Some brutalization conveniently forgotten…

…there is flagrant brutalizing of nature going on with impunity…amazingly packed as growth indicator!!

Mediocre society celebrates uncouth references

Entertainment is important in any society, and I must admit barring some really miniscule percentage Indian society is amazingly mediocre and uncouth. One may call it freedom of expression but these constantly live in the muck and rarely dwell in finesse. Loud and obnoxious be, how we express and classify ‘our culture’ and get away with it. This generalizing is not out of context, the popular references are amazingly horrible. It really is quite difficult to have entertainment, unless ofcourse you keep your mind somewhere, and that is precisely what they suggest. But what is mindless entertainment? How that can be entertainment? Indeed even humor needs to have some sense!! I used to find it extremely difficult to watch Indian entertainment/movies in my 20s, when you understand the socio-cultural context. It really is quite obnoxious. The traditional has brahminical references that put you off while the popular chauvinistic, blatantly crude.

Dance is an amazing art form that celebrates life, it is firmly part of collective conscience with myriad forms like classical, folk, tribal so on indeed we even have an ancient treatise (Natyashastra- treatise on performing art, about 200BC), it may have been limiting but surely attempted to define aesthetics. What was once space of expression and integral part of celebration and joy is now reduced to crudeness, and means of fast money with minimum effort. “Bollywood dance” is another celebration of mediocrity. Every function has celebrities dancing, now they even have shows of celebrity dancing. It is as if their presence is not awesome enough they now have to show some amazing bad dancing to make it a double whammy on mediocrity. This is emulated by people around, and they keep inventing cruder steps. It is rarely nuanced nor an attempt to understand the wonder of body and possibility of sculpting with the rhythm or discipline. This is dressed up macaques in primal energy, unison seems standard of achievement, this is their effort!! David Cameron (British PM) was right on the aftermath of Olympics. This is waste. High forms of art, like sport, need discipline, dedication and move towards aesthetics that defines achievement. “Bollywood dance” with rare exception is crudeness personified to ridiculous. Free spirit i.e. against moral puritanism and chauvinism isn’t an excuse for degradation. Minimum parameter for adherence to decency must be followed, or else enforced.  

        

Not denying that there are scenes in movies that are endearing and songs enchanting but one has to go through so much muck!! On the other spectrum is so called art movie (where crude woman gestate!!). I have watched enough film festivals…at one point travelled across the country to catch up with film festivals, and have exposed myself to the work of great master from Japanese to Iranians (French is overrated…Godard was omg when you see in the beginning…it is complete deconstruction. I recall being amazingly excited when I first saw his work but very soon you know he is getting repetitive, and we really are staring into nothing!!). It is when you watch brilliant that you know the so called Indian ‘art movies’ are amazingly mediocre and pretentious. They seem to suffer from delusion of self importance, and constantly criticize popular as means of self justification. Precisely that is what they are: Mediocre. It is no wonder nobody watches them and quite rightly at international level are ignored. It is not at all surprising that Indian culture –in all forms of art and aesthetics, presence at international scene is insignificant as it is elite driven. It is different matter that some have utilized these to manipulate national awards, get credibility and made a business out of conscience. Incidentally mediocrity is lack of aesthetics, and that itself is breach on conscience. Surely subtlety is never a concern when there is so much to grab! 

Despite overwhelming mediocrity whether its obnoxiously popular or pretentious art, Indians do favour excellence whenever it comes their way. There are few movies that I happen to see on TV in last few months: like for instance Paan Singh Tomar, an excellent movie (Irfan Khan was a class act), as also English Vinglish (Wow Ms. Sridevi wow!!) it’s an amazing debut movie by Gauri Shinde, Pasanga (a charming Tamil movie that was a box office hit few years back, please make more like it), eeta (a movie on a fly in Telugu, it truly was entertaining and made huge amount of money in many languages. I saw that while travelling in a long distance bus!!). There is hope in nook and corner but very rare -indeed in Indian context you really don’t have to be talented to be an actor (indeed even Director); it is matter of manipulation and destiny.  

