Bovine hunt

That the police were not thick skinned like buffaloes was not lost on the populace.

It is great to be a buffalo in Uttar Pradesh. Because if you, I mean the buffalo, is lost the police force will be on their toes to locate the animal and escort it back to the owner’s house.

But if you think that all buffaloes are thus privileged then you are as wrong as the high command on the Telangana issue. The bovine creature needs to be a blessed one to be thus honoured and make news all over the country. Otherwise, it needs to be owned by a blessed soul like Azam Khan, the powerful top brass of the ruling party. Besides he is also a senior minister and the secular face of the outfit.

No wonder when his buffaloes were stolen even before the honourable minister did raise a hue and cry and alleged a political conspiracy by the vested interests the police swung into action. They did not wait for a complaint to be lodged as is the usual case and this alacrity on the part of the usual docile brigade shocked the entire state. That the police were not thick skinned this time like the buffaloes in question was not lost on the populace.

The force was mobilised and sent on a buffalo hunt despite the bitter cold. Not many were too keen because it was an unprofitable venture for the cops on the bovine prowl. But the stolen property belonged to a powerful mantri mahodaya and not to an aam admi. If not they could have either ignored the incident or thrashed the complainant as they normally did or asked him to cough up a few thousand as service charges for locating the animals.

While the mantriji was silently fretting at the sheer inefficiency of his police in guarding his animal husbandry stock the police were sifting intelligence reports and finally, much to the relief of the police top brass, the stolen property was located and marched back to the owner’s house with full protection, lest they should flee or get  stolen again.

But what baffled me was the sheer audacity of the gang of thieves who eyed the minister’s possession and succeeded in their mission. If they are caught they should not be punished but be made ministers for their bravery. The state needs such daring men to take it forward. By the way our friend Lalu Prasad never seemed to have experienced such an incident although he too owned a large cow shed. You mean law and order was better in his times at least in Bihar?  I am not too sure.