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Another yearly break. Sweet times with my nephew, Nonu and niece, Tanu. Here I post their photograph to mark those few snug memories with them in my blog forever. Thats the joy of being an unsolicited unpublished writer! :-)
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Do Parchaiyan..
Another yearly break. Sweet times with my nephew, Nonu and niece, Tanu. Here I post their photograph to mark those few snug memories with them in my blog forever. Thats the joy of being an unsolicited unpublished writer! :-)
Saturday, September 15, 2007
We, The Headless Chickens.
Three weeks. My yearly vacation this year was short and unforgettable. Enjoyed every bit of it, except some annoying ordeals. Media and Politics clearly skirted their way out as the winner of all the discomforting experiences in India.
During these three weeks that I spent, media was busy with all its vigour trying to talk about primarily three things, Indo-US Nuclear Deal, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Though the issues were indubitably incomparable wrt the significance for the nation as a whole, but effectively each was treated equally – inexpiably immense coverage, dumb comments and speculations, lack of critical opinion. Far from being the unbiased benefactor of significant “facts”, media is being the irresponsible, commercialised recipient of sheer abhorrence by critics all the way. And for the other gullible ones, its the one culpable for architecting skewed opinion.
Ronen Sen, India’s envoy to the US, on Nuclear Deal, made a comment -
“So why do you have all this running around like headless chicken, looking for a comment here or comment there, and these little storms in a tea-cup?”
“I can understand (such a debate) immediately after independence,” he said. “But 60 years after independence! I am really bothered that 60 years after independence, they are so insecure -- that we have not grown up, this lack of confidence and lack of self-respect.” Wow, I was never so impressed by a comment so appropriate in my lifetime, really :). Forget the row generated by his statements for a moment.
I distinctly remember one of the comments by a commoner made in a TV show (on one of the numerous news channels) trying to eat up a 60 minute slot interviewing ppl for their opinion on the nuclear deal. So here goes the guy, “Bharat ki akhandta, uska swabhimaan hi uski sabse badi takat hai. Hum kisi bhi halat mein amreeca ke gulam nahin ban na chahte. Kareeb ek sadi tak ladne ke baad bharat to british raj se ajaadi mili thi. Hum apni aazadi dubara khona nahin chahte. Hum na kisi ke gulam the, na fir kabhi honge!” this was followed by a round of applause by one and all. Due respect to the sensational spirit of nationalism but unfortunately the issue at hand needs more than that. Compare the two comments and you will see what my vexation is all about.
The latest Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project row is also amusing enough. No one is willing to look at the geographical implications of the project. The link here shows how the adam’s bridge acted as the natural barrier during the tsunami, helping protect most of the coastline west and northwest of Dhanushkodi from devastation. Hindu Activists claim that it’s a old cultural heritage and should not be damaged in wake of nothing on this earth.
That apart, rather the row at this hour is over the statements included in the reports saying that there is no proof that Lord Rama existed which implies that this is a natural bridge, and hence, cutting a canal through it is not a cultural attack on the Hindus. !! . Why is no one willing to re-evaluate the key fundamental factors (the one mentioned above is just one of them) which really make sense and put them on the table?!
Isn't all this exasperation, incessant illogical frictions a cause of discomfort for you? It is high time we realise that the purpose is to critique and not to condemn each other, the essence is in moving forth and not from the pillar to the post.
During these three weeks that I spent, media was busy with all its vigour trying to talk about primarily three things, Indo-US Nuclear Deal, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. Though the issues were indubitably incomparable wrt the significance for the nation as a whole, but effectively each was treated equally – inexpiably immense coverage, dumb comments and speculations, lack of critical opinion. Far from being the unbiased benefactor of significant “facts”, media is being the irresponsible, commercialised recipient of sheer abhorrence by critics all the way. And for the other gullible ones, its the one culpable for architecting skewed opinion.
Ronen Sen, India’s envoy to the US, on Nuclear Deal, made a comment -
“So why do you have all this running around like headless chicken, looking for a comment here or comment there, and these little storms in a tea-cup?”
“I can understand (such a debate) immediately after independence,” he said. “But 60 years after independence! I am really bothered that 60 years after independence, they are so insecure -- that we have not grown up, this lack of confidence and lack of self-respect.” Wow, I was never so impressed by a comment so appropriate in my lifetime, really :). Forget the row generated by his statements for a moment.
I distinctly remember one of the comments by a commoner made in a TV show (on one of the numerous news channels) trying to eat up a 60 minute slot interviewing ppl for their opinion on the nuclear deal. So here goes the guy, “Bharat ki akhandta, uska swabhimaan hi uski sabse badi takat hai. Hum kisi bhi halat mein amreeca ke gulam nahin ban na chahte. Kareeb ek sadi tak ladne ke baad bharat to british raj se ajaadi mili thi. Hum apni aazadi dubara khona nahin chahte. Hum na kisi ke gulam the, na fir kabhi honge!” this was followed by a round of applause by one and all. Due respect to the sensational spirit of nationalism but unfortunately the issue at hand needs more than that. Compare the two comments and you will see what my vexation is all about.
The latest Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project row is also amusing enough. No one is willing to look at the geographical implications of the project. The link here shows how the adam’s bridge acted as the natural barrier during the tsunami, helping protect most of the coastline west and northwest of Dhanushkodi from devastation. Hindu Activists claim that it’s a old cultural heritage and should not be damaged in wake of nothing on this earth.
That apart, rather the row at this hour is over the statements included in the reports saying that there is no proof that Lord Rama existed which implies that this is a natural bridge, and hence, cutting a canal through it is not a cultural attack on the Hindus. !! . Why is no one willing to re-evaluate the key fundamental factors (the one mentioned above is just one of them) which really make sense and put them on the table?!
Isn't all this exasperation, incessant illogical frictions a cause of discomfort for you? It is high time we realise that the purpose is to critique and not to condemn each other, the essence is in moving forth and not from the pillar to the post.
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