I had a very satisfying experience at Tirpati-Tirumala, all thanks to the Lord Venkateswara who took me through this, amidst TTD’s specially laid out problems and barriers for his Bhakts, to make it a memorable and cherishable moment of my life.
The Lord of Seven Hills
Tirumala is always a beautiful experience from my childhood. Apart from the long queues, there was nothing much to complain till the recent past. My father used to complain about the rampant corruption in Tirumala 35 years back, where any service is proportional to the tips staff receive. Then, a Super Bhakt appeared on the scene. I still faintly remember an NTR cut out at Tirumala in saffron clothes is if he is watching TTD directly. Don’t know if his gaze helped, NTR ensured a golden experience for the poor visiting Tirumala. He brought in various free amenities which still holds good along with the famous sign board, not to give any tips to the staff, something I read many many times just to enjoy an almost corruption free experience, a rarity in India of that time. From then onwards, there was no looking back on Tirumala experience with brokers getting eliminated and innovative online bookings to avoid cumbersome queues for availing basic facilities. But, nowadays, I am afraid if Tirumala is on a downward slide on whatever goodness accumulated by its beautiful administration of the past….
The Ali Piri Pilgrimage – Climbing steps From 420 to face 840:
The Rule of the Jungle experience started at the auto-stand where the Auto guys started bargaining trying to squeeze as much as possible from the hapless passengers. What is your rate? It actually depends how soft and pliable you are, allowing the driver to take a ride on you. After fooling myself I managed to reach the footpath starting point. The trek to Tirumala called as “Ali piri” has always been a very blissful route. I started it during my college days owing to long queues and lack of Buses and money then and eventually started falling in love with the beautiful journey. Twenty five years back, Ali piri was just uneven steps with few Mandapams and mostly People trek with their footwear on, so as to beat the heat. Last decade changed things, providing special care for Ali piri pilgrims with the uneven steps standardised along with a nice roof making it a safe passage for footwear free experience. I could sense a genuine care extended by TTD then, for people who tried to walk the extra mile for the Lord, providing good facilities all along the Path.
Now, the serene trek is kind of commercialised replacing the 24×7 the only open organic trek with synthetic crowd controlling measures, simulating rush hour scenario, allowing pilgrims in batches along with barricades. So, even if you start at 3 AM, you are only allowed at 4:20 AM along with few hundreds accumulated by then, leading to the rush hour scenario in the steps, just like the familiar scene “creation” in Tirumala. TTD – the organisational body governing the temple, blames it on a Cheetah. There was a stray incident of a Cheetah happened to nab an infant on the Alipiri footpath. While the crowd controlling rush hour marketing seems well intentioned, due to the newly found Villain Cheetah, there seems no remorse on harassing Bhakts or regretfully lack of resolution on this. TTD conveniently avoids the following questions just like a newly trained Fascist. Why a cheetah should cross over to its alien human world? What made the cheetah hungry for prey? Why it’s changing the path now, when not for last 30 years? What has actually changed in the Forest, driving the cheetah out of its habitat? Is it a sign of the Lord unhappy with the current greedy administration treating him like a well decorated Barbie-Ken type Doll, rather treating his Bhakts well? Well, rather answering any of this, TTD made it simple, by just implementing its masterful marketing technique – make it “look” big with crowd collation creating mad racing scenario.
So, as expected, once they opened gate at 4:20 AM, there was a mad rush to the Lord’s abode with varying trekking pace of the People. It should have been a sight to behold, at least for the so called Double 420s – TTD Administrators. Ok! All seems well! I started climbing like a tortoise at my own slow pace. Honestly the footpath imparted an illusionary on-steroids-magic in me, as I am someone who struggle hard to climb two floors of a greedy entity who squeezed the stair space to accommodate for profits. Now, Alipiri pilgrimage kept me in a state of trance. I planned few things to keep up my energy and even song playlists to keep me up. But, nothing came to mind for the whole trek. Just pure bliss! I am not sure if it was just my own illusional Mind or the almighty makes us push through any physical adversities, once we keep the faith on him. Whatever… when in doubt, just Praise the Lord!
But, there were always testing times sponsored by TTD. Seems PET water bottles are not allowed in Tirumala. Strangely, buttermilk is available in non bio-degradable plastic packs, but not water in plastic packs. Tetra packs are available in plenty, but no water tetra packs. It’s still debatable why only PET bottles are disallowed, while all other sorts of toxic consumerism are allowed. I am not sure if TTD is getting lessons from Tamilnadu’s TASMAC, promoting junk beverages rather plain and simple water. Anyone who wants water in the steps, need to buy a 1 liter Glass bottle for 30 Rupees water and take it in a single gulp. If you still insist keeping the bottle, get ready to pay yet another 60 rupees for the glass bottle. To make matters worse, one person dropped the glass bottle in the 2000th step office queue, for anyone to bleed if they dare to step into the queue, after all, blood is organic, if not PET water right? I do not know if the TTD officials are reverse engineering our beliefs on the Alipiri route, to shed confidence on the belief and start wearing footwear.
After daring the glassy queues, walking like cinderella on glass shoes, one had to suffer another strange “innovation” of Token system for Darshan. Usually, people taking footpath, are given a Divya Darshan Token which eases the Darshan atop. This is normally given in the 100th step when you begin and you cannot miss the queue. If you quit the trek, there is a guard placed on the reverse direction to take the token. It’s made foolproof further with sealing by the officials at various vantage points till completion. Now, everything got removed and looks like you are provided a token somewhere else. So, anybody who understands the route can easily bypass the footpath, and reach the Galigopuram at the nearest road-footpath intersection, and easily get stamped. TTD is just making way for all corrupt processes, which was eliminated by earlier administration. Current TTD and EO DramaReddy is acting like a Monkey who does not know what to do with a divine bouquet / garland.
“If you kept the small rules you could break the big ones.”
1984 George Orwell
Strangely, there are no sign boards, instructing the yatris to take the token first to avail Darshan, or other tips to bear with the flimsy administration, throwing up process tantrums, now and then without any rationale, like bringing own water bottles in hand rather trusting them to take care of our most basic need. Maybe it’s a well kept Tirumala TTD secret! Having missed such tokens and information, I was asked to take the Free Darshan queue. It’s not a big deal to me, as I usually go with backup plan like a Seva ticket. But, wonder what stops TTD from telling the yatris about it during the start of the Journey, who are too innocent to see the grey side of TTD? Should we rely on the Touts and Merchants for any such “insider” tips and information every-time?
Tirumala was shining under the able leadership of NTR and NCBN.
Maybe there are guardian angels along the Path lifting our spirits up, making the trek still a nice experience, bearing with all the TTD’s tests thrown on the way. Luckily I did not feel thirsty to sip water and helped up with Drinking water taps installed every few hundred steps. But, At least, take a tumbler or water bottle to avoid any major hiccups / thirst as some taps are not functioning and their hygiene is still a question. Only TTD Jalaprasad Kiosks seem to have potable water and they are scarce. If the present TTD administration don’t even bother simple sign boards, how can we expect hygienic water?
Along the trek, I was searching for the newest Villain of Tirupati, the Cheetah guy. I could only see few deers. But looks like TTD is more obsessed with Cheetah, that they used the Speaker system, ( actually “after” you finish climbing ) to caution Bhakts to go in groups and chant Govinda nama, making one wonder if Cheetah is roaming in Tirumala or on the hill steps. Maybe they can only announce where it’s convenient to them. It was funny to hear about chanting Govinda nama to avoid Cheetah, because the Speaker system in the steps was not even functioning like earlier. It was used to create a nice ambience with Govinda chants. Only God knows, why can’t they use the Speaker system on the steps for divine chanting. The only electrical mechanism which worked was prompt switching off the lights in the steps early morning even when it was moderately dark and cloudy.
“We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.”
1984 George Orwell
With blessings of the Lord, the trek appeared to be faster for me and reached Pilgrim Amenities Center in approximately 5 hours. PAC is one of the best amenities provided by TTD for anyone who could not avail separate accommodation. Luckily, PAC was not crowded and the occupancy of its lockers was around 30%, an indication of crowd strength. I had a Seva ticket for 5:00 PM which should take another 3 hours for the Darshan to complete around 9 PM. But, I usually make Darshan as the first task. Having run out of Divya Darshan token for the footpath, I was forced / decided to take Sarva Darshan, the free one and managed to get into the compartment by 10 AM. The slip had 10 PM as Darshan time, but the pilgrims were hopeful of a quick Darshan as it was rainy with very low occupancy. There was no rational explanation of why someone should wait for twelve hours, as even the TTD Live TV showed thin and casually trickling crowd at the temple.
The Not so “Free” Darshan
But TTD being a vile fox, running the Darshan event like a Blockbuster movie had its own plans. Before we dwell on the Darshan aspects, we need to understand what provides the “oomph” factor at Tirumala. It’s actually their flash news and crowd collation – “Free Darshan is taking 12-24 hours!”. Is it really so? How does TTD handle 4-8 times the crowd in festive occasions? Well, the secret lies in how TTD segregates the Haves and Have-nots in different compartments and uses them for their scheming purpose. Of course, VIPs take the easiest path and let’s not get into that. The Haves who could afford a paid Darshan are allowed within 3 Hours for payment. The Have-nots who don’t have the “VIP power” or the “money of the Haves” are segregated in a distant compartment, after circling around whole Tirumala to reach there. They actually pay more than any others by spending more energy by circling around for nothing and more time in the cage so as to create a crowd spectacle when they are opened for Darshan, to create a flash news on incredible waiting times. Afterall, these are the innocent folks who are content with the Sambar rice provided every 3 hours and seemingly fine to submit themselves to endless waiting on any information on gate opening time, a growing trend of lack of TTD’s transparency nowadays . The Clueless flock attentively wait for any Lock rattling sound or a “Dog whistle” from the Security team, usually a sign of gate opening, like Jail wardens waking up people in the morning as they show in movies.
“Between pigs and human beings there was not and there need not be any clash of interest whatsoever.”
Animal farm, George Orwell
Earlier, TTD allowed Free Darshan based on the crowd strength. Usually the gatekeeper and sign boards will tell us how long it takes, which is not more than 5-6 hours. I have made free Darshans in just 2 hours in the past, usually in the nights as the VIPs will not bother the Lord in night times, as they get busy themselves. But, now we are left with a huge digital sign board at the cage for the expected time of opening the gate. Only difference now, is that it just shows Zeroes, maybe signifying the Have-nots gathered there.
Now, it looks like Free Darshan is a standardised stigma. If you don’t have money just wait for the flash mob show orchestrated by TTD. After all, it’s the way TTD is displaying its massy theme of massive crowd, like any Politician or Celebrity could crave for. Else what good it is for the VIPs to take pride on their extra special quick Darshan unless they are shown the difference of them placed at Hilltop while the Have-nots are struggling to peek a Darshan just for a second staying at foothills?
The waiting compartments are treated like mini Jails with the food provided in the most haphazard manner possible. I was looking for a cup of milk provided through an iron gate holes and the crowd was rushing towards it as if they never knew Milk was white in colour. Obviously you cannot blame the innocent flock, because they don’t even understand how they are rendered to become animals in the animal Farm as they are encouraged to do such antics without any restrictions. The same vending could have been possibly provided with a much more civilised queue system, but what good it for administration who wish to create mob spectacles? The major disadvantage lies with the females who had to compete “physically” for a cup of milk. So, there were not many who were willing exchange their modesty for a cup of milk.
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
Animal farm, George Orwell
The TTD Animal farm served with Sambar Rice
The painful part of the Compartmentalised Animal Farm Show Event is that, it creates an Inferno for ten hours and then try to show them Heaven in a very clever way, installing air cooling mechanism at the temple entrance to make them enjoy the synthetic bliss of the Lord. But, few hard questions kept lingering in my mind… Why can’t they be allowed to enjoy bliss in the Compartments? Can’t food get delivered in a civilised manner? Can’t mobiles be allowed inside Compartments in case of any emergencies or just for recreation? Can’t they tell the actual time of Darshan at various places with sign boards, like earlier rather keeping the crowd in hopeful darkness waking up for each and every dog whistle from the Security? Transparent intimations, used to happen earlier would have allowed people to carry their Medicines and other essentials based on the wait times, before they get themselves locked in cages? Is it too much for people to ask for basic needs in this growingly secretive and fascist TTD organisation? In my case, I had to miss my tablets and I could see a miserable Diabetic going through recovery from low blood sugar.
“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”
1984 George Orwell
Of course, the “Free Darshan” is free of cost, but comes at the expense of our own valuable independence and dignity.
If I had to put it honestly, unlike TTD, the Lord did not disappoint me with his blissful Darshan. Either availing Seva ticket or Free Darshan I would have completed by Darshan at 9-10 PM. Also, God never allowed me to be greedy, allowing back to back Double Darshans as I usually buy two tokens to avoid TTD’s atrocities. But, this time he gave me a glimpse of how the poor people are used like an essential tool for crowd gimmicks, as if TTD is running a fake Blockbuster and they cant take up any bad news that the crowd has dipped in the weekdays. Hence the need for 12 Hour waiting time make-believe-magic-shows.
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
1984 George Orwell
When the Lord did not give Tea or Coffee for his Staff.
There was another point of concern – the corruption mushrooming among the middle segment officials, who seem not to be inhibited of asking for their Tea or Coffee expenses. The Person delivering Smart Phones from locker insists on Tirupati Balaji is not proving him Tea / Coffee. Same case with Laddu vendor in Tiruchanoor who demands 5 rupees extra for giving Adai, deeming it is only for Seva but gets sanctified/degraded enough to be provided for everyone just for 5 rupee more. The PAC locker in charge who does not shy of demanding tea coffee to make an entry of giving the lock back on behalf of another incharge. I am no Super Bhakt like NTR, but at least I could write a blog, if not sign boards, requesting for the Lord to take care of himself first from these corrupt ones, and the message is not for the all knowing Lord.
The RSS-Reddy trouble… All atrocities in the name of God…
It also made me wonder, what good is TTD building a temple in Jammu and Kashmir, just to help envision RSS’ Hindu Rashtra, if they could not provide the people with proper information and protect pilgrims with basics like food and water in a dignified manner. Maybe, TTD is becoming just another apparatus of the RSS fascist ploy to build a fake Hindutva utilising the Lord’s influence and his own money. To reinforce such thoughts you could see TTD chief Dharma Reddy, boasting about being the richest temple in the world having close discussions with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. If you refer to the mythology of Lord Venkateswara, he is just a humble and mighty being, still paying debts to Kubera with his earnings at Tirumala. But the megalomaniac TTD Chief is on a different ego-trip .
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Animal Farm, George Orwell
After all, what good is such mythology, if TTD’s sole focus is to create show pieces and event management with a corrupt Reddy mafia at the helm, occupying the all powerful Temple Board. One such well known Sand Mafia Sekar Reddy , a power Broker who bartered TN sand with ADMK powers for Tirupati Laddu, was arrested by the RSS BJP government to take over the ADMK Government after then TN CM Amma’s demise. He is now turned a holy white washed saint as the ADMK Party is fully in control of BJP. But the Reddy domination continues under the noble(?) Rule of a most corrupt AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy, who escaped imprisonment by licking Modi’s boots.
“To die hating them, that was freedom.”
1984 George Orwell
Recently, Jagan Reddy’s uncle, a Christian Evangelist Subba Reddy was appointed as Chairman of the Hindu TTD Temple Board. I am not someone with Faith bias, but RSS talking of proud Hindu Rashtra is quite fine with all these corrupt atrocities, as long as the Lord’s Sri Vari Hundi is turned to a generic Corpus fund to propagate their Hindutva interests, establishing the fact that Hindutva fascism has no limits of greed or shame as long it suits their selfish brahmanical supremacy agenda.
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.”
1984 George Orwell
Srivani trust allocates money gained by Darshan diverting it towards other shady works as raised by the opposition. As usual TTD denied even before trying to introspect why it should use Balaji’s money for RSS work. There were even VIPs claiming on corrupt practices at Tirumala. As usual TTD denied it as misunderstanding, as they don’t collect bribe but only “special tickets”. There were complaints on the laddu weight, forget about quality for now. As usual TTD denied and blamed it on their own faulty weight machine and not Laddu. Looks like even Lord Venkateswara may be at fault, but TTD can never be never at fault or fail.
All Tirumala needs is a few good men
Just few good men at the helm could change things for better. Tirumala was brimming golden under the able leadership of NTR and NCBN then CMs. For another example, Tamilnadu’s endowment Minister wants to remove the VIP Darshan at all TN temples. A noble thought process which could strike only if you are genuine and ardent devotee rather silly political clouts who does not understand the religion or progating caste supremacy. Earlier, TTD was a role model for efficient corruption free crowd management. But its toxic methodology of pushing people out of Sanctum Sanctorum was adopted by mushrooming temples where pilgrims will get pushed even if there was no one behind them waiting for Darshan, for gaining TTD like mass publicity. Just like Politics, we are at devotional cross roads on which way we want to be. Godly Good or Devilishly Greedy?
The TTD rat who ate my raisins and cashews
Finally, at home, after completing Puja, I handed over the Laddu Prasadam to my Mother. She informed, the laddu looked like a cheap imitation version of its own of its glorious past, without any signs of raisins or the biggest cashews it’s usually loaded with. It used to be a fun ritual earlier like plucking the raisins and contesting with peers on who got the biggest of the biggest Cashews. Now, TTD has saved me from the competition as there were no traces of raisins and few cashews were broken and tasteless. I wonder which TTD rat ate those ingredients. After tasting the Laddu, my mother simply asked a simple question? “Did you really went to Tirumala?”. My wife threw a playfully cold stare not believing the whole story, checking my card statement for any Laddu shopping in A2B. At least, that would have tasted better rather this gram flour dung. Obviously only the Lord could save me from that stare, if at all I could survive Jail compartments and managed to get squeezed in for a Darshan.
Now, I am not very sure if I had to praise my Lord or just pray to him to protect himself from the seemingly powerful Reddy Mafia controlling His Majesty. Well, God has his own mysterious ways of tackling the evil forces. Afterall, you just cannot hide from his ever watchful eyes by covering with Ornaments.
TTD = Paise the Lord?
To make things light, let’s dwell on a beautiful tamil story by renowned author PudumaiPithan – The God and Kandasamy Pillai abridged in english. It’s a funny story of Lord Shiva visiting our Earth in human form meeting a Siddha Doctor by name Kandasamy. He tries to find a Job for his living along with his spouse Parvathi as his savings are soon to get expended. He decides to make a living by what he does and enjoys best – Thandavam – Dancing. The Sabha orchestrator, Diwan Bhagadhur, could not bear God’s original form and asks him to move out of his place.
Shiva Tandavam
Hey Koothanar (dancer)! Stop your koothu (dance)” Diwan Bhagadhur shouted.
“This is a sham. Why are they dressed like barbarians of Borneo”
The God just stopped his dancing feet and reclined on his Trishul and stood like a statue.
“Hey! Do you know anything about the Art? You have worn Tiger Skin. If you have to wear a snake, you should wear an imitation. Would you wear a live snake? You should wear silk which looks like tiger skin. The Art should be pleasing to the eyes. Even if Goddess Parvathi and Lord Shiva dance like this, it will not be called dance according to the art of dance. First you put all the snakes in a bag and remove your make-up. Children are playing here. Be careful!” said Diwan Bagadhur.
He did not leave Kandasamy Pillai also. “Hey! Just because you are giving me medicine I can’t watch this dance and introduce them to the club. I can’t walk on the street if I do this!”
After fifteen minutes they were sitting in Pillai’s magazine office. The Devi was not there. Kandasamy’s child was sleeping on a mat.
Both were keeping quite. After few minutes The God said, “looks like I can’t survive with the skills I have.”
“You did not like what I suggested. The world does not like what you like; may be you should run a Vedic School!”
The God sighed.
“So already the earth is sour for you?” asked Kandasamy Pillai.
“When I have seen one human being it means I have seen the world.” Replied The God.
“We can only stay afar and give boons to human beings. But we can’t live with you.” Said The God.
“All The Gods are only good for that!” said Kandasamy Pillai.
After that there was no one there to speak to.
The child woke up asking, “Dad, has Grandpa left for his village?”
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”
Of late, Many of the political leaders in South are going southwards, through the incognito Psy-Ops by RSS-BJP. For example, closing the temple even before the closing time on days like Birthdays or Year openings could be negatively draining energy… only if we don’t let god reside in our Hearts. In the same way, the Printer malfunction while printing God could demoralise the Leader if he starts seeing it as ominous sign. Intermittent power problems during crucial ceremonies while pivoting towards a major victory, could be a major dampener, with energy getting derailed through such negative thoughts. If someone takes peace that their house is still not flooded, one can always flood it by running an SUV to and fro, causing the ripples to enter the house.
Fear of unknown is a potent weapon to weaken the Opposition inwardly rather painstaking political efforts to ruin. What ED could achieve with few months of efforts, could be done easily through a Psy-Op. BJP and Shah are master of Psy-Ops. Such gaslighting activities could be easily branded as one’s paranoia or imagination. The real desired outcome here is not about diagnosing the issue, but coming up stronger than before, ignoring such silly signs. For example its very difficult to defeat Siddaramaiah with such bad omens as he thrashes out all superstitions with a Helicopter shot.
When Greed is a bottomless Pit
Liquor Minister Senthil Balaji is that TASMAC Martini lynchpin, shaking and stirring DMK nowadays. Senthil Balaji’s ED case is just another BJP’s crooked modus operandi of doing a Sanjay Raut, silencing and making the opponent dysfunctional before the crucial elections. The idea is not to punish the supposed culprit, but to deprive him of the strength to do anything useful for next few years and subsequently weakening and taming him towards nothingness. Since they are key persons with direct influences with their Leaders, they could easily affect the morale of their Leaders, making them doubting Thomases and thereby making the cadre directionless.
The only very marked difference between the average civilized man and the average savage is that the one is gilded and the other is painted. – Mark Twain
BJP has many such successful operations on destroying opponent’s careers. While some like Biscuit Sarma have emerged as winners, by joining BJP, to escape on their corruption charges, the political rise is mainly due to lack of other capable leaders in BJP. Mostly, it’s going to be a complete ruin for the people booked, by neutralising them. Senthil Balaji might win this acid test and establish himself as a strong Leader ( temporarily at DMK ) or might fall back on his weakness and get reduced towards oblivion, like silent and ineffective Sanjay Raut, whose only asset was strategy and firing salvos at BJP rather grass-root politics. The truth is that none of these cases will go through the test of judiciary, it’s just the mockery of Judiciary and democracy, making the conviction process as punishment.
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Buddha
The interesting Use case of Senthil Balaji as a Careerist Politician.
I am cinephile and when I was doing my graduation, I used to do Beggar Engineering to collate funds for movie going. I used to collect 1 or 2 Rupee and not strictly more than that as the donor will remember the debt, even if I forget purposefully, to make around 7 Rupee for a ticket. One of my good friend verbally slapped me up by asking a simple question when I was performing my engineering research on beggary.
“How much you want?”
“7 Rupees”
“Here is 10 Rupees. Now don’t do this…”
And I reduced this stuff and at least stopped begging with him afterwards.
Senthil Balaji’s career progression is a very colourful one, if you count on the flags he got affiliated to. He is a very efficient Politician capable of impressing his Masters through his assured deliverance, on whatever asked for. In Jayalalitha’s period where there was extensive focus on creating the populistic Amma Brand, he came up with ‘Amma Water’ offering 10 Rupees water bottle, a scheme which touched upon masses on their thoughtfulness. Now Senthil Balaji is busy collecting 10 rupees extra per Liquor bottle, to please his present Masters. It was a great career slide from being a respectful donor to a pathetic beggar. It’s a novel scientific corruption where the scam is so miniscule it is invisible but gets huge like rain drops creating floods. We need to see the proportion of this scam from the perspective, where Drunkards of TN are the modern day Tyagis fuelling the TN government engine contributing to the chunk of its revenue at the expense of their own Livers.
Ramanujam ‘Ambi’ : [as Anniyan] Is it wrong to steal 5 paisa?
Chockalingham: Doesn’t seem very wrong.
Ramanujam ‘Ambi’ : [as Anniyan] Is it wrong if you steal 5 paisa, 5 crore times?
Chockalingham: Seems to be wrong…
Ramanujam ‘Ambi’ : [as Anniyan] Is it wrong to steal from 5 crore people 5 paisa, 5 crore times?
Chockalingham: Seems to be very wrong…
Ramanujam ‘Ambi’ : That’s what’s happening here.
Anniyan Movie dialogue by Sujatha
On a latest development, a Police SI thrashed a loyal customer of TASMAC, the Government’s own Liquor shoppe for raising the same concern audible to the Cop. Such is the cruel reality for people who try to escape reality by drinking. I could relate with it as I do pray peacefully at temples to escape reality and fantasise a great future, only to be brought back to reality with the street beggars at the gate, some even block the passage and threaten as if they are pickpockets in disguise.
Apart from 10 Rupee acrobatics, SB also innovated on automated Liquor vending Machine, so that DMK Government could stand proud of keeping TN people in eternal liquor flavoured blissful ignorance, deriving richness out of it. Evidently, Senthil Balaji is just a Proxy for his powerful masters, as the 10 rupee begging scam keeps happening even after Ministerial change. Incidentally, ED arrested him for a financial scam happened during Jayalalithaa’s regime as a bait for much bigger DMK prize, a making in progress.
Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it. – Mark Twain
DMK and Corruption are conjoined twins?
Apart from Senthil Balaji, DMK has a reputation for being most corrupt in their past regimes. Maybe corruption is in their DNA. You can check the wretched roads and other public work constructions for yourself to understand why DMK has not learnt a lesson so far on improving their public perception. When such poor road issues occurred during Jayalalithaa’s regime, she just ensured the contractors rectify along with blacklisting options, instantly changing the public perspective on her regime. But, DMK awards contracts to the habitual offenders providing substandard service in civil supplies, medical supplies, PWD contracts and what not… as if its their birthright to be corrupt.
CM does not have to be a sleepless dictator to achieve a clean image, he just needs to be attentive, genuinely benevolent and “portray” as Man of action, rather assuming pointless PR blitz will save him out, as if being impressed by Modi winning with one-eyed meditation at Kedarnath, when in actuality Amit Shah was the one doing the poll and EVM dirty work in background. Karnataka elections provide a nice warning for DMK’s next State election if at all they aspire for next term.
Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
Mark Twain
Why DMK should not be worried but get more Industrious
With that above said statement, DMK is not doing great on Politics as they did in opposition. They are slowly sliding down on the People’s support and perspective of invincible Leader, with their chronic corruption and limitless greed, falling into the bottomless pit of power and arrogance.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain
MKS has established himself as an Administrator par excellence handling COVID and other civic services efficiently. So,why DMK is sliding with such a good Leadership? At least to me, it lies on the way DMK as an entity, not establishing itself as a welfarist or people friendly Brand, like Jayalalitha did. Refer to the use case of how Senthil Balaji got utilised in different regimes. When “Amma”, asked a question to Tamilnadu, “Do you want to choose Modi or this Lady?” for PM-ship, Tamilnadu voted enmasse, trouncing even the Modi’s synthetic anti-corruption wave in 2014. The “Amma Brand” was not built on a day. It was slowly and meticulously cultivated among the people with social welfare schemes aiming top notch social indices. DMK needs such a winning treatment and they have partially succeeded in last two years on this path, but needs more efforts, to create its own invincible welfarist brand. People’s amnesia doesn’t differentiate between Government’s deeds and sins
It is noble to teach oneself, but still nobler to teach others—and less trouble. – Modi Twain
There existed a genuine benevolence and care from Amma for the TN people, who could connect with her on her bold stances like GST , Uday and alliances, never betraying State’s interest for her selfishness. The historic Jallikattu protest could also be seen from the prism of people’s search for a qualified Leader after Amma’s demise. DMK as such seems like a greedy entity, having starved of power for a decade. They have inadvertently, built a corrupt image, mimicking their proven past track record. They did not mind helping themselves with course corrections or welfare schemes. In the last two years, hypothetically, Jayalalitha would have at least come up with 10 marquee schemes / goodies and more clinics, to treat people suffering from Amma Sticker fatigue. She was so efficient that all her schemes had good implementation quality, just like those omnipresent stickers.
Let’s also keep in mind MKS came to power because ADMK’s EPS bartered Tamilnadu to secure his dummy power, after Amma’s unfortunate demise, betraying the State’s interest to secure his selfish interests, like GST, Uday and alliances, flipping on the same issues Amma principally stood otherwise. Given the scenario, atleast, I looked upon MKS as Potential Leader who could take forward Amma’s legacy, rather Kalaignar’s Status-quoist track record, building up strong anti-incumbency, trying to somehow compensate with his witticisms and wisdom.
Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.
Mark Twain ( on EPS? )
Maybe, All you need is just Love… and a bit of money
It’s high time the first family stay themselves clear of such corruption charges, as BJP will target their kith and kin for sure and the game is already on. This is the real Vratham they should try if they are really serious about their political survival. Corruption cases are just a ploy to keep DMK main switch off just like they paralysed UPA-2 Government making them dysfunctional, indecisive and ineffective. The perfect antidote would be to come up with double the force, ignoring the catcalls from weaklings posted at rest houses, other magic spy show comedians and rabidly arrogant social Media already captured by BJP for direct hit Jobs on Ministers and cadre, so as to directly interface with the public.
Alas! Much like Rafale Fighter, ED – CBI’s multi role fighting capabilities are only limited to Opposition.
If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.
Mark Twain
Now Greed is not the sole property of any particular organization or individual. We all are member of the greedy fraternity in one way or another, only the scale of greediness differs. Osho narrates a story on human greed. Remember Humans evolved as a species who could mate / breed across all seasons or years unlike “other” animals who have a specific breeding season.
