Ghar wapsi of mediocre millionaires …still counting

 Thank god the disgust is over…more than this boring game, its mediocre but high on style players (it’s called branding, records make it groovy), all kind of smalltimers and Machiavellian organizers the ex cricketers are the worst nuisance. These vermin invade all possible space with god knows what expertise. Our challenge as ordinary people who don’t give a damn about this stupid game is to keep these pests out.

Despite these mediocrities they will never stop making easy money market has cash riding on them. ‘Indian team’ was never good, they never were. They make records, are awarded over other genuine sportspeople, hyped by market while London returned media create the halo. These have severely degraded institutions and propriety. Now they want their followers to be sensible.

This is a picture from one of the city. We know about statues in main squares but one on coca cola really beats it. They have constructed a tribute for soft drink brand in public property right in the middle of the city!! With big money exploitative corporate in poor and corrupt societies have always had it easy, all packed as democracy, freedom and choice. It’s amazing that they pulled this one. I am sure next it will find space next to bigben in London.  

Thou shall erect more statues

There is a dearth of statues, particularly of one man you-know-who that is being bulldozed in public space with gusto. There could be more than few million statues of this man, considering how impoverished this society is it’s a cruel irony, a joke gone too far. It is a hallowed tradition in this part of the world to give importance to statues at the expense of people, indeed it is a framework of untold atrocities wherein statues were sort to be humanized while humans dehumanized. If studied carefully, these will put holocaust as a minor blimp in history, and all jihadis and crusaders as juvenile offenders who maybe be rectified with some hugs. The finesse in matters of exploitations, macabre intent in non violent garb also comes quite handy in the democratic values that negotiate modernity in its market driven horror, the reason why some people fit in so well. Brutal and absurd ideas were pushed in as part of god’s will, the heinous elite went in the act of codifying these horrors, for centuries these were references for absurdity, herein the Indians worked out equally bizarre philosophies. This squatter’s framework defined the worldview of elite, a kind of self justifying outlet that kept exaggerating their presence. It is not surprisingly that elite took to career in matters of law as fish in water. Almost all the ‘freedom fighters’ were lawyers, the hallowed tradition is passed on. It seems the lawyers are able to understand the nuances of trade to economics to art, in a way that common people aren’t.  A closer scrutiny makes it clear that it is not the content that is the focus but the framework. It is not the functioning nor the social impact but adherence without thought. There is a definitive reason why indian judicial system is one of the tardiest in the world. So as the squatters spread their tentacles they sucked away humanness from the equation, the callousness we face has a significant religio-tradition context.  

Before I go further on with this it is important to point out that it is in negating these absurdities that Indian thoughts found its moorings, a space for cultural and philosophical brilliance. And it must be reiterated that Indian nuanced thoughts have necessarily come from outside the squatter’s framework. Likes of Naipaul may give credence to the exploitative system as a space, necessary stillness for flourish (something on that line) but reality will point to putrid pits. In these pits some stray brilliance may show up and duly exaggerated, well Nazis too had some brilliant engineers. Like for instance the Chola art of Natraja is no doubt well made but I have seen much nuanced artforms that doesn’t come out of squatter’s precincts hence ignored/suppressed and didn’t find the clout, these artforms carry the indications of brilliance. Most significantly even the creators of temple artforms weren’t squatter’s thyself whose skills, if any, was limited to clever ways of exploitations. Common artisans were sucked into the system that was essentially cannibalizing their egalitarian world.  

  

All the great thoughts right from Vedanta to Buddha to Bhakti has its origin outside squatter. These are sages, munis and other enlightened souls who consolidated abstract thoughts and humanistic understandings. They typically congregated under tree, therefore connection with common people, nature, surrounding. It is much later that the power structure start to emerge as the squatters used their manipulative skills to control the system. As temples became centers of exploitation and dissemination of inegalitarian worldviews, language was used as a tool to hide and quell thoughts. Squatter’s acquired status was now entitled and consolidated with deviant philosophies and crude interpretations of egalitarian thoughts. With dominant status they negotiated with kings and other sundry rulers –who in turn needed them to gain credibility, as also in case of some megalomaniacs, divine status. Cleverness and manipulation became the mainstay, gods of common people were sought to be streamlined, suitable stories created to rein in ‘smaller gods’ into the squatter’s fold.  In the meanwhile arbitrations on these matters were firmly controlled to exploit common people. They also persistently degraded enlightened people and thoughts. It’s amazing how Buddhism was decimated from Indian subcontinent. Mullah’s breed’s atrocities are known but the squatter’s brutalities are underplayed. Indeed egalitarian nature of Islam provided a necessary succor and counterpoint in many ways as squatters unleashed their deviant world. It must be added that despite being hoarded into squatter, liberal essence never really diminished. Common people still have strong skepticism against squatters. As people learn for market oriented jobs and to sniff out profit they loose these nuanced take on life. 

