For a government that likes to claim it works for the people, there was something surreal in seeing Anil Bachoo dodge the crowd at the Souillac Bridge on Tuesday. It was even stranger the next day when not one of the three elected members for Souillac- Abu Kasenally, minister, Tassarajen Pillay Chedumbrum, minister and Pradeep Peetumber, Deputy Speaker, could muster the courage to go to their constituency for a meeting with inhabitants. Those are people who have lost everything in Wednesday’s floods and who are understandably angry. Not one of the three honorable members felt they could or should face the people’s anger.

Instead they stayed safely tucked at home and arranged for saviour Arvin Boolell to go meet with their angry constituents. How’s that for bravado? Maybe they should ask Boolell to run in their place at the next general elections? But we can’t blame them completely. For their betters have set the example. When Navin Ramgoolam got in trouble because of the Soornack, Gooljaury and CT Power affairs, what did he do? He made a vague – and shameful – reference to “ black and white coal”, linked the whole situation to the press’ semi intellectuals ( I’d be tempted to say that it takes one to know one but really that would be low, wouldn’t it?) and then made a wellplanned exit.

He was replaced on centre stage by a group of people whose mission, it seems, was to spread the good word. To ensure that such an important mission doesn’t fail, the MBC’s assistance was sought. And the brilliant ( not) strategy then unfurled those who criticize Soornack have a problem with Hindu women, those who criticize Gooljaury don’t like to see people with brown skin succeed and those who criticize CT Power do so only because they think electricity should only be produced by the whites. ( At least we have a cue regarding identity of the real CT Power owners – they’re not white!). The argument is too ridiculous to warrant a comment but I wonder if those parrots who sat at the press conference realized to what extent they were being used by the powers that be? At any rate, the strategy’s been a winner no one is talking about Soornack and her millions, Gooljaury and his “ luck”, CT Power and its unknown owner and more importantly, no one is talking about Ramgoolam’s “ loyalty” to his friends everybody’s laughing at Dulthumun.

How’s that for a substitute to explaining yourself to the nation? Shame Vasant Bunwaree didn’t also think of “ hiring” a savior. To his credit, he went on the battle field ( Radio Plus) on his own. Except that his courage failed him at the last minute. When the journalist asked him questions about his relationship with the presumed pedophile at the MITD and the latter’s sister, his survivor instinct kicked in “ you say another word and I’ll sue you!” he threatened the journalist.

Who said one needed to be valiant to become a politician?