Now that the manipulators are going through pangs of conscience after horrendous rape (that incidentally is common outside Delhi), “these difficult times” they have started to scrutinize things. Lo we have can of worms…though I ignore these, after all it is difficult to keep oneself entertained in this mediocre country, let me point to the Sony TV a program called “Laughter Challenge” –that is very popular and running for years. In the episode shown on this weekend –the same day when elite in Delhi were going through severe pangs of distress, the scene enacted for laughter had the fellow saying (translated from Hindi, actually he was enacting Bhojpuri) “my sister was kidnapped by 4 goons (not much laugh, building up for punch line). Good she wasn’t getting married (much laugh). Now we have to find out who the father is (very much laughter)”. Anil Kapoor (who is now an ‘international star’, therefore High Value Target –HVT– for Crude woman & Co!!) found it exceedingly funny, another lady actor “judge” was hysterical. I don’t blame them if these weren’t “difficult times” for the elites in Delhi I wouldn’t have pointed. After all entertainment bhe tho koi cheez hoti hai mere bhai!! Indeed we truly are mindless zombies.

Post script: Crude woman really had some great outing on the aftermath Delhi rape. What really got her was Bachchan lady sobbing. Wo royegi tho meh gaongi…and she came out quite viciously. The question here was which has more brand value? Wonder whether that is sufficient to get her into NCW, atleast sycophants in congress know what she is playing (et al Bachchan–Gandhi division, that crude woman knows has high ROI). Now that Delhi is not only national but international the grab stake has gone up substantially.

   Most crime happens after people get drunk. While I still agree that drinking is a choice that need be exercised prudently but there is a law against promotion that these scoundrels circumvent through surrogate ads and events. It is possible that rapists were only having “friendship ka no 1 spirit” at the expense of victim as ad makers are having at the expense of people. Scoundrels like ZK’s gene also want us to “change our mindset against women”. Such is the intensity of culture loot that they are going berserk; surely his arrogance comes from his hypocrite father/gene donor. Indeed I saw hoard (mindboggling) of empty liquor bottles in their room at Juhu, must be complimentary!! Poor Aamir Khan was surely taken for a big ball ride!! Mission accomplished!!

Dumb go dumber as Delhi boils …

It is the tragedy of the people of this nation that we have such insensitive scoundrels as elites. From feudal to colonial to democratic the egalitarian shift has been rather peripheral, add to it the neo brahminical aspirations and feudal references for mobility. The crude market and entry of American nonchalance as values has made it a mockery. It needed a girl to be raped brutally in the middle of Delhi for these scoundrels to wake up (or have they really woken?…they surely are showing signs of it). Now they are talking of fast track courts and so on. There are some heinous crimes happening across the country, why are not systems in place. What have they done in last many years?  Mostly they expertise in scuttling the issue or fix ad hoc measures without any long term significance. 

It is in the nature of National Parties (like Congress, BJP, as also CPM) that the power is concentrated in Delhi, they really are not connected to people across the country. Regional leaders and issues are automatically subordinated. They are confined to petty power plays in corridors of command. It is here that the sycophants and fixers gain credence. These includes senior bureaucrats as also marketers, it really isn’t shocking that a “Communication guru” throws a party and none less than half the union cabinet turn up, all dressed up for great get together. Elitist leaders and people with absolutely no mass base or credibility work out their game plan, if scrutinized they really are the springboard of nepotism and corruption. It is what makes India a mediocre nation. The exaggeration of clout is done through market media and networking. In effect Delhi (and Mumbai) based media are elevated as national media, concocting as representing the interest of people of the country. Each complementing other in this networking, these entrenched groups then decides and twists the issues into agendas of national importance. The Union Government (represented by National party) play ball, with cabinet ministers degrading their position by choosing to give personal favors as exclusive interviews. Majority of people are kept out of these. It’s about few thousand people in a nation of a billion people. Assuaging the tantrums of exaggerated presence of these TV channels is how issues are dealt and addressed. Encouraged the market media (surely with corporate) arm twist, takes side. The market media isn’t concern about trivializing while people struggle, as they encourage scum (read celebrities with high ambitions) to participate in discussion that is farce, it is about culture clout!! Radia tape is nothing, if Levenson like investigation is conducted here you will understand the gravity of intrusion into pillars of democracy. Indeed democracy is reduced to loot. They spread their tentacles across the nation, encouraging nepotism. In the meanwhile entrenched status quoists in power deal important legal and executive (even legislative) issues with remarkable candor as people suffer, short term piece meal measures are thrown to control, if that doesn’t work then delay. Take the urgent need for Police reforms, that has been recommended/suggested/requested for so many decades, as these leaders hang to colonial IPCs that not very ironically was meant to control Indians (look at the anachronistic absurdity of law on treason!), should be seen in this context. They keep the law lax since it helps them to manipulate. Indeed they need anti social elements as fixers. Delhi rape case has gained wide support because people are sick of inaction, indeed if it had not happened in Delhi nobody would have been bothered. It is one of the rare events (of course at the expense of hapless victim), maybe God forbid but more cases like these in Delhi will help people of India. That is what we are reduced to. That is the hope, unless it happens in front of them unless people go up their throat they aren’t bothered. To think that millions of rupees were spend to elect these people, with so much hope. They say its democracy but in reality it is bunch of self serving connivers.  Clearly they don’t deserve to rule this huge country, they lack the competence.