For contemporary India there are two clear significant indicators here. Firstly, people who use exploitative (casteist therefore racist) surnames/references are entrenched in squatter’s framework, and must be treated with necessary disdain while international community must declare these as racist. Even Nazi symbol or Ku Klux Klan is mild comparisons. They are carrying the legacy of crude part of our civilization and therefore must be shunned from civilized discourse. They must not be allowed to appropriate egalitarian thoughts as Hindu philosophy. Herein I use Hinduism as that which is being claimed by squatters. The syncretic, accommodative and liberal aspects of Hinduism are not squatter’s contribution. Anyone carrying squatter’s references while claiming to be civilized is a crude joke. Secondly, since squatters have tradition of ensconcing with power, whether kings, feudal lords, colonial powers, market so on they have firm control over narrations. They are quite comfortable in the art of arbitrations, negotiations and other known chicanery. The degradation of society therefore can be traced to them. Their unethical presence only dents democratic values.   
               

The brilliance of Kabir is the essence that should have been at the forefront. One wonders what is about Gandhian study, that was promoted by sycophantic Congress, hence some compelling chest beating Gandhians. Wherein likes of Kabir are the quintessence of Indian way of life. He is just an example in the series of great souls who have constantly replenished the worldview of common people. The reason these have percolated among common people while Gandhi needed State machinery support to be hoisted. Gandhi is the sideshow of the elite. If Nobel committee praises Kailash Satyarthi as epitomizing Gandhian values, then they are gravely mistaken.  Satyarthi did something that Gandhi (or even the pretentious Gandhians) would ever factor. He changed his exploitative/ racist surname, he shifted to egalitarian framework of Hinduism and therefore rightly can claim the legacy. He decided to side with righteous as against power. This Gandhi cannot, and Gandhians will not. Though, I am getting feelers that Mr. Satyarthi is moving towards Gandhi hence towards power and ensuing manipulative cunningness. Nobel committee also erred referring Satyarthi as Hindu, indeed it’s amusing that they have not much understanding on these. They need to comprehend that religion has different meaning in egalitarian context of Hinduism. It is not an identity nor it is a reference used to identify others. They must drop Gandhi and pick up Kabir to have insight on Indian ways of things. And yes either you please speak less or stop patronizing. 

It is only when you put things in its proper context that you understand how depraved some people are. Undermining contexts, using jargons and habitual cleverness, particularly for western audience is what some people expertise in. Indeed taking things out of context some even come out as stellar mahatmas, a lightness of being even grandsons are known carry in their aura and gait. This genetic ability is something British elite are well versed with and it is this embryonic connection that they refurbish on special occasions. Gopalkrishna Gandhi should explain his surname as also his presence in the event, ofcourse when 'Lord Desaiji' thyself is hovering around one must surely be intimidated. What has Gopalkrishna Gandhi to do with Gandhi? Extending the same logic Godse’s grandson must be a murderer.     

Post script: Why Ben Kingsley?!!

Props in shadow fights

 It is a well-known fact that the institutions of democracy in India are very much compromised by power brokers and cliques that exaggerate clout and therefore usurp benefits. These have quite severely dented the benefits and the structure that egalitarian nature of democracy was supposed to provide. It’s an amazing travesty for a society that is quite primitive and didn’t have any egalitarian worldview to start with. Amazingly insular elite have created an illusion of democracy, and percolated benefits herein. What has changed in last few decades are the technological innovations that disseminated to common people, the spin off benefits herein is how democratic values seems to be getting consolidated and felt by common people. Clearly, sometimes grievance spill over as a response to lackadaisical and tardy insulated State machinery. Social media and mobile phones have helped the matter as people decide to take the matter in their own hand. One startling example that happened the other day is the public execution of alleged rapist (it may seem like one off example but people are getting restive as also these incidents do have wider support across the societies). Shocking though it maybe it doesn’t really point to brutal nature of people. Indeed in the context of things the lynch mob is quite a subtle presence compared to ‘nuanced and well mannered’ scoundrels who squat the higher echelons of judiciary. Why not lynch the members of judiciary for their amazing incompetence that has put untold misery on people? Why not for god sake lynch the CJ of SC?  Judges of SC and HC live like feudal lords, showing much alacrity to protect their turf as also supplicating for post-retirement benefits. Why are these people even paid? Standard of lawyers is best unsaid, the system quite understandingly attracting the worst of people, and not surprisingly many have crept into politics and have occupied plum positions as political leaders without having ever visited any village!  These are some of the most incompetent and inhuman people.

