Stealing Images, Symbols, and Sardar Patel

South Asian Humor, Hilarity, Satire: Bhishma Kukreti

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       Stealing strong images from one community, society or political party by others is not new. Stealing things, food articles and images might have started with human came to this world.

    Stealing, kidnapping, looting other’s woman  had been common in past. For societies, woman was an important prestige symbol. Stealing other’s wife meant stealing other’s prestige and history is full of stealing woman as image.

  Around fourteenth century, Guru Prasad Kukreti from South India settled in Jaspur, Pauri Garhwal. Kukreti’s kuldevi was Bal Kunwari and there was small Bal Kunwari temple in Jaspur with images.  Century later, a Kukreti migrated from Jaspur to Barsuri another village. After a couple of months, Barsuri’s Kukreti stole idol with images of Bal Kunwari Goddess from Jaspur temple and established those images and idol at Barsuri. Till date, Kukretis never built another Devi temple in Jaspur because images were stole. Being from Jaspur village, I know the pain of image stealing by others. Still, Kukretis of Jaspur and Gweel feel strong pain. Many Jaspur villagers use hard words for their ancestors for not bringing back the image. Once the prestige is lost it gives pain for centuries.

  Commonly, stronger men or societies destroyed images. Muslims used this psychological aspect in destroying worshipping places everywhere they invaded. Building Babari Masjid at Ram Janma Bhumi might be true. Because, when you destroy the prestige symbols you weaken the opponent psychologically.

    From the day, BJP came in power in Delhi; it started stealing images or symbols. Now, there is no monopoly over Baba Sahib Ambedkar of Mayavati, Athawale or Prakash Ambedkar as BJP stole the image of Ambedkar Sahib.

     BJP also stole the powerful Iron Man image of Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel from Congress.   Long back, BJP started calling Advani as Sardar Patel.  Mr. Modi building a highest statue of Sardar is nothing but stealing image from Congress and making Patel as BJP’s patriarch.  

 Who knows, tomorrow, BJP might claim that Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru was Jan Sangh lover.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, 2017