Sleep no more
Vijay Deo Jha
Ranchi
They came, they yawned and they slept. But they are hardly likely to conquer this way. Something about the itinerary of the political class of Jharkhand makes them soporific more often than not. Thursday was a fine case in point.
State HRD Minister Vaidyanath Ram, Agriculture Minister Satyanand Jha Batul, Congress’ MLAs Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mannan Mallik and former Minister Sudhir Mahto were captured on camera dozing and sleeping for an hour during the 13th Foundation Day ceremony of Jharkhand Assembly.
They occupied the front row, earmarked for Ministers and mandarins, but found themselves in the league of dozing politicians when morning dispatches came with a crisp news note.
Blushing at being caught so strategically, they rushed in with explanations and excuses, simultaneously putting the blame on a lack of adrenaline and a surfeit of workload. They cursed the legislative and public responsibility that made overloaded beasts of burden of them.
A couple claimed they were not sleeping. They were using the time to muse over the state of affairs when the dignitaries occupying dais — Governor Syed Ahmed, Chief Minister Arjun Munda and Speaker CP Singh, among others — were at their verbal best on ‘Jharkhand: Past, present and future’, replete with flowery quotes and thoughts.
Sample this: Batul said, “I was ill, so I could not overcome drowsiness.”
“Why do you believe pictures? My eyes were closed but I was in serious thought over Jharkhand while hearing stale talk of promises of the ruling party towards people of the State,” said Ahmed.
Ahmed accepted that politicians sleeping during a public programme showed badly in the eyes of the public.
Ahmed accepted that politicians sleeping during a public programme showed badly in the eyes of the public.
Nonetheless, there are around a dozen politicians who are photographed, talked about and seen as frequent dozers, including Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief and Dumka MP Shibu Soren. In fact, he is referred to as ‘Jharkhand’s very own HD Deve Gowda’ for his frequent siesta moments during public programmes.
Old people often face this problem due to a reduced level of sodium in the body.
Senior psychiatrist and RINPAS director Dr Amol Ranjan and neurologist Sanjay Kumar offer medical and psychological explanations that might help to understand the reason that forces public figures to nap in full public glare.
“People tend to sleep when tired, over-stressed or not having proper sleep. The other
reason could be they find the programme uninteresting or unimportant enough to stimulate and certain biological and psychological factors kick in, lulling them to sleep,” said one.
reason could be they find the programme uninteresting or unimportant enough to stimulate and certain biological and psychological factors kick in, lulling them to sleep,” said one.
But then, was the Foundation Day discourse so boring, as to cause them to sleep? It may have been.
On the other hand, a couple of other legislators and Ministers — Health Minister Hemlal Murmu, Simon Marandi (JMM), Sajay Yadav (RJD) — can afford a sound sleep even during surcharged Assembly debate.
“Mauka milte hi ye log dugdugi bajana shuru kar dete hain. Kabhi kabhi toh Speaker tok bhi dete hain (The moment they get chance they start mild snoring. Sometimes, the Speaker has to awaken them),” a senior MLA quipped.
Other than flash sleep, medicos explain another two types of sleep — non-REM and paradoxical sleep.
But they have as yet been unable to explain what causes the State’s politicians to bumble so — is it “to sleep, perchance to dream”?