I have heard… God is making all the creatures of the earth and is giving out sex lives to each animal.
First he turns to the human. “I am giving you ten years of a good sex life,” says God. The man’s face falls. “Is that all?” he asks.
“I only have so much to go around, fella,” says God. He then turns to the monkey and says, “I’m giving you twenty years of a good sex life.”
The monkey says, “Oh, I don’t really need that much. Ten years would be more than enough for me.” The man, standing nearby, overhears this and says excitedly, “I will take it! I will take those extra ten years.”
“All right,” says God. “You got it.” He then turns to the fox. “I’m going to give you twenty years of good sex life.” The fox replies, “You know, God, I really think I would be happier with just ten.”
The man starts hopping up and down. “I will take them! I will take the other ten years!” “You can have them,” says God to the man.
He turns to the donkey and says, “Now, I am going to give you twenty years of a good sex life. Is that alright with you?” “To tell you the truth,” says the donkey, “I would also be satisfied with just ten.” God gives the man the other ten years too.
This story explains why a man has ten years of a good sex life, ten years of monkeying around, ten years of lying about it, and then ten years of making an ass out of himself.
We are not satisfied with anything, and we go on asking for more, and we go on making our life more of a confusion.
— Osho
How about Getting popular… for guarantees rather on their corruption habit
DMK could do course correction on governance front, with periodic populous schemes. The INR 1000 incentive for women is one such scheme, but they should have offered themselves some more timeframe to iron out the teething issues, rather jumping down just few months before elections, sounding opportunistic. The major problem is… it cannot be given to everyone, thus dividing people into happy and angry demography. They could leverage the crisis, positioning it as Incubator / Trailer with more coverage to everyone after 2024 Wins.
Also, DMK is also not doing itself big favours themselves as middle class and poor people friendly government with reckless hikes. They have deprived themselves of moral right to call BJP as Tax Traitors with their own absurdities, especially before the crucial 2024. They could mend few things by coming up with monthly electricity bills and other tax sops, which does not seem to be of near possibility, but at least as a guaranteed and dated promises after 2024 win.
The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
Mark Twain
[ Update 26th September 2023
As promised DMK rolled out its Monthly stipend scheme for One Crore Women, a welcome move. Happened to read a touching Post on the Stipend scheme, how it could mean a lot esepcially for the Rural women at Aval Vikatan.
வெறும் ஒரு ரூபாய் பத்தாம அடுத்த பஸ்க்கு 2 மணி நேரம் பிள்ளைகள வச்சுட்டு நின்னு இருக்கேன். அழற பொண்ணுக்கு பால் இல்லாம வரக்காப்பியில பிஸ்கட் தொட்டு ஊட்டியிருக்கேன். கோயிலுக்குப் போனா 2 ரூபாய் காணிக்கை போட முடியாம வெறுங்கையில தொட்டுக் கும்பிட்டு வந்திருக்கேன். உள்ளூர் கோயில் விசேஷத்துல 40 ரூபாய் வளையலும் 10 ரூபாய் பாசியும் வாங்கிக்கொடுக்க காசில்லாம, `ரொம்பக் கூட்டத் துல போனா காய்ச்சல் வந்துரும்டா, நாளைக்கு போவோம்’னு ரெண்டு நாள் கழிச்சி வெறுங்கோயில சுத்திக் காட்டிருக்கேன். 10 மைல் போக வேண்டிய ஒரு வேலைக்கு டி.வி.எஸ் வண்டியை எடுத்துட்டுப் போய், 3 மைல்லயே பெட்ரோல் காலி ஆகி, 30 ரூபாய் இல்லாம மிச்சம் 7 மைலும் வண்டியத் தள்ளிட்டு நடந்துருக்கேன்.
அடுத்த ஊர் கோயில் விசேஷத்துக்கு 200 ரூபாய் கடன வாங்கி வச்சுட்டு, `வாங்கடா போவோம்’னு கூப்பிட்டா, ஏம்மா அங்க வேண் டாம்மா… அடுத்த வருஷம் நம்ம ஊருக்கு நோம்பி வரும்போது அந்தப் பாசிய வாங்கிக் கொடுங்க’னு கேட்ட மகளைப் பார்த்து கதறி அழுதுருக்கேன். நல்லதா துணி பொம்பளப் பிள்ளைக்கு வாங்க முடியாம, என் பையன் டவுசர் சட்டைய போட்டே 5 வருஷம் வளர்த்தேன். `எங்கம்மா டெய்லி ரசம் வச்சு சோறாக்குது’னு சொன்ன புள்ளயப் பார்த்து விடிய விடிய அழுதுருக்கேன். செருப்பு அறுந்து போனா கூட பின்னூசி போட்டு கால்ல கிழிச்சுட்டு நடந்தும் இருக்கேன். சோறு வடிச்ச தண்ணில சர்க்கரைய போட்டு, பாலுன்னு ஏமாத்தி தர்ற அம்மாவ உங்களுக்குலாம் தெரியுமா?
இப்பிடி ஆயிரம் கஷ்டத்த அடுக்கிட்டே போலாம். ஆனா, இப்ப 100 மடங்கு தாண்டி வந்துட்டேன். நல்லா இருக்கேன். அவ்ளோ உழைச்சும் இருக்கேன். ஆனா, இதையெல்லாம் தாண்டாத எத்தனையோ பெண்கள் இன்னும் கிராமம், நகரம்னு எல்லா பக்கமும் இருக்காங்க. அவங்களுக்கு இந்த 1000 ரூபாய் ரொம்பப் பெருசு தான். எனக்கும் பெருசுதான் இப்பவும். இந்த நேரத்துல அந்த ரூபாயில, ஏதோ ஒரு மூலையில யாரோ ஒரு பொண்ணு 1 கிலோ அரிசி வாங்கி தன் பிள்ளைக்கு சோறாக்கி ஊட்டியிருக்கலாம்.
But it also aggravated grievances among Public, where there were atrocious comments on How a woman got rejected because she had a Four-Wheeler in possession – A Wheelchair. DMK will do a lot good for itself, if it could add few tens of Lakhs of Women before elections, along with a grievance redressal system which at least hears them out promising at some time frame, so as to not to alienate its own prospective beneficiaries.
“What I am trying to cultivate is not blind optimism… but radical hope.”
Junot Diaz
End of Update]
DMK is not just failing on Image…
Sometimes it looks like DMK thinks, they could solve their corrupt and rough image with just PR bursts and capturing movie industry for soft propaganda. What good… acting as a Reel Social Justice Hero will do when the reality is that DMK is incapable of delivering justice to people who mixed excreta in dalit water tank, harassing the same ones ill fated to drink that, just fearing for vote bank politics. This also applies to other notable protests triggered on social issues, serving as a blot on DMK’s governance.
The modus operandi of DMK Government seems to be more of suppressing the actual issue rather resolving it with Justice and do a cool makeover with PR. So, it’s more than coincidence that Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Maamannan indeed inadvertently worked as a tribute to Jayalalitha on her real social justice deeds, rather uplifting any of DMK’s Leaders. Maybe the real self respect lies with not getting sold for pettiness of crores and real social justice prevails in acting with genuine social concerns rather expecting the dreamy cinema pill will chemically change things to their advantage in people’s brains. People have long been awakened to be swayed by digital dreams and look for real-life Superheroes like the one they saw with Chennai rains disappearing on the roads like magic of late, but more often.
Honor is a harder master than law.
Mark Twain
DMK is not just failing on Corruption
Former Finance Minister PTR might be a person of integrity, efficiency and knowledge, but he has simply brought down the Government with his fiscal policies, just like Senthil Balaji proxied on corruption. Fiscal Crisis situation needs out of the box solutions rather long term results. The Problem is if DMK invests on long term schemes like education, there is a very good probability of getting extinct in BJP’s propaganda blitzkrieg, even before they could start reaping the dividends. DMK need to work out short term plans before and after 2024 Wins as Guarantees with committed dates. If DMK misses this opportunity people may not trust them as they did before on their promises, as DMK seem half-hearted on their commitments so far in public perspective. The defence of having accomplished 80% does not hold water when they have fell back on crucial promises like cash incentives, which is proportionally high on quantum of promises the visible factors on the presence of good governance connecting to people/beneficiary’s hands – incentives / civic facilities, for which they ultimatelygot elected.
The lack of money is the root of all evil.
Mark Twain ( When talking about the Poor not the Powers )
When absolute power met absolute arrogant fool.
If DMK is the case of power corrupts, BJP is the absolute case of absolute power corrupts absolutely. What else can we infer when we got a PM who is busy greeting foreign compatriots in USA when a State of India is burning in utter lawlessness. It’s as if real indians only exist abroad rather in India, just like trains are only for “proud and rich Vande Bharatis” with shrinking unreserved train compartments for the poor. I am now numb wondering why BJP thrusts saffron down to our throats, be it Cricket gears or trains, as it’s just a colour. If a Minister justifies Saffron as a National flag colour, why not green equally leveraged as it is equally proportionate to saffron be it on our National flag or BJP Flag? It’s just their psych0-loo-gical stinky ploy to indicate their fancied permanence(?). BJP could learn a simple lesson on “Power PR” by searching for Amma Brand and Sticker in last 7 years.
Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option – Mark Twain
BJP’s saffron silliness apart, it’s major contribution to its poll victories comes by decimating the opposition not in Polls, but by destroying opposition Leaders employing central agencies and making them at least partially succumb to the third degree psychological harassment. It’s pretty evident in Senthil Balaji’s case. I am not trying to justify the supposed corruption or the pretty evident overstepping of his corrupt Ministership even to the level of begging 10 Rupees from miserable drunkards, trying to escape the grave realities by drinking or atrocious power hikes without stemming the corruption or electricity leaks, to please his Masters. But the way he got treated, wounding his head due to mishandling of ED authorities and harsh questioning borders on unjustifiable harassment and intimidation rather intended investigation.
Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising. – Mark Twain
What the overzealous Central Government agencies along with a restless Governor at Rest house did to Senthil Balaji does not have any semblance of decency or ethics or even a Union Governance we could look upto. We have reduced the Union Governance to plain rowdyism, initially with the cadre, empowering them to lynch people and now to Union agencies doing the same – preying like vultures on the opposition, just by voting BJP to power twice. Badly enough, BJP have so far been victorious by psychologically destructing the opposition leaders, with no one mounting a resistance so far, but surrendering meekly to their excesses.
I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn’t know – Mark Twain
All opposition does… it leverages the weak Judiciary, stumbling to hope on their rational judgements, rather street level resistance or giving it back to the arrogant cadre who seeded the rowdy governance. Ideally, DMK should have given them back on Arudhra scam and other Criminal investigations on top BJP Leaders. But they got quite satisfied arresting BJP’s petty rowdies handpicked by Union Minister Murugan in his tenure.
Strangely or tacitly(?), MKS has kept quite on many other BJP / Sangh and its leaders’ excesses in Tamilnadu. While it could be a cautious move not to create another violent Bengal, It’s sounds like a Union Vs State chess game where the State plays a single meek move sacrificing its pawn, for every 4 atrocious moves of Union Government. Somehow, BJP has executed the art of rendering Opposition Governments dysfunctional by inducing fear and paranoia, to perfection. Its like somebody hits your bike from a car from behind and then warns you of further dangers rather getting afraid of their own criminal act. Such psychological ploys actually works for the moment but staying as a prisoner of fear is our own choice.
I did not attend his funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.
Mark Twain
Karunanidhi would have handled it much better by giving them back in a nuanced manner hitting them where it hurts rather acting virtuous. Politics boils down to nothing without trump cards. Congress learnt a tough lesson by not resisting BJP’s excesses when its Senior Leaders like Chidambaram got arrested. Unfortunately, they emboldened BJP with their meekness, allowing BJP to march on till RG’s house. Contrast that with CAA stir or Farmer protest orchestrated by ordinary people. BJP will not even dream about enforcing them for next few elections. Problem is, Rowdies, even if they call themselves Chanakyas, just understand only their own uncouth street language.
I played chess with him and would have beaten him sometimes only he always took back his last move, and ran the game out differently – Mark Twain
Who will get the 2024 political fruit – the Party rounder Ajit Pawar or All rounder Sharad Pawar.
Sharad Pawar is the latest victim of such Psy-Ops, where his near and dear political partners, were employed to destruct him, by questioning when he will retire or quit politics, as if others in the Party, who don’t even have half the wit and wisdom of Pawar, never age, without realising the age cycle will hit them harder than SP . I still doubt if these half-wits are the ones Pawar trusted to be his Lieutenants – the backstabbing Brutus-es who enjoyed back to back political posts with the Senior Pawar’s “pragmatic” backing, laughing at the rare opposition unity getting forged, ignorant of it’s political quantum and promise.
Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t. – Mark Twain
Making a composite Opposition framework with so many stalwarts who have stamped their mark in their respective regions, with many standing on individual strengths and meritful governance rather fake Hindutva and RSS, by itself is an achievement. Assembling these aspiring strong ego-heads together and levelling up with each Meeting on the narrative with consensus is a very rare spectacle at least in New India. But, this is just a beginning. The regional Satraps could add their weight at few zones, but Congress as a major game player is lacking the shrewdness of Amit Shah in 2014, who cleverly leveraged “Look North-east” trying to infiltrate new territories. Things move forward in Congress only when the Gandhis make a move.
Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. – Mark Twain
Even now BJP is gearing up Zonal campaigns with ten individual heads, never failing to make an effort even if they fail. But, Congress still seems to be basking in the glory of Bharat Jodo Yatra. Though health of RG is a concern, Congress could level up with their next Motorized campaign blitz, rather physically exerting themselves, focusing on BJP strongholds where it will compete directly with them. Congress needs Gandhis at all levels to galvanize the Cadre and its supporters to pose a threat to BJP’s toxic narrative.
Gandhis are the real National heavyweights who could compete with Modi brand, though BJP would spends thousands of Crores to make everyone feel otherwise. Modi’s anger, tearing on the Opposition meet betrays his aggressive posture and thoroughly shaken his conviction that unflinching ED-CBI-Beat opposition Leaders to Pulp-Rowdyism will win him through, only getting worse with Sonia Gandhi’s intervention on the alliance and stitching up even juvenile tantrum throwing but promising kid on the block – AAP. Congress is still leaving up Northeast, Orissa, Telangana and AP as a 150+ seat loophole for BJP to penetrate without any resistance.
Let’s hope new “INDIA” gets more inclusive with other prominent Parties just before elections, stepping up with incremental shocks to BJP. As MKS wisely states everytime, it’s not about who wins the election, but it’s about who must not win for better India! A soft amicable posturing CM turning to a strong adversary is not something Modi could digest. Looks like Mo-Sha somehow miscalculated DMK with their experience on ADMK’s no questions asked servility. DMK may be corrupt, but they are still quite democratic with their shame intact unlike EPS led ADMK along with amazing ability to course correct with crisis.
Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well... – Mark Twain.
Contrast this picture with the above Yatra. It’s pretty painful to write about Manipur, if you imagine as Father getting killed helplessly and your kids getting mobbed mercilessly, Brother getting killed while defending his Sister going through humiliation .
Reports point to State Sponsored terrorism and multiple such incidents swept under carpet by the enforcement with internet blanket bans. There were communal riot symptoms / preparations by seizing tribal Kukis’ weapons long before the riots started. Not sure if this yet another BJP’s Majoritarian Polarisation Laboratory work or something they are happy to keep burning as it suits their polarisation tactics.
It’s not just National shame. It’s actually Modi’s utter shame, if he has any, who had enjoyed 7 State Dinners abroad, while Manipur was burning.
It’s even more pathetic when BJP defends it cruelly – such vulgarities happen in Opposition ruled states too. So few stray incidents somewhere else provide license for non-stop lawlessness for months, making it legal and permissible with their Double vulgar Governments? The Cartoon has a caption in tamil, translating to “Show People”, poking at the Leaders of the pseudo Republic of Event Management..
If you thought the men who were seen gleefully molesting a woman of the rival community as an act of revenge were inhuman brutes, I would say that those political leaders who created these brutes are the bigger monsters.
It’s the same brand of politics that the ruling party is playing at the national level. Consolidate one community, isolate the rest, and retain power. Let Manipur be a mirror of what that can lead to.
Worse, Violence has found a place as a legitimate political tool in this moment of entrenched majoritarian politics, where violence is used to systematically discredit opposition and critique. The routine use of the troll army to name-call and often threaten dissent with physical harm normalises fear, makes violence an acceptable form of political activity, and successfully discredits demands for accountability by legitimising State complicity in these acts.
Finally, the horror in Manipur also lays bare the consequences of stoking majoritarian politics. The hate it unleashes strips society of all its humanity. That women’s bodies are casualties of war is a well-known, harsh reality. It should worry us that it takes a heinous crime of this nature to jolt us out of our complacency. We really have to ask hard questions of ourselves as a nation, a society and a polity. How much violence are we willing to tolerate? And who then are we as a people, a nation, a democracy?
It’s actually quite heartening, some of the bold journalism / opinion on Manipur is done by magnificent Women, including Swati Maliwal, while “seasoned” media and newsprint editors /owners still enjoy the sour after-taste of bootlicking their Political masters, busy in the making of Manipur as just another majoritarian conquest.
“Except for one or two cases, there are no arrests in other cases? The investigation is so lethargic. There has been a delay in filing FIRs, no arrests. For the past two months, has the situation not been conducive for even recording the statements of the victims,” CJI Chandrachud asked.
“The state police is incapable of investigation. They have lost control. There is absolutely no law and order… There has been an absolute breakdown of constitutional machinery in Manipur for the past two months,” an angry Chief Justice said.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that crimes against women are taking place in all parts. You cannot excuse what is taking place in one part of the country, like Manipur, on the ground that similar crimes are happening in other parts too… Are you saying protect all daughters of India or don’t protect anyone,” the CJI had asked when a lawyer had brought up crimes against women in Bengal, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
The above quote was a beautiful googly from the CJI. It also exposes the real handicap even with the United opposition. Except for few wise quips from Kharge, none has been able to deliver a convincing and news generating retort to the Government’s narrative, like the CJI killed the whole of Modi’s lame whataboutery argument, making his unconvincing meaningless whines even more difficult on August 10. I am sure Modi being the greatest grave digger, will be digging all around to show him as better alternative among the brutal dictators. 1983 is Boring and minion stuff… How about Genghis Khan? Maybe someone will get cooled off through back channels, but the damage to BJP’s stupid narrative is already beautifully done. Now, it’s up to the Opposition to do a better Job than CJI.
With Great Power comes Greater Corruption.
So, Pawars and Patels are not just laughing at Opposition, but also at us for being so weak in questioning the accountable authorities of Peace and ethical governance. These political Jokers are making brutal jokes on us, at our expense, after handsomely looting the State’s exchequer and hiding behind the BJP-ED’s corrupt washing Machine. Coming back to Sharad Pawar’s Psy-op miseries, Indian Politics is always about today’s arrogant atrocities and laughs getting translated to future political miseries and today’s miseries of common men struggling to make ends meet, getting translated to future fortunes. There are also good chances of Pawar being an eternal wily fox balancing between the Rulers and Opposition, citing “Practicality”. One can never discount Pawar’s ability to translate scandals and scum to fragrant political dividends like a civet cat.
The after-effects of being every politician’s pragmatic valentine…
His nephew is not a capable leader who thought loud of filling a dam by urinating, currently sinking his own party in utter stink. It’s a wonder how the pillarless wonder, gathered his wherewithal to split and stand on his own, emulating political-self-suiciding Maharashtra’s Mission Impossible Man Eknath Shinde. It’s like being a fool… twice, actually thrice, if you add his midnight masala type gossipy swearing-in performance. The future situation of Fadnavis is even more miserable. He has taken all sorts of revenge on Maharashtra now and the only moment left is for the people of Maharashtra taking ultimate revenge on him, sinking him deep into oblivion.
Chess with Civet Cat– Possibilities Vs Practicality
So Senior Pawar is always a wait and watch, seemingly bruised and cornered lone fox and it is going to be quite interesting 2024 at least in the Maharashtra Boxing rink.
The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.
Mark Twain
There is an end to everything, and the end begins again by beating back from where it all begun
If at all there are people who could give it back to BJP on their own Psy-Ops, it’s just boils down to Nitish Kumar and Sharad Pawar. Congress scions just endure it like Buddha and other regional leaders walk on the balancing rope till it hurts them, afraid of trespassing BJP’s supremedom, ego-massaging Modi. More than any other Political leader, BJP would have realised by now its reaching the end of Psy-Ops game with the dividends dwindling, getting smaller than ever. Who knows if DMK could hoodwink ED and IT on Senthil Balaji case like their infamous Thirumangalam election formula, the Opposition Leaders might have a template to counter BJP and inflict deep wounds on BJP deliciously, just like BJP is merrily and mercilessly bleeding them brutally on their greedy weaknesses. Unfortunately, Our democracy is a miserable game of choosing between Murderers and Looters.
If at all MKS fancies himself as prominent National Leader, Senthil Balaji has gifted him his moment of reckoning. Hope he makes use of it. DMK may win 2024 battle, but it will lose its ideological war of social justice and self respect and may even drag down the alliance like in UPA-2 if it does not mend its ways.
When Ajit Pawar and “Trishanku” Shinde dreamt big!
Let’s ask ourselves why it takes so much of alliances and army of Leaders(?) to defeat a single brand by name – Modi. It’s just that the Opposition lacks the courage to face Modi’s excesses and weak conviction that they are not so invincible with their greed and other vulnerabilities. The collective fear of opposition acts a life vest for Modi keeping him buoyant and floating amid facing deep abyss for his dangerous ideology. Modi’s mammoth risk taking ability doubling down on attacks and pinning the opposition has worked so far.
Modi’s partial Gun Germs and Steel moment.
Modi’s ascent is like Jared Diamond’s Gun Germs and Steel theory where Inca’s army got easily captured by few gun wielding men led by Francisco Pizarro from Spain, but is it truly successful one? Let’s go further.
The story goes like this as detailed at PBS. Inca empire had enough gold and other riches, but they did not advance on technology like metallurgy or gunpowder. They used llamas for agriculture but the llama cannot carry men or useless for war. Pizarro arrived with a small team of militia along with 37 Horses and were armed with the latest and greatest in weapons technology – guns, and swords.
Incan Emperor Atahualpa had never seen a Book before. But the spanish had gained enough experience and dirty tricks havig destructed Aztecs earlier and successfully blaming their greed on God. When presented with a copy of the Bible on November 16th, 1532, Atahuallpa throws the alien object to the floor, prompting a furious and surprise attack from the Pizarro’s conquistadors. The combined impact of mounted troops, gunpowder and sharpened steel lead to a massacre, and Atahuallpa is personally seized by Pizarro himself. In a matter of hours, the Inca Empire lies in ruins. But the story of Eurasian triumph isn’t over. European conquest was quite a success, but Jared Diamond states, 95% of the natives did not die in a war…How then…?
Native Americans fell victim to European germs – infections which they had never encountered before. European farmers, rearing cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys, lived in close proximity with their animals – breathing, eating and drinking animal germs. Eventually some diseases crossed over to the human population and the resulting epidemics wiped out millions of Europeans.
But each time, a few people would survive and the immunities they’d developed passed through their genes to the next generation. The conquistadors who sailed to the Americas carried immunities like these. But in Peru, the llama was never brought indoors, and never milked so the prospect for the spread of disease was severely reduced.
But then the Europeans arrived and a single Spanish slave arrived, infected with smallpox and the consequences were devastating. The disease emptied the continent, killing millions of indigenous people who lacked any prior exposure, and therefore any immunity. The European triumph was complete.
What makes religious fanatics such dangerous opponents is not the deaths of the fanatics themselves, but their willingness to accept the deaths of a fraction of their number in order to annihilate or crush their infidel enemy.
– Jared Diamond, Gun Germs and Steel.
Coming back to the Modi’s conquest of Indian democracy, his small team was quite successful in leveraging the sophisticated social media technology and novel propaganda mechanisms like holograms and cutting-edge event management in 2014 towards a mass uprising against corruption with promises of progressive and prosperous India and carefully not mentioning Hindutva communalism but by silently inciting muzaffarnagar type riots. Mo-Sha was able to shock and awe the 2014 polls with their cutting-edge technology even with limited manpower and unlimited crony money. Upon capturing power, he nullified the opposition with his ruthless arsenal of ED, CBI and IT.
Welcome to Hotel Transylvania! You can check-in but cannot check out till 2024!
While street smart Modi seems very successful in guns and steel assaults, he could not create Hindutva pandemic of his desire, spreading communal germs among the masses, till date. There has been desperate soft attempts from vehicle stickers to expensive movies to get people attracted towards unequal brahmanical sanatana cause, but in vain. It’s actually the 65% majority of communalism immune Indians who act as a glimmer of hope rather weak and ineffective opposition engrossed on their own mission to save themselves from eternal troublemaker BJP. Hence, Modi’s ongoing conquest of Hindutva is fizzling out, having failed to attract masses as there is nothing in it for everyone except for elite EWS few.
It’s just < 35% who voted for BJP at its peak performance and the rest voted otherwise, with the future vote share further diminishing on anti-incumbency, Modi’s animosity towards Minorities, exposed on indifference towards poor and unprivileged and now… brutal inflation bleeding the earning class to top all miseries doled out so far, making even Brand Apple think of renaming themselves to a richer Tomato. All the Ying-Yang forces of Manipur Burning – Delhi flooding are dealt casually with an International call away, with the shameless servile media reporting Modi is in “touch” on Indian issues while busy collecting retirement farewell Dinner and medals abroad, squeezed by Diplomats.
Alas! Economy / Culture – not a soft cake to be handled easily.
It’s unfortunate, the opposition has never made use of people’s immunity towards Hindutva and transform it as progressive movement, like JP did during emergency. They just get beaten up if they show semblance to rise upwards, like the baby elephant getting trained not to break a feeble chain and gets imprisoned even after growing mighty strong. Interestingly, such mental-chains never worked out with organic people uprisings like anti-CAA or anti-farmer’s laws because BJP could neither chain the entire population on ED-IT-Enforcement Phobias nor infect them with Hindutva virus, just limiting their antics to political threats, owing to lack of fascist resources and impermanence of the fascist ideology.
Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.
Mark Twain
The story of a Great Fool
Let’s try to analyse Modi’s ascent in a philosophical way, as democratic wins are sophisticated rather plain PR or brutal conquests, by taking another story of a great fool narrated by Osho who ascended towards greatness and how.
There is a famous story by Turgenev: THE GREAT FOOL. In a village there was a fool. He was very upset because no matter what he said people laughed at him. People had decided he was a blithering idiot. Even when he said something right people still laughed at him. He lived cowering, not daring even to speak. If he didn’t speak people laughed, if he spoke people laughed. If he did something people laughed, if he didn’t do anything people laughed.
A monk came to the village. That night the fool fell at the monk’s feet and said, “Give me some blessing. is my whole life to be spent shrinking and cowering like this? Will I die a blithering idiot? Is there no way I can become a little intelligent?” The monk said, “There is a way. Follow this sutra: condemn everything.” He said, “What will happen through condemning?” The monk said, “You do it for seven days then come again to me.”
The fool asked, “How should I condemn? The monk said, “Whatever anyone says make a negative statement. For instance if someone says look what a beautiful sun is coming out, you say what’s beautiful about it? Prove it. Where is the beauty? What beauty? It comes out everyday, it has been coming out for billions of years. It is a globe of fire — what beauty?
If someone says look Jesus’ words are so lovely, you immediately jump on him saying what is so lovely in them? What is so special about them? What’s new in them? The same thing has always been said, it is all thrashed over. It is all stale, all borrowed. You just deny.
Someone says, looking at a beautiful woman, what a beautiful woman. You say: what of it? So what if her nose is a little longer? So what if her skin is a little whiter? Lepers are white too. What beauty? Prove it. You demand proof from everyone and remember to always remain in the negative. Put them in the positive, you remain in the negative. Come to me after seven days.”
After seven days when the idiot came, he did not come alone, many had become his disciples. They came on ahead. They had hung flower garlands around his neck. A band was playing. He said to the monk, “The device worked. The whole village was forced to be silent. Wherever I went people lowered their heads. The news spread among the people that I am a great genius. No one could win against me. Now what should I do?”
He said, “Now don’t do anything, just remain with this. If you want to save your intellect never fall into the positive.” To affirm god great intelligence is needed, a very subtle sensitivity is needed. Total wakefulness of the heart is needed. A purified state of consciousness is needed. A little light is needed within. But to deny god nothing is needed. In denying god there is no commitment. This is why people in the world condemn.
The psychology of condemnation is cheap psychology, an easy way out. Your genius will be proven by it. And there is no cost. “Using neither turmeric nor alum the dye came out fine.” There is no cost at all. There is no need to go anywhere to learn. There is no need for satsang. This is why everyone is skillful at condemning.
– – Osho
I will leave this to you to correlate the above story whatever happened from 2002 till 2014 around our great Leader rather corroborating in detail. Even for raising such dumb questions and arguments, Modi needs a Gandhi Family as Prop as a Reminder of India’s history so as to mine out imaginary faults. For Modi, Chinese transgressions on our Border is still Nehru’s fault not his cowardice. RG is a convenient scapegoat reminding of his generated past. RG’s reinstatement to parliament could be a blessing in disguise for BJP. Modi made a spectacle out of 2018, No confidence motion just by bashing Gandhis rather answering his own faults. BJP is just looking to bay for RG’s blood this time too. Perhaps, RG has grown wiser and hopefully he will able to turn the tables on Modi at Parliament.
