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Sarcasm at its best keeps audience spellbound

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: Need a hearty laugh? Here is a new book that will make the readers chuckle over its sarcasm on everything one accepts as the normal order of society such as corruption, hypocrisy, deception, dishonesty, snobbery and class hierarchy.

The poetry book, "Soorat-e-Haal'' (State of Affairs) authored by the noted Hindi man of letters Manohar Prabhakar and released at the Pink City Press Club here on Tuesday has been published by Haasyam, a Jaipur-based laughter club.

When a few stanzas from the book were read out to an absorbed audience, many listeners quipped that the septuagenarian litterateur's poems were an apt satire on feudalism ruling the roost in Rajasthan in the garb of democracy and politicians and bureaucrats ganging up to ravage the State and harass innocent citizens.

Consider this: "The craze for royal heritage liquor turns drinkers into kings for night; we love our heritage with democracy making way for feudalism.''

A verse deriding corruption says: "We only wish that officers and clerks take their service charges, but at least do our work on time. Let Ministers go to the rooms of Secretaries and let their sentries be more powerful.''

Coffee House, the favourite haunt of activists, journalists and artists, is the target of satire in this verse: "Friends, if you want to have a taste of censuring one and all, come to Coffee House. Say hello to journos and retired politicians willing to discredit everyone.''

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