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AAP's Bhagwant Mann is using satire to sink Badals in Punjab

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Muqbil Ahmar
Muqbil AhmarFeb 07, 2017 | 17:24

AAP's Bhagwant Mann is using satire to sink Badals in Punjab

This is the age of disruption. Traditional models are getting a run for their money, such is the spread of alternative web-driven models, the likes of which abound. The most notable names would be Ola, Uber, Flipkart, etc. So, why not have disruption in politics. Well, that’s exactly what the Aam Aadmi Party is doing and has done in the past.

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Sample this: A stand-up comedian is being looked at as a prospective chief minister. Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann, who is now contesting the Punjab Assembly elections from Jalalabad against arch rival Sukhbir Singh Badal, is - in all probability - all set to laugh all the way to the bank.

The stand-up comedian has kept up a steady stream of barbs directed at the Badal family and made it his hallmark. His jokes and repartees have connected with people during rallies and meetings.

Once Mann takes the stage, dressed in his trademark yellow turban, there is perceptible commotion among the crowd. The audience is with him all through the way, singing and chanting, particularly Mann’s favourite part - his ingenious rendition and adaptation of kikli, a song mostly sung by young girls while playing with their friends. Lampooning the Badals, the standup usually begins with the kikli:

Kiklikaleer di,

gapp Sukhbir di,

chitta mere bhai da,

border ton mangayi da,

khulawar tayidaa,

dasso kinna chahida?

Mange koi naukari,

danganaalkutwayi da.

Kiklikaleer di,

Sukhbir's lies,

The (chitta) that my brother got,

The (chitta) that he brought from the border,

The (chitta) that he is distributing freely,

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How much (chitta) do you want?

Should someone ask for a job,

Shoo him away with sticks.

Chitta is a popular local term for indigenously manufactured drugs. Mann loves to target the Badals over Punjab’s drug problem, which has destroyed scores of lives in the state. Senior members of the Badal government have been alleged to be involved in the racket.

Ironically, the fight against the drug menace is coming from Mann, who is himself allegedly battling an alcohol problem and has, according to reports, been in a state of inebriation during some of his gatherings.

drugs-embed_020717045801.jpg
Ironically, the fight against the drug menace is coming from Bhagwant Mann, who is himself allegedly battling an alcohol problem. (Photo: India Today) 

Taking on the dynastic politics of Punjab, Mann declares: "Bete kayna baap ki, sarkar banegi AAP ki," amid roars from the crowd. He often dances to words like “jhaadu walaaa gaya” (jhadu or broom being the election symbol of the Aam Aadmi Party.)

Political satire has always been a potent weapon of political protest the world over, particularly in the West and the US, where even the likes of Barack Obama, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, and Bill Clinton have not been spared.

In the hands of the wily comic, it has surpassed itself and literally become the weapon of political destruction, interwoven with subversive intent. It’s effectiveness as a mode of dissent and as one of the ways of projecting political arguments and opinions has always been hailed.

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The crowds simply loves the entertainment that Mann provides. His impromptu songs and jibes have had people laughing their hearts out despite the strong political message. His one-liners have been a hit with the crowd, particularly the youngsters.

The underestimated comic strongman has proved his detractors wrong, addressing umpteen rallies, meetings, and roadshows. He has reduced the opposition to being the butt of jokes. Who was once considered a political lightweight is actually hitting much above his weight; and hitting well. Mann’s jokes have been a hit on the internet, particularly on WhatsApp and have become a forward staple.

The Badal family, which has dominated much of the political discourse over the years in Punjab, is squirming under the onslaught and doesn’t know how to respond. The perception of the Badals as being out of reproach has been shattered and the ground beneath their feet has shifted. Moreover, their underestimation of AAP could prove to be costly.

Whatever the outcome of the polls, from AAP’s perspective, the mere fact that the people of the state see the party as a credible alternative is in itself no mean achievement.

Mann has emerged as one of the CM hopefuls. If the groundswell of public support is anything to go by, Punjab’s first family could end up eating their words and stare at an unimaginable defeat. It is a David and Goliath contest.

Last updated: February 07, 2017 | 17:24
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