In a suburb close to Mumbai, two young girls are arrested for posting their observations about a Mumbai bandh on Facebook. In my imagination I walk over to the local police station:
“Yes what have you come for?” asks the inspector with a frown.
“To teach the police democracy!”
“What’s that?”
“It means that the people are the rulers of this nation!”
“Constable call the doctor from the mental hospital we have a mad man here!”
“Democracy,” I continue, “Also means that citizens have freedom of speech and expression.”
“What is that big story book you are carrying in your hand?”
“This is the Constitution of India!”
“That is what I said, a story book. Are you going to hit me with it? Constable arrest him. This man has come to assault a police officer with the Constitution of the country!”
“Sir you are under arrest!”
“What is my crime?”
“You have used the Constitution against a police officer!”
“But that is not a crime!”
“Of course it is!”
“It is not!”
“Who says so?” asks the police officer.
“This book says so! Here let me show you!”
“You are going to use the very book for which you are arrested to attack me again?”
“Yes!”
“Constable arrest him again!”
“Double arrest sir?”
“Yes, yes, double arrest, that will make it a water tight case from which he will not be able to get out. Two assaults on a police officer using the Constitution!”
“Very clever sir!”
“Here,” I tell the officer, “There is another book for you!”
“What is it?”
“A history book!”
“Why are you giving me a history book?”
“To show you that the British left India, sixty five years ago, and when they left it was the end of police rule!”
“Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the constable and the officer together as the doctor from the mental hospital came in, “Here doctor, here’s a patient who is living in a state of delusion..!”