Ever heard about a fax machine with a mind of its own? During a lively cricket match in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah brought up the infamous 2018 ‘fax fiasco’, humorously noting, ‘We tried to form a government via fax, but the machine had other plans.’
Imagine the scene: political drama intertwined with technological rebellion! The story unfolds during efforts to end President’s Rule in the state. A critical fax intended to confirm a new coalition government vanished into the ether, leading Governor Satya Pal Malik to dissolve the assembly under bewildering circumstances. The governor insisted a public holiday had thwarted the fax’s arrival, sparking widespread mirth and spawning numerous satires, with politicians and netizens alike jumping in with jokes and memes.
While Abdullah’s anecdote was shared amid cricket cheers, it highlights the quirkier side of political machinations and raises chuckles at the serendipitous role of technology in governance. Why rely on a whimsical fax when emails might be a swipe away, right? Yet, there’s an admirable persistence in sticking to old-school methods, perhaps echoing that even in our fast-paced digital world, some relics, like the steadfast fax (or a sturdy cricket bat!), refuse to fade away.
And as for the match, while one team must lose, in politics, as in cricket, the game goes on. Amid these musings, let’s not discount the delightful irony of tech snafus meddling in governmental affairs—it’s like expecting a smooth sail but forgetting you’re in a paddle boat! So here’s to fax machines, those capricious guardians of bureaucracy, ensuring that sometimes, the best-laid plans are just a busy tone away.