School home work on religion…

I recollect in school we studied about social ills apart from other things I recall purdah system and lavish marriages. Why I recall these is purdah (or veil) has now done an about turn and has become part of culture!!. This has more to do with Mullahs we cannot avoid and so has to be tolerated. How a patriarchy symbol makes it as 'culture' is intriguing. Since Indian elite has embryonic relation with Britain, recent happenings here have consolidated these regressive mindsets and so has given credence to these ills. It is a quite a sore sight to watch women packed and paraded like this, symbolizing religious freedom!!. More than sore sight or indecency it is violation of public space (the reason the move by France is such a respite since these disgust were attempted to be sacred). In recent times there is a trend to treat religion as untouchable, an entity in itself beyond the purview of the State, the Media seems to also insisting on this….surely this is seen as an extension of ‘personal choice’(which at crass level defines Market). Again this has become rallying point for fringe elements in Hinduism, the backlash of feeding organized religion and their sacred ‘culture’. The recent is the way temple entry issue is being handled. Temples or any places of worship are definitely not beyond the rules. That would be illegal and undemocratic. Religion as extra constitutional entity is not how secularism is understood or practiced in this society, that is western idea and as can be learned from recent happenings is flawed and if not contained would end as serious threat. It is also the reason why democracy is so fragile in Islamic nations and individual rights threatened or the rising credibility of far right in west (despite per high capita income). If the civil society finds a tradition condemnable then it cannot be condoned since it is under purview of religion. Religious heads (mostly for the reason of hereditary and archaic traditions) cannot bypass the rule of land as it encapsulates rights of people. Religion as long as it has social-political construct will have to pass the test of laws of democracy.

(plz go to depalanhere for lavish marriages….its trashing time folks!!)

On watching movies and telling stories

Yesterday I happen to watch this movie ‘Jani Dushman’, it is quite a badly made movie with array of popular actors of 70s and 80s. For me though this movie holds lots of significance. It’s like this in school days I used to watch hell lot of hindi movies since army theaters were very cheap (almost free) and there was always one nearby, also since most were ‘open air’ you could see it from some wall. They used to change the movies once or twice in a week, and this was quite an event since those were the days when most people didn’t have TV. In school also talk was mostly about ‘kya thoone yeh picture dekhi hai ?’ so if you have watched and others haven’t then it’s about ‘acha story suna’ then there would be stampede of kids who want to listen the story, it used to spread like wildfire ‘oye yeh film ki story suna raha hai’, they congregate excitedly. There were kids who could quote the dialogue with dramatic effect and so in demand. There were occasions when I had watched the movie before anyone but my stint in this ‘field’ was quite short. What happened was I used to tell the story but also add my own masala, soon lost credibility ‘yeh saala bana ke boltha hai, isse story math suniyo’. I just couldn’t resist the masala part, so would take the ‘hero’ on my little ride, detour!!. So they say after watching ‘oye thoone jaisa kaha vaise tho kuch hai nahi!!’ accusing of some serious misdemeanor. In late 70s or early 80s if I recall correctly ‘jani dushman’ was quite a popular movie (I was in delhi that time). For some reason I couldn’t watch the movie although I disparately wanted to since I had heard the ‘story’. This was supposed to be ‘horror movie’, ‘drawni picture hai’ unlike most other movies of those days; I carried the vivid image of a man changing into demon as sketched in the posters (Jekyll Hyde variety) for long time. It was only yesterday I finally stumbled upon this movie in one of the channels, quite accidentally though. It was such a let down, but even then I watched it till the end, just to confirm whether that kid had told the ‘story’ correctly. I recall the face of the boy very vaguely, he must now be a middle aged man working in some office somewhere least recalling the ‘film story’ he told me years and years back on that crowded back bench of the class facing the window and I imagining (and asking myself every few minutes) ‘aisa ho saktha hai kya?’.

