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Forced fasting for the Lokpal Bill

“Just be ready” warned my wife. I said “Ready for what?”

” Anna is starting his fast again”.  “So what has that got to do with me?”

 “Well! we have decided that this time you can’t shirk your responsiblilty” .
“what do you mean?” I asked perplexed,

“We have decided that you will also go on fast with him whether or not the rest of the world goes on  fast or not .And we have taken  positive steps in that direction.”

This sounded ominous and I thought it  better to nip it in the bud .

            “Let it be very clear my dear wife. I love my lifestyle and that includes my eating also. Nobody else is going to decide whether I will go on fast or not, Anna or no Anna.”

“ My dear Pento! the decision has already been taken and you are outvoted. I voted for you to go on fast and my mother has cast her casting vote in its favour.” “Now I realized how Nawab of Pataudi must have felt when he was ousted from the 1971 West Indies tour by the casting vote of the then Chairman of BCCI Mr Vijay Merchant.”

 “Somy dear hubby, no further discussion on that matter;  But we have decided to be kind to you and have decided to let you have fast food on the first three days.”

 “(Not bad, I thought but better to clarify) Fast food!  what do you mean?”  

“In Maharashtra certain foods are legitimately allowed on “Upvas” (fasting) days, it is called fast food or fasting food. So we have ordered lots of Sabudana (sago rice), for, sabudana kichdi and vada are fasting food, so also boiled peanuts, finger chips and lots of sweet potatoes . I think some ‘fasters’ even allow milk and bananas, may be, but I feel you should not have salt, that is going  against the spirit of fasting,”.

By this time my protest had just become a whimper for I knew there was no use protesting.

            “After the third day you will go on GM diet. It is almost like fasting and you are bound  to lose some of your puppy fat.” This GM diet was formulated for the GM employees. Here you start on a fruit diet on 1^st day eating only fruits , no bananas and no salt , it is advised to take plenty of watermelon as much as you can eat the whole day. And all other fruits. On 2^nd day you have  raw vegetables that is only salads, here also no salt but you can have as much as you can, cucumber, radish, carrot, beetroot, etc . You may start your day with  one medium sized baked potato with butter  on top. 3^rd day you have a combination of fruits and vegetables. Then there is soup day, beef day and red rice day . You are supposed to lose as much as 6 Kgs in one week.

Well that is that, a forced fasting and diet for the sake of others. And so I become a martyr for the Lok pal bill which I doubt whether any of those who are blindly following Anna know what it really signifies?

 Let us now peek into the Lok Sabha to see how our lady Lokpal Bill is performing?  She is not young any more , going on 48 and things aren’t going to be easy for her. She is not in her best appearance and will have a tough time to pass muster the way she has been decked up. Even Anna her best protagonist is not at all happy the way she is to be presented in her current looks. This was no Miss India contest. There was no swim suit round or Evening dress round. No question answer round , and no high profile celebrity judges. She was to be judged by the people who did not really want her but was forced by Anna and the sentiments of the people. We will deal with it another time. Adieu for the time being.