hidden image

Bob’s Banter by Robert Clements Go Back Waves, Go Back..!

Robert Clements Robert Clements
07 Jun 2021

And as the second wave that mercilessly killed thousands in the country, exhausted the logs of wood in crematoriums, had bodies lying in queue, like they’d never done when alive, muzzled oxygen supply so that men and women could not avail the most basic requirement to live; to breathe, floated bloated bodies on sacred rivers, forcing policemen and soldiers to cover them up in the dead of night so that the press would not get wind of telltale stench, made mockery of vaccine supply so that the highest court of the land had to intercede to balance an equality that had disappeared, and as that second wave after being allowed by default to create such disaster now recedes, politicians rise from the wormwood, where they’d lain hidden from the wrath of their people, and proclaim, “We controlled the second wave!”
“He pushed the wave back!”
The exhausted people of the country, those still alive, wearily hear their boisterous proclamations of victory, till one among them, pushes back the pages of history, and says, “Read!”
The pages turn, and fit story confronts the proclaimers: The story of King Canute!
Long, long ago, England was ruled by King Canute. Like many leaders and men of power, Canute was surrounded by people, always praising him. Every time he walked into a room the flattery began.
One day while walking by the seashore, his officers and courtiers with him, praising him as usual, Canute decided to teach them a lesson. “Bring me my chair and put it right at the water’s edge.” He sat down and surveyed the ocean before him. He noticed the tide was coming in, “Waves,” cried Canute, “I command you to come no further!” 
He waited a moment, quietly, and a tiny wave rushed up the sand and lapped at his feet. “How dare you!” Canute shouted. “Go back!”
And in answer another wave swept forward and curled around the king’s feet. The tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and higher. It came up around the king’s chair, and wet not only his feet, but also his robe. His officers stood about him, alarmed, and wondering whether he was mad. 
“Well, my friends,” Canute said, “it seems I do not have quite so much power as you would have me believe. Perhaps you have learned something today. Perhaps now you will remember there is only God who is all-powerful, and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the waves in the hollow of his hand. I suggest you reserve your praises for him.”
It was a cruel second wave that killed thousands mercilessly in our country, shouldn’t we like Canute, realize it was no politician who rescued us, or do we need a third wave to hammer the truth into us?

bobsbanter@gmail.com

Recent Posts

In a world scarred by war, hatred, and inhuman leadership, education must humanise, not merely inform. Sanjeevani Vidyapeeth shows how empowering the marginalised with values, character, and competenc
apicture Jacob Peenikaparambil
07 Jul 2025
The sinking of MSC ELSA 3 off Kerala's coast exposes a toxic mix of corporate impunity, political complicity, and environmental neglect. As hazardous cargo threatens lives and livelihoods, the silence
apicture Joseph Maliakan
07 Jul 2025
In a world slipping into chaos, where leaders trade threats and valorise violence, India mirrors this decay, silencing dissent, weaponising identity, and pushing the marginalised to the margins. The c
apicture Thomas Menamparampil
07 Jul 2025
When Fr. Stan Swamy died on July 5, 2021, the world of truth and justice was shocked and saddened. Those who belonged to this group were convinced that his death was not a natural one, but a premedita
apicture Cedric Prakash
07 Jul 2025
The strength of India is in her democracy; the unity of India is in her diversity; the heritage of India is in her hospitality, the breath of India is in her principle of Ahimsa/non-violence, and the
apicture Fr. L. Michael Collins
07 Jul 2025
Marking June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' is a calculated distortion of history, designed to vilify Indira Gandhi while deflecting from the ongoing, undeclared Emergency under Modi.
apicture G Ramachandram
07 Jul 2025
When a nation stops examining itself, it stops evolving. When a people stop questioning, they stop progressing. And when truth is replaced by lies, it takes only a few years for credibility to erode —
apicture Robert Clements
07 Jul 2025
The Emergency must be remembered, not as a tool to target a political party but as a lesson against authoritarian excess. Yet, we cannot ignore that worse violations of democratic norms and human righ
apicture A. J. Philip
30 Jun 2025
Fifty years later, India faces a chilling déjà vu with an 'undeclared' Emergency. Freedom of speech is stifled, dissent is suppressed, and institutions are compromised. True democracy demands resistan
apicture Cedric Prakash
30 Jun 2025
Amit Shah's claim that those who speak English will be ashamed evidences that the BJP-RSS is trying to bring down the populace and push India into another Vedic dark age where ignorance and superstiti
apicture Jacob Peenikaparambil
30 Jun 2025