom of speech, what happened to the freedom of press no one asked these questions. In our country these things are flushed down the toilet by the very leaders who have taken an oath to prevent these very things which have been enshrined in the Constitution of India. Sometime ago the then President of United States George Walker Bush said that a democracy in which a person can poke fun at its leaders without the fear any reprisals is a healthy democracy, is a good democracy. It saddens me to see that for our leaders these things just words written in a book and nothing more than that.
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