Even silence and absence are the best tools as Modi has leveraged it brilliantly so far, be it Manipur or Adani. Modi, whenever asked uncomfortable questions, suddenly turns like a student who prepared to write about a Cow but ended up with a question about an essay on Tree. So, he wrote everything about Cow and finally added that such great cows are tied to the trees. With Modi, don’t even expect such linkings as he just fixes the teacher rather his answers. If you have doubts just go through a shameless VP Dhankar vouching for a Nero as Global Hero, when he can’t even answer on burning Manipur. This time too I would bet on Modi / BJP, talking about 1983 carefully forgetting about the “puppies” caught on Modi’s car wheels. Of course it’s the Opposition’s duty to steer the narrative whose energy is dissipated with the “Brutus Valentines” in their flock.
The use case of blind cult followers, morphing themselves as Online trolls and physical abusers are an interesting foundational component of Modi’s establishment as the “Leader” as mentioned by Osho above. Raj Shekhar Sen has a nice explanation on the psychology of trolls, the foundation for Moditva.
Hindutva is an adopted ideology. It is founded not on a social or economic ideal like communism or capitalism but on fear and a sense of victimhood.The Hindutva troll is especially susceptible to empathy deficit. He cloaks the inferiority complex inherent to his ideology in victimhood. Since victimhood sells politically, the troll is convinced of his victimhood and, naturally, seeks to defend his tribe against all manner of conspiratorial enemies. Trolling then is an act of convincing himself that he can assert power over the enemy, real or imagined. If the enemy is annoyed, scared or shuts up, the troll has done his duty.
Modi veneration is a cultivated parasocial relationship: a deeply emotional response to his branding as the first pan-India leader who is open about his Hindu exclusionary politics – and, therefore, is the primary victim of all conspiracies against a Hindu India. A parasocial relationship is a one-way relationship, the illusion of a relationship.
Modi is also a master of casting legitimate criticism of himself and his political conduct into rousing rhetoric about humiliation and victimhood. Whether addressing election rallies or responding to policy challenges like protests against the new citizenship law and the farmers protests, Modi invariably deploys the language of grievance. The rhetoric of perpetual victimhood feeds into Hindutva’s inferiority complex. In this matrix, the Hindu Rashtra is at once a world leader and a fragile nation that everyone can destabilise or destroy at will. Personally for Modi, it chips away at his role as the Hindu Hridaysamrat, the Emperor of Hindu Hearts.
It will do this country good to recognise that our trolls are a reflection of our society, that for an Indian to truly believe in universal brotherhood means for him to break down social, parasocial, emotional, and familial barriers. That is not easy to do. Most of us, George Orwell warned in 1984, prefer happiness over freedom. And so the trolls continue to chant war is peace, ignorance is bliss, freedom is slavery.
Now, It’s easier to become a Leader in this fake news pesudo-world, but difficult to remain as one among masses, as reality starts biting into the conscience. PB Mehta explains very well how Modi won this leadership game and cult, but is also losing it being stripped off aura and enigma to be an utter boring and inefficient Hindutva fanatic and nothing else.
All that BJP needed to win was cast doubt on its opponents. The aim was to destroy the truth — and pave the way for a kind of nihilism where anything goes. But what do you do after nihilism has been established as the governing truth and norm? It no longer has the power of critique, a sense of novelty, or even an opponent to target. It is now just another tiresome incantation evident in the ever-increasing self goals of the BJP’s IT cell.
The BJP is now facing a triple dilemma: It cannot run on promissory notes; its management of the ambitions of its mid-level leadership will put strains on its organisational identity; and its success in institutionalising nihilism now runs the risk of making the party an utter bore. The only part on which it has delivered is the institutionalisation of Hindutva, in all its vilest forms. But it will, for the first time, have to project that Hindutva in a context where there will be nothing else — no other economic narrative, no organisational distinctiveness, and no novel narrative power to support it.
In nutshell, Modi is the modern day Blue Fox, who had to reveal it’s true colour as the time came for the moment of truth to unravel itself. Now, It’s the opposition’s selfish corruption which makes BJP look so powerful and invincible, despite BJP’s even more corrupt, inefficient, anti-people and crony-friendly governance. BJP possess the audacity to legalise plunder and organise loot by enacting atrocious laws, while beating down the opposition even on simpler corruption or simplest questioning. BJP thrives like a parasite penetrating micro holes in the opposition fort. This forms the vital difference between Indian Political parties’ failures and mass people movements like anti-CAA / Farmers protests successes against BJP. They could not perform dirty politics with People forces as they retain their integrity and their emotional issues cannot be bought over on greed. Even now Opposition is banking on people’s anger on Inflation as fluke lottery to win their 2024 Jackpot, rather answering “Who / What competes against Modi?”.
Opposition’s Corruption is a gift that keeps on giving for BJP
Unfortunately, we Indians are left to choose between the “greedy Corruption extremists” and “fascist Corruption + Communal extremists”, empowered with our single vote and stupid blogs. Whatever Golden India promises and active reverse brain drain campaigns in UPA-1 got undone by our Politicians who are slowly killing the Golden Bird called India, to a begging bowl of Visas for better life.
BJP is trying desperately hard to convert everyone to their fascist Hindutva ideology, having nothing to do with Hinduism but more to do with Manu’s brahmanical supremacy. They could target the meek and corrupt political leaders to baptize them towards saffronism. They could influence the people with angry hanuman stickers, capturing temples for propaganda, conducting RSS Shakas and import Sanghis for Bikini-trouser parades across Southern streets. But, the reality remains that, even at their peak absolute powers, they are not able to gain more than 35% vote share.
The Only surprise of Special parliament session = Actually No Special Surprise!
BJP has scheduled a surprise Parliament session with surprise agenda. I am sure they are going to disappoint everyone around with nothing to show up except for playing like a Santa Claus for the poor and middle class with an empty bag but mouth full of gags. What else can a RSS-Santa with an empty bag promise its devotees, having gifted everything to himself (I mean Adani)? Now to… Why they can’t surprise old Indians or new Bharatians or future Hindu Rashtrawadis…?
It’s simple, Uniform Civil code will alienate a lot more diverse groups than just Muslims. With no cohesive majoritarian vote margins, which is against split at caste and regional level, BJP will lose a lot more than what it gains electorally. But they can dangle it as a carrot for the RSS to work hard for 2024, to make it a reality.
Women’s reservation bill could be yet another contentious factor but BJP’s cadre itself will be the bakra if they implement, demoralising their own chauvinistic cadre. Granting Kashmir statehood just shows their flimsy and whimsical nature just like senior and junior Shahs are troubling India and BCCI for all their (in)capacities. I am happy with “India’s” Asia Cup win, but it was not gained on a level playing filed, but with a big Bully making rules to his advantage, one of the reasons why India could not shine on ICC Trophies . Contrast such rigging with CSK making Home ground pitches generic enough, losing Home advantage, but shine in the eliminators and Finals. Even if the Supreme Court applies pressure on Kashmir issue, it will end up more like Maharastra verdict with moral victory for Uddhav Thackeray and actual victory for the ED and IT evil nexus. So, Mo-Sha might not worry much about Judiciary for their ill conceived implementations. With due respect to the mostly upright top Judiciary showing their greatest resistance amidst spine chilling display of autocracy around, for every Loya there are enough Goons and absolute arrogant power to bail the autocrats out, can only pray to be more careful and keep the powder dry for another opportune emergency.
How about renaming India and Modi, so as to start clean, begging for Nth chance among voters? Even if Modi wants to rename India, after carefully studying him on his impulsive affinity to shock us with silly surprises and blowing up into bought-out media headlines as master strokes, he may not rename to Bharat, but to “Hindustan” or any such RSS themed names. Bharat is already a valid constitutional name and striking out India is no big deal requiring Parliament special sessions, making the opposition alliance look grand like Gladiator slaying the Mo-Sha duo with just a INDIA Team Jersey, without even contesting. So, Modi might not try to shed India and its brand value but carefully incorporate RSS flavour to the constitution as a teaser for 2024 Hindu Dhritarashtra, seeding a civil war like Mahabharat (If at all he wins that is!). If at all anyone bothers what’s in a name? It objectively amounts to None, except for a Blippy Big Bully Show-off. Irrespective of any resistance to name change, Opposition could work on people’s Bread and water issues, rather playing to the tunes of Tughlaq Shahenshah of Delhi Sultanate.
The One Nation One Election could backbite BJP and Modi big time if not carefully planned. It will be a bigger failure or bitter moment for the “Mighty” BJP image which has so far rammed laws through Parliament without any contest. Mo-Sha might opt for safe rewards by allowing the Opposition to win the State Elections and then “(s)weep for sympathy” through 2024, which has worked for them so far. So, the Opposition might have to think through winning successive elections rather worrying about major changes.
They are only left with announcing welfare measures like reduction of prices inflated to inflate Adani wealth and welfare amounts for a limited periods during election and some useless Money bills.
Update 19/09/2023 – Modi’s First Parliament Session = Dummy Phataka
[ I really wished I am proven wrong when I heard rumours of Women’s reservation Bill coming up soon, from courageous(?) Modi even at the risk of enraging BJP cadre during Poll season. But as usual, the Devil “lies” in the details and it turned to be yet another fake promise from Mo-Sha by pushing it to 2029+, subject to various terms and conditions like 50% State approval, a complex Census cum delimitation exercise and contentious OBC Quota.
Just like Women’s reservation Bill…. “Ours is a government of checks and balances. The Mafia and crooked businessmen make out checks, and the politicians and other compromised officials improve their bank balances.” – Steve Allen
We need to give it to Modi.. I repeat… as Miserly Gujarati Bania Santa Claus with an empty bag but with mouth full of gags still surprising everyone with an audacious bill, that will remain a Zombie from its Birth, still not demoralising BJP cadre as the additional seats out of delimitation exercise could be allocated to Women and still gain a little mileage with the introduction of the “namesake” Bill – Two Birds killed with one stone. But will it deliver him desired election Results? The resounding answer will be NO! People are used to his Jumlas that they don’t take this Media-Billboard-Paper-tiger seriously nowadays, treating him just like the Boy who cried Wolf. Maybe it’s time for just another opinion Poll to self glorify after this Jumla. As even that will fail, Mo-Sha is left with concrete financial goodies on voters’ Bank accounts, if not now, may be after failing at five State elections, just like 2019. His bag of dirty tricks getting very predictable nowadays.
Let’s hear it from renowned Psephologist and Activist, Yogendra Yadav
Something is better than nothing, I told myself, trying to balance mixed emotions at the passage of the women’s reservation bill – officially, the 128th Amendment to the Constitution. But it was hard to say what exactly was that “something”. I slipped into “wo intezar tha jiska, ye wo sahar to nahin”. But that was too gloomy. Finally, I fell back on my matrabhasha: “bhaagte bhoot ki langoti hi sahi”. How do you translate that into English!
… It is also clear that only a miracle can ensure its implementation by 2029. Even if the next government carries out the census at the earliest, in February 2025, it would still face a constitutional hurdle of Article 82 that won’t permit next delimitation until the “figures for the first census taken after the year 2026 have been published”. That would mean the 2031 census. Its final figures cannot possibly come before 2032. And the Delimitation Commission cannot take less than two years (last time it took five and a half years). Then all the electoral rolls need to be revised before the next election. So, realistically speaking, unless we have some extraordinary constitutional device, we are looking at 2039 as the year of implementation.
Instead of drafting something useful for the Country by empowering women, Modi again proved he is more of a disaster lover, by intentionally leaving out OBC Quota so that INDIA Parties will fight each other in air on quota when BJP enacts a Good for nothing Bill destined for 2029 afterwards… now in 2023. Let’s wait for few more grenades as JR pointed out, especially in the last sessions as I don’t see any reason for this special session so far, except for Griha Pravesh type Photo-Op.]
If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the Country and the world. – Claude Pepper
This special Parliament session is nothing but this Birbal comedy.
Akbar gave a bizarre order to Birbal to find him six biggest fools in their kingdom in a month’s time. Birbal respectfully agreed to Akbar’s order and left the place to carry out the order as directed.
As he was riding his horse, looking for people, first he met a man named Modu who was sitting on a female donkey and carrying some grass on his own head thinking that it would help share the load of the poor animal.
Then he met two people, Changi and Mangi, who were fighting because Changi said he will release his imaginary tiger on Mangi’s imaginary cow which they are going to get as a gift from the “god.”
In the evening Birbal met Dhanki who was trying to find his lost ring in the lit area when actually the ring had fallen next to a faraway tree; but since it was quite dark there, Dhanki thought of finding the ring in a lit area instead.
Birbal took the four of them to Akbar the next day. When Akbar asked who are the remaining two fools, Birbal pointed to himself and to Emperor Akbar for undertaking such an endeavor.
I am certainly one of the biggest fool for blogging this good for nothingness called Indian Politics. Modi as he rightly called himself, could be that ‘Chosen One’ deputed for special reasons. Modi is someone who had exerted his charisma and authority on the majority of one of the most populous country in the Planet for a decade and it’s No mean feat. But whether he gets chosen to be a Bad or Good example of sorts for our Democracy is something Modi has to decide. If he sees himself as a good example he should roll out Women’s reservation Bill for 2024 and reap its goodwill benefits. Post dated Bill is like claiming God has gifted Modi a sweet Box, but asked him to open it only after 2039, just after it gets stale. The Reservation law lapses in 15 years with countdown from 2023. Modi is going to be one and only strong Leader for past and future few decades, turning things on his heels, who could achieve this seamlessly. but, he made the Constitutional amendment amounting to nothing but an empty show of ‘Good intent with wrong (election) results’ just like scheming Demon – swindling the poor and GST – stealing the States’ coffers.
Nations are born in the hearts of poets, they prosper and die in the hands of politicians. – Muhammed Iqbal
Modi cannot fool himself on the Women reservation Bill, like doling out National Integration awards to the people aiming to communally disunite India. Maybe he thought like Paramartha Guru that one should first disintegrate to get it integrated later. With such tomfooleries, Modi will be just paving the way for another “Chosen One” Sonia Gandhi to implement the hard part of Social Justice Bills to become the ‘Architect of Modern India’ rather just envisioning a tunnel vision of Hindu Rashtra. SG came from Nowhere but have done so much to India notably RTI and Food Security Bills, despite her personal losses. The Political situation reminds me of “Thamizh padam” comedy where Modi type Paravai MuniyammaDon quips, “I became the ultimate Villain to make you the ultimate Hero!”
When INDIA said “Daro Mat!” to BJP.
Just to please RSS , BJP has published an Old constitution which is missing “Socialist and Secular” defining our Republic, thus infusing the RSS flavour . It’s quite laughable that the Minister has claimed, they have just printed old constitution without the amendment which added those words. Maybe they will say our present PM is Vajpayee just moving back in time leaving Modi red-faced. Such backdoor illegal amendments only amounts to printing mistake rather posing genuine challenge to the constitution. But when will RSS and BJP will understand that such unethical “Rang De Basanti” changes need to be hard earned rather sneaking its agenda like a thief.
“What the American public wants in the theater is a tragedy with a happy ending.” – William Dean Howells.
Let’s wait till the end of the session if BJP really has something to add to its genuinity of the move. That’s the least, wounded Modi could do after Opposition scored with its alliance Name – INDIA, making him tremble uttering INDIA just like the C-word after Ladakh incursion. When will our EAM and PM will understand just indirectly referring things are not diplomatic solutions, but likened to a thief afraid of confession afraid to progress further. Rather meddling with Secular Constitution, why don’t they ask Canada and China to call them Bharat on their diplomatic encounters?
One Nation One Election = Many Losses to BJP. Dot!
Now, One Nation One Election is latest unification in diversity tragicomedy episode from Modi as best explained by P. Chidambaram.
…The drive for oneness is behind the move to make it mandatory to follow the Aadhaar Based Payment System alone to pay wages to MGNREGS workers. According to The Wire, data accessed on August 28, 2023 on the Scheme’s website showed that 11.72 crore workers will be eligible to receive wages out of a total of 14.34 crore enrolled active workers. Close to 20 per cent of the active workers will be deprived of wages. Remember, they are the poorest of the poor because they are unable to find any other work near the place of residence.
Another example is, oneness that deprives the poor of access to food under One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC). There are an estimated 450 million internal migrants in the country of which about 54 million are inter-State migrants. Under ONORC, an Aadhaar-linked ration card is supposed to enable the card-holder to draw rations at any fair price shop in the country. According to IndiaSpend, government data showed that between 2019 and 2023, on average, there were only 1.4 million inter-state transactions annually. Why is the One Nation scheme not able to provide food to the over 50 million poor inter-state migrants? Because under ONORC, no ‘state’ is responsible and the ‘technology’ is not answerable.
Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers. – Nikita Khrushchev
Under the Oneness project, we are moving to a decisive stage. It will be One Nation, One Poll. The Law Commission and other committees have pointed out that the idea requires at least five Constitutional Amendments, besides the huge political and administrative objections. Nevertheless, the government is accelerating the process with the appointment of a puppet committee. The goal is not one poll; the real goal is one pole — the BJP — around which the entire political system will be re-constructed.
“Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.” – William Simon
This Aadhaar – PAN linking system is quite a sham. It just cannot link if the name has any spaces or full form of initial. It has to be exactly the same form, when I do have different spellings in my Ration Card, MetroWater Card, EB Bill and Passport. It’s like looking for idealistic perfection with the citizens when the callous bureaucracy could not even care for spell check. Ironically even the IT Dept is so callous that when I asked for a correction in my name, they just bothered to send another PAN instead of correcting or even checking for duplicates. Now, on looking to correct the issue by surrendering the duplicate PAN with wrong name online, the system complains that the current Aadhaar-PAN linked one could not be authenticated as the names, which were authenticated and linked earlier, are different! So much for the oneness comedy. Now, they are processing payrolls with this broken system.
What begins as a Utopian vision, always – always – ends in bloodshed. Because you have to force a utopia on a free people. Free people want to pursue their own happiness, but a one-size-fits-all approach requires herding the free, against their will, into the state’s idea of what’s right. Then it’s not utopia. – George Gutfeld
When Modi failed to achieve unification on much necessary operational aspects he wants to bring in uniformity on personal choices like attire, food and culture. It’s like asking everyone to fry pakoras just to maintain uniformity on Profession. Serving Vegetarian fare in G20 without accommodating Guest’s likes / unlikes could have worked owing to Country’s economic stature, but whether Modi will accept a similar G20 in Foreign country serving only Non vegetarian fare is a question to ponder. If they quip in “British” James Bond style – “India is India. This is pure Non Veg country!” just like our EAM, will our EAM acting like big bully nowadays will keep quiet like other countries who acted as graceful guests in India?
One person may need (or want) more leisure, another more work; one more adventure, another more security, and so on. It is this diversity that makes a country, indeed a state, a city, a church, or a family, healthy. ‘One-size-fits-all,’ and that size determined by the State has a name, and that name is ‘slavery.’
David Mamet
The G20 and the 420
Since the G20, a “routine” event is over, where Modi got credited for hosting it by selling his ancestral properties worth 420 * 10 crores, rather stealing limelight from Bharat’s Coffers, Modi was everywhere as he paid for it, “ubiquitous in Delhi. He appears in different sizes at these locations: from the international airport to iron pailings; public toilets to petrol pumps; bus stops to banyan trees; and the façade of a metro station to flyovers and fences.” to quote Newslaundry. With their intense no stones unturned PR approach, this time they are not even allowing us to loo in peace…This part of the act sponsored by… I can’t / don’t want to imagine further on this…but this really trumps Modi’s condoms during his Gujarat rule. One Earth. One Family. One Condom. One Adani.
The reason why G20 Leaders survived Vegetarian meals along with Coke and Kelloggs.
Modi’s obsessions for PR is his biggest weakness, so far overcome by other emotional stirrups. Mo-Sha duo’s PR stunt is reminiscent of Laurel-Hardie type comedy by Goundamani Senthil in tamil. Goundamani wants to be so popular that he asks Senthil to make him so, handing out Photographs of the him and his Spouse. Senthil vouches to make them famous Brand like Marlon -Brand-O. Soon Goundamani senses his increase in popularity with so much of inquiries about the couple’s Photographs. Only to his surprise he finds the Photos at sign Boards for indication of Male / Female at Public Toilets. BTW, this sterile comedy is dedicated to Pavan K Varma. This is just about showing how far Modi, drunk on arrogance, stooped on his PR craze rather getting downgraded by a simple factful Blog or social media posts. There is a limit to Modi’s wish that everyone has to talk about him. Modi’s hollow schemes, from Demon to Oneness Circus with zero outcome, except for making people talk about the Clown of the Show, show that his PR obsession becoming an incurable disease affecting each and every one of Indians. As a well wisher of Modi (Not for Modi as PM though), this would be my Birthday Gift rather meaningless opportunistic praises.
2024 – BJP’s Sapna Time Aayega!
Though, we criticise Modi on his weaknesses, we also need to acknowledge on his half baked accomplishments as rightly glossed out by Piyush Goyal. Digital payments is a success except for cyber crimes, siphoning bank account money from gullibles citing reasons like Minimum balance, swept under the carpet and atrocious taxes for simple Bank transactions and the impending UPI taxation after 2024 to compensate for NPA losses gifted towards Cronies. Bully Boy Foreign diplomacy is also commendable to an extent except for trembling with fear shaking legs instead of hands with China at Ladakh. The Government’s impetus towards bringing in semiconductor industry is also laudable except for Crony friendly capitalism, making Free market India to an Oligarchy. The way major Infrastructure players like GVK got rough-handled by this Government, genuine investors are not going to bet on such risky adventure with a climate of fear favouring One and Only Adani and other Cronies.
Despite all this successes why Modi could not advertise himself on these achievements? None of the PR circus has translated to accomplishments for Modi to boast about for 2024? Its because none of them are real successes. Each one of the accomplishment opens a pandora’s box of his own inefficiency, puncturing all his hot air balloons of empty accomplishments. Goyal’s Jan Dhan Yojna statement clearly hints on few more doles from the government for the Poor rather directing to Adani’s coffers for a poll change. It’s quite clear the Government is in a fix unable to market any of its achievements(?) so far and looking for alternate routes with surprise sessions at parliament, assuming the Poor can be fooled with election time dole and then subsequently siphon their money towards Adani Shell firms.
The Dreamy Amrit Kaal 2047. Guess what got churned out before Amrit and get ready to endure toxic Kartavya Kaal till then.Also, Amrit gets only limited servings for the privileged Sycophants and Cronies.
The real scammy vision of Modi is that he is able to squeeze all of us for first four and half years of his governance with atrocious taxes on common consumer items, inflation and unjustified hike on LPG / Fuel, only to give back a fraction of the money sucked up from our Blood as election alms and still claim himself a Winner! If you are still not convinced, statistics say our thali meal got increased by 25% this year alone. If at all Modi has to give us back, he should be handing out every citizen INR 10000 per month for all his hikes accumulated for last 4.5 years. For someone who get so flustered if an optional luxury concert did not go well, how about someone scamming all our money in the name of taxes without giving back to us anything but rerouting it to his Crony friend, selling all country’s assets cheaply.
Piyush Goyal’s over praising Modi article, when his only accomplishment seem to squeeze people for taxes, reminds of the story where BJP treats its voters like “bricked” Camel, making us a symbol of endurance… the story goes like this…
A man by name Adani needed to cross the “Hindenburg desert” to get to a small “Shell village” four days away. So he goes to the camel dealership and asks for a camel. The dealer by name Modi says he only has three day camels right now. As they are discussing this, the boy by name Goyal, who “cares” for the camels overheard and chimed in. We could brick one and get four days out of one.
The man, confused asked what that was. The boy brought the man to the water hole to show him. He points to a camel, see how he has to awkwardly stand to drink, with his legs straight but spread out? I’ll now brick him and get 4 days for you. So the boy grabs 2 bricks and quietly walks up behind the camel, brick in both hands… then proceeds to clap the bricks together around the camels balls. The camel sucks up another days worth of water. The man exclaimed doesn’t that hurt! The boy replied, “not if you keep your thumbs out from between the bricks!”
Wonder what happens on the fifth day when camel had to be fed again? The Camel gave a deserving back kick when the Boy came clapping with bricks. Watch out for 2024 elections when bricked Camels vote in return after enduring all their atrocities.
The Dharma and its Adharma within – The next PR release after G20 Show Reel.
Before you stop chanting “Modi! Modi!” on your daily routines, inpired by G20 Billboards, let’s move on to the “What next” part. After G20 chest thumping and other Jay Shah type mannerisms, BJP now desperately needs another show reel to deviate our attention from the maladies of Modi’s Governance.
When our entire Government just became a CBFC PR showreel
Thanks to Udhayanidhi, BJP now wants to make hay while sanatana dharma controversy shines. Udhayanidhi’s steely rebuttals show of coming of age of a Politician, from his previous actor cum comedy Hero avatar. I am not sure if such rabble rousing against Udhayanidhi helps BJP to consolidate Hindu votes, but Junior Stalin could clearly differentiate that he is not against any Dharma but only on its adharma part in the form of casteism, manu segregation and communalism. Thiruma has been pretty vocal against sanatana dharma enlightening people on its evil code. But he never got into controversy because of the depth and clarity in his thought and speech making it difficult to contest.
The DMK Sanatana Santa claus
The reason for Modi suddenly taking up Sanatana Dharma controversy is multifold. It hurts MK Stalin – one of the strongest pillars of INDIA as a perfect psy-op by hurting his near and dear ones. It gives them a distraction from the India-Bharat-Whatever controversy, which Modi wanted to be wrapped in secrecy like Article 370 abrogation, as its reasons are driven by selfish reasons rather for Nation’s good, and its legality and feasibility is still void. It also makes people talk about majoritarian Hinduism, rather about Price rise, Corruption and their stupid governance, as all other feel good PR news cycles like ISRO turned out to be boring. But I also wonder if DMK is incentivized to utter sanatana derisively as if they are self-appointed Santa of BJP, as they keep talking like motor mouths without any depth, giving BJP enough ammunition to make people forget their daily struggles and focus on their sanatana drama.
“You can love, you can hate, but… you cannot ignore me”. – Karunanidhi M
Not sure if Udhayanidhi’s speeches would be received in right spirit across India, like it’s well received by politically conscious tamilians, but also damaging the alliance at country level. BJP would cleverly want to drive a wedge between envious INDIA alliance bridging Northern and Southern parties with such trivial issues, unless otherwise DMK raises its counter arguments to corner BJP on these issues which is playing on weak wicket when it comes to casteism, compared to its forte communalism.
There is clear and clever opportunity existing for the opposition if they play their anti-casteist and anti-brahmanical-supremacy card well. BJP can never afford to talk about Dalit, OBC and Tribal empowerment which could be a winning poll promise point for INDIA alliance. What killed Congress in Cow Belt – the Mandal episode, could revive their fortunes provided they play it well now. Congress could tout of a Dalit PM ( Though I personally abhor such symbolisms and doubt Congress revival in UP owing to its lack of intent and depleted resources, they may come out much stronger disallowing BJP sweeping UP ), which BJP can never think of… only restricting themselves to Token black Barbie-Ken like rubber stamps decorating Dhritarashtra Bhavans, for BJP PM… one should always be of rosy complexion at least with mushroom supplements decorated with fancy threads. There are 21 Brahmin Cabinet Ministers out of 28, speaks a lot about “Nagpur Brahmin Company” which took over East india Company.
Why OBC / Dalit / Tribal could be a formidable alliance for INDIA.
First of All Nadda and Amit Shah getting super hyped when RG talks about OBC shows how much they are terrified with the opposition seizing the major non-aligned Block who are the deciding factor in Election with Minorities and Brahmins already polarised. BJP though smartly builds an inclusive caste alliance they are aversed on Dalit/ Tribal empowerment or giving OBCs their due. If you ask why Dalits are not empowered by Modi, the smart upper caste answer could be that, Modi is just treating everyone equally, carefully hiding the EWS Quota for Brahmins while cribbing about Dalit reservations.
“The word ‘Sudra’ which means ‘Son of prostitute’ should not find a place even in the history hereafter. We will not allow it to find a place in the dictionary.” – Periyar
“With the authority vested in me I hereby appoint Namo as a Brahmin since he has Brahminical gunas.”
Subramanian Swamy
“The root cause of all social evils is the belief in superiority and inferiority based on birth.” – Periyar
So, the caste arithmetic of Mo-Sha ends up with a power Pyramid where Brahmins take the cake, topping and cream. OBCs/Dalits are magnanimously gifted with leftover bread crumbs. INDIA Alliance also struggles with few parties who cannot shed themselves out of being Yadav-Muslim Cow belt parties, which has greatly helped BJP as others don’t find a Party where they belong to. Unfortunately, the Congress did not tackle the EWS Quota Head-On even when they dont get any votes of that demography. They still harped on gaining the lost Brahmin support in 2019 losing everyone in the end. So, a “subtle” coalition of castes giving them recognition where their is due, could be a major selling point for INDIA alliance rather being loud about it.
Why Caste could also be a click Bait for INDIA
Mo-Sha rely on Shock and awe emotional election campaigns. They may not read too much into upcoming State elections as they know, a failed Modi on State Elections could be a clincher in 2024 Union elections, harvesting sympathy votes. Also, leaving out OBC Quota could be deliberate, not just a myopic decision, to lure the INDIA alliance to bite this caste bait, so that Modi could easily checkmate the opposition by ramming through another quota for OBC in winter session, with his massive strength in Parliament, with laws dated for 2050 or whatever and still try wooing them over. EWS quota came through in a similar pattern, keeping the opposition flabbergasted.
