I had a strange dream last night, must have been the
paneer mutter and macaroni served by my friend. Heavy food titillates my
imagination.
This is how it went…I was on my way back from work
and pretty late at that – traffic moved at snail’s pace – almost inching its
way through. “Must be an accident” guessed a morbid-looking lady. “no, no, it
must be a new traffic route”, ventured a practical looking gentleman, “ Perhaps
a strike suggested” a teenager. “It’s a morcha exclaimed the driver who
after all had a ringside view of the tamasha.
Again there were wild guesses as to who could be on
the morcha. Doctors, lawyers,
students, sweepers, telephone wiremen, pensioners. “Look” said a voice, it’s
the morcha of Goddesses!” sure
enough! We all strained over each other’s shoulders and tried to get a glimpse
of our favourite goddess. I tried to spot Lakshmi but she seemed to be lost in
the crowd. There was excitement all round.
“Let’s go and see what’s happening”, said a curious lady and everyone
thought it a bright idea. “I’d like to see what Saraswathi looks like”,
whispered the teenager, who obviously had problems with Maths.
In less than a thrice everyone had got down from the
bus and some one whispered in awe, “ its goddesses going on a morcha to the Council Hall! They are
angry about sexist discrimination in the scriptures”.
“We want equality”, shouted the goddesses. “Down
with God chauvinism” they added. Lakshmi was leading them and she was
flourishing a memorandum listing their woes.
Mike in one of her four hands, she read out aloud, “we
the female inhabitants of heaven, protest strongly against discrimination
practiced by Gods and also the mortals. I, Lakshmi, want my position to be
changed. Why should I be seated at the feet of Lord Vishnu while he reclines
lazily on the seven hooded snake bed?”
Sridevi and Bhoodevi wanted their status to be
clarified by their husband who is allowed to call both of them his wives. They
wanted to know who Biwi number One was. Saraswati would not be single anymore.
She was tired of sitting alone and playing the veena. She wanted to marry and
have children – lots of intelligent ones like her.
Rambha and
Urvashi refused to be looked on as seductresses. They did not want to be sent
by the Gods to disturb the penance of Rishis. Sita wanted to come out of
exile. It was unfair of Rama to lord it on the throne and banish her to
oblivion just because of the dhobi’s gossip. And what guarantee that he
was faithful to her when she was in Ashokvan? Draupadi wanted a divorce from
four husbands. She was tired of cooking and cleaning for five husbands. She
also wanted to lodge a complaint against Dushasan for sexual harassment. Radha
wanted legal recognition as Krishna’s wife.
She was not satisfied just dancing on the shores of the Yamuna with him while
he pranced around 16,000 gopikas. Parvathi wanted a temple for herself. Her
sons have temples and so does her husband – even Khusboo, an actor..no reason
why she should not have her own too. “We want justice.” Shouted the Goddesses.
They in fact got carried away and were about to
break the police cordon when Super Cop Kiran Bedi stepped in with a purposeful
air and drove them back. “Ok girls you’ve had your say. Now back to your places
please” she shouted. Lakshmi gave her a disdainful look and said, “You mortal
women are responsible for our plight. If you did not make so much of our
husbands and your own-calling them pati parmeshwar they wouldn’t think
so much of themselves!” The policewomen surged forward with their lathis to disperse the crowd, which
almost descended on Lakshmi.
“Leave her alone.” I shouted and woke up with a
start. There on the wall was a picture of Krishna
grinning down at me.
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