I was summoned into the office immediately. Leaving my hot cup of tea behind of which I had only taken a sip of I picked up my notepad and pen and made a run. “May I come in sir?” I said knocking at the door of the Chief Minister. “Come in” was the reply. “Sir, you called for me immediately, anything urgent?” “I’m supposed to give a speech on account of Independence Day tomorrow and I’m lost for words. I need a speech that would speak of the work we have done and the challenges that lie ahead. It should sound assertive and have all the qualities of a good speech. Elections are due soon. We got to leave a mark from here itself.”
Looking at my startled face the minister said, “I’ve said what I had to Brij, ask any questions if you need to.” The minister’s line made blood rush to my cold feet and got me into action. I glanced at the clock right above the seat of power – 7:12 pm. I had a tough day and this is not what I had asked for. The only thing I wanted was to spend the last few minutes in peace before my work day would end so I could gather some strength to face the rain that had been tormenting everyone throughout the day. The next day was a holiday thanks to Independence Day but at the moment I had to write a speech to earn my independence.
Mustering up a bit of courage I asked, “Sir, I’m sure you and your government must have done a lot in this time.” “Obviously; so many schemes implemented, food security bill, pension plan, kept the citizen’s safe, always thought of the poor and needy, what else do the people want?” “Sir, then why don’t we speak of them in detail? This would bring the focus on all these schemes and help you win praise.” “We can’t go into the details.” “But why sir?” “The deeper we go the more the opposition shall dig deeper.” “Already they have asked us for exact figures. There's talk of even roping the CBI in this. There are many places the numbers are inflated. With news of the rotten food grains reaching everyone’s ears it has made matters worse. It shouldn’t be that we dig our own grave.”
“If not social schemes we could talk of the safety measures in place. After 26/11 there hasn’t been any major attack.” “Brij, you and I know that it would take astute planning and preparation by our ever-so-friendly neighbours to come up with another one. That would take some time. Obviously without even us doing anything we would be safe and not have any major attack compared to 26/11.” “Inspite of the great intelligence we boast of the Zaveri Bazaar attacks did happen. Thankfully what has sustained is the notion we have drilled into everyone’s minds is that everyone is safe. But with no coordination between the police department and the intelligence agency at times even I feel I’m not safe. Thankfully I have Z+ security and the chair of the CM; or else you may never know.
My notepad was blank. I hadn’t yet found anything that could form the crux of the speech. I glanced up at the clock – 9: 09 pm. I had to have something big – it was the Independence Day speech after all, that too the 66th. My eyes fell on the photos of the recently inaugurated flyover’s and swanky expressways. “Sir, what about the improvement in the state’s infrastructure? This has made life easy for the people. Our roads and flyovers have improved connectivity and allowed people move faster. Plus civic amenities are now online for faster dispensation of services. That’s a big step forward. You could speak at length about this.”
“Right, at length. A commoner travels for 2 hours in the most miserable condition to cover the same distance that I can in about 40 minutes. You’re referring to this?” I kept mum. “Or you talking of our crowded locals, the monorail that seems to have gone underground, or the metro that’s so advanced it keeps advancing its deadline, or our buses that only have a schedule on paper with the seating and standing capacity just for display?” I shook my head in agreement. “You say faster dispensation of justice; can you guarantee the safety of a lone woman on the streets? Can you reach for the police at once and be sure of their arrival in a jiffy? In fact if you can reach the control room when there’s still a chance for survival it would be a miracle.” I don’t know why but even though it wasn’t my fault my head hung in shame. The responsibility of my state and nation as a whole rested on me as well.
“Sir, we can start with the glory of the past and then come to the present. In that way we can buy time as well as be done with the speech without spilling the beans. It would give a sense that your party has always been doing great things and will continue to do so.” “What of the past are you going to refer to?” “Like changing the name of our city from Bombay to Mumbai – in line with the indigenous language. Made the city dearer to them and more homely.” The CM smiled and then burst out laughing. “Brij, do you think changing the name has bettered the life of the poorest of poor even to a slightest degree?” Has it kept us safe from floods, terrorist attacks, etc.? Has it improved out infrastructure, taken care of our basic amenities and made us world-class citizens? All that it has done is wasted crores on rupees on changes in documentation, paper work and administrative affairs, not only in the city but also the state, country and the world over. If that weren’t enough now we have to run after all those people who still say Bombay and protest against all movies which have even the slightest mention of it. The name change was nothing but a political gimmick. Even I need to make a conscious effort to say Mumbai or it may create a political uproar.
I was startled on hearing the revelations from the man of the moment himself. I again looked at the clock – 11:03 pm and at my notepad – blank and held my head in misery. The minister’s voice drew my attention once again. “Is there anything more?” “No sir, that should be enough” “Ok, get the final speech ready and email it to me in an hour’s time. I want to read it once before going to bed. Tomorrow it shouldn’t feel that I don’t even know what I’m talking about.” “Sir, but just one hour?” “Can’t help it. You can’t give an Independence Day speech the day after right?” “But sir…” “No but’s” “That’s the reason I called for you – the best man for the job. Now off you go, time’s ticking. I need to catch a good night’s sleep; the focus of the state and the media is going to be on me tomorrow. I need to look fresh and relaxed.”
I came out of the office and headed straight for my PC. I looked at my cup of tea run cold, took a deep breath and then at my monitor. I typed as much as my physical and mental state could permit me to do so. The words I chose were more suited for the moment rather than the occasion. Ending the speech which seemed to be written more by a diplomat than a writer I emailed it. Switching my PC off I picked my bag and set foot outside office. As my auto-rickshaw made its way through the lanes and by-lanes to my home I saw the night sky light up with fireworks and crackers welcoming Independence Day. Children danced with joy while elders saluted all our freedom fighters. Songs like “Sabse aage honge Hindustani” and “Saare jahaan se accha, Hindustan hamara” filled the air. Hearing and seeing all this with the thought of all that had transpired in the last 5 hours, all I could do was smile.