If you do not milk the cow fully, it falls sick. – Lalu Prasad yadav
Hence, the need for opposition to keep the caste equation subtle and secondary, tackling Modi primarily on his achilles heel – Inflation, Unemployment and Drastically poor socio-economic conditions. Socio-economic guarantees with a clear personal mass outreach could be the real Brahmastra for INDIA.
When BJP said “Thank God!”
BJP clearly wants to take advantage of Sanatana Crisis, so that the Opposition is quite busy answering on emotional questions raised and tackle personal attacks, thus demoralising them. A BJP Minister provoked that he will pull tongue out and gouge the eyes of Jr. Stalin. The best part of this sanatana comedy is that nobody really understands the sanatana dharma. BJP will have tough task to equate sanatana with Hinduism while facing embarrassing questions on how it advocates caste inequality and rigid enough for any progressive change. Sadly, the power of Kursi is such that it makes BJP Leaders bow to any limits even digging themselves few feets below ground to beg before the power of common voters or atleast pull their legs with lies. One so called Saint announced a ten crore prize for Udhayanidhi head initiating a crude “Kaun banega Sanatani Crorepati” reality show. I have seen even a Beggar in Pushpak movie amassing wealth, but a Sadhu to have Ten Crores, made me sing “Aawaara Hawaala Hoon!” like Raj Kapoor.
Never underestimate the power of Common Man before elections. Never overestimate the power of Common Man after elections, Especially after One Nation No Election.
“What’s happening? Why are you running so hard, Mullah?” asked a passer-by.
“To see how far my voice carries!” Nasruddin replied, rushing off into the distance.
As if the drama is not enough our Onion-Garlic-Minority-hating-Sanatani-FM jumped the bandwagon that, these spineless people only talk about their own Hindu religion rather damaging others. According to FM we should keep mocking Titanic while our own ship is caught in a wreck and Captain of the Ship is obsessed with PR busy with Sinking Selfies. By her own logic, will FM draft a budget for neighbouring Pakistan just because she is spine-full enough? Hope that happens, atleast we Indians, will be spared of GST tantrums.
MullaNasruddin couldn’t resist the urge to raid a neighbouring garden and climb the apricot tree. Observing his antics, the gardener asked: “Why are you climbing someone else’s tree?”
Nasruddin replied: “Don’t you realise I am a nightingale and climbing a tree is not a sin for nightingales!”
The gardener laughed: “Please sing so that I may enjoy your sweet voice.”
Nasruddin began singing in his hoarse voice. The gardener stopped him short and asked whether nightingales sang so badly.
Retorted Nasruddin: “A nightingale that eats raw apricots without Onion or Garlic will not sing better than this!”
There were other sanatani clowns who can’t even withstand a discussion on “Sanatana 101” issuing provocative statements just to push Udhayanidhi and DMK back foot. After BJP’s taliban-esque brutal sanatana episode, making people wonder if these guys are truly vegetarians or cannibals, even desperate BJP Leaders might have cried out “What’s next PR Showreel?” to hide their “Sanatani Butcher cartoon”. Modi came up with a respite that God chose him to enact Women’s reservation Bill ( in 2029 that is… After nationwide census if at all happens that is… after the complex delimitation exercise happens that is… After OBC quota conflict happens within INDIA alliance Parties that is… After 50% States nod on this Bill that is… Another namesake Beti Bachao type Jumla when BJP Baahubalis go scot free after freely harassing women around that is), making his cadre go “Thank God!” for the distraction, before they fully metamorphose into Sanatani Cannibals.
“If god is the root cause for our degradation, destroy that god. If it is religion, destroy it. If it is Manu Darma, Gita, or any other Mythology (Purana), burn them to ashes. If it is a temple, tank, or festival, boycott them. Finally if it is our politics, come forward to declare it openly.” – Periyar
The entire Sanatana comedy and Women’s reservation Bill tragedy going nowhere actually, could be summed up with a story below.
The townspeople once noticed Modi Nasruddin charging through the village on his steed. The horse was going at full gallop, its tail flying high and the mane flashing hither and thither. Nasruddin hair too was flying right back in the wind. Unknown to Nasruddin, the horse had actually taken fright on sighting a lion cub and bolted.
Thinking there could be something wrong, a neighbour inquired: “Mullah, where are you off to at such a furious gallop?”
Modi Nasruddin looked back in genuine alarm: “I really don’t know! You’ll have to ask the horse!”
There is something about Udhayanidhi. Though he is more of a greenhorn still learning on his ropes as Politician. He effortlessly reached out to the masses with a single Brick during last elections making an impact, thanks to his movie exposure and mass reach out tutorials learned there. Now he has inadvertently sparked the Santana wildfire, making BJP succumb to it and pushing the INDIA alliance to attack BJP’s achilles heel – Caste and its elitist Manu Dharma. Maybe he has now learnt to keep calm and stay out of the battle ( to quote a comic Movie Ad where the Hero is not at all keeping calm at least to justify the movie Quote. OK he is just entering Politics and he cannot keep calm, gotta make some ugly noise. Apologies I cannot utter his name as he has to be called in a common clownish err… nounish name, else his crude fans will be writing lovely Obituaries making me love to hate him more ) and still win the game.
The then president Ram Nath Kovind was not invited for the foundation laying of the new Parliament building because he is “untouchable”.
If the foundation laying was done by an untouchable, then naturally it would have to be washed with Gangajal (water from the Ganges)
President Droupadi Murmu was not invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building while many others, including actors, were invited. This is an insult to the president.
…Lok Sabha is summoned by the president and not by the prime minister. But there is no place for (the president) and then they say that they respect women a lot.
Mallikarjun Kharge
What BJP tries to Kill – Colonialism or Gandhi-ism?
There is favourite excuse coming from BJP whenever they are criticised on their Pomp Show-offs like the new Modi Multiplex and other Shortcomings that Congress and Opposition are suffering with Colonial Mind set. They come up with election time rhyming coinages like “Khan Market Gang” or “Lutyens Mafia” to cover up their own shortcomings.
BJP really worried about colonial Mind Set? The way Modi hugs off the former Colonial rulers, it seems like he wants to be their cuddly Teddy Bear to his former colonial Masters ( to enjoy his retirement abroad? ). If they are so angered with Lutyens Architecture, the BJP executives should have gone to Mutts and Mandirs on their stay in Delhi rather occupying all Lutyens Buildings. Instead what they did was to get rid off Rahul Gandhi from his Lutyens Bungalow. Modi’s western obsessions could be clearly seen with his dresses and fashion accessories. He is not at all ashamed of Nothing swadeshi about his “Prime Model” career.
So, what is BJP up against in the guise of Colonial Mindset? They are just afraid of Gandhi and his powerful Ahimsa Philosophy. I love indian Mythology. But when I narrate such stories to my Kids, all of them end up killing or lynching their enemies in the name of Dharma. Pandavas Kill Kauravas, Dashavatar just kills people in different getups of Vishnu. Rama kills Ravana. The epics excel in creating a proper justification for such murders. But what Gandhi brought in is something nobler than just killing people for convenient reasons.
Gandhi endured pain and taught us to endure in the same way all atrocities of oppression and still withstand against it, thereby reforming the Oppressor. This is where Indian history becomes unique. This is the reason why prominent G20 Leaders paid homage to him at Delhi. Not being submissive to Modi or his wielding of economic power but as due credit to someone who showed the other way out of adharma rather just showing the other cheek. Modi and his PR team might want us to believe him as the G20 Circus Ring Master, but reality bites sooner than later like the India-Canada crisis. It also needs to be duly noted that Gandhi is an ardent follower of Ram espousing his values. Mythological stories like Raja Harishchandra shaped his early life. But, he was also influenced by various religions and intellectuals in later stages to form his philosophy of non-violence.
Ahima Vs “Him”sa
So, by referring to colonial mindset, BJP wants to kill the sacred Gandhi-ism, as its completely antithetical to RSS / BJP’s “segregate, oppress and rule beliefs”. Gandhi just stopped many movements which he toiled hard to spawn, just when few of his followers resorted to violence. Compare this with BJP silently encouraging lynching of Minorities by empowering fringe Hindutva outfits or the Government directly bulldozing assets to show off its muscular Hindutva.
One could sense such unrestrained muscular arrogance has grown leaps and bounds and have even transformed our cherished sweet talk diplomacy softly killing our contentious issues amicably, taking the global support on our stride to a rugged boy diplomacy flaunting economic power and taking advantage of strategic geopolitical situations but also getting thoroughly exposed by our silent cowardice at Ladakh incursions. We could have solved our internal issues by pacifying self-interest groups and listening to them being considerate but firmly standing on to Unity at any cost, rather making a bigger mess out of our violent excesses, making a domestic non-issue to a bigger one of global significance.
Our EAM could be absolutely right on quoting “Double Standards” of the western world, just like a Murderer calling out another Murderer. But it just does not absolve of our own wrong doings but comes off as Honest Confession. While there is barrage of support from the Media and Opposition leadership because it’s more about the Nation rather any petty Leader, we also lost our Bargaining chips as Torch Bearer of Peace resorting to an Ordinary tit for tat Juvenile stuff, without any depth of Diplomacy. Maybe we could also introspect as a Nation, on where do we stand by showing our Brave face on killing pests and Mosquitoes while tugging our tails when facing the not so mighty dragon. Modi might pay a bitter price in the next few months for his Diplomatic blunders and all his Bear Hugs and Hysterical laughs around World Leaders got translated to Nothing but an excruciating lesson on our Soft-killing Diplomacy, a Subject of study where India excelled in the past, especially when all the drastic steps could have led to a destructive check-mate, like Kashmir. So, it will be good for Modi and India if he close off this case sooner than later.
RSS members killed Gandhi for the ideological reasons as he is a threat, a destructively nuclear influence sullying their silly violent majoritarian ideas. Gandhi was a human culture Bomb whose death acted as death knell for saffron terrorism in India for next 5 decades, till another Gandhi – Rajiv revived it by opening doors of Ayodhya controversy, triggering the Mandal-Kamandal Politics. While Gandhi believed in killing such unethical oppressive supremacist ideas, RSS believes in killing equality, be it Religion by propagating hate on Minorities like Bidhuri desecrated the parliament as a common pattern on Hindutva hate propaganda… or Caste by believing in superiority by Birth and oppression of Lower castes as rightly pointed out by Kharge in the above quote. Gandhi and his idea of Nonviolence is the greatest roadblock for RSS to envision their “Back to Mythological Barbaric Monarchical Future”, where cultivated reasons are just enough to kill a human, based on religion or Caste by Birth rather worrying about Ethics / Justice / Dharma.
The government’s plans to redevelop the Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmati has been mired in controversy, with many saying that the ashram’s sanctity and dignity are under threat from the project that plans to build a theme park of sorts, complete with a VIP lounge, food courts and new built-up units. Around 250 families, descendants of the ashramwasis brought over by Gandhiji, have been forced to vacate the premises.
Gujarat’s governor, Acharya Devvrat, was appointed the chancellor of the Gujarat Vidyapith last year. It was the first time in 102 years that the top post went to a non-Gandhian.
The letter points to “the most recent case of forcefully occupying and demolishing several Gandhian heritage buildings at Rajghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, throwing out the most valuable Gandhian books to the open field with the direct support from Uttar Pradesh State Government”.
Apart from direct assaults on Gandhian Institutions, attempts are being made by the Government to systematically erase Gandhi’s ideology. The Swach Bharat may sound like a Clean india Movement devised on remembrance of Gandhi, initially. Now, it has got fully morphed to Modi’s movement by 2023 with cleaning antics on Gandhis Birth date. Gandhi’s identity got replaced with a simple spectacle to symbolise him and got fully erased in 2023, making one wonder what exactly Modi is cleaning on Gandhi Jayanthi. Ofcourse, Modi still pays a decent lip service on Gandhi while allowing Pragya Thakur kinds to adore and worship Godse. Leaders may come and go, but Gandhi is going to stay forever whatever existential crisis, his ideology may go through. For Gandhi’s ideas espouses the real Dharma of Hinduism – Compassion… even to his ideological enemies.
A person who has the courage to overcome her own fear so that she may observe the ocean truthfully is a Hindu. To call Hinduism a set of cultural norms is to misunderstand it. To bind it to a particular nation or geography is to limit it. Hinduism is how we mitigate and understand our relationship with our fears. It is a path towards the realisation of truth and though it belongs to no one, it is open to anyone who chooses to walk on it.
A Hindu looks at herself and everyone in this ocean of life with love, compassion and respect because she understands we are all swimming and drowning in exactly the same waters. She reaches out and protects all the beings around her who are struggling to swim. She is alert to even the most quiet anxiety, the most silent scream. This action and duty to defend others, especially the weak, is what a Hindu calls her Dharma. Listening for and acting on behalf of the world’s invisible worries through the prisms of truth and non-violence. – Rahul Gandhi
The post by RG was a nice thought provoking one. As a well-wisher, I also need to see it from a Godse-Troll perspective as there is big group looking to sabotage him but eventually making him the modern version of mythological Vaali who absorbs half the strength of anyone who fights him, getting stronger and wiser everyday. I was listening to Kamal Hassan’s impressive speech at Loyola College. KH is always a river of overflowing wisdom and knowledge. He made a very interesting critique of his own speech that earlier he used to talk a lot, but now he is making it concise with a punch at the end, as audience keep looking for it. Maybe he will get his real Doctorate for his study on Social media Virology.
One could see Kejriwal coming up with sucker punches to alleviate his shortcomings as a Speaker, hogging headlines. I still remember Kejriwal speaking for 10 minutes with a Juice tumbler in his hand, to be given to Anna Hazare who was fasting for days to kill corruption. It was like a thriller when AK would finish his unimpressive speech and handover the Juice, just not to kill Anna Hazare. It was striking moment, making me wonder, if the entire fasting was a PR drama which turned out to be so. Even if we get a Meditating / Laughing Buddha, he may not have worked for Social media age. We might need a Viral Verbal Punching Buddha to suit today’s world flooded with SM. There is – “Jesus is a Hipster” campaign skimming out all punches in Bible to attract youth. Just like SRK’s films of 2023, nobody can suppress an interestingly good message. Sincerely wish, RG could do better with interesting Punches, making his outreach compelling.
I usually stay away from Corporate Gurus in Hindutva era. But I was surprised with an anecdote from Sri to the power of Cubed to wrap this topic. In 2014 his Cubic power could not help US stabilise our Foreign exchange. Maybe it’s time to learn the “Art of contradicting” from what we got him endorsed in 2014. Hopefully his spiritual power will be used as a welcome positive change to propagate diversity and brotherhood amongst us.
Fanaticism fails to recognise that the divine loves variety and diversity; and that many different schools of thought can coexist in this world. The only way to get rid of fanaticism in the world is through spiritual education that is broad-based, multicultural and multireligious: that which creates a reverence for diversity in nature. It is when a child grows up considering other religions or cultures as bad or with the notion that my idea of God is the only idea of God, that he or she is ready to give up his or her life for that cause; but when a child grows up learning a little bit about all other religions, cultures and customs, then there is a sense of belonging with everybody. I feel that when every child in the world learns a little bit about every other religion or culture, the child will not have inhibitions or hatred towards other religions or cultures.
The “Rusted Iron” Policy of Congress
Modi is completely right in calling Congress – “Rusted Iron”, as they dont find any use of weaponizing Politics by creating sensational violent hate scenarios, getting their violent weapons to rust and instead chose to a humble dialogue with the masses, “How can we improve your lives?”. Strangely the weight of the rusted iron increases, due to additional weight of oxygen combined with iron over time. When we are in Space age, where Wars conducted at War rooms / Battles are waged at Board Rooms, only rulers with Foolish monarchical mindset will worry about the rusted iron weapons and paint with their PR coat, rather engaging on a skillful dialogue.
But Modi Calling Congress useless? Everybody know how useful Demon, GST, selling National assets, Communalism to the latest Women reservation Bill were for the Public good. It’s like a ZERO calling an Indian Independence Hero as Nothing, as a Freudian slip! All self-centered Modi’s schemes amounts to a single Branding – “Modi Hai Toh Nothing Hai!”, not even as good as rusted Iron. Modi just proves JR’s observation – Modi is always at his best at – “Insults” and good for nothing else. Let’s hope at least he comes up with creative insults as he gets too boring on that front too with out of fashion “Urban Naxal” abuses. The pathetic part is none of the BJP Party men could explain such terminology other than the coinage has a nice ring to it, blindly believing that just making rhyming noise is enough to win 2024. Well… this blog also has rhyming stuff not for attention but because of too much exposure to Nursery rhymes my Kids keep playing to my ears where Jack and Jill….meets Sisyphus.
The problem with indian Politics or rather any well meaning democracy is that our voting decisions are Superficial, just going by the outer beauty of branding like Mushroom-ish elitistic Rosy complexion or curated beard to imitate a Lion. Indians, busy fighting on their survival, never scratch that cosmetic surface, to get into the stinky part of the Ruler’s decisions or just not allowed with various political detours like Women’s reservation Bill destined for 2039 and with strong veil of PR drumming up our Super PM, when he is just super-stitious at the max scurrying to build a new Parliament hoping to win a third term and making super-ficial governance policy decisions like Demon carried away with One page powerpoint by some genial Auditors who got the knack of getting every decision wrong..
History suggests people who build such edifices to show off their might of power just end up as retired Rulers forever. You can always ask Karunanidhi, on his newly built well designed Assembly building ( Unlike our poorly designed soulless new Parliament pleasing No one) and got later transformed to an Hospital by Jayalalitha and even ask MKS why he did not revert back to the Assembly complex Karunanidhi built. There might be few more joining the list aiming to be permanent CM / PM with few exceptions. Maybe, it’s not for building superstitions but could be about their callousness not hearing the ground sentiments but focusing on meaningless buildings which fails them in future. Time has always proven to be the ultimate God and King among the mere mortals who miscalculate themselves to be mighty and permanent.
The evil Spidey of New India
I was questioned by a shopkeeper on why Indians don’t vote objectively rather emotionally nowadays, it’s not about underestimating anyone’s intelligence or potential. It’s just that we are too tired of Parties promising golden future be it Congress / BJP / Regional parties and what we get is substandard infrastructure and services even after getting squeezed up on taxes without any consideration for the poor survival. People just voted for a “change”, hoping something good will happen and ended up much worse situation. Our political situation is easily comparable to Soft Drink behemoths eating away the competition by offering free refrigerator, higher commission, lowest price and a soft demand not to sell local soft drinks to Shopkeepers, so as to capture market share in the initial stages. Its very much comparable to East India Company of modern times, where none of the competitors could survive their might of money and soft power, closing down their business. Eventually, things changed after a decade of duopoly. Now our Markets have Desi drinks slowly steadying up on sales. Similar thing happened with snacks where Desi Haldirams become a Billion Dollar company. The infrastructure basics like packages and tactics introduced by the MNCs actually helped the local vendors to easily assimilate the changes and pose a challenge against the same Corporates. People were overawed for change and eventually moved back to their roots even without any unethical push from Desi / Local Manufacturers. All local manufacturers had to do was provide a quality product in attractive packaging to get people back to their roots.
Modi’s confidence of winning 2024 arises from two aspects – firstly, the ability to manipulate EVMs as they are not dumb calculators as built in initial phases without VVPAT and secondly, the ability to sway Voters with emotional mass psychology. 2014 and 2019 were not won by Modi on his merit. Rather, he managed to win on emotional issues such as Corruption and Nationalistic sentiments, catalysed by communalism. It’s a chicken and egg scenario where one easily confuses if Modi is big enough to win elections or the manufactured circumstances allowed him to do so. To answer that, we need to check Modi’s stature before he was PM / CM. He kept a very low profile owing to his Rioter-In-Chief demerits and disqualifications… stayed just quiet and laid the web like Spider, hoping people will fall as his prey for his web of communal deceit and feel good 15 Lakh type progressive lies, and to Modi’s credit, succeeded in making himself look better among opposition flock, which worked out well… well… so far.
The BJP Leadership’s psychotic despair reaching its pinnacle with One Nation, One Election sort of duplicitous election mind games. This might sound crazy, but I would not be surprised if they employ mind control and mass propaganda techniques to influence the neutral and gullible voters who might just believe what they hear, which may not be necessarily of their own inner voice or conscience. There were previous incidents of suspicious tin foil type hats worn by Modi earlier, as he is a faithful follower of Nazi propaganda techniques.
How the RSS Spidey works like a crabby cancer eating out even (once) upright Media
If it is difficult to digest the level to which BJP-RSS could go to sway voters with media illusions, sample this. RSS conducted various off-the-record meetings especially with media editors and owners. For example Vikatan’s ownership wholly denied their involvement with Sangh by attending their meetings, but they had their bruises due to DMK linked G-Square coverage where they were accused for asking for bribes for setting the narrative favourably.
According to the police statement released on Wednesday, during the investigation, police found evidence that Kevin had financial transactions with a few of the magazine employees. However, as they did not find any merit to the charges made against the directors of ‘Junior Vikatan’ and a few others, they were planning to drop their names from the FIR.
As a past avid (proof)-reader of Vikatan for their professional coverage, I could see easy signs of Vikatan nowadays degrading by swaying towards RSS agenda in Tamilnadu. It nowadays covers a lot of BJP news even if its insignificant to keep the Party on top of readers’ minds. BJP has a voteshare of 5% in TN, but one could observe 25-40% news about BJP in TN media. There is a clear attack on MK Stalin, on various other issues as G-Square case reached a ceasefire truce. Unfortunately, vikatan is not helped by its own sagging financial status leading to layoffs. The latest attack by Vikatan is on much touted Chennai Rain water drains done at the expense of 4000 Crores. The attacks are taking malicious turn with various photographs of few flood incidents covered from various angles to show the State Government in poor light.
Personally, I have seen myself, how my locality is not stagnating even for heavy rains nowadays. Contrast that with 3 cm rainfall usually flooded our approach roads, during EPS regime. Evidently, we all saw what happened in 2015 Chennai rains during Jayalalithaa’s regime where entire chennai got flooded. We got a very similar downpour in 2023, but the issues are not that grave as in 2015. Of course there are flooding at many places if not on arterial roads which needs to be taken care of. More than SWDs, its the Chennai Corporation team’s handsome work being the main reason for the decent recent scenario. Such initiatives from Government need to be encouraged if we are really looking for better State. I would personally wish, they repair flood damaged roads with better polymer material at the vulnerable points alone rather re-laying it for worse, just like the developed countries do. We can’t expect overnight wonders happening in a massive city with notable encroachments sponsored by Builder-CMD nexus. But for Media like Vikatan, it’s still not fair game. They are obviously angry at the rains not causing much damage to MKS especially before the elections. Amusingly, Vikatan’s bought out Kazhugu section vented out with an abusive poem in the form of layman prayer…
As a layman, I dedicate the last line of the poem to every media personnel involved in damaging any political Party without conscience, with hidden saffron agenda. Because, Media is also like Sky. Whether it pours righteous divinity or bought out acidic Bullshit totally depends on their choice. Vikatan needs better SWD within their media framework to drain their own sewage thoughts and be back righteous. For example, the Poem states either the Sky pours or just scorches without any equilibrium. Any sensible editor would have induced a sense of equilibrium in his editorship, by pouring in ideas to the Government on making use of the crisis, like saving rain water when it pours and leverage irrigation techniques when it scorches rather using it as a layman’s version of prayer to scold the sky.
All crisis also brings in opportunities. Rain is a blessing which seems to be in abundance in MKS regime. In the long term, other than constructing sponge parks to preserve groundwater levels, DMK will do a lot good to Chennai by not wasting Chembarambakkam and Puzhal water by diverting it to other newly formed water structures or tributaries, which could act as feeder for new townships. Our neighbour AP has Pattiseema Lift irrigation and Polavaram project to connect their rivers. Telangana built Kaleshwaram irrigation project to uplift farmers. Karnataka built a canal system which makes use of the Cauvery water to the fullest. But TN despite having the longer river length than these states is not able to make use of excess water. Well we are busy with illegal sand mining the dry river beds.
My Apartment is 15 years old, but still maintained well. With new tile laying and modest outer decor I lunatically visualized it as poor man’s Venice. Cyclone Michaung made my Quixotic visualization complete by filling it with above knee water. At least my wife will not complain about not going to Shani-Moon at Venice. Better belated than never.
The flooding reasons could be multifold like building on low lying areas and lakes to absence of slopes in buildings and connecting roads for water to drain. Encroachment of low lying areas we can leave for now as we mud-shitted on the water bodies with our human settlements it’s now water-shitting back on us. But why are old houses in safer zones which never got flooded before are flooding in last decade? Why are every family now owning Motor pumps and flood equipment, when usually it was the work of Municipality men last decade? Why are so many lakes are overflowing. Can we attribute all this to just Global warming or dig further for our own welfare by channelising for betterment?
From a layman perspective, I started seeing floods entering homes when the roads are unreasonably increased in height, without any commonsensical sloping, rendering the slopes in the house of no use. We are in trouble if the house floor gets just a millimeter down from the road. Since the roads are elevated and if the road floods, the water flows into the house and stagnates, performing its social justice equalizer Job. The absurd situation of lack of slopes across connecting roads and houses has made the flood mitigation effort once restricted to Municipality or Corporation level to individual level. What could have been solved by simple gravity with effective sloping now needs motors which in turn needs electricity and gets into a deadlock when the EB components remain submerged too unable to provide electricity.
Our Apartment is in a situation where the rains have reduced, but the flooding on the roads as the draining canals 100 meters away is entering the House again. This is much like MKS elaborated on the difference between 2015 and 2023 Chennai floods. 2015 was a man made flood and 2023 is a natural disaster. Our Apartment faced 2023 Cyclone on Dec 3-5 and now getting prepared for the 2015 type synthetic flood on Dec 6, due to sewage overflow from nearby canal. All this could have been averted if the roads are not elevated mindlessly to fund the Parties for election. Unfortunately, this is the case everywhere in Chennai and not just our Apartment. The roads have grown in height just like our Kids and are now stomping on us by entering the House from roads. Its a case of even common sense masonry giving way for politicians’ greed.
என் வீட்டு கன்னுக்குட்ட, என்னோட மல்லுக்கட்டி,
என் மார்பில் முட்டுதடி கண்மணி என் கண்மணி!
தீப்பட்ட காயத்துல தேள் வந்து கொட்டுதடி கண்மணி….. கண்மணி!
Currently, the Corporation contractors are instructed to remove the top layer of bitumen and not to increase the height while laying roads, which is actually not happening even in main roads. Have read Press notices of how the Commissioner tried to personally intervene on such aberrations but no one could deny its keeps on going as the Contractors are affiliated to the Parties. First of all there is no need for new road, as its about bolstering its cracks and crevices to weather seasons. So, any sensible Government focusing on people’s welfare rather rich commissions from PWD contracts would have resorted to fix where it’s broken rather relaying road on the whole. Western world just band aids with resilient polymer binding, just like welding joints are more stronger than the steel making vulnerable parts much stronger. But we mindlessly increased road heights and now spend thousands of crores in flood water drains. Our innovations are more on funding and winning elections, rather actual welfare.
There are criticisms floating in the internet few understandably venting on their frustration but too many with political undertones, having plenty of time to make jokes out of crisis instead of lending a helping hand to the affected or at least they could have kept quiet leaving the Government to do the Job. If they question MKS on the Rain water drain infra expenditure, they should obviously question Modi’s needless and useless Jugaad on Demonetisation which took more lives, rendering our economy poorer than minimally impacting Chennai floods. Telangana’s Kaleshwaram irrigation project costed around 1 Lakh + Crore and was criticised for its failure. Still KCR made undeniable and valuable progress for Farmers with his schemes and Projects. KCR’s legacy proves that, we can talk politics, but cannot eat politics. So, it’s time to stand together in crisis, forgetting petty differences and then move on to discuss how it could have been done better. If at all our Politicians did something better than empty criticism and useless sarcasm, we will be living in amrit kaal rather daydreaming about it in cyclone created Venice.
There are Jokes about MKS boasting about no rain water will stay in chennai with the new drains. He is still factually right, any normal rain would have flown through with a calm sea as it did for last few weeks, but with a cyclone where the sea tides and levels are elevated and water bodies saturated the water will not drain easily. It’s unfair to criticise any Government in power, be it State or Center, when our helping hands and shouldering responsibilities are more than required now to help them in crisis. EPS visibly happy and joking around MKS will not help him in the future as any good leader would have stood with the people first and reserve the bickering for later. With Super El Nino danger still persisting for next few years presenting unpredictable weather, MKS wil have a tougher test to overcome for his next assembly elections unless otherwise he widens the flood mitigation choices, splitting Chennai into various drainage zones and resolving them by connecting to the nearby water bodies and other backup plans.
Maybe DMK’s young leadership could collaborate with the Seniors, who are doing a great job. Relief efforts could have greater impact than any Youth Conference for propping up Nex-Gen leadership. The young Cadre seems dysfunctional, not a great sign for upcoming elections. There are many factors for floods as explained by Pradeep John like Land is already soaked up and could not absorb further rains, Sea rising above the tributaries level keeping even the drains full and improper sloping across roads. But, DMK could impress upon the public with the speedy recovery and relief efforts once the rain subsides.
[Update 6th December 2023
After two days, the State Government sounds dysfunctional despite its best efforts. They still cant claim the sea levels are higher. It’s pretty disheartening to see the angst of the people who don’t even get drinking water for their needs. When water is on the streets, it becomes Government’s responsibility.
They could have adopted few steps below.
Phased approach utilising Diesel motors at least in the heart of Chennai then move on to other strategic areas, based on the altitudes, leaving aside the canal flooded areas. Most of the slopes will take care of draining itself.
Most of the places are in 3-4 feet of water. Tractors from nearby towns could be helpful as its amphibious with more capacity than manually operated lifeboats with minimal seats, expanding Government shelters.
They can easily provide drinking water and if not possible to do door delivery, dispense them to the needy from Aavin type Kiosks, deputing volunteers in the area to distribute to the needy.
Power the submerged electricity distribution centers by protecting them with sandbags and then taking out water, using motors. Its shameful that we still blame our inefficiency on rain water stagnated even after 2 days. Prior cyclone, they could have avoided the entry of water to electric substations with sandbag Bunds or in the long term elevate the instruments to prevent flood damage.
Get double surplus Aavin milk, milk powder and even long shelf life milk like Nandhini’s Good life tomorrow morning to avoid people and babies starving on basics. Aavin is not clearly not meeting its demands and looks like the cadre is amassing a sizeable portion of it leaving the regular consumers in queues. With due respects to Nameetha, what would an average Netizen, stared in floods and unable to feed his baby, think when the DMK cadre gives few liters of milk to feed her pets while we hear painful cries of long queues even to feed the Kids in chennai streets? Is this a Government for the rich Nameethas leaving water to do the social justice job of filling in all the troughs. If people should take care of themselves, DMK will not have any friends left during election. Clearly, it seems they can’t rely on their own weak cadre unable to make an impression so far. What is the point in doing PR for crores when they can’t act in a real crisis?
The Corporation could be understaffed, so it’s best to leverage and advertise social media handles to enable transparency and swift issue logging and resolution.
Provide Amma Groceries type bags with essential food for people. This should not take many days if they use private vendors. Honestly, AIADMK did a much better Job with such things and they even managed overnight stickers on the grocery bags.
Leverage Amma canteens and civil societies in Social media to plan food distribution. DMK Social media could coordinate based on the needs.
For People who are stuck in their homes, Create more shelters in Govt Schools with Food supply to calm down protesting people deprived of basics for lat three days.
Fix Puzhal lake with concrete on the cracks and not to fill it till brim to avoid major disaster.
So far I am only seeing Ministers trying trying to impress first family and cautious on PR when the reality is searing and people fleeing Chennai as if no government exists. There is no assurance from the CM on what people should do like reach the nearest Govt center and Govt will take care, like how he did before the cyclone. Volunteers will take care of transporting if the Government gives the gathering points. There is no message of assurance to give hopes to the people.
Understand there is a limit to Government’s capacity, but what strikes even more is that they seem like they don’t have a plan to show the people. Let’s imagine an election is happening instead of floods. How does the Government mobilize the staff and logistics for that last mile delivery? If the Government is numb to handle war-time flood scenario, at least it could imagine this as election to stimulate that selfish adrenaline to kick off.
Apologies for shallow ideas or the tone but it’s actually depressing the way the Government has handled it so far. Cyclone is not their doing, so they could bounce back rather worrying about Why. But the water keeps on circulating Chennai for last 72 hours and the Institutions sound clueless. The water flowing out seems to have got blocked with the debris. Where there is a clear will and resolve there is always a way, like Jayalalitha made a turnaround of 2015 leveraging Bulldozers in a positive way, rather cracking jokes like elderly Durai Murugan awkwardly does. Floods are not Rom-Coms just because it creates a muddy venice like effect. Current Government seems leaving it to Nature or its just their nature to be lethargic in crisis? They are missing the fighting spirit and energy which powered DMK during Karunanidhi’s period. The War horses are getting old and new gen is only good for show reels and movies, calling themselves Giants.
I need to swallow my pride I had on this MKS Government and admit, 2015 was handled much better. This Government is just doing PR Circus. The CM is just clueless that he has not even orchestrated desilting of the river drains carried over by hype of SWD. The DMK cadre is not visible at all, making us miss Jayalalitha even more who amped up the relief work from different dimensions including ADMK cadre. This dysfunctional and insensible Government is not even bouncing back. Maybe they are planning to host water olympics just like F#.
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[ Update 7th December 2023
Got to say, DMK relief work bounced back a bit, though it had its limits. DMK’s experience counts here as it’s seasoned veterans and handling it well. The milk supply got assured to an extent with availability at Kiosks. It could have been better and positive it will improve. The relief team sensed the demands for groceries and veggies and deployed Vans which may mitigate to a small percentile, if it helps the poor areas where it matters the most. Electricity still remains the pain point as people will take care of themselves, if the government offers them basic electricity and flood.
The water is draining slowly but steadily, with hope of restoration soon. The rain water still got miles to go before Chennaites could sleep.
The Ministers faced the Press with a candid and lucid discussions on the ongoing efforts. The CS gave a very pragmatic interview setting right expectations, handling the public message better than before. At least the messaging was unified.
Minister SekarBabu’s clarity on 2015 floods was a revelation to a bit, for people like me who have not experienced it firsthand. PKS, the strongman from North Chennai was part of ADMK then, who might know first hand information on the chaos happened then.
One need to agree that DMK govt did fairly well in 2023 than 2015, yet another El-Nino year of extremes. Where DMK scored is on being battle ready from Day 1, giving assurance. But their assurances backfired as Chennaites thought Cyclone will be a One-night-Stand. No blame games as nobody can predict nature. Maybe the Government will realise that the solution for Chembarambakkam lake deluge lies somewhere else and not just on the sea as the water from the lakes only aggravated the flood issue. But did DMK really win the relief battle compared to 2015?
2015 was a tricky monsoon as the relief work had to endure multiple days of rain making the relief work difficult. So, they did have a prolonged mitigation work unlike now. If 2015 rain was a marathon, 2023 rain so far is a sprint.
But, where ADMK under Jayalalitha scored is on supplying the relief material, so that people could stand on their own. South Chennai could be expecting electricity and drains but the current anger in north chennai is mainly because, people have the memory of someone representing the Government helped them out with the basics and stood like a pillar of assurance when they are broken with material losses. Since the Government assumed that water will drain soon, they focused on the drainage aspects rather providing comfort for the people or on satisfying their basic necessities which backfired. Another positive aspect of 2015 flood mitigation was on then Government’s preventive maintenance by desilting the drainage canals and tributaries. The current adyar river is flowing to sea on one fifth of its capacity due to absence of desilting and the debris adds more to the disaster.
What is even more striking is the absence of Political cadre in the flood prone areas. I do remember DMK was bit more visible and active in 2015 news cycles, compared to the current opposition ADMK, with relief and support as Chennai is their Bastion. Now ADMK is nowhere to be seen. EPS came and laughed at Chennai’s miseries instead of conquering Chennai, which could haunt him before elections. So, the onus is fully on DMK to take care of relief work. Where it got exposed is that only their exhausted old Ministers are still acting like young guns and their young generation and local politicians are missing in action so far.
BJP leader Annamalai quotes that DMK’s chennai representatives absconded out of fear to face the Public. Like a shrink, they could have just listened to the grievances as its common sense that this is not a man made disaster and the Government did its best effort. It’s just sheer laziness and arrogance of power of its cadre. The Ministers responsible for the relief work had to bring in their relief materials from their home bases far away. This exposes the structural weaknesses of DMK as the elections are near. They are still relying on Old war horses and their next gen leaders are either not allowed a free hand or not so promising. It’s a painful revelation as Chennai is DMK’s fort with a major representation of Ward councillors and MLAs and MPs, but without any natural Leaders arising out of crisis. The representatives’ excuses of fear to face the crowd is a lame one. Everytime are they going to deploy PKS and Nehru against rightfully angry people? Maybe, the DMK leadership is too lenient to accommodate such indisciplines of their cadre in the name of being democratic while they are just encouraging corrupt attitude which ensured DMK never beat anti-incumbency in their political history.
Maybe the Government could form more teams in verticals like flood drainage, relief work and Shelters management, rather splitting it constituency wise to avoid communication gaps and other logistical issues. Such verticals may centralise the work and provide more transparency to the Leadership compared to ad-hoc relief work.
The Government could also leverage Google Maps on real time information where they provide shelters, medical and relief along with basic necessity sources like Milk and groceries to provide real time status on the relief work so that public will be aware of the Government’s aids and avail it rather lurking in the dark. At least it will help the Government portray a positive image of their dedicated work.
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[ Update 8th December 2023
The Government has tamed the cyclone Beast and its own Lake-made disaster successfully, except for few developing and sparsely populated areas and North Chennai.
Sometimes, I wonder why Nature is so cruel, but in tamil they say the gold gets treated in fire to get pure. Anyways, its of no use to the gold as someone will show off wearing it.
Our Government is not gold, nor are we, we are all collectively responsible for aggravating this natural disaster. The Government might have missed forewarning as they did better infrastructure than 2021 rains, and we also trusted them waking up everyday after cyclone imaging things will be alright just like sunshine. Our storm water drains brought in too much of PET bottles floating and other garbage. The Corporation took off tons of garbage and water hyacinths. Maybe next time they will be having a way out to clean the major drains and desilt the major outlets using machinery. It’s not an easy task though personally having seen Corporation workers struggling with this broken drainage system. Maybe next time they will find a better way to drain Chembarambakkam and other Lakes or even preserve water with new water bodies or connecting tributaries. Maybe they will ban PET bottles now… Just Joking. Laws are for hapless classes, not for Corporates. Maybe it’s time to forgive decades of dravidian Governments and plan for better drainage system without forgetting the grave mistakes taking us to grave sooner than later.
There are lot of positives. Aavin Minister Mano Thangaraj made a quick turnaround. The admirable senior Ministers Nehru and PKS and maybe others in background showed resilience and was not hesitant at all to face the angry public. The IAS officers Shiv Das Meena / Radhakrishnan / Gagandeep Singh Bedi and maybe others operating from background were so calm and efficient during this crisis. MKS and Udhayanidhi showed genuine and steely resolve which shows promise for future. Finally the Corporation workers who work tirelessly to make this water world wonderland a livable city. They are the only ones who know all the bugs in our touted drainage system. We are indebted to you.
I will reiterate that the Multi crore drains are not a waste of money. It’s just that we need to improve few more aspects to make better use of our rains. Maybe we will be seeing improvement in few years, but I am not going to bet on it with the challenges ahead but be prepared for eventualities. My experience with EPS regime, regards to civic amenities in my locality has been much worse. I suffered two minor accidents due to very bad or that absent road in my area. Water usually stagnated ever for small rains. EPS laid roads just before his elections after a year or two. SWDs are better version than before. At least let’s encourage politicians who show resolve, rather being afraid to take up challenges. Else we will be blessed with Governments who leave everything on us and watching televisions just like us to know the happenings in TN.
There is nothing more to blabber here as good old Humanity is taking care of the disaster. Personally I have seen heroes emerging out of modest humans around us awakened by the disaster. Unfortunately, could not see the NGOs and volunteers helping out Chennai this time. It could be deliberate understanding the State Government’s unofficial tone of all is well, however flood swells or Celebrities afraid of antagonising Kollywood giants, but there are silent saviours helping each other. It could also be self-esteem like Modi and MMS denying foreign help for grave disasters, that the Government is strong enough to take care of its people. But, are NGOs foreigners? The more the Government wants to erase this disaster from memory or seen in bad light, the more it loses the ground. The first step for any issue resolution is acceptance of the issue.
After all this, I still have a blind hope left in this Government, because, if this Government is not doing it, I am certain it will take decades to get a CM of Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha or Stalin stature. Its is a simple wish that the CM reigns in the Bureaucrats on the consequences for their lapses / failures with not just harmless transfers but serious action which will act as lubricant for the Government machinery and he also shows an iron hand dictatorship, just like he has on Media / PR, with his Cadres and Councillors with strict career threatening repercussions that they start thinking about the people who voted them to power, rather cooling off their heels in water therapy. Too many unruly Kings create floods and even election losses. CM can only take consolation that AIADMK is weak and their secret ally BJP is making it weaker, but the situation is getting ripe for an eminent third party Leadership, who knows it might emerge even by breaking AIADMK itself. No spoilers… it’s only Velumani from ADMK who had the heart to work on relief. Maybe it was due to his own Karma, as he was the beneficiary of SWD contracts prior MKS regime and co-creator of this 2023 flood.
Its disheartening on the quantum of loss to the poor and the middle class. Like cyclone and floods, miseries too shall pass maybe slowly. But with water drained out and electricity up again they will fight on their own rather looking for Government’s intervention. Such is life…fighting until we feel it beautiful.
As the rain scare continues next week, maybe we could try the following.
Immediate plans for Chennai flood mitigation.
Keeping milk powder and Baby food in stock and reserves especially for the daily wager communities and shelters.
Keeping surplus potable water in stock. Making use of rain water by storing in large tanks for use in shelters.
Ensure expecting Mothers and others needing treatment are admitted in Hospitals / shelters prior cyclone or flood warning.
Food and Shelters possibly in first or higher floors with preparations for power outage.
First aid and Medicines at supply Kiosks / Ration shops.
Proper warnings and Providing Google map type information on the Govt shelters and other facilities a day prior so that people in low rises can choose themselves where they want to stay.
Leveraging Amma canteens for immediate free food supply and milk after floods.
Desilting the main drains and canals.
Removing the garbage before next rain so that it does not block the drain.
Identify the bottlenecks in the last flood and analyse if they could be drained without motor pumps by digging roads or making ways for the water to flow. Connecting the SWDs where it was broken.
Filtering garbage in the canals frequently so that water flow is unobstructed.
Operating high power pumps even during the rains to minimise damage in low lying areas.
The possibilities of expanding tributaries to the sea with ad-hoc measures.
Creating Whatsapp and SM handles for flood relief as they are more scalable with easier Data entry than Landlines.
Reserving NRDF, Coastal guard Boats, High ground clearing vehicle and Boats ready at appropriate flood points to ease out rescue plan. Making sure they are loaded with essentials like food materials and sanitary needs to sustain few days.
Creating centralised teams for Flood Preparation, Water Drains, Monitoring Canals efficiency and Relief so that they are accountable and responsible in case of failures.
Disciplinary actions on few Bureaucrats who defied duty calls to create traction and focus for subsequent crisis.
Long Term Plans for Chennai Floods
Increase the height of electrical stations and pillar Boxes to 4 feet in future constructions feet to endure floods to an extent. The new pillar boxes are raised at two feet in height.
Making sure of no new encroachments in the flood drains with special care for approvals near water bodies.
Creating new water bodies connecting to Chembarambakkam and Puzhal so that water drains to them rather going to the sea.
Making the roads robust with better ingredients on its cracks and faultlines, adhering to specified heights.
Creating height adjustable bund walls in estuaries so that we are still able to dump water in case of storm surges, by adjusting height.
Establishing ground water wells in all public buildings and Parks.
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[ Update 19th December 2023
Now torrential rains have striked the south Tamilnadu region and its scale of destruction is mind boggling. I am now numb nowadays.
DMK government does not seem to have learned much from the Chennai floods. One postive turnaround was diverting the milk supplies in excess at least as per the Press without knowing the actualities. The media coverage will be less down there, but may affect forthcoming elections as the goodwill gets lost. Strangely, the Government started with both precautionary and relief measures at the same time. At least they could have asked for Army help a day before. At Least they could have setup more relief centers. There seems no plan at all…again. MKS traveling to Delhi even without visiting South TN could be leveraged by the opposition.
Also, blaming IMD is of no use as they have precisely predicted the nature of rain and dates. The quantum is anyway going to be vary. This actually shows the lack of depth and preparedness of the leadership and his team of Bureaucrats. Again, the Government is exercising the same hapless PR executed in Chennai, which is getting decimated by the opposition, which may not hold water in these treacherous situations.They may lose the plot with a disastrous PR on a natural disaster.
Unlike Chennai where the land is abused by the ongoing CMDA and Builders nexus, the southern regions may hold well except for few exceptions, due to less population, though the challenge could be on its vastness. So, the need of the hour is to squeeze in maximum manpower from the State and Center and coordinate for a week, providing food and shelter in rural and urban areas. The Governments will certainly earn a good name* doing better than Chennai with a honest turnaround rather playing useless blame games.
All DMK Leadership needs to do now is to present a positive picture and resolve and that DMK is with the TN people through thick and thin, on whatever happened has happened. The positive message will act as a Balm rather defending the indefensible or getting offended on criticisms. இப்படை தோற்கின் எப்படை வெல்லும்!
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TN Media’s Bass communication… with terribly silent treble?
Of late, I am seeing lot of TV mainstream coverage trying to justify the underreach of the Government asking questions to flood victims – “Are you living in approved Land? Has help reached.. Don’t lie you got NGO biscuits right?” . The victim innocently says its the team which came with the reporter gave her biscuits and the reporter claims they were separate teams. All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; Hmm Shakespeare might be laughing at us. There was another media which narrated the plight of few residents left out of electricity and then Udhayanidhi performed magic touch and another lengthy coverage on how things changed. Wish Udhayanidhi stopped the Cyclone too.
If we dig down the government friendly media debates, if we want to derive unintentional humour out of tragedies, get introduced to a Corporate version of PWD Saint by name Thirunavukkarasu. For starters he simple vowed North Chennai cannot escape flood by any chance making one wonder why the Government did not plan any relief even thinking about Babies and the predominant poor who live on daily wages. Usually Corporate saints will bring all bring in Scientific terms to bring credibility to their own BS. He brought in high tide low tide scenario for Pallikaranai flooding, so no way this can be fixed. If he just googles he will be able to find Dutch cities and towns well below sea level and still happily in all seasons. They use Science for betterment rather bewilderment by creating structures called Dykes.
See the House, that could be an Apartment in Pallikaranai, if the Government has the Will.
He then said there is no way Adyar river could be deepened as sea water will enter to cover up the Government’s inefficiency of lack of desilting or expanding the outflow by increasing the depth as recommended by Thirupugazh community. Maybe if he sees how Panama canal transports ships among various heights just through water displacement, he may find other clever means to fool the public. All we need is a height adjustable wall to enable flow of water to the sea. Water will take care of itself to flow to low altitude. No wonder with people like him in PWD, they cant even connect SWDs properly or lay roads at specified heights, but teach us to live with nightmare. We are caught in the Pathetic Work Department created neverland.
For Adyar water displacement, we don’t need sophisticated technology but just a height adjustable wall which makes sure water flows from the city irrespective of storm or high tides. If Adani blocks Okkiyam drain with a wall for a redundant Kattupalli Port why cannot the Government build for its People?
I do respect the same media which highlighted various shortcomings as News without sensationalising, but looks like they are in power grip of the Government which could not deliver power for 5 Days. Personally I have been manhandled, damaging my Mobile, by the First family operated Black Sheep media groupies. Afterall Psy-ops are not limited to BJP or even DMK right? An unreliable Partner is more than enough to gaslight one’s life making it miserable. So, an open threat to Shabir on making his life miserable struck a chord with me as individual or Organization are capable of doing it through various means. The DMK cadre have already physically beat him too. We are all already living a miserable life, why so much hatred for someone showing someone else’s miseries? Don’t they affect us sadly due to the tragedy rather as politics?
No surprises as we are ruled by Gujarat model sweetened with Freebies and namesake Social justice which cannot question high castes who mix excreta in water tanks or even initiate caste census like Bihar, with their amoebic ideology conveniently wrapped as newly minted Dravidian model. I was one of that blind bhakt of that model who imagined – Not a drop of flood water will remain next day – but seeing similar Bhakts ending up with no food.
The Media and the wastrels blogging here are at no loss if any wastrel rules. It matters for nothing as nothing changes as was depicted in 2015 / 2023. Only difference now is efficient PR and media control. But, personally, any person following TN politics will have a soft corner for Stalin and Udhayanidhi for being amicable and dignified public personalities. As a well wisher I certainly wish them many success though its doubtful with DMK’s attitude which is in their DNA.
But, DMK cadre targeting unbiased media Professionals like Shabbir Ahmed and Lakshmi Subramanian shows, how they are fed with Gujarat model venom, despite TRB Raja’s IT wing was appreciated by many for its efficient outreach. Do they think they can control everything with toxicity and threats. I really liked News Minute Shabbir’s and BBC Tamil Sharada’s coverage of the flood and it was not at all for sensationalization. They had a compelling story to tell. Any sensible Government would have taken note rather sketching for making his life miserable, as they shamelessly confessed they did to TOI’s Omjasvin. For example Vikatan had a simple observation of how roads cut in 2015 to remove floods could have been laid with a pipe underground for future floods. Journalist Mani lamented on How Amma canteen acted as shock absorber with free food for 10 days during 2015 floods, keeping the flood victims assured and calm. These are all nuggets of wisdom no sycophantic / arrogant cadre could bring in other than unbiased media.
DMK could have visited the affected pregnant lady featured in the News Minute, consoled her assuring of further help as Kalaignar’s cadre would have done. But it does not happen with Modi model of governance where mistakes should be silenced rather getting repented or corrected. I sincerely appreciate Minister Ma. Subramanian’s reaction to the Cadre’s threats to the Journalist. That was how Kalaignar nurtured his cadre and also controlled media by hearing them out patiently. This also exposes the generational gap between the DMK cadre. Maybe Ma. Su is wielding a quixotic sword imagining a 99.5% rosy breezy chennai, but the young DMK cadre is fighting with spatula in the air in an imagined battlefield full of abuses and threats, hitting everybody they think as enemies. Maybe Stalin is Dangerous than Karunanidhi or Udhayanidhi Stalin is more dangerous than Stalin. People proved they are the most dangerous even in a dysfunctional democracy.
DMK’s young generation has grown toxic in social media and get cowardly with people interactions that it can never face the actual media in person. All they can do is abuse in Internet or meters away or employ Rowdies to handle their perceived enemies. How about employing Rowdies to handle floods? Personally, I feel as better person with more emotional control after I quit toxic political twitter when it got even more ridiculous with whimsical Musk. Social media is not for the easily impressionable weak hearted people, unfortunately it’s full of such people. Young DMK’s online Click friendly approach is well established by the absence of DMK cadre on the ground, as they are conditioned that political fights will only happen in twitter. Maybe we should simulate floods online for their active participation.
It’s not that DMK was not doing media manhandling earlier. It just came bursted out exposed during an uncontrollable crisis, where they cannot stomach a meaningful debate anymore. If at all they got deputed and visited North Chennai, they could have understood the ground situation and well meaning media. Nobody is against DMK overnight. They are just against the atrocities happened which could have been mitigated by the sensible Rulers, if they focused on the flood preparation rather F4 or Political Conference. Only Cowards who could not course correct will be afraid of their well meaning critics, like BJP usually does when they are in control. They obviously need to allow the media to vent out rather growing hidden frustration, making it far worse with threats. The public anger suppressed unethically without venting could get much worse during election times.
It’s unfortunate that DMK’s entire PR castle got brought down to grinding halt with the floods as people realised with a rude shock, the hollowness of this regime. DMK need to realise they are completely different beast now, compared to what they were five years back. They need to recount how they handled Corona crisis admirably. They are now drunk on power and arrogance, which led to this flood Hubris. If they still want to teach everyone questioning them with violent manhandling lesson, its well and good for their self-destruction. But, have they realised that cadre is out of control where MKS quips are not commands anymore but just a harmless App notification? People will forget and move on as they got nothing to do with the rulers and their unruly cadre. It’s only the virtuous rulers who will lose the endgame.
“My father and I had gone to visit Amethi and he was interacting with citizens. An old woman scolded him because the road in her area got washed away in the rain. I asked my father later whether he felt bad and he replied no; he said he and the old woman were doing their duties. This was the politics back then but now the rules have changed.”
“Now 40 years have passed. I went to a chawl in Uttar Pradesh where I spoke with a woman using a stove, who said she does not have money to fill the gas cylinder. Nobody is employed in her home, there is no electricity or water connection and she sells bangles to run the family. But when I asked who she will vote for, she said she will vote for the same politician. When I asked why, she started talking about religion and caste. Public were aware back then and are aware now, but the difference is politicians now play with their emotions… When you talk about religion, emotions and caste, you do not ask about water supply, roads, employment. This is a big political conspiracy to deviate you so that you do not ask the right questions.”
The Times of India….
“Modi spent Rs 27,000 crores to make Yashobhoomi, another Rs 20,000 crore on new Sansad Bhavan and two planes worth Rs 8,000 crores each for their travel. But he cannot answer why your roads are broken, why you are not getting employment, why the prices are rising so much. He cannot answer why the country’s farmer is earning Rs 27 per day and his rich industrialist friend is earning Rs 1,600 crore in a day.”
You cannot nail Modi more simpler that the above quote. Looks like PG has attained her PG on political campaigns and “The Gandhis Trishul ” could be a very effective force spearheading 2024 campaign, if they play on their strengths – Sonia Gandhi’s wisdom and consensus based approach, Rahul Gandhi’s amiability and Priyanka Gandhi’s mercurial campaign rivaling even Modi on message outreach.
I would expect similar emotional stirring on the Nation, as PG mentioned, like MGR at Hospital still winning from Bed or some other routes squeezing out voter sympathy on Modi. The ethical opposition will find it difficult to counter Modi who is shameless enough to win through any means, like shady Pulwama or deploying churidar Babas making billions out of fancy dress competitions, aptly timed before crucial election. Only egoless hard work could make the opposition win through hostile emotional circumstances, by preparing voters, anticipating the BJP moves and preempting it, as people are too tired of Modi-isms keen on running PR Show-biz rather governance.
Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved. – Mark Twain
To conclude, Rabid Hindutva and beautiful Indian democracy is a case of never the twain shall meet!
PS: If this sounds like preachy message, it’s not my fault. The blog was drafted as well-wisher and as someone who adore MKS administrative skills, written on the capacity of an Analyst based on inputs received. But feel free to see yourself on that Preacher Mirror you hold, if you perceive it that way, as you cannot digest the truth to practice what you preach.
To eat is human…to digest‚ divine.
Mark Twain
Only way the preachy crooks could make a statement is by swearing with personal abuses and insults to make things indigestible to any ethical system. But, time is the best Digene and best antidote to evil Karma people accumulate by infringing on Human rights with their evil Psy-Ops playing brainy emotional games on the gullibles. May 2024 elections also provide them enough Digene, along with inevitable dismal results, to digest all their unethical and abusive sins committed to Indians.
Personally, I don’t have a loving experience with Chennai. It started with intimidating auto drivers fleecing money above meter rates in my childhood to till date crooked Optician fooling around with the cheapest available lens getting foggy in few months and worst specs frame going off in few months still managing to fleece few thousands. There was another optician who even threatened and manhandled to remove my google review. You get variety of roady rowdies and juveniles flocking around School campus. The Climate making you feel like you are getting fried in a giant Oven.
You get fired or fired up by Tam-Brahm Managers who are shameless enough to talk about all nuisance and dirty political culture to push their agenda ahead. Unless you love something here, it’s very difficult to stay put in Chennai. Also, it is tough to love when you are in a pattern of getting slapped up on your eye while sleeping at home like modern gorilla attack, making you lose balance as other ways of inciting anger gone fruitless. Love obviously must be blind. The pain says so. In short, Chennai ennai Poda vennai endrathu…
To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
David Viscott
When all you need is not a Sweater but a swatter of sorrows
In Chennai the above quote could be an equivalent of barbecuing me, well done on both the sides. Modern Love Chennai offers excuses making the mention of scorching Chennai pleasant. Ilayaraja is one such compelling chill factor making this series a treat to watch. The soft interludes played on budding love or infatuation in Margazhi is more than enough as testament to his genius. But, it’s just a starter with the master serving his main course in Ninaivo Oru Paravai.
Margazhi is supposed to be the coolest month of Chennai where Chennaites pretend as if it’s snowing for a 25 Degree weather. Well, I bought two sweaters for my Kids. Don’t know if it was the Discount or just pretending like a proud Penguin in the Arctic. Margazhi is a simmering budding love tale of teenagers. IR just rendered a flat slow paced story very beautiful with his music, aided by a mystical Sanjula’s appearance. It’s a slow burn teenage story, still beautifully crafted with a tinge of soft pleasantness. Really don’t know or infer on the repetitive scenes including the monotonous cycle locking. But the love or infatuation tinged with the teenage innocence makes it pretty much close to reality, making it a warm experience. Sometimes, all you need is an admiring Crush…
Love is the answer, but while you’re waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions.
Woody Allen
To believe or not to believe…
As TK is someone who is keen on opening avenues of thought provocations rather prioritising commercial success, would like to delve a bit on the beautiful and humorous scene, I liked, wherein Church Pastor attributes Sanjula’s happiness to the grace of God, while she gets simpy enamoured by her Crush. While this may deliciously sound like attributing human intervention to the credit of God, I have seen many instances where atheists, sticking “There is no God” sticker in alarm clock, mature into ardent devotees of God.. with due respects to the atheists for the same attribute, asking questions to themselves, till they are convinced of the answers.
As Yuval Noah Harari mentions in Sapiens, the greatest power of Humans is – Imagination. Humans created Associations and Business entities out of their imagination and conveniently ensured such entities becomes liabilities or casualties for their own individual faults. It’s the imagined Corporate, with mere existence on Billboards and Papers, goes Bankrupt never its physically present owner, check with Anil Ambani for any doubts. God is one such imagined entity to cover up “God’s creators” faults.
Apart from Corporates, Self styled God-men of all flavors, on direct business with God, enjoy all pleasures and fame due to his Godliness USP. When it comes to troubles, they can just blame it on God and remain unblemished with a teflon coated image. Our derailed economy is just “God’s own act”, if you ask our FM, not due to stupid demonetisation, reckless GST, Crony friendly Farm laws, looting of national resources among the big Four Gujaratis and poor handling of pandemic. God can never pay your Hospital bills, but you will be guided to pray and avail his helpline, indirectly blaming the almighty for your sorrows when bitter things happen, while someone else happily harvests your savings. Panam oru pakkam Pazhi oru pakkam. This is where atheists get things right about God.
But, God-imagination has its own benefits, based on what you imagine and expect out of it. If we healthily imagine God as that omnipresent Camera, looking upon us as ARR said, our conscience gets better. If we imagine God’s prayer as a means of self resolve, we get motivated.
Jesus is sexy. A handsome Jewish boy, just like you. I ask him to come into you. Ask him to enter you.
You can’t ask Jesus to do tricks to impress you.
FabelMans Movie
Think, sensible prayer or childish craving for magic wand lollipops like, promoting things cheaply or getting more views with hit-job on someone is clearly our choice. Prayer is just another form of convincing ourselves – Neraiya sothippaan aana kai vida maattaan to quote Rajinikanth.
There is a saying… Trust in Allah but tether your camel first.
Why trust Allah if you are tethering the camel? — because a tethered camel can also be stolen. You do whatsoever you can do: that does not make the result certain. Then he knows best.
It is very easy to trust Allah and be lazy. It is very easy not to trust Allah and be a doer. The third type of man is difficult — to trust Allah and yet remain a doer. But now you are only instrumental; God is the real doer, you are just instruments in his hands.
Osho
Apologize if all of the above is bit preachy, but hope it opens few more doors for healthy discussion. Enna sariyaathaan pesuranaa? OK. Now a preachy story…
Mulla Nasrudin, a wise yet sometimes foolish man, was invited by village elders to speak in their village mosque for three consecutive weeks.On first friday morning, he stood at the door of the mosque, puffed out his chest and decided to wing it. He turned to the people and asked,
“Do you know the subject I am going to discuss today?”
“No” said the people.
“Then I refuse to preach to such an ignorant assembly. How could you not know given the events of the past week?” asked Nasrudin and left hurriedly.
Next Friday he went up the pulpit and asked: “Do you know the subject of my sermon today?”
People fearing a repetition of what had taken place a week before nodded and said: “Yes yes, indeed we know.”
“Well, then. There is no point in telling you what you already know”, said Nasrudin and left.
On the third Friday he ascended the pulpit and asked: “Do you know what I am going to speak about today?”
Not knowing what to say, some said yes and some said no.
“Then those who know can tell those who don’t”, said Nasrudin and left.
Jokes apart, God / Belief works better when unexplained and un-imposed on us. As a Confused-Atheist-Religious-Nonconformist, trying to find answers, my version of god exists in all of us. God exists in Ilayaraja’s Music. God exists in TK’s screenplay, where Dhanasekar in Superdeluxe gets questioned on his blind belief as he gets saved by a floating Jesus statue at sea, what happens when he gets a teddy bear to crutch on instead of a statue, will he worship that Doll? In my case, why not “Teddy God”, when Hindus worship every benevolent entity in the Universe including Sun / Sea. God exists in all our questions, making us find answers on our own rather blindly go by tutored / spoon fed fables.
Whether its Jesus walking over water or splitting seas, Vasudeva crossing the river with infant Krishna, they are all metaphors to establish our beliefs rather taking it up literally. It’s just a story to impart belief that God will help us out in crisis and he will arise when the evil tries to win over good. If we believe that as reality, missing the subtext god lies in the good, we must be having Jesus Waterways or Krishna Snake safari offering ride on snakes now.
Faith… must be enforced by reason… when faith becomes blind it dies. – Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
Unfortunately we miss the reality but carried over “magical and shiny metaphors” like fake pride on Ganesha’s mythical plastic surgery. Sometimes, we may need to correlate ourselves with Buddha’s story of giving life to a deceased kid as per his Mother’s request, for a reality pinch. He simply did not perform any such miracle, but made her realise the inevitability of death by asking her to get mustard from a Home where death never happened. It’s easier to instill belief with a miracle which works best among the impoverished and uneducated. But it’s much better for society when people understand the reality and work towards their own salvation. This level of understanding, surmises the difference between scientific and communal mindset.
Godly Quote from Osho…
The man who has the sense that “God exists, and I am needed by God,” never feels worthless — never. To the last moment, to the last breath of his life, he is functioning, serving something higher than himself. He has a context bigger than himself; in that context, meaning arises.
Meaning is always in a certain context. A single word is meaningless; when it is arranged in a poem it has tremendous meaning: now it has a context. The color in a tube is meaningless; once it is spread on the canvas and becomes part of a picture that is bigger than it, it has a context, suddenly meaning arises.
It is reported that once a very rich man asked Pablo Picasso to make a portrait of him. Picasso said, “It will be very costly.”
The man was so rich, he said, ”Don’t bother about it. You need not even talk about the cost, money doesn’t matter. Make my portrait and whatsoever you demand, I will give.”
After six months the portrait was ready.
The rich man came, but the price that was asked was fantastic: one million dollars, just for a small canvas and a few colors! The rich man said, ”Are you joking? Just for a few colors and a canvas?”
Picasso said, ”Then okay, you can take an empty canvas and a few tubes full of color and you can pay as much as you want.”
The rich man said, “But that is not the same.”
Picasso said, ”That’s what I am trying to point out to you. I have created a context, I have created a gestalt, a pattern. And nobody else can create it, hence the price. It is a Picasso painting: nobody else can do it the way I have done it, it has my signature on it. The harmony of the colors, the music of the colors, the poetry of the colors – that is the thing. I am not asking the price for the colors, but for something that has become expressed through the colors.”
A real painting is not just the sum total of the colors, it is more – and that “more” is the meaning. A real life is not the sum total of what you do; unless there is something more to it, you live an inauthentic life. That ”more” is God. That poetry is God, that music is God, that surrounds you and floods you.
People come to me and ask, “Where is God?” It is not a question of asking “where”; God is a meaning, not a person. I cannot indicate, “There – go there, and you will find him.” God has no address, God cannot be located, it is a meaning. You have to create meaning in your life, then God is. God has to be created.
Maybe, the idea of “Belief” is to just believe in us first, for the idea of healthy and good God does not seem to be the Micromanaging Dictator who makes each and every one of us, and eventually control like Puppets. We wished for one such character in early 2010 and now we know where we are after enduring nine years of divine comedy.
2024 Election in a single Cartoon.
It’s not Modi or God to be blamed on our craving for Dictatorship then. Even recently, after 9 years of enduring harassment from BJP, we all knew how Karnataka Congress fought like uneducated children fighting for power goodies, rather worrying about their responsibilities / guarantees. Now they have moved on to stir the Mekedatu pot arousing regional sentiments to hide their failures. It’s only during Congress / DKS / Siddaramaiah regime, we get Cauvery sensationalization and water riots. Modi may have his shortcomings, like his well known poor judgement skills and ruthless majoritarianism, but he is decisive and fights for his beliefs till the end rather giving into power cravings and petty greed. His decisiveness and resolve, like his notion of water as national resource, not to be politicised along with concrete steps, may want people crave for more such dictatorship in future, rather looking upon to resolve weak leadership crisis in Congress, like SG/MMS UPA2 regime, good intents but weak and indecisive leadership.
Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Let’s take this Political use case of BJP making even Machiavelli blush, BJP is ruthless enough to convict RG on a simple defamation case and getting ready with much more brutal version colonial sedition law to tame the Opposition and democratic groups, with Modi “shamelessly” ( the signature style of Modi Rule ) coining it as “Hindutva Vision”. But, Congress could not convict the gujarati duo on most brutal Riots post independence or other grievous cases and the w*nising Judge who judged them innocent, under Congress regime, earned(?) himself a Kerala treat at Governor’s Bungalow, under their nose. Even Vajpayee with all of his empty actions but a good “Rajneeti” quote made himself look better on this issue. Granting Death merchants, such allowance is Congress’ big heartedness or just… let the country go to dogs type inefficient and lazy rule? If Kejriwal is the new challenger to BJP, just like Mo-Sha to congress in 2014, we all know how they are clipping his wings even if it’s immoral and unjustifiable.
A thermometer is not the only thing that gets a ‘degree’ without having a ‘brain’! – Anonymous Quote
The dictatorship cycle may go on if Congress Mother-ship does not fix its sails and cracks, at least now, to avoid a repeat of 2014 in 2025-30. The only treatment RSS-BJP understands is the same treatment it metes out to others. If not convinced, lets question ourselves why the mighty tentacled, ever demanding RSS group’s current head Mohan Bhagwat is so silent nowadays, like Modi’s pet little lamb? Is this anyway related to the desperate saffron terrorism orchestrated to win 2014, and the after-effect of sins knocking on his door? If Gandhis are the glue for Congress, Blackmailing their own Cadre and public deceit is for Modi’s BJP.
Moving away from dictatorship cravings, the God Delusion / healthy imagination, unfortunately, often gets hijacked for selfish gains and communal violence, creating more doubts than belief. Jai Bajrang Bali! Just like there is a Partner behind anyone’s success, there is always a mythical and illogical story woven around dubious Godly Dictator. Om Namo Shivayah!
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
Searching for God in “God’s own Party”
In the name of God, We, Indians have torn ourselves to polarised opposites – EWS quota Elites Vs Nuremberg/Sedition-Law-in-Process Dalits and Minorities as vote shares of last few elections factify. As TK rightly questioned on God’s futile existence when so much of atrocities happening around, maybe middle class and well to do People who pray to God thanking for their morsel of rice granted by the divine grace, should also question the so called… “God powered God-Men”, when it becomes out of reach or unaffordable to poor by the policies leveraged by the so called God err… Adani’s own Party’s misgovernance.
“My mother always used to say: The older you get, the better you get, unless you’re a banana ( or BJP ) ” – Betty White
Current BJP Government runs on finding solutions to problems that don’t exist like Upper class pleasing, expensive and glossy Vande Bharat trains, for some empty pride ride, rather focusing on real problems – basic train safety systems like cheap Autonomous Driving technology with alarms foreseeing collisions. After the drastic three trains collision piling up on one another, as if its traffic jam in a congested road signal, Modi wants to punish the culprits severely. It’s anybody’s easy guess who made Railways perform poor Vande Bharat magic on weak tracks, as if plying Vande Bharat trains on waters and failed miserably. Because, All who pretend are not Jesus ( like Bharatiya Jesus Party). Just yet another alarm bell for people in Metaphor-land. Even magician like PC Sircar who magically makes train disappear cannot save this Government from accountability, for their sins on poor and unprivileged.
Faith is much better than belief. Belief is when someone else does the thinking.
R. Buckminster Fuller
Life is Beautiful Metaphor
Modi installing the “Sengol for Fair Governance” in Parliament, is a metaphor, yet another imagined fable for good governance, like the symbolic miracles of religious literature, like the Vande Bharat train, a lipsticked Pig among our god forsaken trains. The real question is how fair and impartial he is, to his subjects, and I am not talking about “entire political science” miraculous graduation, but the real people. BJP has trained us so much to live and breathe in metaphors setting aside the realities, that I will not be surprised if one day Modi asks us to eat empty plate, imagining Amrit in it. We are already in advanced stages of such amrit kaal wherein our Parliament got Amritkalash now, if not ethics and dharma.
But are not our beliefs are beautiful metaphors? I was happily enjoying by afternoon siesta after a gruelling session of breakfast and GST Nil filing with late payment. I was trying to milk GST with input tax credits to make something out of it. But our Taxies are too smart that they recovered money from me. My wife woke me up in a rushed manner informing on a bomb scare at my Kids’ school. She acted more like a terrorist terrorizing me with the possible outcomes. I was pretty convinced Indian terrorists of any colour / shades are more human than Israel’s IDF or that weak kneed old Psycho terrorising the world towards Third World War to establish his supremacy pulling down once mighty country to third world democracy. Still it was bit fearsome for 0.01% in case of a hoax turning to reality for my dearsomes.
She rushed me to drive fast. Unfortunately, my Royal Enfield was going through a tough phase of molestation by the Burglar Mechanics stationed well inside like trojan horses as it usually surprises me in the morning with hiccups. It reminds me of the Captain Miller / Vivek’s Minor Kunju joke. Maybe the burglar mechanics thought on the Bike as my bodily extension of Brother leg and got expressive with all their vengeance. Only god knows how it becomes magically restrained. TO whomsoever concerned, my little brother’s name is not Thunderbird. Once touted to be a war horse of World Wars, my Enfield slogged like a Bullock Cart, tugging along with the heavy luggage – my wife. Now, I don’t know whom to blame… whether its a weight issue or pickup issue or both or just my bad times. Thinking in futile about it, we concluded our slow procession of reaching the bomb scared school after half an hour. I was bit scared if the school will levy additional fee of Bomb scare relief fund just like our FM waiting to charge on us by some way or other like non-onion-eating-high-profile-pickpocket.
Now, on the way back, my spouse was mocking on the Bullock cart I am maintaining, maybe I am that bullock, wishing that she hired Lord Murugan’s peacock after sighting his image and his vehicle on the way.
Spouse: Wish we had that peacock for a ride to avoid bomb scares and rush to school.
Kid: How can a peacock carry such heavy weight. It will fall.
Spouse: Lord Murugan will power it to carry.
Kid: What if we fall down?
Spouse: Lord Murugan will take care of our safety.
Looks like Kids are Born Periyarists. We ensure them turning to believers with all our metaphors, only to be utilised of by Modi types in the guise of Hindutva. I pray to the Lord, she always thinks analytically and critically. Long live Periyaar for being the eternal Kid and enlightening us on our blind beliefs.
The Fall of PR daredevilry
It’s the same metaphoric gaslighters gambling on the gullibles, on Opposition’s voice deeming them as insanity / dim wit-ness, carefully position themselves closer to God, building swanky temples, while secretly hand shaking with parasitic Crony Corporates, shadily invested with self interest. Correlate yourself with 100 Lakh Crore Loans by our Government in last nine years from , with the Government’s only accomplishment is pushing a Crony puppet / benami to Top 5 Rich list with that money. The real question is how long one can build castles in the air, ride on unicorns, singing Mon-Key lullabies and make citizens feel better in Utopian world. the answer seems to be 10 years.
Not lance gives kings the victory, But sceptre swayed with equity. – Thirukural
Maybe (to the squared), There won’t be any need for God, if the religious ones are bound by their dharmic beliefs set by their religion and atheists do a little bit more to the betterment of humanity, rather just raising questions, where even science struggles to convincingly explain / answer.
Back to the Barbie Dolls.
Coming back to Modern Love Chennai, Raju Murugan’s Laalagunda Bommaigal is a brilliant stuff, lacing humour even in heavy situations, giving the audience the much needed “Glucose” after surgery. I did not sense a clue on where it starts and where it goes but the narrative was gripping enough to keep things engaged packing up even a nice song. It had pleasant twists or ugly twists made pleasant by “mixing” up witty dialogues with awkward situations. The end was riotous with the ex lovers or flames showcasing their better halves. It’s still a mystery if the Flame got 6 Paani Pooris or just 4 in the end, from Nathuram, serving his (aborted) love. I did not expect this pleasant firecracker from Raju Murugan, kickstarting on a high note. Un Kuththama… En Kuththama…yaara naanum kuththam solla.
My best birth control now is just to leave the lights on.
Joan Rivers
When all you need is blind love.
Balaji Sakthivel’s Imaigal is an intense film. TJ Bhanu is something special on screen, delivers a magnetic performance, with even more special eyeliner making the theme jet black, reminding of Chandramukhi Jyothika. Ashok Selvan gets a superficial character or he just underplays… I am not sure. The verbal duel in the end could have been more impactful and end could have been a lot better. Wish it could have been much better boosting confidence of Heroine rather just making her play Veena. Short stories need a punch in the last line / segment to have an impact, which is sadly missing in this well crafted story. Baalu Mahendra’s anthology of great stories still remains a benchmark. Balaji Sakthivel is one of my favourites who could turn simple moments to great pleasure or pain like he did in Kadhal and Vazhakku En. Who could forget when the Kadhal‘s lovers are lured back to their home, only to get betrayed brutally. Here, I expected a lot better from him… Ennamo Poda Maadhavaa…
Love is blind but marriage is a real eye-opener.
Pauline Thomason
Romantic Master-bation
Krishnakumar Ramkumar’s emoji story is essentially a Gowtham Menon’s film rehashed. It starts with Ritu Varma dancing in rain as School going(?) girl and then she eventually matures ( Thank God! ) With no luck in love. It ends up very well on a satisfying note with rain dance of the couple, thanks to that 90’s Kid who seem desperate to do anything on his First night to fevicol his marriage and its blackhole-ic after effects. He even exclaims “Fck the World!” instead of doing it to his spouse, to please her with his pea-Cock/Mic dance. Varma’s transformation is bit ridiculous like growing obese just with a sweatshirt and ageing just with hairstyle changes. Don’t know if my mind unconsciously moves back to Vaaranam Aayiram with a marvellous Suriya and his brilliant transformations. But, this story is light in treatment and also very light in its making. We get many Filmmakers dating Ritu Varma on Tinder, somehow all escape, maybe after seeing her hairdo. We also get the man with best hairstyle Bharadwaj Rangan in a cameo declaring, “Cinema is the most beautiful Fraud on Earth”. Could not agree more as my Father used to say Frauds know much better about fellow Frauds, just kidding, no offence intended. Nalla Irukkaam… Yaaru sonna… Devave sonnaan…
Romantic love is mental illness. But it’s a pleasurable one.
Fran Lebowitz
When Deers elope in a dignified manner.
Bharathiraja’s story is a pretty mature mid life crisis story turned to a triangular love story. Wonder what happens if everyone starts loving the fellow traveller in Metro just because they happened to attend a wrong call. Anyways, “En Iniya Pon Nilaave” comes to the rescue, to forget the logic, as Vishal Bharadwaj says in Kuttey, fck the logic, it’s all about character, frog jumps, scorpion stings, Humans love everyone else even in a Metro other than their spouse , etc. I did not see any rationale with this so called love. But, the matured treatment of after effects of that whatever makes it a credible one, thanks to Ramya Nambeesan’s role. BR is just brilliant in few shots like the two selfies at the start and end, Delhi Ganesh’s superb performance, justifying from audience perspective. Finally, BR escapes any scrutiny by thanking legendary Balu Mahendra. As an Op-ed noted, BM’s Marupadiyum empowers women rather fall-guys. But this story and its warm ending reminded me of BM’s own short story creations, crafted with finesse and flair. Kudos to BR’s ability and his art of convincing the inconvincible. Legends don’t fade! Nalam vaazha ennaalum en Vaazhthukkal.
Eighty percent of married men cheat in America. The rest cheat in Europe.
Jackie Mason
When Memory is a Monster…
Thiyagarajan Kumararaja’s Ninaivo oru Paravai comes with a notification not to adjust brightness as he wants to highlight cigarette lighting. One would wish for another notification that he starts with an intensely orgasmic scene, so that any kids peeking around should be kept away, so that people could avoid advising kids that fatso Aunty is smoking as punishment and Uncle is punishing her severely, for heaven’s sake, just borrowing from the BR episode. This one more or less sounds like TK’s own story at-least on the romance part with the actor looking like a dyed up version of TK. TK is always something special. Think this is the longest of the anthology and it goes off in a jiffy with so many enjoyable moments, mind blowing performance and captivating music, sometimes looking like extension of Super Deluxe, exploring sex and love. Thanks to his initial film making Gurus… I meant the Protagonist’s initial Film gurus, to play it safe. Don’t know what he did to Ilayaraja, to tickle or pinch his creativity. If he could share that secret to other Filmmakers Cinema will be blessed with a lot more musical masterpieces from this 18 year old Amadeus. Raaja… Raajathi rajan intha Raaja. Applies to all Rajas involved.
Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.
H. L. Mencken
I liked this scene, as I could relate… like me going to Restroom for Interval, to dump the load and memories.Just Kidding.Beautiful scene though, from Full-time Architect and Part-time Filmmaker!
Tamil OTT has been serving mediocre fares, except for Sony Liv for its clever choice of web series rather investing on the done and dusted cheaply made Whodunits or other inferior love stories with flat action scenes on Bed. Modern Love Chennai is a refreshing and lovable experience taking Chennai a bit closer to heart, breathing warmth and relatability, like Cadbury silk chocolate ads, getting shot in Chennai rather scenic Goa or Puducherry, tough task though, but well accomplished.. Maybe it could have showcased Chennai landmarks rather just cliched claustrophobic set pieces, just for the chennai vibes. Still, it is a sincerely crafted series with pretty good film-making elements, even for its “action” scenes on the smallest landscape.
Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
Enjoyed watching Insomnia movie with inimitable Al Pacino. The story goes like this, Modi-No is a legendary Detective to whom, ends justify any immoral means. He gets sucked up committing few crimes which gets shady eventually. He then cooks up enough evidence to save himself from prosecution. Now Badani, a homicide criminal gets the scent of Modi-No’s misdoings, leverages the situation to get himself out of the grievous crime he had committed. Modi-No gets trapped in the rat-hole. He grows so restless and sleepless with Al Pacino portraying weak and nervous Modi-No on every frame increasingly struggling to secure himself. Finally, Badani and Modi-No shoot each other.
“A good cop can’t sleep because he’s missing a piece of the puzzle. And a bad cop can’t sleep because his conscience won’t let him.”
Insomnia Movie
Now, the Congress has won massively in Karnataka, no mean feat in the adverse circumstances, Congress and their Leaders are into. There are many theories floating around, on this massive win. At least to me Congress won when RG retorted to Modi on his as usual whining on his Ninety-first-cry, “The Election is not about Modi, it’s about the YOU, the people of Karnataka”, shedding off his Modi Virus obsession for long. This is also the first election Congress did not step back on any of the issues / muckraking by BJP. It handled Bajrang controversy in a spirited fightback. I especially liked how Kharge minced no words on It-is-what-it-is, though he may need to be carefully aggressive and giving them back with a Cry-PM campaign. Congress kept its campaign pretty local. Apart from spirited campaign from Senior Gandhi and Siblings, credits should also go to the Karnataka’s heavyweights in top leadership, Kharge, JR and local heavyweights Siddaramaiah and DKS and most importantly the Cadre.
But, If congress derives too much from their Karnataka success, wherein Bommai Government acted just like 2009-2014 UPA Government, giving the rule to the opposition on a golden platter, they will digging their own failure in 2024. Karnataka got a history of punishing the corrupt, with a robust system even to the level of arresting then CM BSY. As a personal opinion, it will do a lot good for Congress if Siddaramaiah, a Mass Leader allowed to helm the Government. Much to his credit he ensured a robust governance for five years giving much lesser ammunition for BJP. No mean feat! Congress should also keep in mind that he is a career Politician with ground support, who could also play spoilsport just like he did to the Congress backed JDS Government with its family atrocities and political excesses. Of course DKS is a capable and loyal leader, but if Congress fancies any real chance of 2024, it needs to keep its Karnataka engine up and running seamlessly, with very less anti-incumbency for BJP to harvest in 2024, like they failed in 2019.
Despite a government that, by all accounts was a disaster, the BJP has still managed to hold onto its vote share in Karnataka. Even in a campaign where everything went wrong, the long-term changes the BJP has brought about in cultural preferences should worry us. The most you can say is that just Hindutva alone will help you retain a base but not push you over the margins of victory. This is small comfort. But it will not be enough to secure either Karnataka or India from the rising tide of communalism.
P. B. Mehta
If DKS is smart, he would have played a soft ball game, replicating the same electoral success in 2024 rather exposing himself on his mind games with the Gandhis. While it is fair to expect gratitude for all his hard work, he did not do it alone. Congress is an organization seeded by AO Hume, watered by many of our great Leaders, manured by Mahatma Gandhi with Nehru as the meticulous gardener. The current generation of Congress leadership of all tiers, has enjoyed fruits from Congress more rather giving back to its growth. If everyone would have handled UPA-2 more responsibly with vigour, they would not be stuttering like this.
DKS cleverly banked on the Senior Gandhi’s weakness on rewarding unflinching loyalty, rather looking for competence and merit, despite her stellar judgement skills. Will you reward someone who takes care of the nest well or the one who waits at the snake pit, hoping somehow to recover the eggs stolen from the nest, already swallowed by the snakes. DKS did not even mind his own State level cadre’s majority leanings, undoing all his good deeds on this success.
Even Pilot is long due for dressing down, holding his closeness to Gandhi trump card, rather actual performance at polls. Most of his chosen candidates had failed last time, so much ado for nothing. Congress leadership need to draw a “line of intolerance” rather allowing such elements weakening the Party from inside, especially when its facing a dire crisis from lethal BJP. The more Congress leadership gets exposed on their factionalism and individual rants, with top leadership standing helpless confused between freedom of expression and governance ethics, BJP’s troll army will ensure the weak leadership gets clearly etched in voters minds for 2024.
The Congress and its state-level leaders have a penchant for punching above their weight and their claim that the Congress is the main opposition party could become a stumbling block in efforts to forge alliances. Even with a rejuvenated Congress, we cannot think of the next parliamentary battle without meaningful adjustments among non-BJP parties. Thus, if the Karnataka election result strengthens the Congress, it indirectly poses problems for non-BJP, non-Congress parties.
Suhas Palshikar
The major difference between previous Congress regimes and now could come from BL Santhosh, a Master in entire Criminal Politics, who honey-trapped his own BJP cadre to keep them on leash. I would expect more Audio Video political entertainment, along with behind the screen Operation Lotus, as old habits don’t die easily. BJP is politically shameless, wickedly ambitious and also growing brutally communal, imagining on reaping the non existent majoritarian dividends, covering up all their stink in the name of Hindutva, abusing the same ideology. Congress may need to save its own flock by restraining them from misdemeanors with a careful watch, unlike giving them a free hand in Maharashtra.
“You shouldn’t knock misdemeanors.”
“Oh, but it’s small stuff. It gets so boring.”
“It’s all about small stuff. You know, small lies, small mistakes. People give themselves away, same in misdemeanors as they do on murder cases. It’s just human nature.”
– Insomnia Movie
This loss could be a blessing in disguise for Amit Shah. He may not like humiliating losses, but also certainly may not be keen on establishing BJP Government owing to its organisational weaknesses and dismal corruption. There is an undercurrent pattern of People choosing the alternate Party, based on who rules their State. I have personally seen people voting One Party for State and another for Lok Sabha, even when elections are held simultaneously, as if they are sharing their properties between their children. The real dirty work of Amit Shah employing his EVM Diwali Fireworks could happen in 2024, on the crucial cliffhanger constituencies. The problem with Shah is that he is a no holds barred / no stones unturned fighter till the end. He might have sensed an imminent defeat in 2024 by now, but never gives up, trying to win by hook-or-Shah. Any defeat energises the RSS and its Cadre who are now well settled in their iPhone enabled air conditioned life, thanks to Modi and Adani.
“This his blood?”
“Ketchup maybe. Was he eating a hot dog?”
Insomnia Movie
BJP had so far cast a magic spell that they are unstoppable and undefeatable force, keeping the opposition in a defeatist mindset, which is wearing out much like their worn out election playbook, from last two elections as people are tired with livelihood struggles rather being proud about empty lies like G20 King of the World comedy / How Modi stopped Ukraine War(?) tragedy.
BJP may try to play with LS election dates, to their advantage. Congress could be nimble footed thinking of another round of yatra to gently shake up the people with the right questions on governance and stressing on “Their Election, as Indians own India, not Modi ( and Adani )” dropping Modi from the campaign wagon footboard. They may also consider an organic circuit of blending all four directions of the nation to an extent, or catering urban pockets with heavy concentration of LS seats separately to maximise the outreach.
“So the end justifies the means. Right?”
“I’m in no position to judge.”
Insomnia Movie
The Opposition needs tailored campaigns for rural and urban pockets. They need to make people talk about the Governance failures, dictatorial arrogance, crony capitalism affecting common people with merciless taxation and unemployment due to careless privatisation and poor fundamentals. Rather a winding walking marathon, covering distances with no people around, the focus could be on the mass outreach yatra with a blazing pace and mobilising the cadre with the much needed encouragement. RG certainly radiates charisma and natural / effortless ease to gel well with people of all backgrounds. Hope Congress leverages it to the the fullest extent.
Would like to reminisce the Sufi story of ‘Holy Shadow’ as retold by Osho below, though I don’t equate anybody to anyone here with this story, but there are few parallels. I have critiqued Congress enough without even moving a straw for them. But credit should be given where it’s due. I don’t see RG as an astute Politician. Through any seasoned Politician’s eyes like Obama or Pawar, RG could be a nothing special person. But, he brings in raw and unique goodness which only a Political heirs could bring in parachuting to the Indian Political landscape. The next versions of yatra could still do a lot better than its first version. To Osho now….
Let me tell you one very famous Sufi story, “The Holy Shadow.”
There once lived a saint so good that the angels came from heaven to see how a man could be so godly. This saint went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. His day could be summed up by two words — he gave, he forgave — yet these words never passed his lips. They were expressed in his ready smile, his kindness, forbearance, and charity.
The angels said to God, “Lord, grant him the gift of miracles.”
God replied, “Ask what it is that he wishes.”
They said to the saint, “Would you like the touch of your hands to heal the sick?”
“No,” answered the saint. “I would rather God do that.”
“Would you like to convert guilty souls and bring back wandering hearts to the right path?”
“No, that is the angels’ mission. It is not for me to convert.”
“Would you like to become a model of patience, attracting men by the luster of your virtues, and thus glorifying God?”
“No,” replied the saint. “If men should be attracted to me, they would become estranged from God.” “What is it that you desire, then?” asked the angels.
“What can I wish for?” asked the saint smiling. “That God gives me his grace; with that would I not have everything?”
The angels said, “You must ask for a miracle, or one will be forced upon you.”
“Very well,” said the saint. “That I may do a great deal of good without ever knowing it.”
