Reality and Rang De Basanti

Youth awakening is an overrated non-event

When I saw Rang De Basanti in 2006, I came out of the cinema hall all pumped up and ready to kill a few politicians, so to speak. Today, I look at myself and many others around me and all we remember from the intentions of that movie are the performances of the protagonists and nothing else.

During that time, I had promised myself that I would undertake a reality check once the movie is forgotten and props up in its "original cheap" DVD form. And I feel that little has changed. I feel that change is not possible through a movie. And I guess I was naive at the time, to think the same. Two years down the line "What youth awakening", I asked myself?

Youth awakening, in most honest terms, is a misleading hoax brought into the spectrum by the media, movies and many other sources to keep us peppy, positive and distracted from the lassitude that is actually omnipresent and is also the grim reality. The problem with us is that we constantly use glorified and immortalized terms like YOUTH AWAKENING to keep ourselves distant from the devil called reality.

Reality is harsh and our aversion from that probably keeps the un-truth alive and hence today's overtly-capitalist India is actually a hunting ground for emotionally profiteering units called movie production houses and their dispensable products called movies. And Rang De Basanti is exactly the realization of my defeated dreams of widespread change in the country today.

Masala movies have gained such unnecessary precedence in the hierarchy of India's priorities today that people, especially youngsters, are completely oblivious from what is important and even proud of it! As long as they can look like Shahid Kapoor or Mallika Sherawat, they are happy. As long as a movie is out every Friday, life is cool. As long as tickets are affordable, cinema halls run wild. Or rather, they run wild irrespective of that.

Indians, and again mostly youngsters, are feeding themselves on a lifestyle where the word cool is of primary importance and very conveniently ignoring everything that is essential. When a career in modelling becomes cooler than one in the Army, you can sense the misplacement of all priorities. If ever there was a mirage in front of us, it is now. Yes, a few tears roll when a massacre like Mumbai 26/11 takes place. Yes, the youth are out ranting on the streets about irresponsible governments and politicians. Yes, the youth are seemingly keen on bringing change. But all of this is tightening our eye lids and not exactly reaping change.

What do youngsters know? The Prime Minister of the country, the chief minister of their respective state? The Home minister (because he is always in the news)? Regarding our current Prime Minister, the focus is shockingly always on sardar SMSes and hardly anything else. I am certain most youngsters could write a book on the cast of their favourite TV shows, the Nach Baliyes and the Comedy Circuses, but would fail to label their family tree appropriately.

Spoilt and cowardly. At complete loss with his/her morals. Passing exams and rewarding himself/herself with visual treats and food fests. Nothing else, according to this blogger, can more objectively define the so-called young Indian. And hence, youth awakening eats the dust.

And Rang De Basanti remains a DVD.







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Artists of mendacity

There is a difference between perpetual defiance and compulsive falsehood, but Pakistan seems to have abundant talent for both.

For a comprehensive course in fabrication of accepted truth, I suggest readers visit our dear neighbours. Not only would you be taught how to be an expert in chicanery but you would be given additional training in how to accuse truth speakers and come out with your head held high.

Up until now, the self-created Frankenstein tried to throw back truth-converted-into-lies so vehemently back at India. But the bubble burst yesterday as "state actors" in Pakistan accused India of funding terrorism through its spies. Pakistan arrested four Indians in connection with Wednesday's Lahore blast, but their fallacy ultimately rose to the surface and the egg, or rather a well-cooked omelette, is on the government's face after a pro-Taliban group 'Ansar wa Mojahir' claimed responsibility for the attack which resulted in the loss of one life.

Now what, President Zardari? Any more arrows-disguised-as-boomerangs in your quiver of lies? Now what, PM Gillani? Some more war rhetoric please. We are getting accustomed to it. But why to blame this duo? The real power lies in the hand of the Pakistani Army which is using the democratic system as a mouthpiece to warn India about the dangers that lie ahead.

First the round-robin denial of Ajmal Kasav's nationality, then the denial of Pakistani involvement in Mumbai 26/11, then the accusations towards right-wing groups in India, then the accusations towards India in general and now this. Conscience is lacking and action is unlikely to be taken as Pakistan's firm stand in the war against terror is not only one of blatant arrogant but also mendacious and shocking.

Some more gibberish that we just cannot tolerate is Pakistani media persons and ex-Army men pleading with India about Pakistan facing a number of Mumbais every day. Is India responsible for the carnage in the country? Is India sending gangs of armed fanatics to unleash their bullets on innocent Pakistanis? Is India the cause of an unstable democracy? Is India bloody responsible for the failure of Pakistan as a state?

Backstabbed we are, friendless we are, but a united India is good enough for every anti-India entity, be it state or non-state, to be taken care and packed away into history. Be warned.







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The enemy within

There's more to the Antulay story than the man himself

Minority affairs minister Abdul Rehman Antulay added his name to a growing list of anti-India Indians living and breeding on Indian soil by considerable vainglory and style with his contemptuous remarks on Hemant Karkare’s death.

The irrational statements ,coming directly from a Union cabinet minister’s mouth, have hence opened the door for not only self-styled Pakistani analysts and self-proclaimed observers of the “real India” but also our very own pseudo-secularist intellectuals and others of the type to create a ripple effect at a time when the country was chasing a dreaded and proven enemy on the other side of the border with some consistency.

