You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
surefire avenue – the spouse of Sahib. As those<br />
who held purse strings began themselves<br />
watching their own apron strings the<br />
khadpanch could hardly play the invisible<br />
arbiter or knight in the invisible armour. One<br />
would have rued the passing of this colourful<br />
institution into history had not the<br />
circumstances that made such an institution<br />
possible in the first place – namely power<br />
without responsibility and influence without<br />
morals – not staged a comeback.<br />
The past couple of decades have seen the rise of<br />
the latter day khadpanch. He should actually be<br />
called a haftpanch now because he is more of a<br />
seventh level adventurer in his second coming.<br />
This new Marvel Comic has certain added<br />
powers. From being the lone plenipotentiary<br />
he has graduated to the level of the member of<br />
the central politburo. This gives him greater<br />
credibility, greater plausible deniability, greater<br />
leg room, greater elbow room and generally<br />
greater room. He can now orate and perorate on<br />
behalf of the Power Centre in exactly the same<br />
manner as the latter does without having to be<br />
seen with the latter. With greater devolution of<br />
power comes greater power to the devolved.<br />
One can regularly encounter very many<br />
haftpanches now. They are everywhere – all<br />
over the social media, in mainstream media and<br />
also in seminars and colloquiums. The dead<br />
giveaway is that one opening word with which<br />
they begin their speech, intervention,<br />
peroration, editorial or seminar paper. That one<br />
word is “We”! It is not used as a royal pronoun<br />
but used to represent whoever the haftpanch is<br />
representing in his mind that day – without<br />
leave, of course. So our worthy haftpanch can<br />
be talking on behalf of a group of people,<br />
ideology, Power Centre or the whole<br />
population. Whatever power he arrogates to<br />
himself and whatever license he grants himself<br />
is purely up to him.<br />
There is just one endearing structural oddity.<br />
The politburo is not simply horizontal like most<br />
politburos or committees of wise men are. It is<br />
both horizontal and vertical, which makes it<br />
diagonal and dynamic. In effect, this great<br />
politburo has many overlapping politburos<br />
arranged in a hierarchical manner.<br />
23<br />
May 2019
Change language