The policemen pulled him; but the “star” merely twitched his ears. They pushed him, and he brayed stubbornly.
On Thursday, even as the entire country continued to debate the centrality of the cow to Indian politics, the Malegaon police’s focus was firmly on detaining a more earthy animal-a star donkey true to its character.
The animal’s troubles began when workers of the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) decided to use it to make a point against the Congress’s corruption in the Malegaon municipal corporation. The JDS workers announced they would organize a “roadshow” using the donkey – a star in his own right. After all, it had “starred” in a TV programme called “Malegaon Ka Chintu”.
Of course, the protesters also had “documents to prove” the said corruption. They even got police permission for the event. By around 12 noon on Thursday, a crowd of onlookers had already gathered in Malegaon town to witness the amusing scene. The plan was to take the “star” around and make residents aware of the alleged graft.
However, the police had other plans.
Even before the roadshow gathered momentum, the cops arrived and arrested three persons who were part of the event, and, inexplicably, detained the donkey too. They (that is, only the JDS workers) were booked under sections 135 and 188 of the Bombay Police Act for disobeying prohibitory orders and assembling without permission.
Malegaon additional SP Sunil Kadasne said, “They had sought permission, but not for using an animal. This could have created law and order problem in the city. We detained the donkey too. The detention papers of the donkey will be produced before the court.”
And in case anyone missed the point, Kadasne said, “People should also know that no one can use donkey or any other animal to fulfil their political desire.” Touche.
The three men were later released, but the donkey couldn’t be. Now the police are looking for the creature’s owner. The police said it was the owner’s responsibility to not give his animal to be used in some political programme. “There was a chance of clash between the workers of the two political parties,” Kadasne said.
And then began the policemen’s real ordeal – that of taking the animal into custody. They tried to push him into the police van. The “star” didn’t take to the idea and simply refused to obey.
After almost 45 minutes of trying in vain, the policemen managed to persuade him to board his exclusive “chauffer-driven” vehicle – an autorickshaw. As the vehicle moved, the animal was again seen twitching its ears, though it was difficult to gauge the star’s mood.
He was kept on the police station premises till afternoon. The policemen then contacted a “Gau Raksha Samiti” to take charge of the animal. But the “star” was no “gau”, so they refused. “Only cows and cattle,” they said. The JDS’s “political desires” aside, during those moments of rejection, the animal perhaps desired to be a cow and not merely a donkey.
Late in the evening, the star was shifted to the more amiable confines of an animal care centre at Panjra Pool.
Thus ended another day in the life of a star.