A swayamvar and a high-maintenance bride

The analogy of Sita's swayamvar seems to work perfectly for the sale of Air India

Imagine a replay of a much-discussed swayamvar. The bride is all decked up and Janak’s grand kingdom in Mithila ready for the big event. The “Purushottama”, the one who manages to string Shiva’s bow,  thereby proving his valour, strength and skill— will win her hand. Suitors come from far and wide, including the sons of Dashrath, the favourites and the prospective winners.

Few will miss the parallels between this big event and the sale of Air India that is playing out in the aviation sector currently. The bride is high-maintenance!  She has been beautified to the point of being unrecognisable. Unfortunately, the line of suitors is not as long as Janak would have liked but there are a few small princes from unknown kingdoms and at least one “Purushottam-like” candidate. Oddly enough— and not in keeping with royal traditions — a bunch of noblemen, courtiers, soldiers and footmen has gathered the courage to bid for the princess’s hand. Well, it is after all a free country still.

King Janak, quite frankly, has badly mis-timed this entire event. The kingdom of Mithila is not in the best shape. Plague, famine, death and destruction are the order of the day. Masses of the populace are in dire straits. Even the richer, smaller estates are not without their list of woes. So severe has been the merciless year gone by, it’s left many impoverished, changed beyond recognition. It is quite possible nothing may be the same again. A marriage at this juncture seems a bit unseemly and even worse unlikely. Yet he’s staked his entire reputation on it. Being unable to pull off the marriage of his beloved daughter will be both an embarrassment in Bharat and outside it. Those from far may even have the gall to laugh at the king’s failed attempts.

As predicted by Bharat’s citizens, there are far fewer suitors than expected. There is one who is from lands beyond the oceans and precious little is known of whether he can provide even the basics for the bride. Marriages in Bharat are expensive business, the bride needs an array of jewels and her bridesmaids will accompany her. He claims his coffers are full, treasury overflowing but nobody including the king’s  aides really know if this is true.

Then, there is this bunch of noblemen, soldiers and footmen (again the gall!) who in the past proved, if anything, incompetent at managing royal affairs.  With his own coffers in a rather precarious state,  the king tried to cut the royal bill by pruning his praja. He  tried to get rid of a majority of courtiers and even some noblemen, but failed. The nobility shamelessly hung on, fully cognisant of its inability to find a seat in any other court. The soldiers just soldiered on like it’s business as usual, unmindful of what it is costing the king and the kingdom. So now when the same lot who have failed to fix the affairs of the kingdom want to stake their claim on the bride-to-be , their credibility is low. They have been allowed to take part in the “svayambar” — remember, it is still a free country — but no one is convinced they have the ability to pull it off. In fact, everyone fears they may take down the entire kingdom in their unbridled enthusiasm.

So all hopes are really pinned on the much-loved prince of Ayodhya. He is trustworthy, stable and well, better than the other candidates in every conceivable aspect. He is known for his loyalty and steadfastness. He is well respected — not only in Bharat but in lands beyond the seas. 

The only caveat is that Ayodhya is going through its own crisis and set of travails. There are already two brides in residence, who compete with each other, proving less than easy to manage. Maintaining both is emptying out the kingdom’s coffers. Besides the duo, Ayodhya has several other claimants on its treasury. Bills remain unpaid. Debts are rising. There’s a warring faction within that’s causing no end of trouble. There are a few skeletons in the cupboard that the kingdom wants to keep secret but the powers-that-be in Mithila are threatening to reveal all. That’s why the prince has no option but to participate in this swayamvar at this inopportune moment.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Mithila and Ayodhya — all of whom appear to have very little to do — are spending entire days in gossip and speculation. Will the prince manage to actually string the bow as desired ? Does he even want to ? Will the dowry the bride brings with her be enough to mitigate the expenses of the wives in residence. Can this marriage happen at all ? Will it end — god forbid — in a divorce ? Can it bring success, prosperity and happiness to citizens of Ayodhya, Mithila and of course Bharat. Watch this space.