SHOEGATE
At the outset let me put the record straight, this tendency of suffixing a “gate”, after any ignominy is an American phenomena post Watergate; this of course is for the uninitiated. I know present generation, gen X may not be aware of this fact. Now getting back to this shoe business, our footwear suddenly gained prominence after ex American President George Bush was at the receiving end of a shoe shaped missile hurled at him and it was his deft skills of ducking which saved him from a definite strike on his face. How we wish he had mastered the art of ducking on some other important international issues rather than be the bull in the china shop which he chose to be. We are still clearing the mess.
But Indians have suddenly taken to this art like duck to water and this campaign, I obviously mean election campaign, has witnessed a host of these incidents, with politicians across all hues being the target for such a vainglorious attempt. It sparked off with our Finance Minister Mr P Chidambarm and the virus engulfed the PM, PM in waiting and even some lesser known politicians. Well, I am surprised that more of these have not been reported, as it has almost become a status symbol, after all, it is not every day that you get counted in the same breath as Bush, Manmohan and Advani. So some future incidents may actually be orchestrated to be counted as the “haves”.
Indians are no strangers to this art with our ex PM Mrs Indira Gandhi having taken a hit on her nose, the most prominent part of her anatomy during an election campaign in 1971 itself. Obviously it goes on to show that we are a more evolved society than the Yanks and they have to take a leaf or two from us even here. Shoes have a mythological significance for us, with Bharat actually ruling as the proxy of Lord Rama with his footwear gracing the throne of Ayodhya. There are other known collectors of footwear, who preferred to collect them rather than receive them gratis, with Imelda Marcos taking the cake with over couple of thousand pairs, some of them were diamond studded it is reported. In India Dr Jayalalita not to be left behind in such prestigious pursuits is also a proud possessor of a thousand odd pairs.
I am surprised that the incidents have not been hailed as the greatest leveller and an act of purging our caste ridden society of this evil practice. The cobblers were considered to be at the rock bottom of the social hierarchy, so utilising the footwear for this noble task the shoe-throwers have broken the shackles of caste and symbolically have proved their mettle!
At the outset let me put the record straight, this tendency of suffixing a “gate”, after any ignominy is an American phenomena post Watergate; this of course is for the uninitiated. I know present generation, gen X may not be aware of this fact. Now getting back to this shoe business, our footwear suddenly gained prominence after ex American President George Bush was at the receiving end of a shoe shaped missile hurled at him and it was his deft skills of ducking which saved him from a definite strike on his face. How we wish he had mastered the art of ducking on some other important international issues rather than be the bull in the china shop which he chose to be. We are still clearing the mess.
But Indians have suddenly taken to this art like duck to water and this campaign, I obviously mean election campaign, has witnessed a host of these incidents, with politicians across all hues being the target for such a vainglorious attempt. It sparked off with our Finance Minister Mr P Chidambarm and the virus engulfed the PM, PM in waiting and even some lesser known politicians. Well, I am surprised that more of these have not been reported, as it has almost become a status symbol, after all, it is not every day that you get counted in the same breath as Bush, Manmohan and Advani. So some future incidents may actually be orchestrated to be counted as the “haves”.
Indians are no strangers to this art with our ex PM Mrs Indira Gandhi having taken a hit on her nose, the most prominent part of her anatomy during an election campaign in 1971 itself. Obviously it goes on to show that we are a more evolved society than the Yanks and they have to take a leaf or two from us even here. Shoes have a mythological significance for us, with Bharat actually ruling as the proxy of Lord Rama with his footwear gracing the throne of Ayodhya. There are other known collectors of footwear, who preferred to collect them rather than receive them gratis, with Imelda Marcos taking the cake with over couple of thousand pairs, some of them were diamond studded it is reported. In India Dr Jayalalita not to be left behind in such prestigious pursuits is also a proud possessor of a thousand odd pairs.
I am surprised that the incidents have not been hailed as the greatest leveller and an act of purging our caste ridden society of this evil practice. The cobblers were considered to be at the rock bottom of the social hierarchy, so utilising the footwear for this noble task the shoe-throwers have broken the shackles of caste and symbolically have proved their mettle!
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