STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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Deepak Morris??™s Weekly Column

? East Meets West

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Nov 10, 2005

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To continue with my vision of a world tapestry of love and understanding of cultural values throughout the world, every Thursday we will be graced by the artistic vision of Mr. Deepak Morris, a wonderful playwright and friend from Prune, India.? 

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His plays have been preformed in front of audiences in Toronto, Canada

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The Bull who stood no Bull

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Have you heard of a bull being given almost a state funeral? It happened in the little town of Behrampore near Kolkata (Calcutta) and, contrary to what one might think, this was not the result of religious adoration or animism.

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It is true that Shambu, the bull, had been dedicated to the local Shiva temple, but this was not the reason why people loved him so. Nor was Shambu particularly affectionate with people, although he tolerated most of them and never caused the locals any harm.

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You see, the people loved Shambu because Shambu hated politicians. In any city or village in India, politicians can create a great deal of inconvenience. They come in cavalcades of limousines, flanked by outriders on motorcycles and ensconced in squads of security men. Streets are cleared hours ahead of their arrival and kept clear hours after they depart. Barricades are put up to prevent people and vehicles from impeding the movement of the politicians, who seem to think they are a throw-back on the ancient maharajahs who once paraded their kingdoms in processions of elephants and horses.

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Well, not in Behrampore. Shambu saw to that. In spite of police ???bandobast??? (arrangements) Shambu would show up as soon as he saw the revolving light on a politician??™s car. Outwitting wooden barricades and vigilant policemen, he would suddenly appear in the middle of the street, about ten feet in front of the car. Then, with a snort of disgust, he would lower his massive head and charge. Not even the State Chief Minister was spared from his assaults. Shambu??™s list of mangled VIP vehicles was impressive indeed, ranging, as I mentioned, from the Chief Minister??™s cavalcade to senior police officials and a former municipality chairman, whose car he actually managed to overturn.

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The local authorities took to keeping the fire brigade and an ambulance on stand-by whenever a politician or other VIP was foolish enough to venture into Behrampore.

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The authorities also tried to send Shambu to a cattle pound, but the people wouldn??™t hear of it. They launched an agitation and got the authorities to back down.

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Alas, at the end of August this year, Shambu got an infection of the hoof and died. The people gathered from far and near and, covering his body with flowers, accompanied him on his final journey in a procession fit for a king.

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Deepak Morris

rhapword@yahoo.com

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Founder of Rhapsody Theatre, author, playwright,
actor and director Deepak Morris has been
associated with Theatre and Communication all
his life. A Master of Commerce from Pune
University, Master's Diploma holder in
Management from The Institute of Management
Development and Research (IMDR), Pune, and
Diploma holder in Computer Studies from the
National Computing Centre, UK, Deepak
combines a passion for theatre with professional management techniques
to deliver consistently well staged theatrical
performances. An accomplished actor himself,
Deepak has won numerous awards for acting and
debating, including the "Best Actor" award at
the International Year of the Youth Drama
Festival in Pune and the "Best Male Newcomer
Award" in 1997 in Dubai, U.A.E. Having acted
in numerous productions in India and Dubai,
Deepak began writing and directing his own
plays on a regular basis in March 2001. To
date, he has written several one-act plays
and skits and his group, Rhapsody Theatre,
has staged no less than 13 plays in three
years, a record of sorts.

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