12 April 2013

In The Land of Milk and Money

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On 21st September 1995, idols of Lord Ganesha woke up in the morning, had a milk-craving and started drinking gallons of it. There have been many instances of mass-hysteria at different places in the planet at different points of time.

However, 

The prices of milk went up every second and the Milk-Men were happy.

There were tremendous traffic jams around temples. Street-hawkers and beggars were happy.

This 'novelty-news' was something new and the newspapers and TV news-channels were happy. 

People from all over the globe, especially Bengalis got a hot-new interesting topic to discuss and argue in addas and they were happy. 

Several schools closed early and the children were happy. [This happiness actually matters the most.]

A few days after this incident in an episode in "Turning Point", which was a science-based show on Doordarshan, and which I used to watch religiously, the milk-miracle was performed with a tilted wooden plank and words like 'surface-tension' and 'capillary-action' were the reasons why Lord Ganesha drank so much milk. 










"Turning Point" helped us never to lose the scientific temperament. The show was divided into segments like 'Looking Glass', 'Breakthrough' and 'Tailpiece'. And there was Professor Yash Pal explaining scientific theories in layman's words. The show was hosted by Girish Karnad. 

When I was a child I hated drinking milk. Only after mixing 'Bournvita' I could drink it. For some strange reason I have always hated 'Complan'. And I have been drinking milk-tea since I was 7 years old. And I have always loved 'MilkMaid' which was like one of my most favourite food in my childhood days. 

In India where Religion is the Opium of the Masses, on that particular September day, all the swerage and drainage systems were painted white with milk. Alas, so many poor little children of India who do not...

[I'm not going to finish the last sentence.] 











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