Friday, January 19, 2007

The Grasshopper Story

OLD VERSION...
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

MODERN VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

ALL our NEWS channels show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?


One well known Socialite (also considered a social activist) stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house. Another one goes on a fast along with other grasshoppers demanding that grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter. WHO and the UN criticize the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper. The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance). Opposition MP's stage a walkout. Some Political parties call for "Bharat Bandh" demanding a Judicial Enquiry. Another state government immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among ants and grasshoppers.

Railways allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.


Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter.

The HRD Ministry makes Special Reservation for Grass Hopper in educational Insititutions & in Govt Services.


The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by our 'round the clock' News Channels.

Our 'Social Activists' calls it "a triumph of justice". Some Ministers call it 'Socialistic Justice'. CPM calls it the 'revolutionary resurgence of the downtrodden'. The grasshopper is invited to address the UN General Assembly.


Many years later...The ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi billion dollar company in silicon valley. 100s of grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India .

As a result loosing lot of hard working ants and feeding the grasshoppers India is still a developing country......

Swing Workshop

Finally Managed to get my hands on some pictures taken during the swing workshop by Jennifer Lyons. Have uploaded some of the pictures @ multiply.....Enjoy