The Emperor’s ‘Beep’ Clothes
In pretend democracies like ours, unfortunately we come across the ‘elected’ emperors!
Long, long ago, not so long ago — an Emperor who was fond of dressing up was approached by a couple of foreign weavers. The weavers promised to the Emperor that they will make the most exquisite clothes for him. Not only will the clothes be absolutely beautiful but will only be visible to the intelligent populace!
Well! The smart weavers of course were conning the emperor, made him set up a magnanimous loom. When the appointed day came, the emperor went to collect his clothes.
The weavers dressed him in ‘pretend’ clothes and not one person around had the guts to speak the truth fearing that they will be called stupid! The emperor who also cannot see the clothes through this entire charade stayed quiet….takes out a procession stark naked. The entire kingdom stays silent because speaking the truth is dangerous.
A child of course, shouts the naked truth! The emperor knows he is conned but maintains his stoic silence and continues with his parade!
It may be a folklore, but the truth isn’t generally too different. In pretend democracies like ours, unfortunately we come across the ‘elected’ emperors!
Today’s ’emperor’ is different. He wasn’t conned but rather he conned a few crores of people with exquisite promises. He said he will change the lives of his subjects so much that they can barely recognise themselves. ‘Maarpu’ was sold, believed, bought, cherished!
When time came, the emperor stripped the subjects, deprived them of even their basic rights. Just like the child in the Danish folklore — an old man exposed the fallacy. The methods were raw! But a hungry, tired, uneducated and aggrieved old man only knew so much. A mirror captured the old man’s angst, the emperor was furious. He immediately ordered his army to kidnap the mirror, teach it a lesson, throw it in prison and mud-sling it so much so that the appearance is unrecognised.
The intelligentsia of the town gathered. They said — put a stake through the heart of the mirror, hang it, burn it, turn it to ashes because how dare it didn’t beep the nakedness of the truth?
Prosecute the mirror so that no other mirror dares. In hushed tones they said the emperor could be wrong BUT how dare the mirror? But became the beginning of the conversation and everything else ceased to exist.
Empowered by this absolute intelligence, the emperor said we will strip and parade the mirror naked. Because — How dare you didn’t beep out the angst of the old man. How dare — the emperor thundered.
He declared that the mirror isn’t a mirror anymore. Because — How dare you show it as it is.
No one cared what the mirror had to say. What the truth was. Because truth doesn’t matter. It is too naked to handle. Sugarcoat it, beep it, in fact don’t even see the nakedness. Once you close your eyes, everything is perfect.
The emperor is not *** anymore.
By Revathi Pogadadanda
