Is the Election Commission of India taking its job so seriously that it is forced to take decisions bordering on the absurd? The ludicrous order to cover up the statues of elephants in the capital city of Lucknow ahead of the big ticket state assembly elections certainly seems to suggest just that. The operation ‘Cover Up’ as it is being called is completely comical to say the least. What else can one say about an elephantine exercise that was as cavalier in its construction as its covering?

First, excessive amount of money from the public exchequer was splurged by the Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati on erecting these extravagant elephants as a symbol of the pride of the backward classes. And now, with a month left for the state to go to the hustings, the watchdog against electoral malpractices comes up with the insane logic of these elephants influencing the electorate. So now a huge manforce is engaged in wrapping up these animals in cloth lest they blow their own trumpet! The instructions were precise. The colour of the cloth had to be pink as per the commission’s decree. Pray, but pink is behenji’s favourite colour? No matter, since that is the only colour devoid of any party trappings. Now, that is as far as a farce goes. The only good thing to come about in this was the employment generation that happened as a by-product.

Wonder what the government body has in store for us next? Covering up our hands just in case they remind us of the Congress? That would be a fine call considering the biting cold in the north.