Narcotic Rats
KAKALI DAS

A film made during emergency “Kissa Kursi Ka” (1978) that showed how political class blames hunger on increasing rat population – hunger in the country not because of corruption and black market but due to rats that ate all grains.
Nationwide initiative launched to combat rats.
People made money by killing rats leading to more corruption.
The satirical film made a solid commentary on society and politics – how rampant hunger and corruption were blamed upon rats. However, the rat is no longer feeding on grains – now, in this new India, it is consuming illegal substance too.
This is what UP police told court. Mathura cops recently told court that rats ate 580 kg marijuana in their report. The marijuana was seized and stored by police. Not 80 grams or 580 grams, this is 580 kilograms that the rats ate. This is surprising, because when Aryan Khan was rumoured to possess 5 grams of marijuana, it was ground-breaking and godi media wanted to jump on it. For weeks, we consumed the news that SRK’s son consumes illegal substances – 5 grams of that in his pocket.
Here, once again, we are talking of 580 kg of illegal substances – what happened to those rats that smoked these?

Notably, in May 2020, three men smuggling weed in a truck were arrested in Mathura.
The three were arrested according to NDPS act, and weed sent in warehouse where already 200 kg of it was stored. When asked about stored marijuana during hearing of court, police replied that the rats ate it all.
“There is no safe place in the police station to store the ‘maal’ and protect it from rats,” the SHO had said. Police too said that the rats are small but don’t fear police. (slow claps)
Who are these daring rats and where did they come from? What must judge be thinking hearing all this? The judge ordered to SSP Mathura Abhishek Yadav to deal with addictive rats immediately. Also, ordered that the police have to prove that it was rats that ate 580 kg or 60 lakh worth of weed.
Who will catch these rats? A pied piper that will summon all rodents and they will then be tested, won’t they?
Few years ago, similar case was seen in Argentina where 500 kg of such substance disappeared. In the city of Pilar, some 60 km away from Buenos Aires, 5500 kg weed remained of 6000 kg in police warehouse. Argentina police explained that marijuana was eaten by mice.
But forensic experts were consulted by court, and it was not possible for rodents to eat that much, they concurred.

Secondly, mice wouldn’t mistake the drug for food, and that if a large group of mice had eaten it, a lot of corpses would have been found in the warehouse – a spokesperson for the judge said. The result being that 8 Argentine police officers were fired – as judged by the court.
But, in India, rats are on another level – in 2021, it was reported by UP cops that rats guzzled 1400 cartons of booze. Rats seemed to have been in a party mood throughout the lockdown. Later probe found that booze worth 35 lakh stored was sold by SHO and head clerk to a gangster. Earlier, in 2018, rats drank 1000 litres of seized liquor in Bareilly.

Police blamed rats back then as well, but it was found those bottles were being sold. In Bihar, rodents have created a record by finishing 10 lakh liquor bottles.
Rats also caused flood in the state, said a Bihar minister in 2017. Minister said that rats weakened embankments of river and led to floods. Meaning, rats are not only addicts and alcoholics, but also weakening the foundation of country.
It was predicted in the movie “Kissa Kursi Ka” long before – rat is the biggest enemy – forget tukde tukde gang or khan market gang!
And it seems these rats are unafraid of police or media – who will stop these rodents? How can we deal with them? Are we aware?
These rats will get stronger if we don’t spring into action.
Earlier grains, now alcohol and marijuana – Will these rats’ next target be your savings? Be alert!
[Images from different sources]
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