Why horse racing should be encouraged and Car racing banned

It requires not much knowledge to understand that car racing (Formula 1 or whatever) has become a liability. Wherein the world-over people are being told to cut on Energy (diesel/petrol/gas/electricity) consumption, continuing with this ‘sport’ is untenable. Common people are being told to be prudent in their energy consumption and include lifestyle, habit changes, while millions of gallons of precious oil are wasted to indulge in this ‘sport’ (not to mention air and noise pollution). It is a crude exhibition. It is insulting to common people. In the contemporary context it is unethical and should therefore be made against the law. Sometime back hunting Tigers and lions was considered a sport in elite section of this country (one really wonders what kind of people would consider this a sport, they must be psychopaths. Killing to eat is understandable. It is now followed as a ‘tradition’ in some richer countries, Dick Cheney enjoys it, I am told). So they killed and had some great fun photographing themselves over the dead animals, hanging the skulls in their rooms. Now it is considered against the law since these species are threatened. The ‘sport’ is illegal in most civilized societies, on conservation and ethical consideration. The same holds true for Car racing now, it has become an untenable luxury. If the organizers of the ‘sport’ don’t adopt environmental friendly technologies then there is an immediate need to ban it altogether, there is no reason to allow continuing this indulgence of few at the expense of majority of people (indeed the very existence of life) in the world.

It is in this context that Horse Racing should be encouraged. Horse racing is most environmental friendly and immensely exciting sport. Further the revenue generated is quite significant, in places like Hong Kong it is the backbone of the economy. It provides gainful employment for hundreds of people with almost negligible energy consumption. Not only that this blogger believes that Horse Racing requires more skills than car racing. The challenge is more when you are maneuvering and trying to get the best from an unpredictable horse as compared to a car- which is more of a technological challenge, the skill needed by the driver is miniscule compared to a jockey. Then there is this sheer beauty of horses galloping as compared to noisy metals guzzling gas.

There is a tendency in this country to encourage sport that is beyond the reach of common people (cricket has a long colonial past). The new sport therefore are Tennis (Federer is gr8), Golf (this arguably the most disgusting sport, Monsieur Pioret will agree!!), Billiards, car racing….isn’t there a pattern?. Guess why it is like this….

Post script: Some people do take Horse Race as gamble which is upsetting. This blogger has seen people betting too much money without even any study, an addictive habit. It is kind of psychological affliction. In Bangalore they shout ‘thoo’ when they get the predictions wrong, which I find very funny.

It’s Ms. Mayawati all the way

You got to admire this lady. She is incredible. It is a sincere wish of this blogger that Dalit wave catch all over India, and form a deciding factor in political churning. It’s been too long since this section has been kept away from policy matters, by manipulative people cleverly positioning themselves to represent their angst. The age of patronizing is over. Its time that dalits should represent themselves in all field rather being represented (there is a cottage industry here) or being used as a token. Till recently most dalit leaders (or other visible presence in public space) where generally part of tokenism Mayawati showed what dalit power can achieve with bit of manipulation. Of course I am against casteism but we are talking within the system. Meaning she defeated them in there own game that too in the largest state. The best thing about her is that she is very open about her ambitions unlike the manipulative types, who talk about saving the nation and actually are more into looting. She needs no gloss, no TV studios. This is the most significant aspect of her achievement, in media driven world of metros this is a lesson. It is not a surprise that most media failed to predict her stupendous win. It definitely puts question mark on representativeness of media, the kind of survey they bring out on us and the society we live in, clearly it’s all a sham. And yes despite all its hype English media doesn’t really have the competence to interview Mayawati….that is if she has the time and inclination. When more and more leaders from marginalized section get into Union cabinet and other significant positions it will be a respite from metro based studio hoppers, the media savvy, the gloss. TV programmers (read spin doctors) will have to work extra time to search for ‘people like us’!!!. For politicians like Mayawati there is however a danger of too much dependency by cadre on her at the expense of organization. Also realpolitik compulsion may see her not representing all the aspiration of dalit, but it nevertheless is a significant achievement. The ‘muslim factor’ has seen politicians supplicating fundamentalists (and elite) of the community and thus detrimental to democracy, ‘dalit factor’ however is expected to strengthen the democratic process by making it more representative.

Corruption is a serious issue but there is a mischief in bringing Taj corridor case at this point, one wonders whether judiciary is being manipulated. This coincidence of Mayawati elected as Chief Minister and case against her surfacing at the same time is strange. Further people from poorer sections find it difficult to contest elections and run party. Unlike say our boy Arun jaitley, who is a millionaire and without being elected ever was a Union minister!! What spoke was his money and influence (meaning corporate backing). And now he does the round of TV studios with a specific intention of usurping the gains of Party workers. It is imperative that Election commission need to provide money for Dalits and tribals contesting elections or their election expense be refunded if they get certain percentage of Vote. Otherwise it becomes more of Reservation by people like Arun Jaitley. The system at this point seems to be balanced in favor of people like Jaitley, which in civilized world will be defined as corruption.