Wonder on what basis was Manmohan Singh chosen the Prime Minister of India? He wasn’t elected by the people. He lacks everything that is needed to address the concerns of people. A politician need be first a communicator apart from being competent person, it is very important. Our man even has to read out the fact that he has three daughters and ask theekh hai?!! Pity. He is a metaphor of this incompetent government and a cruel joke on people. Indeed even the Home minister says he has daughters, so does the Lt Governor of Delhi who says he had gone to meet his, guess what, daughters in US! In plain language it is called emotional bullshitting.   

This blogger is very much against the protests, elites masquerading as victims. Need add here there are many genuinely concerned people, but they are mere fodder for fixers. Delhi is an insensitive city with uncouth people. They are nobody to fight for the country, they lack the credentials. A person in Delhi has only as much right as the person in Tripura. Property in and around Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Parliament, India Gate so on are national property of significant importance, these cannot be breached by aggrieved Delhites whatever maybe the grievance. It should be dealt severely, and I support the Delhi police for the action taken. Indeed there should be stricter laws that prevent these from happening in future. 

It cannot be denied that the brutal market with regressive western references chosen as modernity has only given credibility to patriarchy. They objectified women (indeed even men) and are used to sell commodities. Humans are stripped of reason and gagged into consumers. Body is used to attract consumers, celebrities are vying for these exalted status. Market media’s job here is to give them credibility (crude woman’s surrogate anguish gives brand credibility to Lusaka ka pure paani gleeful sellers. Wonder how much is her cut. She must be positioning for future gains for abla nari sake). They have veneer of sophistication but at the street level there aren’t any pretensions. While little girls are pushed by parents to gyrate on the song sheela ki jawani,I am too sexy for you … as small time celebrities’ clap and give marks. Sexuality is reduced to vulgarism and titillations. It is celebration of mediocrity. Some say freedom is expression. Champu Khan in the meanwhile tells fair and lovely. In this context rape is just a minor offense.   

Sacrificing children for freedom

In ancient times sacrificing children was a common practice among many civilizations; sometime back I was watching a program in TV about children sacrifice by Incas (referred to as Capacocha. Aztecs and Mayans are also documented). They explained the process in detail, since the victims were taken to top of mountain they suffered from high altitude sickness, followed by hallucinations and so on. Later the bodies were mummified. In short it was miserable, quite horrifying. Even now some cults indulge in child sacrifice in India too, to propitiate. Greed is the main driving force. I gather these have reached to an alarming level in some part of Africa; children are kidnapped for sacrifice associated with black magic. Indeed the detail shown in one of the TV program on this was shocking.  

We can dismiss these as primitive but when a society proud itself as land of free, and values its liberty so much that it doesn’t stop to gloat over its way of life, we know the problem is within. Ideals are undoubtedly good and provide a basis for just, but stretching it to an absurdity is where it becomes tool in the hand of vested interests.  Freedom is sacrosanct so is respecting life. Gun culture breaches both. It is a threat to freedom and life. The oft quoted argument that it is not the gun that kills but the person is rather stupid. A person cannot simply cause grievous injury to so many people in such short time without a gun. It becomes a massacre because it doesn’t give victims a chance to escape, it finishes in few minutes if not seconds. Individuals become numbers in an instance. That makes it horrific. Further a person needn’t be psychotic. After such major incidents the media goes overdrive on analyzing psychology of perpetrator, and ends up finding that he is just another human being!! It is normal for people to have ups and downs. But when one is down, the culture of violence providing plausible option is a concern of society. What makes it grievous in USA is availability of gun as instant retribution therefore completing the cycle of madness.  A madness that may have subsided if was given some time, a space for better thoughts and judgment. In this world of instants guns have made it dangerous, it has perpetuated the culture of violence. 

