IPL, Politics, Varun Gandhi and media

The title may look strange, but it all boils down to politics. Finally IPL has moved out of India, thanks to our home minister with an army of almost 2 millions and an equal police and paramilitary at his command has suggested that he can't guarantee protection. It throws open many possibilities. Let me analyse this. There can be two possibilities and both are dangerous. First and the secular option- Chidu is telling the truth, that the threat is real and we are incapable of handling this during election time. A few thousand Jehadis are threatening the very existence of a nation of one billion. Hold on, all seculars,  i am not telling this, it is our own secular home minister of a secular Government supported by a secular Mulayam is. Let me move to the other theory. Did somebody say all non-congress governments cleared IPL and all the five Congress governments expressed their inability. Well that opens up two more possibilities and both are dangerous. First did the Congress CM' s knew more about the terror threat than the non- Congress governments? Is center is not passing all the intel inputs to all  state governments equally?. The second one, Congress needs funds to fight elections and did we hear that IPL is a cash rich cow?? No i am only guessing as i thought it can't be a coincidence.

Coming to Varun Gandhi issue. He has exhorted people to throw out anti-nationals and cow slaughterers. I thought both are illegal in our country. Varun was a little stupid if the tapes are to be believed as he used the M word while describing anti- nationals.  The media went overboard and were definitely selective in reporting the speech. It did everything to start a communal riot. At the end of the day i saw some glum faces in the media. I was not sure whether they were really hurt by the comment or were disappointed that it didn t cause riots and they lost a golden opportunity to win a few Padma awards and probably some more grant from secular people! Now coming back to freedom of speech and expression. When Hindu Gods were painted in nude and a group opposed it, all secularists and thinkers were for freedom, never mind it hurt a few. Now why different yardsticks? It might have hurt a few but then Varun is entitled to have his opinion, just like the people who burnt down effigies of Bush, few shops, cars and buses in India when Saddam was hanged in Iraq. It hurt a lot of followers of Bush and a patriot like me.  but who cares? Coming back to our own secular Sangliana, ex police chief of Bangalore. He openly threatened to form a armed gang to attck the people who create touble for Christian community. Being an ex police officer and MP, is not hate speech?. I don't know and i am no expert with the constitution but will this not amount for sedition? Why the press and the thinkers of Banagalore were silent on this? Well they were out in large numbers on the street to protest and protect loose, forward and pub going pink chaddis!          

               

Slum dog a passing thought

The media hype over Oscar is again reflection of our colonial mindset. A R Rahman is undoubtedly one of the best musicians we ever had and to be fair to Rahman himself, Slumdog is not his best work. But his association with a " white " man gave him the Oscar. If work was all people at OSCARS looked at Rahman should have got OSCAR 10 years ago. Now media, public and everyone stop pretending Slumdog .. as an Indian movie. If Lagan or Tare Zameen Par had got the Oscar then there was point in celebration. Now here is a clue to Aamir Khan- Take a white producer and director when you produce your next movie.   

Minority, Media and the BJP

No more part time jobs. With the recession in top gear, Hindu bashing is now  a favourite full time for the media. Again anything with Hinduism is equated with the Sangh Parivar. Whichever act done by anybody close to BJP ideology is viewed as evil by press and  secularists. Congress and the communists get a benefit of doubt because they are the principal opponents of BJP and they have to oppose them to get a pie of minority votes. But what about the press. There was a famous e mail running around the world which pointed that majority stakes in press is garnered by Sonia sympathisers, read Hindu bashers. I wonder it may be true! Two prominent television journalists got the Padma award last year and it didn't needed rocket science to conclude that they were rewarded for BJP bashing  and holding the hands with the Congress and communists. 