But Antulay’s story is interwoven with more than what “meets the eye”, so to speak in the man’s own words. Why blame him alone, as many in his band of anti-Indians would say. Antulay and his band of the eternally “oppressed” have not only provided fodder for our neighbours to feed on India’s self-created divisions with giggles and chuckles and high-fives but have confirmed in all retrospect as to where their true loyalties lie. Not in aiding Pakistan’s so-called “Hindu Zionist” campaign. Not in the progress of the “oppressed” who’s cause they so passionately have picked up. It lies in their firm fundamentalist mindset, where the right wing is the mother of all evils and the cause of so much pain and agony in our lives. Not just so much. In fact, all of it does.

In no other free-minded democracy does the base of the system itself prove so costly – the freedom. Freedom in India is reaching intolerable levels and most terror attacks or so-called anti-minority actions are followed up with all sorts of abuse by the leftist intellectuals.

Arundhati Roy articulately calls Islamic terrorism a deserving return-shot from the oppressed and asks India to look thoughtfully at the reasons for which jehad is being waged. Barkha Dutt proceeds to divide India on communal lines herself by indicating that Antulay’s remarks have embarrassed the Indian Muslim, clearly giving belief to the thought that India is divided from within. Pankaj Mishra, Vinod Mehta, Teesta Setalvad, Rajdeep Sardesai, Sagarika Ghose and so many like-minded “scholars” feed on India’s gullible freedom like bedbugs not letting you sleep, pests screwing your crop and lice biting away on sensitive areas.

Left-liberalism is reaching unseen heights in India. Their hatred for all things Indian is not only increasingly evident but even unchanging. These sympathizers of the distressed challenge the Indian state each and every day with their uttering and hysteria-driven pedagogy.

How dare they even claim to be Indians. How dare they apply for a passport and travel abroad and preach hatred towards India. How dare they call themselves concerned “human rights” activists with a natural belief that Indians are not humans, but only abusers of human rights. How dare they speak and speak and speak without any sense of responsibility.

This dreaded brand of terrorists has their “terror camps” in the mainland. They sleep, preach and breathe anti-Indian sentiments every passing day, from our own soil. They operate abroad with their weapons (ink pens and A4-size sheets) and know that they can take refuge in their freedom that always forgives and mutter any nonsense that will always find readers because intellect is admired by many, no matter how much the nonsense ingrained within it - an intellect which is actually pseudo-intellect.

By Indians, who are actually pseudo-Indians.







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King kaun hai, Shahrukh?

Aaj Tak reporter: Toh aap ko kaun lagta hai King of Khans, Shahrukh?

Shah Rukh Khan: Arey, kahaan King. Hum kahaan ke King, yaar. King toh Billie-Jean King hai. King toh Larry King hai. Hum toh employees hai.


TCGH offers an exclusive copy of HOW TO FOOL PEOPLE AND BECOME A SUPERSTAR to the response that best explains the logic in the above reply.







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Verma committee: Media guidelines issued

Former Chief Justice of India JS Verma has issued a new protocol for visual media in the country, in the wake of their contemptible coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks. If the proposed set of measures are complied with by the private television entities solemnly, then it would assuredly prevent a repeat of their wanton conduct during 26/11, and after.

Verma, in his report, states:

"News related to armed conflicts and communal violence should be shown with public interest in mind," the guidelines said.

In case of a hostage situation, the guidelines said no details like identity or number of hostages should be telecast.

It also asked broadcasters to avoid unnecessary repetition of archival footage which may agitate the minds of viewers.

"Dignity of those who are killed should be kept in mind while such incidents are telecast," the guidelines read.[Rediff]

The point regarding excessive repetition of archival footage is particularly irrefutable as TV channels have opportunistically broadcast past videos without a mention of "File footage", in a bid to retain viewers. Repeat footage is distressing and the purposes with which it is replayed again and again are beyond comprehension.

The report spells doom for our favourite television anchors as their tragedy-time histrionics will be forcefully subdued and it is certain that a few are expected to be up in arms against the guidelines. Hopefully they will, in all their frivolous opposition of these instructions and rabid pseudo-championing of freedom of speech, at least obey the guidelines. Verma states that self-regulation is essential and the only flawless way of the media living up to its fourth-pillar-of-democracy role. And it is hence upto the mediapersons to eventually protect the larger interests of the people, who are undeniably under their elephantine influence.

Barkha Dutt had written, in impudent defence of her acts, not too long ago:

Should there be an emergency code of dos and donts for the coverage of such crises? We in the media would welcome a framework for sensitive events and are happy to contribute to its construction. But it is important to understand that in the absence of any instructions on site and in the absence of any such framework we broke NO rules. [NDTV]

Isn't this what she would have ransacked a politician for if he/she had dared to indulge in any immoral showing during times of crises? Mediapersons jumped onto the bandwagon of endless opportunism during those three dark days and then have the audacity to justify their actions by blaming the absence of a code of conduct. Where was their own so-called moral self at the time?

The bottomline, and it's a sad one, is that media houses showed as much opportunism as the politicians(Narendra Modi, Manish Tiwari etc) and both combined showed more opportunism than the Indian state and people can bear altogether. In times of crises, if their capitalist mindset seeks profit and profit only and they believe that the nation was "awakened" by their constant reporting of the attacks, then it is a testimony of our times that we have slept all along and needed such factions of society to "wake us up".

LK Advani, the supposed next Prime Minister, praised the role of the media openly in the Lok Sabha yesterday. "They woke us up" and "they did national service" were some statements from the BJP leader. What he forgot was that there was another side to the media coverage, that he probably never cared to explore.

It is disheartening that the people of a superpower-in-waiting come to know their true heroes and defenders at the cost of the lives of those heroes. How morally right is this? How much the better that our heroes do not have to sacrifice their lives in order for us to come to terms with what we are facing day in and day out?

Life just came a full circle.







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