Spare a thought for Mr. Murasoli

Last year I had the opportunity to be in Madurai. I was exploring the place and came across a small park that had a statue of a king, since the inscription was in Tamil I searched for someone who could explain it to me. That is when I came across Murasoli, he sat nearby and was reading some technical papers. I got talking to him. He had high ambitions and wanted to do well in computer engineering, found this place silent enough to concentrate. I asked him about his name, he explained that his father was an ardent DMK supporter (Karunanidhi to be specific). He was named after the newspaper the Party published. With family infightings in DMK and violence in Madurai one wonders what must be going through Murasoli’s mind? I sincerely hope his name doesn’t become a liability for him. With the kind of politicians around don’t know whether that is hoping for too much.
Some people are genuine the moment you meet, so took his photograph. His ambitious self with limited resources was also endearing. I wished him best of luck and moved on.

Tail piece: Talking of names I have come across many different and interesting names of people. But the one I recollect distinctly was of my college mate: Dil Prem Pratheek, he explained to me that he was symbol of his parents love and also they wanted to name in Hindi since it was national language. Quite romantic!! Another interesting name I came across is: Betnisol, now this boy was named after a medicine which saved him when he was an infant. Imagine being named after doctor’s prescription!!. Never could beat this one.
In 1970s there was a craze in Kerala to give children two letter name, it was kind of trendy….the reason why you have saju, liju riju, aby, mini, lizy, reji, …and hundreds of permutations and combination of these and more!!. And yes you wouldn’t find these in Maneka Gandhi’s list!!.

Why all of us should watch ‘An Inconvenient Truth’

‘An Inconvenient Truth’ is a documentary that was released for public viewing recently. Although I rarely go out for movies, I had read about this one a lot in the Net, so decided to view last week. This documentary is in most parts is a kind of power point presentation by Al Gore (..well the man ‘who was the next President of USA.…It is not funny!’), and unlike power point presentations it is not at all boring, he speaks with lots of insight and involvement, very interestingly personalizing the issue. So we see a human behind the man, a passion behind the words. In the end you not only know about global warming and how serious the threat is, you also end up admiring Mr. Gore. I couldn’t help thinking if he had become the President of USA, how different the world would be or would he been co-opted by the system as it happens most of the case.

If Britain was once referred to as ‘nation of shopkeepers’, the contemporary USA is undoubtedly a ‘nation of lobby’. So the lobby against the global warming, against ban on guns, against cigarettes have a manual which Cooney boy followed so dedicatedly to scuttle the issue…..the first step is to theorize the fact, so create ambiguity (‘Doubt is our product’ is the mantra) and then add some controversy. This seems to be the pattern followed by unscrupulous people in the corporate. Blurring the lines of need and greed, and placing it as freedom, then idealizing it as democracy is a ploy we are seeing on daily basis. As the documentary quotes ‘if we live in denial we will end up in despair’. We are living in an age where every action (and inactions) has severe consequences on future of the planet. The evidences are for us to see…..we need to ‘connect the dot lines quickly’ before it’s too late. Mr. Gore has done an incredible job. And we should be grateful to him for bringing the issue of Global warming as priority not only at the international, national level but also in the personal sphere of each individual. The documentary places the responsibility at our doorstep in all its urgency, this is what makes it a must watch.

All of us need to watch documentaries like these particularly the youngsters, it should be screened in colleges and discussed. Earth despite all its problems is an amazingly beautiful place. It’s a miracle.

Journey to Bimbetka: The prehistoric dwellings

I got up early next day and by around seven I was out. As mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, restaurants open quite late in most of North India, so breakfast had to wait. Then began my struggle to get a bus to Bimbetka. Nobody I asked was aware of such a place, infact many counter questioned ‘yeh kahan hai?!!!’ Finally I decided to go to the bus stand. ‘New bus stand’ was on the outskirts, took almost half an hour. Bhopal is picturesque and well maintained in certain pockets, but unfortunately there were too many poor people, mostly migrants I suppose, and defecating against bushes. The ‘new bus stand’ really had nothing new about it. Vehicles were being instructed through a mike from an enclosure, which nobody seemed to care. Evidently it was long route bus stand as rough looking men shouted ‘indore’ ‘ujjain’ standing next to their bus. I accosted the man on the mike, an obese man with big nose, despite the noise, commotion, and yelling he had to do, he looked extremely pleased with his job. He took few moments to digest ‘bimbetka’, I had given up when he informed that it is Beembitika, ‘you will get the bus from old stand, behind…talkies’. I got into a tempo, a old rusty almost ancient vehicle, it is a surprise that it even moves!!. A co passenger informed me that the government has plans to remove these vehicles but is being resisted. The vehicle has a long history some even refer it endearingly as samosa or was it a ridicule I couldn’t make out.

An hour later I found the bus stopping in front of the hotel I was residing….geez that is two hours gone, by this time Bhopal had woken up and streets were filled up with vehicles. Bimbetka is around 50 odd Kms from Bhopal and took just about an hour and half. Most people refer Bimbetka (which now I feel is anglicized version) as Bheembyetika, the legend goes that this was the place where Bheema of Mahabharatha spend some time to relax. There was an inscription on the road side indicating the direction for the site. Few meters in was a railway crossing, this landmark has a history. It so happened that in1950s VS Wakankar, an archeologist was traveling in train by this route, he saw rock formation similar to one he had seen in Spain and France, he later visited the place with fellow archeologists and discovered the pre historic site in 1958. For me though reaching the site took some time, it was 4kms top of the slope, apparently there were no transportation. It was quite a pleasant morning, the narrow tarred road had wheat field on both sides, in the morning sun it looked spectacular. Up ahead was forest reserve, a man I met assured that although this is a forest region the wildlife is quite inside. As I trekked leisurely the terrain had changed to huge bolder rocks and sparse dry trees. The silence was broken by scurry of babblers, magpies and occasional squirrels. Few Kms up and the route unfolded an open view of the plane, far ahead I saw some villagers grazing their cattle. Perfect, I thought, this is the right place to settle for pre historic people, since it provided vantage point on wildlife, ideal for hunting and the rock formations were such that it created natural homes. My thoughts were interrupted by a Langur who dashed and climbed a tree. It had a majestic, brooding face with none too happy expression (I am sure what he thought was ‘patha nahi kahan kahan se ajathe hai…ghar meh bait ke TV shv nahi dek sakhte’….contradiction here is most simian species speak and think only in English!!).

The rocks were more like tall, huge mounds spread across a distance. Uneven and chiseled by nature into myriad forms, itself a treat to eyes. It felt strange to be in midst of rocks that were homes to people thousands of years ago. I tried to imagine what their life would be (it is pre historic since it dated back to the period when humans were had not learned the art of writing). For next few minutes I roamed around the place, I sensed that I am not able to understand the rocks sites and markings, their significance. It was then I thought of getting some help, maybe a guide. There was not a soul in sight, so I walked and saw a man sitting almost hidden behind the tree. It was as if he was anticipating me “I am the guide. My name is Vimal”. He spoke in a mixture of Hindi and English, as most guides do. He was a self assured young man, seemed immensely proud of his job. But his confidence spilled over when he started speculating about me. ‘You from delhi?’ big no. ‘From bengal’ another no. He gave up, ‘bangalore’ I said. Poor fellow I don’t blame him with my Hindi nobody would guess I am a south Indian!!. He ventured once more ‘You must be in IT’, he concluded. Big no again. Sufficiently diminished he stopped probing and immediately grabbed what he was confident in, to regain himself. He gave a brief introduction about the site and took me around the rocks. Explaining and pointing out figures I had missed. Quite strangely he referred to pre historic people as ‘tribal citizens’!!. These were the oldest paintings in India, more than ten thousand year old, and they still look exquisite. The depictions were as vivid, of hunting and ceremonies. The paintings were done in white and red colour, the red being the later period that extended up to the medieval period of the Indian history. They used natural dye and since these paintings were on the roof and inside of caves, they were remarkably protected from deterioration through rain and so on. It was clear that these sites were inhabited or continuously used for religious purpose for thousands of years. Although I tried to interact in Hindi, assuming it would make him comfortable, he replied mostly in English though he was not very comfortable. Later I too spoke in a mixture of both, fully aware how much English is also about class distinction in this country and so my insistence on Hindi may be seen as an insult to his fragile worldview. It is unfortunate how the system has conspired to its own detriment, a kind of civilizational cannibalism, eating ones own roots. From cannibalism to colonialism to cannibalism we have traversed a full circle, of misery.

Having spent an hour at the site I walked all the way back, although it was sunny mid noon it wasn’t very hot, the sun of March showed its grace. Once at the main road I saw few people waving at passing vehicles which sped unheeded. There was no bus stop and buses are rarity, if ever they don’t stop, I was told, and they have been waiting for last an hour so. There were three school children waiting to go to school (probably afternoon schools) after an hour or so they abandoned the idea and went back. These seem to be normal happenings around here. People have basic necessity not taken care and the ‘national’ media focus on few hours of electricity cuts in metros (read delhi and Mumbai)…well its our (‘people like us’) arse we worried about. Since most people had to go nearby places they told me to show ‘lambi hath’ for Bhopal, one of them demonstrated it for me. It was a kind of outstretched rotating hand accompanied by urgent expression on face. After few hiccups and awkward moments it worked!!. It was almost 2:30 that I reached Bhopal; since I was starving rushed to the nearest hotel for lunch, realizing that it was almost 24 hours since I had my last meal. After a decent meal of phulkas and subzi I caught an auto to Union Carbide site (posted in earlier blog). From there I dropped in to Bharath Bhavan, saw few exhibits (congratulated myself for able to recognize Gulam Mohd Sheikh’s work from distance) and ended the day with a beautiful sight of sunset across the lake (Bharath Bhavan is well thought out structure). By the time I was back it was 8 pm, had a quick bath went out for dinner (they make excellent allu paranthas…I have tried it umpteen times never could match them, these guys are genius!!. It must be the ajwain and some other ingredient or is it the oil since I try use less so compromising on crispiness). Came back and checked out from the Hotel, I had a train to catch at 10:30 pm. So ended by 24 hours in Bhopal!!!!

(the blogger at the natural museum at Bimbetka)

A day at Bhopal, and a visit to Bimbtka: A travelogue

I reached Bhopal almost on time, around 23:50…. I say almost since the train was late by 20 minutes, which is very much alright. A co-passenger, young man who was traveling to Delhi from Bangaluru (having attended an IT interview), suggested that I should exit from behind the Station as I would get cheaper lodges. Since he had done his studies in Bhopal and aware of the city I heeded to his advice. He was right, a kilometer’s walk and I was in a street that had hotels lining the side, and in various stages of closing down for the day. I entered the first one, not with an intention to occupy but to get the feel of the rent, 300/- was slightly above but I was happy that I was in a range I could bargain. After few harassing search I landed up in Meghdoot Hotel and settled for 150/-. Meghdoot means ‘cloud messenger’, Kalidasa- ancient Sanskrit poet, had written a collection ‘Meghdootham’ probably how the name got popular. But unlike the romantic history of the name, the Hotel was quite appalling, nothing surprising for a cheap hotel. A half finished staircase led to a very badly maintained corridor on the first floor, the rooms separated by moldy dark space for ventilator for toilet, leaking pipes. The first thing I checked about the room was the toilet. The toilet is an indicator of habitability is my time tested theory!!!. The room had a stale smell about it. Very strangely the windows didn’t have any rods or mesh to prevent entry. I have visited Bhopal few occasions before and had pleasant experience with people but there are always nasty people and tragedy is one step away. There is a word in English language ‘thug’, the word originated in these regions (It is ironical that Britishers themselves were biggest thugs, had the audacity to judge others!!) from a class of people who were very violent criminals, strangled travelers. These were the thoughts playing in my mind as I vacillated on whether to keep the window open. Discretion is a liability when comfort is in question, further I was claustrophobic, also I argued that since I don’t have any valuables (except maybe a cheap camera) and so in case I am done I will have the final revenge!!. The room boy brought jug of water and vanished, which was a good omen, since many a times these species tend to hang around, and if they ask ‘aur koi seva’ more than twice it is an indication on prostitution.

There mostly is no provision on clean bed sheets, so it is always advised to carry bed sheets and pillow cover. And yes towel and most importantly mosquito repeller, ascertain plug point connection before checking in, nowadays most hotels at lower end do have these since the mobile phones have percolated. However there is one nuisance for which there really is no escape, this encountered mostly in north India, they spit paan on the wall. The corners in a room sometimes really make you shudder before it merges into familiarity. This room though had spit, red streaks evenly spread all across the wall, biased next to the pillow. I tried to figure how anyone could spit laying down; to my surprise I found it is possible but the mystery of spitting all along the bed was taxing since there was only two possible way to occupy the bed: one is the present position and second is opposite, that is, place the pillow where now the leg is. It was impossible for a person to assume vertical or lateral position and be comfortable. The angle of the spit indicated that the person must either be laying or sitting on the floor, the later could be ruled out otherwise he is a maniac. I compromised on the theory that the spit were in various stages of spraying from the bed, contributions from hundreds of different occupants and their lung capacity, height and emotional state (people in extreme emotional self, like in ecstasy or anger are seen to spit with some vigor). But what is startling is that there is a wash basin right in the middle of the room and is meant for spitting!. Kya bhaisaab kamaal ki baath karthe ho aap!!!

It was well past midnight and I anticipated a hectic day ahead so after a quick bath, dropped to bed and was instantly asleep even before I realized that I had forgotten to have dinner. Never mind I will compensate that in my breakfast….

(next blog on Bimbtka, a study on prehistoric caves)

Tailpiece: Paan eating is quite romanticized in many of the North Indian particularly Hindi movies, many songs being quite popular also. The most popular being Kaike paan banaras waala. Another one which I recall is paan khaye saiyya hamare, malamal ke kurthe pe cheet lal lal …..the later part of the line is really very gross, our man need be whacked and taught some eating habit!!. Quite a deviance, north part of the country doesn’t stop to surprise/shock me. In places like lucknow, allahabad, banaras…many young males speak with their mouth full, raising their chin high to contain the paan spit while wanting to speak, and blurt out what I thought was incomprehensible words but perfectly understood by others (what about older males?…well they wouldn’t survive to that age with these daily indulgences, or probably dying with cancer). Also unlike me they find nothing unusual in the behavior, the whole situation is very funny. Whereas in places like Kerala you could be fined for spitting in public (well technically), in Varanasi they consider it an art form to be displayed on walls in colour red!!. I am a big fan of Banarasi meeta paan, whenever i am here i have it almost thrice a day!!.

Getting personal with Gandhian Crude Woman

Ideally one should not trash people….well we don’t live in ideal world further Crude Woman is no sacred cow she is as devious as people can get. Also there is a common understanding on civility but if trash is the truth what can you do?? By shirking from harsh truth aren’t we not being irresponsible? Some try to be diplomatic, this suit scoundrels perfectly. Diplomacy is minor hiccup, it helps both the sides to acknowledge and share, a non-judgmental mush. No questions asked. They gestate and thrive in this pool. Incidentally this is the pool Gandhi so effectively tapped, and they gave back the compliment. Though it was Britishers who were charming on matters of diplomacy, and so on one side you exploit people and fatten, in elite circle be in the best of behavior. They have been since a perfect role model for elite in this country. Propriety is a charade they have created and this slant helps in consolidating their position. Propriety becomes a liability when balance is against them (this is quite an international phenomenon even reflected in policies of many nations like say USA. It therefore has individual and collective manifestations). So, gandhism is another reason for squatting near positions of power, the hypocrisy of their lifestyle and what Gandhi really stood for is again another minor hiccup (ofcourse some do make valiant attempt to modify the philosophy with ‘changing times’). It is actually considered quite ill-mannered to even raise these ethical ambiguities. It is a quaint world (as they say the motto of the coterie is mil baat ke khao bhai…..this should be the official slogan of India…satmayev jayathe is rather outdated, if not India atleast BCCI should take this suggestion seriously!) There are many corrupt people (politicians are public figure so obvious example), but the corruption of using once influence not of position but inherited is most grievous. This is grievous since it takes away space for talented, deserving people, it is further tragic in an economical and social disparities ridden country like India. Take any example whether politics, business or culture the influence of family is rather stark. A son or daughter gets into power because of their parents influence, they get into positions of business or ‘entrepreneur’ with the socio-economic space provided due to inherited reasons, they even get exposure in popular space of entertainment because of parents (this is also very much true for dukhi atma movies referred to pretentiously as ‘art movie’…with few exceptions they really are pain much inferior than any popular movie….some people know how to lick the space for reason for awards or positioning as ‘concerned people’ in festivals. And the crude woman to masticate the charade that she is trying to-save-the-world-so-give-me-some-award). So Karan boy was right on target when he sang ‘it's about loving the parents’….well he surely should be grateful, don’t know whether he would fit in as even as a office boy if he didn’t had that backing ! (I like the songs of his movies though). So where is the sacred ‘competence’ people keep referring to? I guess it has more to do with subordinate level recruitments. Also, those who overplay ‘respecting elders’ are basically incompetent and direct beneficiaries of nepotism. Indian culture respected knowledge; earlier experience was knowledge the reason elders were given respect as repositories of knowledge. So, now if they want respect just because they are old and invoke ‘culture’ they should get a kick. They shouldn’t be allowed this cynical attempt to accrue power. Ever wonder why certain section in elite have great respect for Chanakya?....well the dude legitimized unethical practices almost 2000 years back. Talk of ‘culture’!

