King Log or King Stork?
THE WEEK India|May 12, 2024
Once upon an Aesopean time, an army of frogs living in a well thought they needed a king.
R. PRASANNAN
King Log or King Stork?

They prayed to Jove, the king of gods, to send them one. Jove flung a log into their midst. The kupamandukas, terrified by the splash, scampered behind the rocks but soon found the log to be harmless. In no time they were climbing and dancing over their king.

Soon enough, they got tired of their lifeless king. They asked Jove to send them one who had life and vigour. This time Jove sent them a stork. He ate them all up.

If you listen to our political pundits, you would think we are caught between a King Stork and several King Logs. The BJP intellectuals (pardon the oxymoron) would have us believe that if the INDIA alliance wins this election, they would rule as King Logs—a new one every year, as Narendra Modi has been mocking. Those kings would look the other way when ‘others’ claim our family wealth, when terrorists strike, and would do nothing to boost economic growth.

This story is from the May 12, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

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This story is from the May 12, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.

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