Sunday, April 4, 2004

ULTA-PULTA
(Ig)nobel theft
Jaspal Bhatti

SOMEONE has stolen the Nobel Prize won by Rabindranath Tagore kept at Rabindra Museum in Santiniketan.

By the time this goes to print, the police would have solved the mistery. Do not laugh at the idea of the police being so prompt. If the police is given a deadline, it can produce several thieves standing in a queue confessing to having stolen the award.

There are also chances that the award may not be found immediately. The Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee might say that if he shows too much enthusiasm in solving the theft, his government may be held guilty of violating the model code of conduct. The Opposition can complain that the CM is taking extra interest in solving the law and order situation to extract political mileage out of it.

What kind of thief would have engineered the theft? Would he be a literary man or a regualr museum thief? The police might also want to round up a couple of poets of national repute who have also aspired for the Nobel Prize but could not get it.

The theft can also be the handiwork of Mamata Banerjee who may want to malign Buddhadeb. Whatever may be the reason, it is a matter of great national shame.

My son seeing me visibly upset consoled me saying, "Don’t worry Dad. The thief must have been an ardent Tagore fan. I’m sure he’ll guard the Nobel Prize and keep it in better shape than the museum."

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