The Court should not Stink

I remember a lesson we had in Hindi subject when we were in school. Don't remember the exact year or the exact story, but only its crux. It was a story of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire. As the story goes, Krishnadevaraya was a just king who was trying to do good for his subjects. But no matter what policies he made, it all failed miserably.

One day, a sage came to visit his court. The king spoke about this issue to the sage and asked for a solution. But instead of answering him, the sage passed a weird comment. The sage said that the room of the court stinks. He said it has a damp smell and advised that the king should open up the windows and let the fresh air come in. He also told the king that good ventilation of air is beneficial for everyone's well-being. Then the sage left the court leaving the king puzzled. Puzzled because the windows were already open, fresh air was coming in and there was no damp smell.

Tenali Rama was also in the court when the sage made his comments. After the sage left, the king asked Tenali if he understood what the sage had to say. Tenali told the king that by fresh air the sage meant the people. He said the sage had advised the king to allow common people to come to the court and be part of the decision making. The people know their issues better than the king and it is only through their participation the king can find a solution to their problems. The king understood the point and decided to call the people's assembly to discuss matters.

Today we live in a democratic setup, but we only elect our governments to power. We are not part of the decision making the process. The important lesson to be learned from this story is that people's real issues should be addressed by having the participation of the people. Not only for the sake of democracy but also the overall well-being of the nation.

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