Elephant

Last Saturday, Shailendra Mehta’s Konkani book ‘Mukt Chintan’ was released in Goa. Research scholar, Kaustubh Naik, in his speech, mentioned play ‘Elephant, the King of All Times’ written by Saadallah Wannous, acclaimed Syrian playwright.

 The play is about a king’s elephant who moves around freely, wreaking havoc, destroying people’s crops, trampling on their means of survival and crushing a little child to death. The citizens are tired of the tusker’s destruction and they are convinced by Zakarya to complain to the King.

 

Zakarya trains the people on how to approach the King respectfully. Yet, in the King’s presence, they struggle to speak. Zakarya’s training is in vain. After several attempts, Zakarya (to save his life) requests that the king find a female for the elephant!

 

Zakarya’s actions reflect the predicament of the intellectual in societies where silence has become an achievement. His people’s betrayal, at a critical moment, forces him to to give up his instigator role. He went from a leader, who tried to oppose power, into a servant of the elephant.

 

With fear, silence sets in and with such silence, confidence too dips. We will have a better future when we unbridle our tongues. When we set ourselves free from the slavery of silence, our grievances will be heard. Ignoring the elephant in the room will not make it disappear!

 

The unbridled mammoth’s havoc will create gloom

Worse is when we ignore the elephant in the room!

- Pravin K. Sabnis