Protest

Posted on by Reena Saxena

Outside the crumbling courthouse in Lucknow, a group of activists proudly announced their “relay hunger strike,” as if skipping lunch in shifts would terrify a politician who dines on stolen millions.

Ramesh took the first turn, dramatically sipping water every five minutes, while declaring he was “on the brink of collapse.”

Meena replaced him after two hours, clutching her stomach like a martyr, though she had just polished off samosas at the tea stall.

The corrupt minister, meanwhile, laughed from his mansion, raising a toast to their noble sacrifice of mild inconvenience.

Passersby applauded politely, mistaking the spectacle for a street play sponsored by the local drama club.

 And thus, the great relay hunger strike marched on—an epic battle of empty gestures against a man whose belly remained full and whose arrest remained a fantasy.

Six Sentence Stories

16 thoughts on “Protest”

  4. that is surely the most decadent perversion of a once effective* manner of civil disobedience

    (Will try to restrain my rant, lol) but that concept accepted in a population is a key element in the cultural consciousness that encourages the corrupt to act out.)

    *for drawing attention to a cause, at least

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. I feel like this is mostly true for any strike I see happening here too. The “big belly” ones just walk past and pay no mind and others, the passers-by just take videos of it as if it was a show.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment