New recruits' make no distinction

JALANDHAR: The social scenario in the electioneering kaliedoscope presents pictures ranging from the bizzare, comic, absurd and at times to the absurd, or even surreal, depending on the perception.
A whole lot of machinery associated with elections is yanked into action, more so the shady and criminal section of society as money is pumped into the market for a show of strength and if beed be for bogus voting and for intimidation of certain rival groups.
Body builders are no longer seen in the gyms and health clubs where they usually while away time in the mornings and evenings. They have been hired by various candidates to add ''deshat'' to their rallies where they display their biceps.
Not knowing that what is on display is only ''paper muscles'' puffed up with anabolic steroids they pass off as bouncers and bodyguards to the candidates who by and by are getting diminutive.
There is no happier lot than the street dogs of this ''whiskey city'' where every hotel is a bar and before the election ''drinking dens'' come up while the bars are redundant, or meant only for the few who spend their ''hard-earned'' money for drinks.
The chicken sellers are also a happy lot as the body-builders are fond of having chicken with booz. All of a sudden the card playing venues, which all year round can be seen buzzing with activity in the backward mohallas, wear a desrted look. On queries it is found that they are no longer hooked on to gambling and have found employment in the election machinery.
Not to be left behind as the rumour goes around that the goodies are being distributed free as it is the last week before the polls, the groups smuggling liquor into the city from Chandigarh and from distilleries legal as well as illegal, also merge with the electioneering as their smuggling agents are already there.
There are numerous gambling, smack and charas peddling and illegal liquor selling spots in areas such as Model House, Buta Mandi, Ali Mohalla, Valmiki Gate, Rasta Mohalla, Dhan Mohalla, Qila Mohalla, Gandhi Camp, the list is endless and subject for a PhD in ''absent policing''.
All these areas are these days registering almost zero per cent activity.The body-builders and the smugglers join the electioneering machinery because they need political shelter, it is learnt.
An interesting observation was made by a local old-timer. The same faces can be seen in rival party rallies in various mohallas of the city. Why not, one may ask. The new recruits are over-enthusiastic and do not make any distinctions of caste, creed, or political colour.