What is ridiculous about Americans is that they are making guns as symbol of freedom. Possessing guns is equated to sovereign right. Clearly for equality to flourish, in such a society, everybody should have guns!! It goes by the notion of right for self protection. Amazing is it not the way you can stretch arguments. I shudder to even be part of such a society. Then there is argument on tradition. It doesn’t need a genius to understand that tradition that harms a section of society or goes against just is generally supported by powerful few. When scrutinized, one finds that these traditions have history of oppression and misery. Guns (and hunting, pro life!) are traditions of white Americans specifically from south where slave trade was common practice. It was meant to control black slaves. Animals came low in that order. Now that they have understood that blacks too are humans, and so cannot be killed so randomly, they are taken of the list. Hapless animals are still a ‘game’ (I take strong exception to the use of wildlife sanctuary as game park and animals as games. A naturalist in Taj safari mentioned they use words like ‘game drive’. Amazing colonial left overs. TATA too!!), a stricter view on animal rights will see hunting as heinous. In the meantime trigger crazy Americans can fight for justice in Afghanistan. 

So again there is a sacrifice in the altar of high freedom. Little children are offered to propitiate gods of guns. We are seeing people hugging each other and sobbing, distraught people trying to fathom the loss. For the people around the world this American culture of sacrificing children for higher ideals of possessing guns seems appalling but for Americans (and too many parts across the world where lawlessness has increased, including Delhi) these are part of esteemed culture, hugging each other is post sacrificial ritual. 

Everything said and done these societies are so polarized (thanks to two party system) that you will never have a meeting point. Again it will be rigid posturing, grand standing, insinuations…while innocent people get killed. Thank god we are not like Americans. Gun culture breeds violence and is an uncivilized way of dealing with situation. Guns are not symbol of freedom for sane people. It is a reflection of sick society cannibalizing itself. God please bless America!      

Its déjà vu in horrible Delhi

Delhi doesn’t change. It might have got a veneer of sophistication. Things have become so costly, that one wonders is it all meant to keep the outsiders out? The gap between the rich and poor has grown astoundingly in last decade or so.  And the rich mostly are not really because of any talent, it is placement and connection, indeed if you have a property in Delhi you can easily be a millionaire, without having moved your ass a centimeter in last many decades. If you have more property then you go to the next level of building clout. With some manipulation you could be ridiculously rich. Then you are Ponty Chadda!!...and then kill your brother and get killed!!  

Delhi remains disgustingly crude place. People use abusive words so commonly and blatantly that it takes few weeks to not get affected by it. I get to hear it every few minutes, I am trying to get used to it. The attitude of richer section is one of the worst, who seem to exist with a single aim to accrue. And then there are these bleeding hearts with mouth open for big licks. It is very difficult to trust people here.

The latest in Delhi is the gang rape of a girl in a bus. It couldn’t be horrific. She was severely mutilated, the depravity is astounding. It’s a déjà vu for me since when I landed in Delhi about 15 odd years back, it had similar instance of a girl being attacked in an empty DTC bus. She fought back and broke her leg in the process. She I guess was appointed into Delhi police. I was listening to some discussion in TV (it is a travesty to call it a discussion) wherein a woman –south Delhi posh colony types –was saying that she has all the right to walk in the streets of Delhi in the midnight wearing spaghetti (?!!). And yes I too have all the right to stick thousand rupee currency notes on my face and walk around mean streets of karol bagh in the dead of the night and expect scoundrels to admire my dressing sense. Get real. These are the people who trivialize the issue. They like to instigate and then play victim. While common people struggle and are exploited. The elite section in India, in particular in Delhi, will never have to face these harassments or god forbid heinous crimes. They only play surrogate for own benefit. The chatter boxes will chatter, for they are working on their little life. They will show their face for the camera and move on. It is the common people who will have to face the harsh realities. And I guess each one should know where to draw a line, and realize where the danger is. Authorities are severely stretched, and cannot be present in every nook and corner. We have to go by our instinct. And yes sometimes we get it wrong, and in case of females they sometimes pay heavy price. Some people are unfortunate to slip in the cracks of society into crevice. Some may be brave to fight back and survive, some just vanish. There are so many people vanishing everyday from streets of Delhi. Maybe that is why Indians are such fatalists. I guess the elite section has never been responsible (ever wonder why they don’t initiate police reforms?). There has never been egalitarian framework for mobility. It is the neo brahminical context; the aspiration model itself is flawed. It is based on wiliness that is steeped in the garb of tradition. Everything seems to be working for exploitation and squeeze, capitalism seem to have given legitimacy to wantonness. There really is not much culture here. For majority this is the harsh reality. If you are weak then you had it. If you are vulnerable you will be exploited. Expect no mercy. People like crude woman will do cameo act in TV channels but you really are doomed, there aren’t any support system. There are too many entrenched people who will not allow the system to change. Rape victims, like victims of major crimes, really are doomed. With low conviction rate and delayed judicial system (where lawyers are experts in the art of delaying) India really is horrible place for common people.