Date:11/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/11/stories/2007031102410400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

It was a protest full of tricks

Staff Reporter

INNOVATIVE: Students and members of Institute of Magic and Allied Arts along with magicians staging a protest in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Bangalore: Trust magicians to come up with new takes on old tricks. The usual rope trick and water tricks were all given twists to convey their displeasure over the Cauvery tribunal verdict. The occasion was a protest against the verdict led by veteran showman Uday Jadugar on the steps of the Town Hall on Saturday.

One of them dramatically showed a glass of blood (the right mix of potassium permanganate and hypo, Mr. Jadugar confided to this reporter) turning into water to convey that it was the blood of Kannadigas that was in question.

Another used a rope trick to say that the dispute continued even after all these years. A third again used the rope to "strangulate" himself, relating it to farmers' suicides.

One magician used the usual water trick to warn that Kannadigas would end up with nothing if they kept sharing the Cauvery water. One pulled a pigeon out of a string of satin ribbons possibly to convey the message of peace what with pigeons being more easily available than doves. The pigeon was then gently persuaded to take a swig or two from a glass of water. Now, if only the magicians would use their powers to make problem disappear altogether.