JOIN AND PERISH

The legendary lyricist and writer Bhupen Hazarika has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. And from all indications available, he's going to contest the next Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket from somewhere in Assam, his home state.

So, what's new in it, especially in this big bang time when there's a scramble for the famous and rich to join the ruling party? Well, when a film-star like Hema Malini or Dharmendra joins the bandwagon, you don't give it a damn because they were never serious people, and always behaved like that. But can
you ignore someone like Hazarika, now 78, becoming a member of the BJP, a tainted party what with its leaders like Narendra Modi or its current 500-crore pollskreig with the tax-payers' money?

Initially, I found it hard to believe. It sounded almost like Noam Chomsky joining Bush's pary in USA. But things like this are only representative of our times, however ominous they may look.

The inducement is, one hears, the BJP has assured him of the portfolio of a full cabinet minister in charge of Information and Broadcasting if it returns to power. A nice offer indeed. But how do you get to compromise with your long and great humanistic past, Mr. Hazarika?
MRINAL BOSE