The angels were perplexed. They took counsel and resolved upon the following plan: every time the saint’s shadow fell behind him or to either side, so that he could not see it, it would have the power to cure disease, soothe pain, and comfort sorrow.
When the saint walked along, his shadow, thrown on the ground on either side or behind him, made arid paths green, caused withered plants to bloom, gave clear water to dried-up brooks, fresh color to pale children, and joy to unhappy men and women.
The saint simply went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. The people, respecting his humility, followed him silently, never speaking to him about his miracles. Soon they even forgot his name, and called him “The Holy Shadow.”
This is the ultimate: one has to become the holy shadow, just a shadow of God. This is the greatest revolution that can happen to a human being: the transfer of the center. You are no longer your own center; God becomes your center. You live like his shadow. You are not powerful, because you don’t have any center to be powerful. You are not virtuous; you don’t have any center to be virtuous. You are not even religious; you don’t have any center to be religious. You are simply not, a tremendous emptiness, with no barriers and blocks, so the divine can flow through you unhindered, uninterpreted, untouched — so the divine can flow through you as he is, not as you would like him to be. He does not pass through your center — there is none. The center is lost.
This is the meaning of this sutra: that finally you have to sacrifice your center so you cannot think in terms of the ego again, you cannot utter “I,” to annihilate yourself utterly, to erase yourself utterly. Nothing belongs to you; on the contrary, you belong to God. You become a holy shadow.
Now, there are very good chance Congress could play spoilsport with alliances, after few more surprise wins in upcoming MP-Chattisgarh-Rajasthan elections, just like in 2019. But, 2024 will be turned as a national narrative on Modi Vs Who. Congress needs every ounce of opposition support to sap out BJP. The hyper Local and “Your Election Not Modi’s” narrative may work out to some extent. But Congress will need a better campaign combining both spiritual and economical dimensions to tackle BJP in its strong belts.
Congress could also avoid Bajrang Dal type controversies which could blow up in sensitive states. Even in Karnataka, BJP has ket its vote share intact, meaning their distortions still attract masses, in a sea of governance failures. South is a different place, allowing Congress to survive on such communal issues. Not sure how such manifesto promises could consolidate Muslims, as there are multiple ways to do that like reinstating their quota. Congress guarantees and their outreach aided by corrupt BJP’s bottomless greed saved the day for Congress.
It is often forgotten that in 2014, the BJP did not come to power on the basis of a Hindu nationalist campaign. It sought a vote against the corruption of the Congress and its dynasty. But once it started ruling, it used state power to enhance itself ideologically, both at the level of institutions and mass consciousness.
Analogously, capturing state power will be critical for attacking Hindu nationalism as an ideology. Winning elections is central to this project.
Ashutosh Varshney
In Karnataka, fortunately, Congress turned tables with the cadre worshipping Bajrang who seemed to be on their side gifting victory, like he guarded Arjuna’s chariot. Sadly, BJP forgot God is for everyone and still powerful enough to punish betrayers who foolishly equated criminals backed outfit with Hanuman. Mo-Sha’s version of Hindutva is like the “War of the Worlds” story, people get clueless on the sudden all powerful, seemingly invincible alien attack, with many succumbing to the alien attack. Eventually, the mighty aliens lose their winning war, not getting defeated by humans but since they could not survive like Humans lacking immunity and resistance, getting sick infected by bacteria on earth, dying eventually. Likewise, current rabid Hindutva version of BJP’s downfall could be very well scripted by the humble Roti / Rice, like Srilanka, even with DKS waiting at Delhi for his CM post forever.
“Man was no longer a master, but an animal among the animals, under the Martian heel … the fear and empire of man had passed away.
[ enters Bacteria… ]
The Martians—dead! … slain, after all man’s devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.”
H. G. Wells – War of the Worlds
Coming back to the story of Insomnia, Detective Rahunka, unravels the entire plot with underlying dirty works of Modi-No and Badani. Rahunka insist on closing the case as no one knows about it anyways and Modi-No is becoming no more. Modi-No cautions Rahunka not to lose the way, just like his foolish compromises, leading himself to a rat-hole . He then goes back to much wanted deep sleep.
“Nobody needs to know. You didn’t mean to do it, and I know that, even if you don’t.”
“Pathu Thala” a movie from STR is an impressive feat with flashes of brilliance.
Heartfelt appreciations should go to Director Krishna, after his nicely packaged “Sillunu Oru Kaadhal”. Don’t know how it turned out to be a mediocre fare with a nice romance and sizzling chemistry of Surya-Jyothika and as usual Chart topping music from ARR. It had shades of Mouna Raagam, but still a fresh experience of that time.
Even here, Krishna does the love episodes of Priya Bhavani Shankar and Gowtham so brilliantly, aided by Ninaivirukka earworm. Maybe he could reinvent himself rather softly doing an Atlee with gentle remakes of Mouna Raagam or Vikram as his scenes are so original and impressive expect for the screenplay.
‘Pathu Thala’ STR is so effortless and natural as a larger than life Hero or Villain, whichever way you like it. The Pre-Interval scene was so good with ARR going wild with his BGM. Not sure, but usually the Film which comes before PS series like Cobra / Pathu Thala has his best scores with lot of similarities to follow on PS. Gautham got a sensible role and suits himself well. Overall, it was an enjoyable package.
The movie had a lot more potential. It’s bit difficult to digest STR parachuting as an all powerful sand Mafia Don after his realistic roles in VTK and Maanaadu. Maybe an intelligent rise of AGR could have been a nice introduction sequence to support his larger than life character post interval. Also, his initial political maneuvers could have been elaborated to establish the plot well, so that it gives the high when it get unravelled in climax. GVM has a linear character, he could have been leveraged as a wily and friendly Fox who hoodwinks AGR and CM at the same time, playing his cards to trap the CM, only to get exposed by the goon he sends pre-Interval, just for awe inducing moments and layering. The film follows Vikram template, but the intro established KH very well and slowly unraveled him with enjoyable twists and turns. In Pathu Thala such organic screenplay is missing.
The movie has many slo mo scenes for STR, acting as dampener. Eventually, the story is devoid of any threats or twists upon STR arrival. More credit to STR, as he carries a simplistic plot with aplomb. The movie could have done a lot better with shades of grey rather painting STR as White angel. My own theory would be on what makes Nayakan classic compared to other Mafia Don movies is that, it was realistic without pretensions and justifications. It starts with “Nothing is wrong if it’s good for four people” towards a convincing “Are you Good or Bad? – I don’t know!”. This movie could have been a classic except for few shortcomings. The climax is a long and winding violent butcher stuff, whose shock elements are already expended during the Interval part. Maybe the crew could have thought about much more intelligent action sequence, just like Gowtham’s intro to keep the audience at seat edge, to reward a fulfilling experience.
At this rate of Tamilnadu State Government’s atrocities, I would not be surprised if MK Stalin renames Tamilnadu as TASMAC-Nadu, named after the state owned liquor Corporation. Tamilnadu is suffering the perils of the lack of genuine Leader after Jayalalitha, who could have been a bit dictatorial but possessed a flawless moral centre and a benevolent mindset eclipsing her smaller shortcomings.
And I would not be surprised if MKS wakes up the next day after learning the State’s name change and growing opposition, making an Former CM Edapadi Palaniswamy act after Tuticorin Jalian wala Bagh type assassinations, that he himself was not aware when even the Collector was in loop.
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.”
Senthil Balaji Err… Benjamin Franklin
I would not be shocked if the Party’s late-coming Kangaroo who managed to eclipse all the DMK’s loyal stalwarts, now busy on making a recipe of “Death by liquor Chocolate for Tamilnadu” closely collaborating with the DMK’s first family, will be the DMK’s next antagonist after 2G scam. He is just a career based Politician who knows how to unlock the right political doors at the right moment, rising from Mineral water vendor to Liquor Supplier of Tamilnadu. Some Politicians don’t understand the difference between being an entertainer or a Politician, just like flavours of water. The State is in such a state where there are more political clowns keeping their attendance strong at PR Circus shows just like Film stars, rather doing what they got elected for – good Governance.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
MKS after 2G Scam Err… Benjamin Franklin
And I would not be surprised if people of Tamilnadu suffer from confusion and dilemma in understanding whether it’s the same Government which promotes education among the lesser privileged, provider of morning meals to school children, giving free bus tickets for Women is also the same Split personality Government supplying free flowing Liquor to keep them in a dizzy state forever, applying all innovation in Liquor promotion, rather on welfare and HR.
“My therapist set half a glass of water in front of me. He asked if I was an optimist or a pessimist. So, I drank the water and told him I was a problem solver.”
First Family Err… Don’t know Who. Copied from Web
And I would not be surprised, if this “disgusting” ( as rightly quoted by PMK’s Anbumani, I did not vote for Oviya, but will not mind voting for you if come above crooked caste politics and silly coalitions ) Liquor Government, with bottomless greed for corruption, even after hectic struggles for decades to rise up after 2G scam and other corruption charges, will go through much more issues by the same pattern after 2024, making themselves a rotten Hell, if they dont course correct to get their feet and ears grounded.
“I think good governance and good politics can go together.”
Chandrababu Naidu. No! Not any TN Politician of present times.
And I would not be surprised, it’s not just few scams, but MKS will be remembered for his own inefficiency after peaking for good in first two years, only to slide down for all arrogance and bureaucratic lethargy. Jayalalitha did not just get reelected among politically conscious Tamil people with just PR. She showed real intent and equivalent actions to come up with novel schemes frequently, for the welfare to make herself an outstanding Leader, not just Photo Booths and inviting Film stars for publicity or doling out liquor vending Machines and licensing public spaces for Liquor vending or helping Politicians amass land and steal entire water bodies by privatising even water resources of the State .
“The earth, the air, the land, and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it was handed over to us.”
Land Mafia and their inheritors Err… Gandhi
Honestly, I did not expect this from MKS who seems more of a dummy CM faring poorer than EPS with series of U-turns, foxy laws and secret Govt gazettes. MKS looks like an Union Agent deputed to make BJP flourish in TN, and doing the self destruction job of dravidian culture even better than EPS. Sadly DMK as usual aspires to be outstanding Number One Party in India for Corruption, under the feeble guidance of MKS.
“Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody.”
One of the most adorable characters of Ponniyin Selvan Movie is Mani Ratnam. I have seen Mani Ratnam through a key hole from his Press interviews of the Past and very few words minced on stages. I thought he is carefully cultivating an enigmatic persona. As a motor mouth I always thought its better to be silent than sounding foolish, but in vain, including this worthless blog. But MR broke all such myths with his free flowing interviews from the start of PS1, with his sensibility and deep thoughts, opening the entire door. It was nice to understand a bit of what is going though his mind. At least now I am cleared of all doubts, that he is the actual witty dialogue writer of his Films.
The compulsions of limited time with screens, investment and social media, could have urged MR to come up with a PR blitz. But, he could have very well done that his stellar star cast to do the talking, directing events from the background. But, he came out soldiering from front with quite interesting quips and tid-bits. I still did not like the way Northern media not extracting the crew’s potential during the Launch events except for Film Companion and few others. I personally liked the warm interviews of Bharadwaj Rangan and candid questions from Sudhir Srinivasan which made him more accessible with Human connect.
Why Ponniyin Selvan should be celebrated?
Any writer would have aspired for a Film-maker who would not kill the spirit of his Novel. Sujatha has written a lot about how his stories got sabotaged by Film-makers and his hesitation in handing over his classic “Pirivom Santhippom” to them. I personally liked MR’s honesty to stay true to Kalki’s vision and core thoughts, even when the novel is open for a Free-for-all adaptation. He did not resort to theatrics and computer games like CG just to keep the audience in awe. His adaptation is more on to the emotional core, exploring them from their perspective and make us feel for them.
The epic film making happened during COVID times. It was bit disturbing to see MR in PPE kit and mask and we know he is not in pink of his health in early 60s. The way the crew worked together to bring in a believable experience is laudable.
The technicalities were top notch. Ravivarman made the screen look golden, paint brushing all the graphics. Kalki has described many gruesome scenes starting from the First episode on the war and its ravaging effects. But MR made everything looked poetic. When Nandhini’s husband Veerapandian gets killed, he amps up the experience with just a Plain white cloth and ARR, making us understand Nandhini’s pain. Though the setting looked so foreign with a Thai hut, it’s still a memorable scene.
The star cast was the real USP of this film with characters throwing in believable surprises, enacting a drama making us retain a little smile on our lips throughout.
It’s been quite a while Tamil cinema attracted entire families, including old people when most of the Filmmakers started catering to a narrow segment of audience, playing it safe. It took a dignified maker to create a wholesome trend of very healthy filmmaking.
Why it was not received well among non-tamil audience?
The PS1 film had few fault-lines like a bit of lag where the tricky part of balancing emotions along with the storyline could have been smoother. Personally, I felt the movie rushed essential things a bit assuming the audiences are too clever to get the layers of it. It also had ten minutes of unwanted flab not contributing to the first part of the story. Consider the below scenes from an Audience who has not read the novel. A comet arises and a voiceover predicts loss of a royal one, but who cares when we have not even seen or invested in any any of them by then? Azharkadiyaan elaborating on his relationship with Nandhini when he himself a stranger from audience perspective, Kundavai luring smaller chieftains offering Arulmozhi for their daughters’ marriage when they have enough intelligence to topple the king, might have already known his affinity for Vanathi, Vanathi begging Kundhavai to wed Arulmozhi, is the great king is such a Kundhavai controlled Dummy, without illustrating the actual bond between the siblings. Veerapandian getting killed just for a pre-interval high when we don’t even get to know him nor his rivalry beforehand.
The lag is deemed by Jeyamohan as worthless observation, is not a criticism but more of observation that Film does not add up well to form a cohesive story. It’s easier to abuse like Jeyamohan does, on anyone pointing on on these anomalies, but PS2 stands as a proof that, the fair criticism got well received and corrected. Just like MR said Cinema is an economic medium and not a lavish story medium where one can scribble whatever he wants or blabber in Youtube. It just does not sell.
The PS1 story also felt fragmented with few loose ends, with the lack of establishment of a proper antagonist. MR to his defence might say on the complex names and unknown faces for its disappointing failure. Even Baahubali had unknown faces for North audience and got complex names. To me the real culprit is that, the audience could not emotionally invest on any of the characters pre-interval. Only after the interval, the movie had an organic flow. There was still a Thiruda Thiruda type Achilles heel, with the movie lingering on Tom and Jerry type chase, going nowhere in terms of objective because it was not at all defined.
The succession fight did not have any larger purpose / connect, like whats in it for the People ( the subconscious WE part ) from audience perspective. It was like nothing goes wrong if Ravana or Ram rules, with Vanthiyathevan clowning around. Overall it looked a giant scrabble Vanthiyathevan struggling to crack amidst all his distractions. As an audience, I could not empathise with him as I was also on the same boat occupied with the same distractions. He looked more like an errand boy for Cholas.
The state of Tamil Cinema
I observed Mani Ratnam talking about how a Film maker has to be selfish like getting merciless at editing table. He seem to have done the same with Kalki to save the film from possible jumpy sequences, affecting the rhythm cutting unwanted flab protruding like Nambi’s tummy. Kalki might have really enjoyed its phenomenal success, elongating the novel runtime a bit more. But the screen play has not missed any of its cinematic moments and highs. While there are murmurs that MR was not as faithful as the first part to the original text, I revere Kalki for his timeless and masterful storytelling but would also assume Kalki would have appreciated MR for elongating PS lifespan with mass outreach among the attention-deficit-generation, without killing it for the sake of theatrical highs.
As ARR made an interesting quip about how people queued up to buy Audio cassettes / CDs earlier making itself a cherishable experience which has now transformed to directly watching it on youtube for free and also dole out free criticisms with reach, Internet has made celluloid Art more democratic but also bit artless and restless, with On-Demand emotions at fingertips. Gone are the days people wait in queues to procure tickets like treasure Hunt, that they had enough patience invested already, like waiting for the reward, while watching it on screen compared to seamless online booking and Piracy. It was a national habit earlier.
Also, Cinema was much affordable those days, compared to catering only to the “rich and at the same time stressed enough by earning for it / young and impatient / Rich OTT segment” moviegoers nowadays. It’s a trade-off Indian cinema has chose to rear its own demon transferring their loyalty to the elite and rich who are quite choosy and reject things so easily, rather also considering poor and loyal masses as a viewer base. If the crew complains that people are worthless if they deem it as boring, it’s their own worthless act of worshipping their impatient fat-pocketed easily-rejecting demography, causing their own downfall and also letting down their craft, by dishing what they want. When there are no Middle class seats, there will be no middle path criticisms. The quantum of Heart a film receives is directly proportional to the allocated economy seats – 1 or 2%. So, keep yourself busy, pleasing your smallest demography with MaamaKutties / soft porn / Violence, rather admonishing audience taste.
If you think this is extrapolation and Cinema has not gone below the belt standards, savour this unpalatable stuff, a classy Kamal Haasan had to croon a Gomma Gotha song, insecure of the current movie going demography as a last minute addition for hype, to stamp he is young enough. He even made himself a further sorry figure with the explanation, breaking down the lyrics as if he has written modern Silappathigaram…. Appidiye Janaki Voicepa… The Root cause is just that they have lost their loyal base of movie goers across economic spectrum, now desperate to attract the new base. It was quite ironic KH felt heartened by the way daily wagers watched his movie ( of course, at a high price even compared to western socio economic standards ). The Visionary in him did not ask himself why such sad state prevails in the State where Cinema acted like a Cradle for future Chief Ministers? The so called Golden Age will not arrive as long as Cinema becomes affordable to middle and poor class and gets back to the masses. Nee paadu Maame!Laalaa lalalala Ley!
PS2 – How is it?Kurai Ondrum Illai Maraimurthy Kanna…
This is more of an experience for me, not a review or rant, but feel free to make it whichever way you want.
Initially, I was in Alaipayuthey mode… Intha Padam nalla irukkumaanu theriyale… Aana 250 roova poyurumonu payama irukku! Jemo can label us Chilrai types, but that’s the sad state his baby RSS has brought down to the country where even a simple recreation option is too costly to afford.
The respite is that, the PS2 screenplay is neat and simple with Plot getting established very well with Nandhini and Co scheming to kill all the Cholas at once and the rest of the movie deals with how the events unfold. The real mastery is on how all the characters make us root for them unlike the previous part. The cherry on top is the dignified-beautiful-than-Nandhini-twist about her origins. The entire plot has a crystal clear flow of raising the knots and slowly resolving it one by one, with a clear antagonist in Nandhini as woman with vengeance. This time the movie looked tailor made for Dummies (like me) with repeated visuals rather calling audience smart and leaving us in bewilderment like Nolan’s Sci-fi films where even google can’t answer our queries. You know why the totem keeps spinning in the end of Inception end, or is it really the end? And this is just a historical plot not even complex Sci-fi.
The real strength of the movie is its excellent star cast and exceptional technicalities. Aishwarya Rai who played a beautiful expressionless queen damsel in first part is in totally different and likeable avatar rocking it, piloting the entire story. Vikram gets more clarity on what he actually pines for rather being a restless wavering Prince in first Part. Jayam Ravi has too few sequences, but emerges much stronger with every scene. He has improved a lot in dubbing with a calm demeanour. Of Course, Karthi plays a faithful anchor, faultlessly. The first look of PS1 carried a fatigued Arulmozhi Varman kneeling down with his sword with a dejected look, not a nice way to introduce a Marquee character, but the climax justifies the wearniness beautifully. That’s the actual difference between the first and last part – bewilderment Vs emotional satisfaction. Just4Fun: Adi kodutha Arulmozhikke ivlo valinna adi vaangunavan….
It will be gross injustice if ARR is not mentioned along with any PS2 appreciation. He is one of the vital factor to renewed the enthusiasm with his mastery. I especially liked the fluttering of a string instrument in Chinnanchiru Kiliye. Somehow, as a layman I felt PS1 music as a bit disappointing with focus more on songs. But PS2 is another level of music. Pre-Interval BGM was like he is dancing for Devaraalan Aattam like Tropic Thunder Tom Cruise in the background. Nandhini’s hissing bgm was something else, but Iravin Nizhal chorus had much better awe factor. But you know we are getting popcornized err… westernised with muzzled BGMs.
There was a news scoop of the past that, Mani Ratnam and his Brother GV ambitiously wanted to make this movie decades back. They could not muster the funds, so GV came up with an innovative idea of collecting money from audience beforehand to finance the film in lieu of movie tickets with the release. Looks like MR is much more smarter. He offered us all a Candy wrapper with his first part and the real candy comes up only in the second part. But, he also suffered the risk of diminishing the film and subsequent expectations.
I could feel for him though on his little failings, but how can I complain about a person whose fighting spirit and staying relevant is something quite special. Even the kindergarten teacher branded me as an outdated Boomer Uncle at my 44 as if she just finished her KG along with my kid. But MR has immediately bounced back silently answering all the criticism by letting the movie take care of on its own. There are no comebacks in his career, just bouncing back even more to reach greater heights.
Criticisms
Happened to go through various criticisms. The press and media has been appreciative of the film. BR stated the movie is an epic poetic whisper with a flatly emotional story-line without synthetic theatrical highs. Could not agree more. Maybe, if Vairamuthu had to narrate it he would have stressed few lines by repeating it in his raspy tone. MR is also doing the same highlighting high poetic moments.
But, there are few critics like Blue Sattai Maaran accurately predicting on what I have blogged as “Muttu boys”, blindly supporting the film with generated reasons. I really enjoyed his satiric criticism but not his strong warning not to watch it. I think nuanced critics like BR would do more damage, subtly letting down the film, than Maaran who is at his usual satiric best, outstanding as a self made brand rather sounding genuine.
Looks like Jeyamohan is out as “Youtube Morattu Muttu Rowdy Boy”, providing strong criticisms against PS critics. He actually looked like “Naan idacha nee Sethuduve!” type of guy, but somehow just like scripting his arguments does not add up. The crux is that those who cannot appreciate the movie are not worthy of watching movies. Unfortunately, he is dragging himself much below the level that even mercurial Maaran looks classy, diminishing his own stature, or this is what he is. Thought JeMo is much more than any of this. I saw a nice JeMo stamp on VTK movie, but when it comes to PS it’s more of Kalki and MR’s baby missing his mosquito coil like explanations without clarity and going nowhere, just like his half baked and roundabout political views, where even Party Touring Khushboo feels as better ideologist, as if politics is not in theater popcorn or in his own political stories but only in his RSS offices he opened, nursing hatred and vengeance for decades, focused on giving it back rather bouncing back for good, exactly being the difference between him and MR. He is a strange someone in his own words, who can’t leave Jesus, just like his own RSS, but also cannot forgive people for their sins… Maybe that’s his Aram / Dharma.
Neenga Nallavaraa Kettavaraa? – Nayakan
I am not giving back here, just leveraging the situation to showup the Mirror of sad state we are in. JeMo alone is enough to get the PS PR down to dust. it’s the same kind of cheap PR with same youtube backed sources, part of the PS team did in Hyderabad claiming that most of the film was taken in Telangana / Andhra pradesh, so it should be supported by telugu people, making one wonder what those self admiring smarties will say to tamil and northern audience. When telugu audience asked for a spoonful of Mirchi high, here is an Alec Smart offering them sweet words. How about a lullaby too?
I don’t believe in recommendations and reviews, except for their spoilers, especially in this consumer centric world where every influencer has their own agenda. I am fanboy turned Fan-Uncle of MR with subconscious bias bred on maniratm-ic moments. And I saw a lot of old men and women and surrounded by mostly women audience and kids, speaking a lot about the trust on this Film crew including Kalki. Just4Fun: felt like Infant Yuva Siddharth put up in between female infants when he was just born and grew up to despise them – Intha Ponnungale ippadi thaan ejamaan! Just kidding… before you brand me something else for my rants. To me BR/MR are the first Meme inspirers of Tamil cinema with such hearty memorable scenes, the seed which feeds a lot of neurons and sticks around for long. Patha vechuttiye Parattai!
Just use your money wisely just like how the crew has kept its production values crisp. Follow your Heart. There are no perfect Films or perfect escape dens. But, personally I enjoyed the film and its treatment. Wish the filmmakers discount the tickets for their First part boring blunder, cashing on the emotional and enthusiastic high among the audience to support the crew’s passionate statement of work, maybe just as a giveback / token of gratitude at some stage of break even. But Who am I to suggest… Well, it’s a free for all Blog.
Cinema is more of an emotional experience with our investment offscreen on the Crew and other emotional factors outweighing on screen part. Got to admit my slight disappointment with the first part as it sounded like an empty vessel ( just like me ). But second Part does justice when combined together. The crew could have rectified the first part shortcomings with a much better OTT release, getting understandable to everyone with simple voice overs or maps, and reserve a wider reach for second part. But it was a wasted opportunity.
So, all the loose ends of the plot got tied up very well in PS2. As a commoner, I don’t have any stake on this, but more of a connect with Kalki and MR, pushing to write about it. With the cheap PR with Jemo types, don’t see any point in investing time on this, as this is becoming uncivil discourse, just like crass Vijay Ajith fights in SM. But, this movie has higher stakes for the entire Tamil movie industry. If this does well, it could do plenty of good as what Rajamouli did for Telugu cinema. As an audience we have a lot to gain with a larger canvas and better stories in future.
Decades-old studies have shown that primary care physicians sued less often are those more likely to spend time educating patients about their care, more likely to use humor and laugh with their patients and more likely to try to get their patients to talk and express their opinions. It seems that more likable physicians are less likely to have claims filed against them.
The movie industry has moved towards PR blitzkrieg just before their launch, just like less sued Doctors engage well with their patients. The PR was just good with an emotional appeal from its crew. Vikram declared karthi was good for Politician. Karthi sounds more impressive and righteous, but it’s actually Vikram who has got that PR pull. But the events could have been staged well, more informative and resourceful rather going through few templated stories. Let’s hope the Dream Factory ( as Sujatha would call them ) will come forward to make it a grand success, capitalize on it to secure their own future. It’s high time it goes full swing on its revival with an Anjali! Enthiri Anjali enthiri! moment.
But, unfortunately, the Tamil cinema industry lived up to its reputation of being that metaphoric Frogs in the Well.
I am not a big fan of Vetrimaaran, but I am afraid he will make me one. Thanks to Maniratnam’s Alaipayuthey dialogue. But, what I can’t figure out is some critics who keep a somewhat boring movie on pedestal, but could not tolerate a movie made better, passing it on as watchable and shallow. How can someone call a movie which goes to great depths to depict the perversions of Enforcement to satisfy their Legislative Lords. One can’t simply discount Raja’s music in Viduthalai to establish himself as hardcore critic, while remaining quiet, rather critiquing somewhere else, peppered with language of camera technicalities and edit cuts when he cannot even do haircuts. Maybe it’s easier to cast it as elitist lobby who worships few and lets down others? Or maybe it’s just a criticism of convenience based on how it serves his interests? The twitter feed is an excellent space for mind reading. maybe with his depression posts, the so called critic, who is habituated to lament on nothings, gets depressed if the concerned crew don’t offer him an interview? Only God knows!
Understand its a bit personal , but when critics cross their limits while thriving on the same cinema industry trying to be a lobbyist rather being a fair critic, I don’t feel any remorse. I bet in a month, someone will go ooh-aahh-aah goosebumpy over a moderate movie which will not even sport a single fresh scene on its sequel to talk about. I am not against any movie, but certainly against partiality and lobbying.
Cinema is the livelihood of many and tranquilizer Pills for a lot many like me. This is a sick trend in Tamil industry for long, like pulling others as if we are frogs in the well. They come up with their empty criticism as mass weapon of destruction, with a very nuanced letdown, even before we get to watch the first show, making people think twice about buying expensive tickets. I saw this happening with Prince movie too. Of course it’s an average movie but never to the level social media made mincemeat of it. But, critics are powerless when they could not market a movie like Gargi, just good for destruction. Let’s ensure we are fair, when we criticise and strive to make things better, like being part of the invisible Team, rather attack with bias or jealousy, hoping to prop up our favourite. Consumerism dont work that way, it flourished with more good movies, making it a habit among its consumers.
Having said that, I would like to get down to my own experience of watching Viduthalai. I do have very feeble memory of my childhood relations of my age discuss wide eyed on a hearsay about Appu, a revolutionary surrendering at a nearby Police station. I could not understand anything of it then. But, Jeyamohan’s story on Appu, a revolutionary, a master class description of the lives, background, politics and ecosystem Tamilnadu’s backward states have gone through during our early times, all of whom we have conveniently forgotten in the din of Nationalistic politics. We are indebted to Jeyamohan for documenting these stories and gifting it to us when we forgot what it means to be free and what it takes for freedom.
Let’s get down to the movie experience. It starts with a train wreck and a long shot of depicting the chaos ensued after the wreck. I am layman when it comes to technicalities. But the sound mixing which ebbs and flows on the voices around along with the single shot gliding camera movement, was something very unique in Tamil cinema. It reminded me of the Dunkirk opening, ofcourse, it had much bigger canvas. Though few dialogues could only de deciphered with the subtitles, it accurately depicts the experience on watching a live train wreck and the cost Humanity pays for terrorism. My harmless add-on wish could be that, there was a short story, like a child getting separated from parents, to depict the human cost of the wreck. Even when James Cameron toppled Titanic, he said the story from the view of Lovers which made it special and unforgettable.
I could not crack how VJS shines when he has very limited screen space. The entire story revolves around him. His screen presence makes the experience bigger. Very few directors have utilized VJS, the champion of Tamil new-wave cinema, to his capabilities. Vetrimaaran has amped up his body of work. The theatre gets enthralled on his appearance, which could be just half an hour of the whole movie. The last few glimpses of second part were sure shot firecrackers.
