Pompous pamphlets and their many practical uses

Spice of Life: The coaching institutes lure you with their promises as if one only needs to enrol and a lucrative future would unfold

As I picked up the Sunday newspaper on a dewy morning, a cascade of pamphlets slithered out. Two-toned, multi-coloured, matte and glossy, the eye-catching elves demanded attention as I gathered them and skimmed through the content. Aesthetically designed, full of pomposity, these may broadly be put into three categories: First, the academic oriented that included school/college/coaching institute advertisements or the super/multi-speciality hospitals; second, the market-oriented ones, including offers from grocery stores, supermarkets, salons, parlours; and third, the shady ones, including quacks and healers of varied kinds.

Pamphlets advertising various services from academic to market-oriented ones are full of pomposity. (Representative photo)

The bright pamphlets catch immediate attention, and these are generally institutional ones. A hackneyed language runs through them: Qualified faculty, congenial atmosphere, spacious playgrounds etc or there will be a page full of photos of toppers and achievers. The coaching institutes lure you with their promises as if one only needs to enrol and a lucrative future would unfold. The ones of hospitals promise what not with the names of doctors followed by a string of abbreviations, accentuating their status. At times, I wonder if I should grab an offer of multiple tests just on merit of being pocket-friendly?

The foodie in me finds it hard to resist the jingling offers accompanying photos of delectable, luscious dishes. I always succumb to the ‘buy one get one free’ or ‘combo’ offers. Similarly, the shopaholic in me blatantly gives in to multiple offers, the glossy sales announcement and the reduction offers. It’s difficult to control the urge to forget morning household chores and rush to shop lest the best bargains are taken up. The freebies are the hardest to combat. I may not savour a particular item/brand, but the free container is simply irresistible. Similarly, where a meagre service would suffice, one tends to splurge for the ‘savings offer’.

History is witness that pamphlets came into existence with the invention of printing. In the 16th century, they were widely distributed to garner support for religious doctrines. They were used for romantic fiction and social criticism in the Elizabethan age. As political weapons, they garnered a powerful influence.

This formative function was put in use during the recent farmers’ agitation when point-wise policy matters were circulated through newspapers. Not to digress, over the years, pamphlets have been used as agents of publicity. As a publicist genre, the pamphlet, “is designed to influence public opinion directly and is characterised by pungent aphorisms, rhetorical intonations, vivid epithets, and expressiveness”.

Nevertheless, in our family, they are called ‘causality warriors’ and are strategically saved under the mattress. They can be pulled out in a jiffy to mop an accidental spit/sneeze droplet or for an emergency throw-up when kiddos gobble too many goodies or even as wrappers to dispose of. My mom prefers them over kitchen napkins to drain excessive oil as they are excellent absorbents. I love using the bright, glossy ones as placemats. They not only look attractive but can be easily replaced and also give a sense of utilising than discarding. And I’m comforted in doing my bit towards conservation. kalrasuruchi@yahoo.com

The writer teaches English at Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri