More than two thousand years ago, King Philips of Macedonia was having trouble with a horse that had made up its mind that just no ordinary donkey would ride him. Horsemen from far and wide climbed and fell off the horse in almost one action. Till a young prince moved in. Philips was a bit apprehensive to throw his beloved son to the lions- in this case Bucephalus the horse- but beneath that soft face, the prince hid a resolve stronger than the surrounding mountains.
Five minutes later, the prince astride, the horse appeared to be as calm as when he slept standing. He stood looking into the horizon, wanting to gallop into it with his new master holding the reins. An arrogant smile escaped King Philips’ lips and as he looked at the court jesters- somewhat like our Congress Working Committee- one of them came forward with a verse that earned him a few gold coins. The verse was something to the effect of the earth being too small for the prince standing proud and tall. And how the prince and his stead would want more when they had overrun it all.
The jester-poet wasn’t wrong. The stead and the prince overran almost half the known world at the time and came knocking at the doors of the biggest civilisation at the time- India- and only went back when his soldiers said that thus far and no further.
A couple of days ago that legend of the taming of the horse was played out in India’s richest city. Of course this horse likes to call itself a tiger.
Our prince, under the able guidance of its Angel Mother who plays fairy to the meek and benevolent ruler of India, arrived with a glint in his eye and belief in his heart that the horse/tiger that refused to be tamed did so because Bucephalus had not met its Alexander as yet.
The belligerent tiger/horse told his minions that they were all to appear on both sides of the road with black flags to greet the invading prince. The minions told their master that the city would look like a sea of black flags.
The prince landed, took a ride in the sweaty-rust-smelling chariots meant for the common man, touched the commoners, smiled his dimpled smile, stole hearts, longed for the sight of some black flags but failed to see any.
The horse/tiger next day told the world that his people had failed him and henceforth he would not ask his minions to carry out any idiotic command that came to his mind first thing in the day.
As for the prince, like the Greek one of yore, he gave out a warning loud and clear to every kingdom on the way that come 2014, standing in front of the storm he would create would be similar to standing in front of the Rajdhani at top speed.
The prince’s main rival- a Gujarati bachelor ruling his province with an iron fist for a decade now- looks a good bet but the problem is that the Muslim populace of the kingdom would rebel, gang up against the bachelor and hand the prince a sweeping win. In the 2009 elections, the Muslims have shown that they are the most intelligent community when it comes to voting. In Uttar Pradesh they gave the Samajwadi party a resounding slap on the face when it became clear that the Congress was the only one that could checkmate the BJP. In Kerala they have been voting for Gujarati Banatwala for ages now.
In Guwahati they elected an Uttar Pradesh-born Muslim who made his millions in Mumbai.
The sweep of Wahabism across the world means slowly but surely the difference between a Tamil Muslim and a Kashmiri Muslim is diminishing by the day.
So 2014 would be the year of the prince. The tigers can make space between their legs for their tails. His cubs will shiver and hide under the bed when the prince visits. When they want to gnaw on meat, the cubs can take on lesser mortals like Azmi or Bachchan and the benevolent prince- dimpled smile, calm demeanour ---would allow it. Like Alexander did when mighty Pururava- Porus- told him how he wanted to be treated like a king.
Rejoice. Because Alexander is going to ride once again. Bucephalus/ India can now look into the horizon and like that jester-poet said, say-
O heavens, for this time you have erred:
Why did you make this world so small?
Our prince, standing proud and tall:
Will want more when he has overrun it all:
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