What lies beneath?

Its poll time again. And this time it’s in the country’s biggest state – Uttar Pradesh.

The world’s largest democracy is all dressed up to conduct elections in its most populated (and typically Indian) state. What’s at stake? The chief minister’s throne!

I did use the phrase “dressed up”, this is not for want of a better word, but an intentional one. If you haven’t heard, the state has been decorated in pink. The pink being the color of the wrapper (covers) used to cover Mayawati and her elephant statues.

Yes, pink is dainty for lady, but I always thought black was the default color for cover ups!

So why cover up the statues in the first place? The election commission of India believes in the phrase “out of sight, out of mind.” Which according to them would translate to the statues not luring voters to vote for the elephant symbol inspite of their own will not do so .

But, no, this really isn’t out of sight, is it?

The whole thing brings a very catholic memory to mind.

Being raised Catholic meant you religiously went to church every Sunday. Though the crucifix is given central position in the altar, it usually wouldn’t get my attention, due to the redundancy associated with its presence. The exception was during lent.

During lent season, after Palm Sunday till Easter, the crucifix and all statues in church are covered in violet cloth. Not dull stale violet but a clean brilliant violet. This never failed to get me interested. I have at times spend the entire mass staring at the hidden crucifix.

I would try and recollect what the crucifix actually looked like, cringe at the painful memory and the brutality of those who were responsible for it. I would look forward to when they would unveil the crucifix and set it free. But, when it finally did get unveiled it would cease to interest me and we went back to the redundant, ignorant phase again.

Yesterday, a couple of friends and myself took a ride through the Noida expressway and the most interesting conversation we had was on the elephant statues on pillars draped in pink all around. Throughout the journey I kept staring at the pretty pink wrappers. Yes I have been there before, but never bothered to look at the elephant statues, Infact I never knew it was the BSP symbol. But, now I know and will never forget.

Like me, many ignorant but potential voters in UP would now wake up to the elephant now that some “color” has been added to them. The cover up definitely wont be a deterrent but, something that will bring people closer to the silent statues, like the violet cloth got me closer to Jesus suffering during death.

So, the whole out of sight funda really doesn’t work here Mr. Dumass-election-commission. But, will all this actually aid Mayawati in winning the election? We could never tell.

But one thing is sure, once unveiled the statues will get a new life, a reinstatement of its presence, something which Mayawati couldn’t achieve without the EC’s help. Amen!