When I read the story in a newspaper this morning with the headline ‘Sena MPs ‘force’ fasting Muslim staffer to eat chapati’, the immediate reaction was that of shock! How can they? They can’t be so drunk on power! This is insane. I tweeted: Whatever be the provocation, MP forcing roti down a fasting IRCTC employee is NOT ON. This is being pissed drunk on power.

But within seconds, I deleted the tweet, for I thought I perhaps don’t know enough.

A couple of hours later, I was in a meeting with the news on TV in front of me when I saw the video of the MP pushing a piece of chapati in the mouth of this IRCTC employee, I felt wrong. Here was proof that the act actually happened and that it was reprehensible. I again readied a tweet, it was the same as the one I had deleted, but starting with ‘Just seen the video’ and the rest. But again thought about it. What could the provocation be? And I held it back.

After ascertaining what really happened, I am glad I did not go with the general trend of reacting and shooting from the hip and adding to the already dangerous trend of giving it a religious colour, as most of the media seemed to be doing. All of it helped, in no uncertain terms, by a gaggle of politicos who think this is their time to earn their five minutes of fame.

What happened and what the video shows was clearly wrong. It showed our lawmakers as increasingly being a law unto themselves, drunk on power and treating anyone else like a fool, but that is something we know and has to be addressed. We all know our elected representatives misbehave, think they are above law and can get away with anything, including murder, at times. But the way this particular episode has been given a twist is unfortunate.

I made my own enquiries with friends in IRCTC and MPs across parties and what came out was that the quality of food inside Maharashtra Sadan, where the agitated MPs were staying, is indeed pathetic and that visitors and resident guests have complained often.

In this instance then what happened was that already agitated MPs, upon getting food that they thought was inedible, asked the supervisor why the quality was bad, and upon receiving some response, threw a fit and tried to feed him the same chapatti, saying: You think it’s good enough for us, then show us if you can eat it.

It was the reaction of an upset and agitated individual/group, that in any case believes that being an MP gives them the right to be God’s gift to mankind. But if this is bad, the twist given to the whole act is worse.

First, it has been given a religious colour, which is bad and to make it worse, it has been linked to a highly emotive issue of fasting during Ramzan. The whole episode has been twisted to make it seem as if the poor guy was on his religious fast and the cruel MP forced him with the deliberate intent of making him break his fast.

If that were the case, it would be unpardonable and the MP needed to be necessarily hauled over coals, but since it seems that was not the case, for the sundry politicians, and even some in the media, to make it seem so is not just irresponsible, but something dangerous.

The elected MPs of our nation already think they are above it all, as the MP’s action of shoving a chapatti in the hapless IRCTC employee shows. However, to turn a boorish behaviour, which is reprehensible no doubt, and link it to an issue that is bound to raise religious tempers is sad, dangerous and playing with fire.

Wish there were some ways of controlling such irresponsible jokers.