Wit Wisdom and Whoop

This is NOT about the latest budget presented by Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman or its analysis but a tongue in cheek journey down memory lane. Flashback to almost 50 years and I remember the mood in the house on budget day. It was invariably 28th Feb and the speech would start late evening. There would be deathly silence around the house as father sat in front of the Radio, with a notebook and pen in hand to write down important points and everybody asked not to make any noise lest he miss some important word. There would be a medley of his government car, jeep, truck drivers also waiting outside. Before you wonder why, budgets often announced increases in petrol/diesel prices and then he would gesture - go, go, go - and the drivers would all drive in a frenzy to the authorised fuel pumps with the "stock book" signed by father. All vehicles would be filled up with fuel to the full. Sometimes I would be asked to go and help in this task to check the quantity of fuel filled. The reas...