How the D word gets our goat

It’s permeated our psyche for almost two decades now - the “D” word. It’s Diabolocal, Dreadful, Dodgy, Detestible but De rigueur almost. Where there’s big bucks, big politics, big crime - the D word invariably crops up - albeit hush hush. It’s the biggest “Dhong’ in our “Desh”.

The “Dichotomy” for the common man, “Dumbfounding”.

Dhinchak! Dishoom! De dhanadhan Dhan!

When it comes to the “D man”, everyone is a “Dhaap Maar”, Pocket Maar.

Arrey chill and enjoy yaar. Zindagi ke din hai chaar.

Who wants to die revealing the truth, when we can just enjoy Dawood’s money, Saar??

There was a time when filmstars and the who’s who flaunted their association with “D” - danced at the many lavish parties in Dubai. Posed for happy shining photographs. Mujra style. Under waterfalls. That was till the Bombay blasts in 1993. Then the government started to crack down on those associated with “D” - some people got arrested for flaunting their association, some others dropped dead like flies.

Filmmakers like Ram Gopal Varma, and, thereafter any gangster genre copycat, fascinated audiences with the many stories on the D company that they churned out. Gundas and criminals became heroes.

The filmmakers say their knowledge of the inner workings of the crime syndicate came from what they read and see in the media. Really now? Seriously? D day, the only cinematic attempt that imagined catching and eliminating the warlord died a dreary death in the eyes of a fatalisic public. Jingoism has its limits, no? How can the D man ever be captured?

Any large business scam involving billions of dollars and the D word comes up yet again – no matter if it’s pertaining to land, telecom or cricket .

Once again, people are taken into custody, questioned, arrested, blah blah. The Indian government, the CBI, the CIA and the Interpol and anybody with legit authority, crack down on everybody with even a remote association with the D word.

Over the years the D drill has remained unchanged. Blame the “avoid and look the other way” formula. Dawood is a shoe company - yeah right! Life goes on in India. Some more big buck scams, some more terrorist attacks, some more and then some more dodgy dancing from Delhi to Dubai.

When the government claims they cant get hold of the man – yet family weddings get national and international prime time on TV, the Indians snarl in disdain. Curse. Yet, do nothing. When it comes to the D man - nobody ever does anything. How come? His homes in Dubai and Karachi are tourist attractions. Yet, Pakistan denies that the man resides there. Dubai apparently has no clue about his whereabouts either. Today, a news channel calls up Dawood’s residence in Karachi and his wife casually says “he” is home, sleeping! The Indian government quickly cooks up another pacifist news item about detaining Kashmiri separatists, spouting some more desh bhakti, waiting for the Dawood dhamaka to die down.

While we, the public, the media, we keep shouting, we sigh.

Yet, choose to turn a blind eye.

To the fact that Dawood roams free because he enjoys the highest political patronage...

The Dawood Delhi nexus – deep pockets, dark secrets...

Dear Narendra Modi, kuch jaldi karo bhai!