Political leaders, mostly product of feudal nature of society, even with mass appeal are at the end of the day just props. Once they are elected by people (by standing in queue with hope and expectations, sold out by speeches and promises), they occupy important positions. They then quite effortlessly switch to be cheerleaders of money bags. These money bags go by the name of businessmen, media barons and other influential exaggerated for clout/power section, they are also touts and perception arrangers. Democratic values and principles therefore dies a gruesome death in these corridors. The fight among the elite is therefore for manoeuvrability space. Issues (that ironically affect common people) are conduit for asserting one’s space, and dredging into suckabilty matters. To show how these people work as pack let’s take the example of media, in particular TV channels. Some of these have exaggerated presence, the market (fuelled by moneybags), as also by sycophant politicians who don’t have mass base therefore feed to manipulate to work out clout. It is nobody’s matter that these politicians degrade institutions by their crass actions. Since they have no mass base for the same reason people are not their concern they therefore spent time in TV studios, exaggerating TV channels therefore in effect exaggerate themselves. Grassroot issues as well as genuine leaders/people suffer, the mistake Congress made, the mistake BJP will most enthusiastically make (as mentioned they are from the same framework). With pliable almost slavish journalists they create reputations and also position themselves as spokesperson of the society. This creates perception on reputation of TV channels. Indeed moneybags (with market touts and pliable journalists) fuel issues and create perceptions as and when it suits them. Vedanta Aggrawal is a sponsor (indeed I am told he has adopted Pronoy. Sardesaiji is also very much on the chai pani list, it is a set up that gives extra lung power to sickularism that is source of existence for liberal masquerading squatters), with his kind of ill-gotten money the fellow will create perception as news and issues, this then is responded by the government. The pliable bureaucrats now take over the matter. This scam is not about money, it’s a quid pro quo world, that meets later to quantify the spoils (ZK & Crude woman have minor expertise on these).  This is a small example to illustrate how things work, as the moneybags stampede, economists come out with compelling jargons, the government quite effortlessly concede, there is celebration of liberal values and saviours of democracy emerge from unlikeliest of corners. 

In the search of Batalvi: Shiv Kumar Batalvi was an amazing Punjabi poet, he died quite young (at the age of 36). Immensely popular, even now his lyrics are used by movie makers. He is the youngest to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi award. So here I was at Amritsar on an exceptionally cold and foggy day. Batala is about 40km; my contact took me to Shiv Kumar Batalvi memorial hall. It is in dilapidated condition, and is being renovated. I was told that the library has some books, but someone assured me that since he is youngest to win the Sahitya Akademi, add to the fact that he is immensely popular, I will have no problem in getting his collection in Delhi. Assured I was at Sahitya Akademi in Delhi, a place not unknown to me. They seem to have spent a ransom in last decade on renovation, as also adding auditorium so on. Previously anybody could enter the library but now (this is true for everything around) entry is restricted. I was at their book counter, everything tastefully done. But problem started when you got into the reality of things. Shiv Kumar Batalvi is unknown here. I asked the fellow to search in his collection. Surprise. The fellow says the system doesn’t work that way, it doesn’t search by name of author, I will have to refer the title that he can search. I spent an hour or so searching through hundreds of books, seeing my persistence the fellow at the counter tried to help. Exhausted I left. The Sahitya Akademi has made a simple search into rocket science. This in itself will tell the story of degradation. How these institutions have been converted to personal fiefdom by people with clout. Even the once prestigious awards are reduced to doles of favour, and unfortunately lost it value, the sycophantic manipulative Congress leaders screwed up institutions under the garb of sickularism and liberal pretensions. Even DD and other government TV channels are degraded, they became means for spreading clout. In DD one fellow was seen praising ZK (the amazingly limited lyrist), they create a system wherein they use power and clout to hand out doles and favours, these therefore show their indebtedness by praising in whatever occasions. Hopefully these are eliminated and very likely replaced by, what they will start screaming about, the ‘saffron’ brigade.    

ZK was seen, the other day, ruing on general degradation of things around (clearly he is talking about himself and ofcourse Crude woman who seems lost these days). Thappar is part of what is ostensibly ‘ever vigilant against right wing incursions’, the moneybags losing out on Modi doles have put money here. How scoundrels like ZK got themselves elected to RS is pertinent question. Incidentally, not long time back ZK & Crude woman were seen attending the world’s richest wedding (Crude woman also did Turd-e-disco for billionaires, it comes to her naturally. She even has put the picture in the drawing room!!). Such wanton profligacy fits in quite well to liberal values, just that it was around the time when thousands of farmers were killing themselves as they faced untold misery, not to mention some serious existential problems people face all the time, as also patriarchy pressure of spending on marriages that has caused misery, accentuated gender bias so on.  It is clear that without moneybags blessings all these big talks go nowhere. Ask Sardesaiji, moneybags make saviour positioning much easier. Pliable NGOs fed generously act as a conscience front, while Greenpeace becomes a national threat.

And so what happened to Batalvi’s book?…well I spent a day going through bookstalls at Connaught place, through best sellers, celebrity memoirs so on (it has become quite a depressing place) as also at Darya Ganj. No luck. So finally got hold of one online and ordered it. The book costs more than 1000R, thin school book type American version ‘Punjabi poets’ with half page on Batalvi. Cheated. Royally cheated.