In which Cyrus digs into the past

SREEJITH R KUMAR
| Photo Credit: SREEJITH R KUMAR

Good news — this will be my last column. As in, last column of the year. To be sure, it’s the year that ran out first, not the column. What a year its been? I mean, that would be the right reaction, if I could remember anything. Forget reviewing the whole year, I can’t even remember yesterday. I mean was it really yesterday? Or was it the day before yesterday that I thought was yesterday?

However, we must all look back at the year that’s gone by. You, me, and the non-readers too. Apparently, according to Dr. Ganeshan and Dr. Gokesh, (who are not related to the World Chess Champion, and of the two of them only Dr. Ganeshan knows how to play chess), reviewing the year is therapeutic and fundamental in allowing one to start the New Year with a clean state, positive energy, and, hopefully, new clothes. Their book is called Friends, Indians, Countrymen Lend Me Your Years. It is only available in Myanmar.

This is because Dr. Ganeshan, and Dr. Gokesh, had an awful year. They were dropped by their publisher, and only at the very last minute, found one, that too in far flung Northern Myanmar. They have agreed to publish it with a rider. This being that parts of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto be included in between the chapters.

Now let’s all take a moment to review our year. This becomes doubly difficult if you are not on Instaa, as is the case with my mom. If you can’t remember, make something up, but, only as a last resort, must you borrow liberally from others. Okay? Clear as mud? Let’s all proceed to the year that was, or that wasn’t, the choice being yours.

Here are some of my own noted highlights, which, after heavy use of unprescribed medication, miraculously dawned on me.

Early in the year, the Coastal Road opened. That very weekend, the coastal road shut. This was a poignant moment where the Public Works Department taught us a delightful lesson. Roads are like marriage, you can’t take either for granted. Even now months later, we are still not sure, at what time, or, what day, the coastal road may open or close. This is a noble method to keep the upwardly on their toes. This helps create dynamic tension in the citizenry, which is the most-valued commodity in any progressive society.

Then India winning the World Cup led to two weddings being cancelled. Both, of course being great news, but for a couple of you who have not followed, let me explain. India won the World Cup in June of this year. This led to a celebration, a felicitation, being organised by the BCCI at the Wankhede stadium. This meant two weddings scheduled for those days had to be postponed, and the stadium being used for its original purpose …cricket.

Then we had the other glorious sport, Maharashtra selections. Mind you, not the Maharashtra elections. Nothing great in that. Since that just involves people going to vote. The selections were far more intriguing that involves the winners selecting whomsoever for whatsoever position. Fun for the whole family. Since I have 167 more memorable moments plus 272 honorable mentions to list, I’ll stop right here, or this column will cross into 2025. However, if you politely contact the editor, you may avail of the whole nine yards. In the words of General Maximus, (and I translate loosely from the original Latin), have a super-duper New Year.     

The writer has dedicated his life to communism. Though only on weekends.