THE WORLD RENOWNED NOSE
     
           

     Although it cannot be classified as a political satire,'The world renowned nose' is more than a political satire,because,including with the common members of the society,politicians and bureaucrats have also been subjected to ridicule.

     The story is about a young man who was a cook.He was illeterate ,and poor but he is very happy.His only weakness was the snuff that he is sniffed.His world changed when he turned 24.His nose began to grow and grow. Each day it grew longer and longer.It even reached his navel.While his long nose was of no problem to the young man,it was not so for the people of the house.The news had got around and they where constantly confronted by outsiders.Photographers and news reporters.He was therefore dismissed from the job.With no income,the young man and his old mother were forced to starve.People kept coming to stove to look at the nose which continued to grow. But nobody offered them food or money,and the young man told his mother to keep their door shut.This changed their fortune overnight.People began to bribe the mother for permission to see her son's nose.The amount increased each day and in six years the young man become a millionaire.He became famous not only in his own country but also abroad.He became a political figure,with political parties competing for his support.He became a living legend.He came to be known as the long nosed one.As a social celebraty he was awarded the title'chief among the long nosed one's',with the President himself tying the medal around his neck.Mother didnot last in the same condition for long elaborate plans where made by anti-government groups to upset the government using the long nosed.His two secretaries made this easy for them,for both where attractive,and they adored him,with a love that was not without jealousy.

        While one secretary was made to announce to the world that the nose of the long nosed one that was made of rubber,by one of the political group, the other secretary was made to tell the world that this was not so.The long nosed one who was now an international personality made headlines all across the world. The Government was asked to step down having fooled the people.The President finally arranged a medical examination to see whether the nose was real or not.Medical experts from 48 countries were come and to examined the nose on the said date 9 march.They tested the nose and found that it was real.The government was saved and so was the long nose one.

      The World Renowned Nose by Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer is a beautiful story.It is a single piece of political satire in the authors peculiar type of humour both in the choice of words and his ideas expressed.Basheer's satirical humour is more renowned than the story of a long nose.The abnormal growth of the nose is just a fairy tale, but the long nosed may be taken as a symbol.The satire is a sharp and the humour in this story makes it more pleasant.

       

                                              Rekha Thomas