Discover the amusing tale of a stuffed toy tiger that caused panic in Chatsworth
DENNIS PATHER
FORGET about Donald Trump's inauguration, the devastating wildfires in LA, or even the recent alignment of seven planets along the Sun's path.
In my book, the greatest spectacle on earth for January 2025 was the celebration of the Maha Kumbh Mela in India where an estimated 450 million devotees from across the globe gathered over several weeks on the banks of the sacred Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati river in Prayagraj to take a holy dip in the waters.
I've never been there personally but am told it's a sight to behold - one of the largest gatherings in human history.
Maha Kumbh is not just a religious gathering, I'm told. It's a convergence of faith, culture and history. And what made the 2025 edition extra special is that it last occurred 144 years ago - the culmination of 12 cycles of 12 different kumbh melas over that period.
Many of you might have watched TV footage of the ritual during the week as millions of people immersed themselves in the sacred waters, which is believed to cleanse sins and pave the path to liberation.
The devotees take part in centuries-old rituals, listen to discourses and experience the vibrant spiritual ethos of India.
But there's also a political dimension to the festival.
Scholars will tell you it's also a celebration of India's resilience and unity against years of subjugation and exploitation by the British colonialists.
You see, when the colonisers in the British East India Company controlled Prayagraj, they licked their lips with glee at the sight of such a massive religious gathering every 12 years.
They were not interested in its religious significance but saw it as an opportunity to make money.
Pilgrims were forced to pay a tax of one rupee (the average Indian then earned only a few rupees a month) just to take a dip in the sacred waters.
The exploitation went further when local barbers who shaved pilgrims' heads during the mela were heavily taxed, leading to growing resentment and protests among the local people.
Today, with the colonialsts out of the way, the Kumbh Mela has undergone a remarkable transformation.
To keep up with the times, the festival now involves high tech innovations like AI cameras, underwater drones and aerial surveIllance to manage the multitudes of people and ensure safety.
Now that's what I call balancing tradition with progress.
Stop this lustful greed
Picture this everyday scene.
You live in a noisy precinct of a city or town.
It doesn't take long before you become so accustomed to the deafening noise from teeming crowds on the pavements, heavy traffic on the streets and the incessant blaring horns from taxis.
After a while, you even stop noticing the cacophony and begin to accept it as the norm.
Just like a mother, who after spending an hour in her son's room, stops noticing his smelly socks and accepts the situation for what it is.
Now, how different is this from how South Africans have today become so inured to the almost daily reports of corruption in our country?
Hardly a day passes without news of grand scale corruption in government and the private sector and all we do is shrug our shoulders and get on with our lives.
There was a time when we raised our eyebrows in shock when reading of fraud and corruption running into thousands.
We also choked with horror when the crooks were getting away with millions.
Now even that appears small change when compared to the billions being raked in by criminals and cheats.
The trouble with corruption in our country is that it's so pervasive, having reached all the way up to national Cabinet level.
Much of the blame for this lies in the lustful greed and self interest of many of our leaders who saw the new dawn as their turn to feed at the trough of power.
This scourge is a serious threat to our progress and calls for urgent presidential leadership.
This is not a time for promises and platitudes, President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Act now and act decisively before we lapse into complacency and South Africans begin to see corruption as part of their way of life - like boerewors, bunny chows and braaivleis.
Chatsworth's toy tiger
Nobody talked about tigers in Chatsworth when the township was established in the 1960s.
Yes, there were troops of marauding monkeys, some stray dogs and far too many long-tailed rodents, but no sign of the wild predators.
Until, of course, the arrival of that controversial local politician, the late Amichand Rajbansi and his alter ego, the Bengal Tiger a couple of decades later.
Well, I'm told, tigers are again a big talking point in the sprawling township after a Shallcross resident recently reported seeing one hiding under a tree in the bushes near her home.
The woman called her son who confirmed the sighting and then all hell broke loose.
As word spread, residents in the township panicked and ran for cover as security personnel and Community Police Forum members rushed to the scene.
The woman suspected the tiger might have escaped from a neighbouring nature reserve.
"The security guard had his gun drawn. Looking from a distance, the guard said it was a tiger."
As the guards moved slowly and quietly towards the bush, the tiger appeared motionless.
Chatsworth breathed a sigh of relief when the guards discovered it was actually a stuffed toy tiger.
Some residents are still wondering whether the stuffed animal was perhaps a comfort toy Amichand Rajbansi had mislaid in his childhood.
Dennis Pather is a retired newspaper editor, author and columnist. Email him at kaydenpather@gmail.com
From newsroom gofer to award-winning editor, join South African media legend Dennis Pather on a fascinating trip down memory lane in his captivating memoir, Copy Boy. This heart- warming journey takes you inside the newsroom, filled with laughter, hard-earned wisdom, and the power of family. As a special offer to readers of POST, you can now get a copy of Dennis Pather’s fascinating new book, COPY BOY, for just R100. WhatsApp 078 593 0585 for delivery details or 083 452 2831 for direct collection.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.