Mutiny of birds and protest at Mantar Mantar

 With the current imbroglio of the student protest at the Jantar Mantar in India's capital still fresh in memory, the mention of a story by my friend JP Jagdev about a story from our childhood which could be related to the incident who caught the nation and the world's attention.

Remember the story BIHANGA BIPLABA (The Mutiny of Birds) from our School SAHITYA (Odia literature) textbook ? Taught to us in Class VI, it is a very funny story with powerful connotations.
A bunch of birds protested to their Bear King against the ordeals they had to go through in their jungle milieu due to the inept official of the court - the shrewd Monkey. The so called wise King gave them a patient hearing. He was about to give his verdict in their favor, when the clever monkey against whom the birds revolted intervened to manipulate his decision by bribing the King with a ripened Jackfruit (a delicacy for Asiatic Bear who is a fine climber, known to go up the Jackfruit trees and feast on its fruit). 

The shrewd monkey threw a hint to the Bear King - "TIKE AGAKU PACHHAKU DEKHI BICHAARA KARANTU" (Please deliver your verdict after looking at both front and back sides. Lost in translation, the phrase TIKE AGAKU PACHHAKU DEKHI in Odia carries its own meaning, i.e. look to the surrounding before making your decision). 

The old King didn't see anything in front, but behind the back of his throne he saw the ripe Jackfruit, enough to lure him into reversing his verdict, now favorable to the monkey. The betrayed birds took their anger on the Bear King by swooning over him, mauling him to death. I still fondly remember a sentence from that story - RE KAAU RAAU RAAU HUANA (Hey crow, don't caw with you coarse voice).

PS : The story is purely fictional, any resemblance with any person dead or alive is purely coincidental.