The fat’s under fire

We have always resented how our policemen throw their weight around. But now, it seems there will be a lot less to fling about. The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an ultimatum to a number of its personnel to shape up or ship out. At stake is their very jobs on the road and that isenough to make the most slothful of us get going with a few push-ups. Some have said they will go the Anna Hazare way and shun food while others will take the more sensible option of going to the gym.

While we are all for this drive for a lean and mean figure, we think that it should be extended to other professions where it is required of the person to be in good shape.

Take our politicians for example. Barring a few exceptions, we would not say that many of them could be poster boys or girls for slimmers anonymous.

In fact, the venerable president of the BJP had to staple his stomach to try and get his weight under control, and we really are weighting and watching on whether he succeeds. True that our politicos have to put themselves out come elections, but for the best part of their lives, they live from air-conditioned transport to office to home to salubrious foreign climes.

Just so you don’t feel that we are singling out any profession, we would like to turn the tape measure inwards.

Our esteemed colleagues in the electronic media cannot afford to slip in that extra doughnut unless you are anchoring the food show. So we note that they are all fighting fit while reporting breathlessly from the ground or engaging in verbal calisthenics with their panelists in studios.

We print journalists, especially editorial writers, are far more fortunate. We are rarely seen and seldom heard. So we can afford to be dipping into our chips even as we craft these bits and pieces for you.

And we do know that you will weigh in on our side on this.