Noisy Morning

Mohar Singh

With winter receding, the mornings are turning out to be bright and cheerful. The darkness at dawn accompanied by cool breeze and dull faces in the Garden are now things of the past. Everyone looks chirpy and upbeat now, much like the flowers and twittering birds heralding the onset of spring.
The upcoming 'poll' for the Woman of the Year-2016 on February 25 (see yesterday’s post) has added to the restlessness around and raising decibel levels. Today, campaigning began during the exercises itself. Razia Khan wanted Mallika Kagzi to win and vice versa.

The men indulge in leg-pulling when approached for votes

Jagmohan Papneja demanded “notes for votes” (jokingly, of course) while Bijoy Gupta could not believe his ears that unlike the women, he enjoys the privilege to vote. And Shekhawat simply cannot make up his mind how to cast his single vote because he has four saalis to consider.

Harbans Kaur

Besides, his wife, Mohan Kanwar is also an eligible candidate.
In all this commotion, Mohar Singh came up with a brilliant wisecrack when a shout went up for members to be quiet and concentrate on the exercises. “Don’t stop us,” he pleaded. “We get this opportunity (to talk and play the fool) once in 24 hours!”
Predictably, the madness spilled into the post-exercises session with the men selectively teasing the candidates and the women trying to upstage one another amid bouts of rousing laughter. Mumtaz Jahan tried to promote a brand of “Mumtaz Biryani” vis-à-vis “Basmati Rice” (read Bhaswati). Significantly, Bhaswati has stopped distributing lozenges – an undisguised ploy to win over the male voters.
The one person who has distanced herself from all this commotion on vote capturing is Harbans Kaur. “I give you all my blessings,” was her pithy comment before leaving on a four-day pilgrimage to gurudwara Hazoor Sahib, Nanded (in Maharashtra), the final resting place of Guru Gobind Singh. She returns on Saturday, February 20.
Lt Col Angad singh (retd):
The election process is getting into full swing. Women candidates have taken the cue from politicians and are wooing voters with all types of promises. Hope they do not ditch the voters like the politicians who promise something and mean something else! Let us see who is most convincing.