The recent pub attack in Mangalore got a world wide publicity. Friends from abroad were calling and were worried about " Talibanisation" of Karnataka. None of us  supported the attack and I assured them that Karnataka is as peaceful and as tolerant as ever before and a stray incident is blown out of proportion. A fringe organisation called Ram Sene was behind it and they achieved what they wanted- free air time and a good publicity. Almost all were promptly arrested by the so called friendly government and were behind bars within 48 hrs. But the furore in the media and airtime they got put 26/11 attackers to shame. It bundled all of us, sympathisers of the BJP under the headline taliban. It is the same Ram Sene organisation which was responsible for the defeat of few prominent BJP candidates in Mangalore and DK district splitting votes and helping Congress to win in the recently concluded assembly elections. The attack happened in the full glare of the media. Mediamen who got the clue about an hour before the incident was happy to shoot it and air it to boost TRP rating and their masters vote ratings. Does media have no responsibility towards the society.  God forbid, a day may come where media will show a live " Bomb Blasts" from parts of the country brought to you exclusively by Channel A or B. 

The pub incident should have been treated as a grave law and order problem and nothing else. To name it as attack on women is again showing them as a weaker sex and chauvinistic attitude. Is it OK, if men gets beaten. Every attack on teachers, doctors, government servants and destruction of public properties are today justified in the media in the name of speedy justice. I am sure women in the pub can defend themselves like all of us and they don't need a press or a Renuka Chaudhary. It is the women in larger society need somebody to fight their case. Child marriages, polygamy, selective  infanticide, slavery, denial of education, harassment at work are some of the burning issues where moral police, politicians and the press need to look at.  But hang on! If they fight for this- Who will watch the TV?.  Who will protect the secularism? Who will give them the awards?.  

Coming to anti-terror campaign by Karnataka Governement. Is it bad to educate youths of today about terrorism. This is safronisation according to secularists and intellectuals. Nationalism and  patriotism is equated with saffron by these siculars. This is the highest insult to the minorities as it gives an impression that minorities are too opposed to anti-terror campaigns. This atrocious and irresponsible behaviour is coming after a call by the Congress minister for PUB BHARO agitation. At this rate, the next call would be probably SIMI BHARO!.  Cant help but too cynical, though.  

  

Muslims have become pawns in the hands of politicians ever since Independence. "Soja baccha varna Gabbar aa Jaayega!" was a famous dialogue of Sholay which was used by mothers to put their kids to sleep. Now kids are smart, they need POGO channel or a good bed time story to go to sleep.  Secularists are using the same - " Hame Vote Dal bacche, varna BJP aa Jaayega". How long this fear factor will be used to blackmail minorities?  Was there a single instance where BJP acted against Muslims in 6 yrs of its rule in India? Did it pass any laws against Muslims? Did it cut Haj subsidy? Godhra riots was not the first and will not be the last communal riot to take place in India, sadly if the secularists have their way.  Scores of hindus and muslims have died when Congress was in power at various places since Independence. Communal riots probably can get a few more votes for right wing parties but definitely minorities votes will get concentrated against the same because of a fear psychosis developed by the media and its masters. India is secular not because of these pseudo secularists and pseudo intellectuals but because the majority are Hindus. More than three to four times the number of Sikhs were killed in capital of India which was ruled by Congress.  Yet the congress is safe, secular and what not. 

Muslims have to look to vote positively rather than harping on negativism. They should come to the mainstream and start to enjoy equal rights than ask for special rights and be branded as a separate entity and a vulnerable vote bank. If kids have come out of Gabbar ghost why can't the muslims? They should come in large numbers to get educated, join army and in nation building. They have to shed the tag of vote bank. There should be more Abdul Kalams, Azim Premjis Aamir Khans, Zaheer Khans and Sania Mirzas than Antulays and Shahabuddins. Sadly the Press has been playing a negative role along with the secularists to keep the nation divided. They project more of Antulays than Premjis. Once muslims join the main stream and reject to vote on communal lines,  the country will see the political parties fight election on real issues- ROTI, KAPDA AUR MAKAN.