Bullfight and the Clash of Superpowers

We all must have seen a bullfight at some point. A few years ago, I too had such an experience. Delhi’s Sitaram Bazaar was, as always, full of life that day. Evening was setting in, but the crowd showed no sign of thinning. The colorful stalls in front of the shops, the mixed aroma of spices and dishes, the voices of customers bargaining—all together created a lively scene.

The panipuri seller kept calling out, “Come brother, spicy panipuri!” Nearby, the ghee was sizzling on the aloo-tikki seller’s pan. Bargaining was going on at the vegetable and fruit carts.

People were absorbed in their own work when suddenly commotion broke out in the market. From nowhere, two huge bulls appeared in the middle of the street. First they stared at each other for a few moments, as if throwing a silent challenge. Then suddenly their horns clashed. The collision was so fierce that the sound echoed throughout the market.

Within moments their fight grew violent. Both bulls began pushing each other and running around. The narrow street of the market turned into an arena for them. Whatever came in front was caught in their clash. The panipuri seller’s cart overturned and his spicy water spilled onto the street. The aloo-tikki seller’s pan flipped and hot tikkis fell into the dust. The vegetable baskets scattered far—tomatoes, brinjals, potatoes rolled across the street. The fruit seller’s apples and bananas were crushed under people’s feet.

Terrified, people began to run. Some pulled their children to safety, some hid inside nearby shops. In the stampede, some fell and were injured. Bicycles and motorcycles too were knocked down and scattered on the street. Some shopkeepers stood helplessly watching their ruined goods.

I too was present in the market at that time. Frightened by the sudden chaos, I took shelter in a small grocery shop. Standing inside, we all watched the scene outside. The bulls’ clash continued. The horns colliding, the sound of hooves striking the ground, and in between, the frightened cries of people.

This struggle must have lasted about 15–20 minutes. Finally, both bulls, exhausted, went off in different directions. But the scene left behind was like the destruction after a small storm. Overturned carts, scattered vegetables, fallen utensils, and frightened people slowly coming out.

Today, while hearing the news of the America–Iran war, that old scene came before my eyes. Two powerful “bulls” stand face to face. The growing tension between them is affecting the whole world. In this fight, whichever bull wins, the result will have to be borne by ordinary people across the world—those who have no direct connection with the clash of these big nations. Just like in the market, after the bulls’ fight, the greatest loss was suffered by the panipuri seller, the vegetable seller, and the passersby.

In summary, the clash of great powers often shows its real impact not in the arena, but in the world’s markets and in the lives of ordinary people. Inflation and unemployment are borne by the common man. Then it becomes clear that the heaviest burden of the powerful’s fight always falls upon the weak.