The Shoe craze

George Bush might have not realized the huge insult that a show hurl might be in the eastern hemisphere, but the cultural revolution that it has sparked off is quite interesting. It got me wondering about the possibilities that lay ahead with the simple piece of foot apparel.

Think of campaigning political parties. It would be fascinating to strategically plant a shoe-thrower at a rally or a press conference. For a non-descript event happening in a god-forsaken village in the Indian hinterland, the national coverage that it would elicit would far outstrip any ad in a TV channel or radio airtime. This can even be supplemented by fashionable bitching about the opposition.

The politician in question could ask for increased protection from unruly crowds in case the Z-Plus security that they receive is inadequate. But of course, in today’s sporting India, spiked running shoes could soon be a pop-culture and rallies and media addresses could be life threatening for our politicians Amen to that!

Coming to pop-culture, Reebok just hit the jackpot. The special Jarnail Singh limited edition of shoes could soon hit the racks. Having “worked” in retail for two months, I was just imagining the special displays showcasing the wonder shoe. Coming in special felt, it is sublimely comfortable and houses special jelly to let you easily slide your foot in and out of the shoe thus making it extremely easy to wield as a weapon. The soles are made of hard plastic making it light to wield and promise to cause the maximum damage to the target.

India today is experiencing a mild cultural revolution. There is an awakening amongst the youth of the land what with websites such as Jaagore.com becoming as popular as they have. What next? A party with a manifesto to hail shoes at all popular tainted politicians, Mr. Chidambaram included. Think of the new wars that would erupt in the legislative Assemblies! Mikes would be passé. Shoo the assembly; pick up your shoe. Of course, the party symbol would be the Reebok shoe. Or would it be the closer to home Kolhapuri chappal?

But leaving aside the humour this spate of shoe hurling augurs well for India. It signifies that the discontent is coming to a head. It signifies that we will not take things lying down. It stands for a satyagraha; one that is not driven by hot headed youths alone, but also the pillars of today’s corrupt politicians which is the middle class electorate. I can’t wait to see how the greatest dance of democracy pans out – who wears the garland and who wears the shoes.