In recent times the main passion though seems to be to capitalize on the angst of people, there is a huge space here to lick. The reason why Gandhi has suddenly become a target of the elite section has nothing to do with this post globalization gandhian guilt but a smart realization that there is so much to lick. The area where not much attention is focused is how so called egalitarianism in the elite leads to rabid form of individualism. An individualism lacking any individuality, they loose all reference point, it is about scoring points within their circle, the most obnoxious part is when they use hapless like slum children for self promotion and positioning (Crude woman is only an example in this cesspool). They use whatever they could to float in this morass; Gandhism is the latest fad in here...

I wanna sell my book dude!!!

Move away marketers and spin doctors there is a new dude in the block. He is the one who can sell any dud with such élan that it will like hot chips. He and his gang, all have almost sinister resemblance that is no coincidence. They mostly held influential positions and were sissies when it mattered, now trying to seek redemption through book writing, it is also not a coincidence that they make huge money in the deal. If Gen. Musharaf could then so could our very own moron Jaswant Singh (his claim to fame also includes escorting hijackers to kandhahar….even his English couldn’t save this embarrassment). Both sold their books with dexterity by planting stories, creating suspense, using prime time of salivating media …putting even seasoned marketers to shame. One would have to admit that despite Jaswant boy’s rather stellar performance it was Musharaf boy, who won hands down. You see unlike ridiculous accented Jaswant, Musharaf is also engaged in saving the world from jehadis….how?? Quite complicated will try delve some other time.

The latest dude in ‘I wanna sell my book’ is the ex Director of CIA who goes by the name George Tenet. As a pre sale act he has been dropping ‘bomb shells’ regarding the policy bungling after September 11. He claims to be not the member of ‘Lets attack Iraq’ club, which nobody is ready to buy (but first they will have to buy the book!!. Tricked you!!). He said to Larry King ‘nobody had the wisdom to predict the events in Iraq… ’. Geez I never thought that needed wisdom. Even a seven year old kid hundreds of Km away knew it. This blogger had collected their voices against the war on Iraq and send it across to Ram buffoon…contact him for further reference (well if I had a blog then I wouldn’t be so foolish!!). Well atleast Tenet boy is smart; he will sell more copies of his book and be a millionaire. Next ‘writers’ include Bush, Cheney, Powel, Rice…..no wonder US of A has so many millionaires!!!. Millions on the bodies of innocent people. What a shame. Tenet’s tenet? ‘Humans makes mistake’. Tenet’s unsaid but practicing tenet? ‘…..well humans make mistake but we sure will make money out of it…..its prime time money churning entertainment dude’.

Post script: suggested title for Bush’s forthcoming book ‘Did it for papa’/ ‘There is a Sam in Osama’/ ‘Lost but won but lost in Baghdad’. For Cheney ‘Have gun, will shoot’/ ‘By God I will Shoot’/ ‘I am aiming the duck, it could be the President’.

Natwar Singh’s forthcoming book: My well oiled son!!!