Politicians too should have expiry dates

Political leaders can be compared with medicine. Medicines on the other hand can be divided in various categories – life-saving medicine, emergency medicine, preventive medicine, tonic or vitamin supplement, purgative, digestive, and so on. Again, while some medicines come in the form of tablets and capsules, some come in liquid form. Some medicines on the other hand are to be taken in drops, some as drips. There are certain medicines which are to be absorbed through the skin, such as nicotine patches for help in giving up smoking, or contraceptive implants. Some are taken through inhalers. Some tablets are to be chewed, but most tablets are to be swallowed with water. Most liquid medicines are to be taken after food; but then, there are some liquid medicines which have to be taken before meals. There are a few liquid medicines which, according to doctors, have to be taken in the middle of a meal. And then, there are topical medicines which come in the form of creams, lotions or ointments which one has to apply directly onto the skin. They come in bottles or tubes depending on the type of medicine. Another interesting aspect of medicine is the literature attached to it. While the cover of the strips of tablets and capsules have their chemical composition, manufacturing details and price printed on them, which are often not very readable, liquid medicine which come in bottles either have those things printed on its label, or have those things written on the cardboard box inside which the bottle comes. Some medicines – especially the creams – have a separate pamphlet inside the packet which gives various details. Some medicines which are not generally prescribed by doctors but are easily available in the market, are accompanied by pamphlets which give the content in several languages; this is more so in the case of creams meant for curing itches and skin diseases. Though most liquid medicines have the dosage written on the label, it is also often mentioned that the patient should preferably take the dosage as directed by the doctor. If noticed closely, medicines can be compared with politicians, and vice versa. Some politicians appear only once in five years. Some go door to door before an election, and disappear after that irrespective of whether they win the election or lose it. But if one notices closely, one will find that while a loser has a tendency of going back to the people in the intervening period between two elections, the most certain thing is that a politician who wins an election does not bother to come back to the people for the next five years. In that case, such politicians, who come in solid state – fat and hefty, with or without a cap, but nowadays certainly with a colourful sleeveless prince-jacket – easily evaporates like camphor after winning the election. Some politicians on the other hand do come in solid state, but then flow like liquid from one party to another, taking the respective shape – and also the colour – of the different parties. In this case, these politicians are like water, which takes the shape of the container in which it is kept. Thus, the shape of a typical politician may appear to be like that of an elephant at one moment, and then quickly taking the shape of a flower – say, a lotus – and then may be like a palm, and even like that of a ship, if not a sheep or a goat. Some people with highly imaginative power, see various other shapes in a politician. Such shapes may range from a clock to a lock, a hammer to a sickle, a star, a moon, a bucket, a tractor, fish, fish out of water, drum, bicycle, bucket, toilet seat, radio, TV, almirah, laddoo (dilli ka laddoo), autorickshaw, balloon, torchlight, belt, biscuit, bread, toaster, bottle (?), chapatti roller, chappal, and whatnot. Everything is ok with all these. Politicians are definitely like medicines and vice versa, and there is no doubt about it. After all, politicians are responsible for the overall health and well-being of the people, and thus of the nation. But then, many people feel – and silently pray for – that like medicine, politicians should also have expiry dates. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the common people to discard some – if not most – politicians. And, yes, one might ask, why do children have no voting right? The answer is simple: because, like most medicines, politicians should also be kept out of reach of children!