Washing
Coal no going Dirt
Chintito
The
other day I witnessed perchance the antics of a lunatic on the
street. His top was blue and lower part was khaki. Of course
he was wearing clothes. What mad imaginations you guys have!
Why do people always think that lunatics are to be always found
in the nude? Indeed there are some very well dressed of that
loveable breed around you. All you have to do is discover the
madness in them.
He
kept shouting at the top of his voice, 'I am a policeman, I
am a policeman'.
This
obviously drew the attention of a couple of cops standing nearby.
In official terms they were patrolling. They are very dutiful
when dealing with abnormal people. And you all know very well
how they deal with normal people.
'I
am a democrat. I take bribe from anybody. I will stop only if...,'
the words of the wacky fellow hung in the air as soon as the
two policemen came up to him. He smiled and they walked away.
No
sooner had the two officers gone to the other side of the road,
the crazy chap began his delusive statement: 'I am a policeman.
I am a democrat. I put everyone into trouble -- the complainant
as well as the criminal. I will only stop if...'. He stopped
as soon as the two policemen came up to him, this time they
were visibly somewhat irritated.
Thinking
the guy was mad, the patrolling officers looked around apparently
for some quiet place so that they could teach him a lesson or
two about madness. But it was a crowded place and by now a sizeable
crowd was enjoying the spectacle and discomfort of the two chaps
on duty.
The
mad man was quite sheyana. He actually waited for the two policemen
to move about fifteen twenty yards before he again began his
psychosis. 'I am a policeman. I am a democrat. I am for everybody.
I love each and every one of you. I cannot record a murder against
any one of you, can I? And so I refuse to even if I have seen
the murder', saying which he began crying. In the midst of which
he suddenly stopped and began to laugh manically and uttered,
'But I will only take murder cases if...'. He stopped as the
two policemen rushed to him, this time holding their weapons
with both hands.
'If
what, if what?' shouted one of them.
To
the utter surprise of all who had gathered round him and to
the shock of the two policemen, the lunatic this time completed
his sentence, 'If you let me change my police uniform.'
It
was now the turn of the two policemen to have a little laugh.
They are not allowed to when on duty. But the atmosphere was
such that nobody would fault them for doing something restricted.
In fact, our atmosphere is so good round the year that people
never ever mind if the policemen do something that is prohibited.
It is further fact that the British Association for Police Welfare
is studying the prospect of importing large chunks of abhawa
from Bangladesh so that the British public would allow their
members to be a little naughty sometime. They are very unforgiving,
this British people, about police misdemeanour. But we are different.
Very different! We are truly a democratic country. Actually
we are the most independent and democratic country in the world.
You can do anything.
Back
to the hungama on the street, the policemen asked the mad man
why he wanted to change this honourable blue and khaki police
uniform.
Replied
the man, 'Then only will I stop taking bribe, know the difference
between a criminal and an innocent person, would be sure it
is a murder case because the poor fellow is lying in a pool
of blood with bullet wounds...'
The
policemen thought better to walk away but the mad man was now
really at the top of his lunacy. He went on shouting: 'Let me
have a jalpai green shirt or a deep dhushor (ash) one. I want
blue trousers, please. Take off my blue shirt. Take off my khaki
pants...'
As
he began to put his words into practice, the crowd dispersed
quickly.
Someone
said, 'Get the police, quickly'.
Another
in the crowd said, 'Are you mad?’
STOP
PRESS: 5 October 2003. The government has taken an
initiative to change the colour of the police uniform all across
the country. Although it is not yet decided what will be the
new colours, several colours are being studied. The traditionally
khaki-dressed policemen will very soon be seen in their new
uniform.
However,
instead of the long yearned for institutional overhaul in the
police administration, the plan to only change the police uniform
has made most police officers unhappy. ("Raang badlachchey
police",Prothom Alo front page)