The real surprise package is Soori with a quiet and restrained presence. He does it with aplomb, easing through all his scenes with very little emotion in his face, but makes us feel for him much more. The dialogues on his part are beautifully crafted. His romantic interest compliments him very well. Soori is the moral compass on this film though it oscillates like a pendulum, with terrorist acts followed by Police’s brutal and multifold givebacks.
Ilaiyaraja… as someone who grew with his music, never tired of fawning over him as delicious and soulful home cooked food for ears, this movie was a refreshing experience after a long time. Music is debatable as someone’s personal liking, but he has infused a lot of soul to this film in the initial buildups. In the age of tamil movie BGMs moving towards shock treatment with electric beats and quirky sounds, to keep audience engaged, IR has made this movie stand apart with his trademark stuff. Of course it could have been a lot better as we have enjoyed IR in purple patch earlier. As a dumb listener, I still think IR as someone who identifies music even in flowing water, has a lot of music left in him rather imagining himself a burnt charcoal, He could innovate a lot like Zimmer ( My hollywood and music knowledge is very limited ) playing drums with Guitars or making music bit unrhythmic,
It’s astonishing how IR starts with a very simple interlude, probably an old note from his excellent work, like Captain Prabakaran, and quickly turns to a fresh one in just few seconds. The climax BGM is an unbelievable score. This movie’s welcome card was two magnetic songs, the only space for breathers, in a grim world. Even for “Unnoda nadantha” song, I could count around three mobile browsing in the whole theatre. But the song does not have any high moments to help the narration and was a bit of lag. Maybe it comes up in split situations? While even movie stalwarts cut their songs fearing boredom, this is still a gutsy and captivating stuff.
The sound mixing especially on opening fire was really good, but somehow the ambience of the forest is not captured with sound while the camera work does it brilliantly. Generally, Tamil Cinema may have to journey a long way on this technicality, as simple palm trees rustling around creating an eerie effect, is not yet captured in cinemas.
This is a movie with multiple cogs and characters even without any names attached. It’s a signature stuff of the Director where we need to travel identifying faces rather worrying on names and identities. It brilliantly establishes how humanity fights within itself. We got a pervert Cop and an intelligent and balanced Superior, but both insist on keeping their forces under their thumb control, but they see each other as incompatibles.
We got Perumal as revolutionary on the other side, who does not want to kill the menial cop who could be of potential trouble in future, just because he could sense his goodness. Even in survival circumstances, he is polite enough on the door with a “May I come in”. We got a manipulative Head Constable, with Police instincts, who works where his conscience lies. We got a rubber mouth establishment going to any extent to please the Corporates, putting their mouth where its money lies. It’s amazing with so many layers, everything gets established with very few scenes. But still, there is lack of clarity as we could see pointless Bureaucratic lectures. Maybe, visuals on their excesses could have amplified the context.
To me, the Director and Crew won, when simple moments like two women planning to shift places and one gets stuck up on the road. It got people to the edge of the seat in anticipation. The same happened with the climax chase sequence. Though there was nothing cinematic super heroism about the chase. But, we get invested on the characters so much emotionally, so that it becomes a taut thriller.
There are many Police torture scenes to establish the price people pay upon the dog-fight between the State and Residents. As someone who don’t like graphical scenes much, especially when you need graphics to cover it up, which makes it look artificial to process in minds, wished it had just two of it, one to establish the character of the pervert Cop with the initial interrogation of the old man and his Daughter-in-law and then the climax to amp up the emotional quotient. VJS rescuing a Woman at Police Station was a brilliant scene, enacted very well by that Actor. But, the severity impact of such nude brutality goes off with that scene. The climax comes up with the third time pervert torture scene gets bit redundant except to establish Soori’s provocation and the transition scenes between them are not so helpful as nothing much happens at the camp.
As someone who had not watched Visaaranai after getting scared by its reviews on brutality, Viduthalai was an excellent movie, teaching us on the price few unprivileged people, to keep the enforcement sane by relieving off their steam on them and become ready to get unleashed by the Power-centers.
Now, the real success of any movie is not decided by two baldies fighting over, who got better hairstyle, but on the single source of truth – the Box Office collection. Looks like the movie is a Hit, as an ode to Crew’s hard work. What went right here, could be a very fresh experience offered by the story, be it – The dreadful ambience of forest and villages captured in a mistiness or charcoal-ish tint as Jeyamohan explains in his story, the admirable life of a Naxal who had the decency of knocking “May I come in”, when someone is shooting on his back in complete contrast to the portrayals of previous Cop films on Naxals as terrorists with vices, the dignified performance of Soori and his romantic interest BavaniSre, fresh portrayal of Bureaucratic power with an impressive debut from Rajiv Menon.
What could work well for Part 2 is an interesting proposition. The glimpse proved to be a great experience. Maybe a better action set piece leveraging the already invested on Train wreck? Soori’s redemption for capturing Perumal from a possible encounter? Perumal’s acquittal from train wreck case? Logical end to the Mining corporate mafia? How the bureaucrats and politicians always wins over hapless people as it happened in real life of those revolutionaries or a cinematic twist? Whatever… However… It’s gonna be exciting…
Freedom at any level was never achieved by the Dumb mutes. It’s a special feeling reserved only for those who strived for it, for themselves and their people. Vetri Maaran and Team’s Viduthalai espouses this theme. Now, this is a movie not just for the oppressed, but for anyone who thinks his/her future generations should never go through meaningless oppression.
An Osho Story on Freedom to finish off…
I have always loved an ancient story:
A man, a great man, a fighter for freedom was traveling into the mountains. He stayed in a caravanserai for the night. He was amazed that in the caravanserai there was a beautiful parrot in a golden cage, continually repeating, “Freedom! Freedom!” And the serai was in such a place that when the parrot repeats the word “Freedom!” it goes on echoing in the valley, in the mountains.
The man thought: I have seen many parrots, and I have thought they must be desiring to be free from those cages… but I have never seen such a parrot whose whole day, from the morning to the evening when he goes to sleep, is spent in asking for freedom. He had an idea. In the middle of the night he got up and opened the door of the cage. The owner was fast asleep and he said to the parrot, he whispered, “Now get out.”
But he was very surprised that the parrot was clinging to the bars of the cage. He told him again and again: “Have you forgotten about freedom? Just get out! The door is open and the owner is fast asleep; nobody will ever know. You just fly into the sky; the whole sky is yours.”
But the parrot was clinging so deeply, so hard, that the man said, “What is the matter? Are you mad?” He tried to take the parrot out with his own hands, but the parrot started hitting him, and at the same time started shouting, “Freedom! Freedom!” The valleys in the night echoed and re-echoed… but the man was also stubborn, he was a freedom fighter. He pulled the parrot out, and threw him into the sky; and he was very satisfied, although his hand was hurt. The parrot had attacked him as forcefully as he could, but the man was immensely satisfied that he had made a soul free. He went to sleep.
In the morning, as the man was becoming awake, he heard the parrot shouting, “Freedom! Freedom!” He thought perhaps the parrot must be sitting on a tree, or on a rock. But when he came out, the parrot was sitting in the cage. The door was open.
I have loved the story, because it is very true.
You may like to be free, but the cage has certain securities, safeties. In the cage the parrot has no need to worry about food, has no need to worry about enemies, has no need to worry about a thing in the world. It is cozy, it is golden. No other parrot has such a valuable cage.
Your power, your riches, your prestige – all are your cages. Your soul wants to be free, but freedom is dangerous.
Freedom has no insurance.
Freedom has no security, no safety.
Freedom means walking on the edge of a razor – every moment in danger, fighting your way. Every moment is a challenge from the unknown.
Freedom means tremendous responsibility; you are on your own and alone.
Rabindranath is right: Freedom is all I want, but to hope for it I feel ashamed – because it is not a question of hope; it is a question of taking a risk.
I got blessed to watch “Purusha Pretham”, on my Anniversary day, without any spoilers and reviews and what a ride it was!
Its a Police procedural on a male dead body floating in between Police Station limits and to my anguish many claim to be his better / bitter / butter half based on the story twists. Maybe… you know it.
Prasanth Alexander as Super Sebastian Cop, who gets as much as everyone else gives it to him, with only solace in bragging about his never happened adventures, completely steals the show. It is nothing but extension of Vadivelu’s Veerabaahu, who survives all hits, only to narrate to his recuperation team, bragging about his goodness when the Rowdy declared – “If this guy takes so much hurt and beatings, He must be a very good fellow” . everybody connect through this in life. I felt a similar experience when a Pawn Shop personality deemed me so good on first appearance, so as to fund my kids education. Only miscalculation was he mistook it for Graduation Course, when in reality it was for much higher studies – Kindergarten and Primary stuff. He finally advised I should have married young, maybe to remediate Inflation and other inflammations. He may be right… the real “Art of living” is about finding the right balance between those two inversely proportional entities. Maybe I will heed his advice next time… But, now I could only inflame on 360 degrees rising costs.
“According to Acharya’s analysis, this contributes to price rise in three steps:
(1) Since 2015, the Big 5 have entered many new sectors by acquiring smaller companies, and have also expanded their market share within these sectors;
(2) The Modi government has favoured Big 5 monopolists by preferentially allocating them projects, allowing predatory pricing and shielding them from international competition by raising import tariffs. In cases such as Adani, we have also seen public sector institutions like SBI and LIC being forced to provide loans and investment to them.
(3) This favourable treatment has allowed the Big 5 to charge increasingly higher prices than their competitors. Consider an item that costs Rs 100 to produce. Whereas other companies charge consumers about Rs 125 for the item, the Big 5 companies charge closer to Rs 145. Hence, Acharya finds that when monopolists increase their sales share by 10% in a sector, we also see a 2.7% increase in inflation in that sector.”
– Jairam Ramesh Quoting Financial economist Dr Viral Acharya, who served as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 2017 to 2019
Well, back to the protagonist. Maybe due to such connects, to me he delivered a measured and masterful performance, which could have become crass at some places, if overdone.
I need to give it to Darshana Rajendran. I still can’t figure out her age of this Auntie but do remember her doing some college stuff. Maybe she is Malluwood Chinni Jayanth. Don’t know which movie watcher got fooled, but I am not the Passport officer anyway and just could join the Cops’ restroom conversation on her and leave. But, I did not see her coming, when she unravelled herself layer by layer, though the music was a give-away. She was very convincing as a woman who lost her Husband and again very convincing as very happy to lose that insane guy and then… you better watch the movie as someone may hit on my head for spoilers. One thing for sure, whoever married that on-screen persona for real will be very “blessed” though with her transitioning performance…
I am not sure if the movie takes itself seriously, but almost all characters look seriously funny with their dialogues like an IPS demanding respect for a dead body ( or should I call Mr. Dead Body? ) at the expense of other living beings around who missed their duty owing to Secret mission ( I liked the secret mission though ) and Super Singer show. Maybe, they could have avoided few caricatures, but you never know what is real in the surreal world we are living in. Dileep shines when he searches for Gopalan along with all accompaniments and side-dishes. Devaki Rajendran proved to be a seamlessly sweet presence. That smile.
The music was brilliant though it gives way a lot rather lingering on suspense. The movie could have been a bit taut on its procedural as some scenes are long and redundant. Even for OTT, crispness increases the Wow quotient. Don’t know if creators get paid for running time, but if not they can always have deleted scenes at youtube for people who still did not get heat puss on their backs. Also, if OTT comes with a certain rating for Love-a$$ shows like Farzi that it may hurt your rears sorry ears, they will be blessed with a Susanna, at least till they live. The english translation looks more like AI generated. Don’t know if Keralites call Vada as sweet even if they are in Booze mode or Boss mode. Sony Liv could focus on quality translations just like their clever film choices. This Krishand, hopefully no pun in his name, is a behind the scenes Rockstar to watch out for, for seamless humour and blissful watch without any crazy twists just for the sake of it.
A movie not to miss, before you become Purushan or at least before becoming Pretham. After marriage you have better survival if you are just a Pretham, whatever life left is immaterial, especially when inflation atrocities kill whatever left in you. Life turns from colorful to sepia to grey as we journey through our age, but it only becomes meaningfully colorful when we are useful to the community on the whole in some way or other, moving from juvenile level of finding orifices and opportunities towards veteran level planting /y rewarding societal trees for future generations.
It’s my lingering angst that… We, Indians on the whole, got so busy on our own survivals nowadays, that we forgot about the bigger picture of better society and governance fought and preserved by ancestors, without bothering about being a small cog of such social and democratic movements. We are completely disconnected on what matters in our life while very much connected on social media’s useless gossips.
“As a result of growing market concentration, the average profit margin charged across all goods sectors has nearly doubled from 18% in 2015 to 36% in 2021. These rising prices directly hurt consumers. For example, the cost of one unit of electricity bought by the Gujarat government from Adani jumped from Rs 2.83 in January 2021 to Rs 8.83 in December 2022.
User fees in the Adani-owned Ahmedabad airport are scheduled to rise 12-fold in the near future while user fees in the Adani-owned Lucknow airport are proposed to rise 5 times from the current Rs 192.”
– Jairam Ramesh
Inflation is a case of sour grapes of democracy. In democracy everyone got equal rights (to grapes) as per Constitution. But, the more one tends to earn somehow to compensate for Inflation, the higher the grapes grow, always at unreachable position, ultimately helping just the grape Farm Cronies provided with a Government Ladder, who always are super powered by Government to raise prices recklessly. It’s a matter of high time decision, whether we just move off the Vines consoling ourselves the grapes will be sour sour or opt for a level playing field with grapes for all.
A fox was passing, and there were grapes, but the vine was high on a tree. She tried and tried and jumped but they were beyond her reach. So she went away saying, ‘They are not worth anything, they are not yet sweet and ripe. They are sour.’ She couldn’t reach. But it is difficult for the ego to realize, ‘I am a failure.’ Rather than recognizing, ‘I have failed, they were beyond my reach,’ the ego will say, ‘They were not worth anything.’
Your many sannyasins, so-called saints, are just like that Aesop’s fox. They have renounced the world not because they understood the futility of it but because they were failures and it was beyond their reach — and they are still filled with grudge and complaint. You go to them and they will still be against, saying, ‘Wealth is dirt; and what is a beautiful woman? — nothing but bones and blood!’ Who are they trying to convince? They are trying to convince themselves the grapes are sour and bitter. Why talk about women when you have left the world? And why talk about wealth when you are not concerned with it? A deep concern still exists. You cannot accept the failure yet and understanding has not arisen. Such Negative emptiness is useless. It is simply the absence of something. Positive emptiness is presence of something
Remember one trick of the mind: you try to convince people about something just to convince yourself, because when the other feels convinced you feel okay. If you go and tell people that sex is sin and they are convinced or they cannot refute you, you become happy. You have convinced yourself. Looking into others’ eyes, you are trying to cover your own failure.
And remember, a sublime emptiness is a positive phenomenon. One is not a failure, one simply looks at the thing and understands that dreams cannot be fulfilled. And then one never feels sad, one feels happy that one has come to this understanding that dreams cannot be fulfilled. One never feels depressed, hopeless, one feels simply happy and blissful because one has come to an understanding: Now I will not try the impossible, now I will not try the futile. And one NEVER says that the object of desire is wrong; when you are in positive sublime emptiness, you say desire is wrong, not the object of desire — this is the difference.
In negative emptiness you say the object of desire is wrong, so change the object! If it is wealth, money, power — drop it! Make the object God, liberation, heaven — change the object!
I personally liked the SRK shaded acronyms coined by JR, cheekily hopping through the charisma of Pathan Actor and BJP’s hand tied helplessness in taming the so called Urduwood, thus subtly stating humanity and love transcends hatred. Now JR and RG are caught in ‘official media gossip’ that RG is being mentored by JR for a small correction which usually comes as intended in brackets in any genuine reportage. No doubts, democracy is getting sabotaged as the Governance is only seen with controlling media with raised pitch from Gaa(?*)darons and Saalons over nothings.
*? – I am just trying to be an authentic amateur reporter here with those brackets.
Paranoia = Knowing all Facts?
The event depicts the acute paranoia BJP is able to induce on its individual Opponents. It’s quite natural for JR to interfere when a certain dog biscuit aficionado, whose Karma is working like reverse working Washing Machine, making him dirtier with every saffron detergent wash, escalated a modest confusion over Gautam Das / Damora Das names to Supreme Court level treason comedy. If this reminds you of Amaithi Padai, a satire movie scene on evergreen indian Politics, wherein the Party workers fight among themselves on their moral right to clean the undies of their “beloved” leader, blame yourself for your own thought crimes in New India.
The “Generic” Underwear Philosophy in Politics: You forget everything of past when you fight over nothings, like who captures the Leader’s soiled Underwear to clean up and win brownie biscuits.
Peel another layer of this humorous “Kapital Das” episode, the same worker would have washed away his corruption on his party Washing Machine rather with his own hands. Jokes or reality apart, BJP actually thrives on inducing such paranoia on its opponents. Hope Congress leaders don’t take this seriously and still be a reckoning cohesive force as Congress disunity is much bigger malice than Opposition disunity.
Mic Testing….
“Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Narendra Modi loses his.” – when Ronald Reagan campaigned for RG
RG got BJP dancing like Magic Mikes over Mics not working in Parliament row. The rabid and clueless reactions of BJP over RG’s remarks, makes it pretty clear that the brutal damage is done to Modi and his stooges on their carefully built Vishwa Guru image catering to domestic interests, by RG with his candid conversations from London with love for democracy. So, RG must be obviously patting on his back for doing something right. When the media threw an iron curtain over his local coverage, it’s so funny, the rebuttals of BJP to RG’s so far unknown comments to masses, only gets publicised by them, hoping to divert national attention to his “misdemeanours” at London from Adani-Benami crisis.
BJP’s micro syllabus of Governance and Exam only deals on how to eat mangoes.
Though BJP may fool themselves as Masterstroke to suppress Adani’s mainstream debacle, it actually stands miserable, with helpless wailings of self abuse, hoping to create a sympathy wave, but for real, raising even more suspicion of their assassination of democracy, very much in progress. This is precisely what RG and Congress would have wanted with their London stir. If the idea is to raise suspicion among the public on the deterioration of democracy, BJP has got the job done for otherwise lazy and resourceless Congress. Any Propaganda is like an antibiotic to organic democracy. The more the BJP injects public with fake propaganda antibiotic, the more it becomes useless, forcing them to look for super antibiotic beating their own Pulwama type gigantic narratives.
A for Adani… B for Benami… F for For… M for Modi… Ouch!!!!
If the lambs of the world had been willingly led, they would have long ago saved themselves from the butcher’s knife.
I personally liked the shock and awe interactions of RG abroad. The visit did what our own bought out media could not achieve. However, RG could have made it look like a “Main Hoon Na…” arrival of Hero to India, with assertiveness, just like his last impressive speech at parliament leaving the Rulers in tatters.
I don’t carry the burden of the past or the madness of the future. I live in the present. – Guess that nerveless tongue
It is a difficult thing for someone who does not fake or do dummy campaigns abroad cautiously avoiding any organic media interactions. Such, interactions usually loosen up people being questioned compared to carefully nurtured narrative like his own last Parliament speech or countless Modi’s abroad shows. Still, it got the job done for Congress. Believe Congress should just move on, leaving BJP low and dry, crying like kindergarten kids over and over till they make themselves numb.
Meanwhile in London
When BJP said ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ with Aircraft Emergency Exit.
To illustrate the iron grip BJP enjoys with Corporate owned media, we had weeks long Pee-Gate of a stressed guy hogging limelight, keeping us busy on alcohol induced hallucination and its effects, without realising the similar effects of fake propaganda playing on us. In a parallel Universe, Tejasvi Surya, a BJP MP from Bengaluru, with reports indicating intoxicated with a certain type of rare mushroom acting as potent drug, opened up the emergency door of a Plane, usually deemed a terrorist act, endangering the lives of passengers on board. Looks like Hostess was giving emergency time instructions, the intoxicated BJP leaders, usually performing Joker act upon hangover with social media Posts of getting high on a “Masala” Dosa when Bengaluru got submerged in floods, happened to get seated near the emergency door, allowed the magic Mushroom to commit its sin.
Just blame it on magic Masala Mushroom…
Maybe we will have another AV coming out of the BJP’s official Chief Videographer from Tamilnadu at opportune moment, who blessed us with Puja Room “meditation” video to sink his own party. Even this grave terror-like incident was completely hushed out despite the strict norms for such aviation security acts. So, understandably, Indian Pilots get two types of SOP, report any alcohol induced abuse if he is a commoner, but don’t publicise any such incident if it involved BJP. Anyway the cat got out of the bag as the Pilot had to report such security anomalies mandatorily and the protocol exposed the BJP’s emergency atrocity.
When Adanis celebrated “Kabhi SEBI Kabhi Shell“
There are multiple events where BJP tried to hush up their shortcomings and blunders, but truth always finds an emergency exit to come out. Adani-Hindenburg is a major blow, which just happened because BJP allowed the stocks to get blown out of proportions without a solid financial foundation and with a gut feeling that no Indian media will even talk about and opposition will hit a dead end upon taking Adani route, as corruption is normalised. It just took a single report for the Adani Air castle to get blown to smithereens.
When Rahul Gandhi is that imagined Emergency Exit
Vishwaguru – Discount = Vishguru
Now, BJP is investing its full energy on banning BBC’s Documentary on the Blot 2002 Godhra Riots, trying to overshadow with a routine G20 Leadership, amplifying it as Vishwaguru event, spending crores on otherwise a modest round-robin happening, hoping that “God of Big things” PR tag sticks on Modi for all his small stunts cozying up to International Leaders. I have never seen before for how International Leaders could be leveraged as Set properties, like in Movies. We got Australian PM posing on a ridiculous Cricket Chariot. Then we got Japanese PM eating golgappas as sensational news. These are harmless diplomatic acts, but the actual damage happens, when such small acts of gesture get manufactured to become sensational Big Brotherism with our own PM shadowing along with them, hoping that International aura sticks on to him..
Politics is show business for ugly people.– Paul Begala ( Enjoy Bug Boss! )
To sample Media’s “God of Big Things” PR for domestic demography, Modi is the definitive person who could stop Russia-Ukraine War and currently he has “discounted” peace. Unfortunately, when the “God of big things” asked for Amrit-Kaal, “God of small things” gave him Amritpal, making him come up with giant flags our embassy and childish tit for tat act at British embassy, making him more of an immature bully on the International block flexing his ballooned up muscles. So much for humble humans acting as Gods. Afterall we humans are amazing creatures with amazing sixth sense only helping us understand our mortality only when we are dead.
Makes one wonder if sleep is the magic Key to awaken one’s godliness. Sometimes it’s better to get a good sleep rather wasting time on 24×7 PR and advertising, pathetic insomnia proudly as Hardworking-Harvard-hater. It’s pretty obvious if one cannot sleep he got to do something as staying still is certainly for gods.
When RG said – naam toh suna hoga
Now, after going through all these, how could we blame RG for a modest discussion abroad on the deterioration of democracy, when he never asked for any Foreign intervention or even Divine intervention like BJP escapes through crisis with FM citing Pandemic as God’s own act and washing her own hands off crisis? RG’s speech though, thought provoking was never to the level of the discourse BJP has got down on us. Of course, Mics were switched off at Parliament and any mention of a certain benami at Parliament got expunged. The way Parliament is getting run, future may mistake it as Theater for amateurs with lots of boisterous action and less of meaningful debates, where finally laws are passed in climax in hush and haste, like thieves running out to exits after heist to celebrate their holidays.
The Word ‘Corrupt’ gets expunged in Parliament, but who will expunge the corrupt?
Kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye kuch haarna bhi padta hai … aur haar kar jeetne waale ko baazigar kehte hai[Sometimes to win you must lose something … and one who wins from a losing position is called a gambler]
At the time of writing this, there were ‘136 and still counting’ cases registered for Anti-Modi posters in Delhi. BJP understands, it’s not so easy to control streets like they do with Media. They now want to inculcate the fear of streets with the opposition. The major problem with the opposition is there is no unity at ground. If the entire opposition collaborate and started pasting posters all over india, BJP would have been rendered powerless in no time. It’s the ego and jealousy of opposition which makes BJP look powerful. In contrary, all parties United as Janata Party to defeat emergency. We can’t even dream of that Selfless Service oriented Indian / Politician nowadays.
I started this post as a short Bus Trip, but it became a looong one like Chennai Express. Maybe this could be the longgeessst blog post from the world’s laziest guy on this Planet. Now, RG is convicted on grounds of defaming Modi Sir-name. If those ‘Italian Bar-Maids’ or ‘Jersey Cows’ or ‘Hybrid Calves’ or ‘People who could be identified by Clothes’ or ‘Termites’ started working on IPC 500, applying same precedent for criminal defamation, Sir’s beautiful name will be staying in Jail registers for life time. If wondering on the commonality of surnames on Bank loan and Political Frauds could amount to defamation, how about a certain street smartie who happened to be out of place, found himself at Parliament, chest thumping loudly on someone using Gandhi surname rather Nehru’s as if he decides on lineage? If questioning someone’s lineage at Parliament is civility, but anyone wondering about the common thread with bank defaulters, which is still kept confidential, in hiding from public, is criminal defamation, then we are living in Fool’s Paradise.
When you are tackling a traitor, never talk about him. But always talk about the tragedies inflicted by him on innocents, along with clear resolution. Sometimes, all truth needs is a clever detour, avoiding falsehood potholes on the way.
Burai sang joh mel rachaya … phir kabhi na chutte uska saaya [If you befriend evil … then its shadow will never leave you]
Sometimes, Rulers need to be careful on their wishes and setting crazy precedents as ruling successors could normalise such big punishments for petty issues. BJP normalised corruption with big dreamy amounts on 2G scandal, so that people went numb even for 11 Lakh Crore Adani Stock Swinging Seesaw. One can easily predict RSS and BJP will be going through similar criminal executive atrocities without any remorse from their successors or general public with only themselves to blame, as the sole cultivators of such venomous seeds in garden of democracy.
When Hari Das said, If a pickpocket meets a Holy Man, he will see only His pockets.
Its amusing the way BJP do scaffolding for their falling fortress. We got a Minister who defend Chinese incursion by hiding away from them, getting active when the LAC is breached in fake BJP narrative. Sadly he could not even appear in between the way of PM and Cameras. Fate had him hide behind someone’s back so as not to steal the limelight, even by few lumens, from the Royal Crown ignorant of invisible damocles Sword dangling around. He opined that Congress wants to have Law in their pockets. When the Case gets stayed to HC and then travels back only when the judgement gets sorted out, to always vindicate opposition Leaders, obviously we all know whose pockets are empty and who keeps their pockets full, stinking with Benamis, Sealed cover professionals and Caged Harasso-Saurus Dinosaurs. Anyway I sincerely wish such good defensive soul to regain his real voice, rather being a puppet designate, once the golden period of Audio-Video-Scandal-Phobia episodes among BJP cadre and their near- dear ones, gets over.
Satyagraha will triumph in the end. The duragrahi, like the oilman’s ox, moves in a circle ( Read as History ). His movement is only motion but it is not progress. The satyagrahi is always moving forward. – Gandhi
Bad Roads cause Divorce. Bad Rulers cause Hate Cancer.
Surprisingly, there was another Remotely operated Zombie Politician, wanting RG to be punished for offending a caste for claiming, Modi and few more bankrupt Modis and a rich Benami Adani were ‘thick as thieves’ ( relax! just a metaphor). Wonder if he did any caste check or at least his own background check on who took him up on Political ladder, when he betrayed his own party.
If at all Sin-De wants anyone to be punished it should be that ‘Kahaani’ Villain from Bombay, who itches to copy-act backstabbing on his back, once he met in disguise with rounded glasses, becoming an unidentifiable with a mole on cheek, as wondrously attested by his own Spouse, making one wonder if he really gets a look at home, performing a secret mission in dark, especially when Thackeray would not have bothered their CM chair digging, even in broad daylight. Lotus Agent Bombay Biswas was climbing the Assembly gate to steal when it was already wide open. Of course one need to acknowledge her intelligence for coming up with research linking Bad roads with Divorce, rather spouses. Hopefully their pot-well-wishers have bagged enough contracts to make good roads and save marriages from rabbit holes under the golden rule of now-stepney-CM.
Exxtra Innings for nothing
Then we got other Movie Political extras who act very well in Politics when just lingering around in movies, making the movie goers wonder if they could have had Saravana Bhavan idly with Sambar and three chutneys rather bleeding on her screen performance, Party hopping for Posts owing to her “Povoma Oorkolam!” (Let’s go on a Procession, (around Party offices?)) nature. Irony is such Con-Artists could not find irony in MP, getting convicted for two years on a dubious Statement, the same statement she had faithfully tweeted when her faith was with the same MP to dole out political Post, but too clever by half in spotting RG’s karma for tearing up and bypassing ordinance which made a mockery of Judiciary with a makeshift law to protect “actual” convicts of legislature.
BJP is building up on a narrative that Ordinance, which has very limited validity unless it gets extended as the reason and not the ridiculous legacy law quoted with maximum punishment . Maybe BJP could enlighten us why an Ordinance drafted to save Lalu Prasad Yadav, made him a prisoner in entirety of Modi’s PM tenure, if tearing such ordinance is a sin. Why is Modi is so afraid of old and ailing Yadav and capitalising on RG’s act either way?
Sometimes, its better to remain Jobless rather romancing Cows for the sake of Posts.
While respecting the yesteryear version of bold persona, wonder what kind of Karma makes such Movie turned reality Artists go merry-go-round around every party in their Sow-Poison-Service(?) political Universe without any shame of jumping around opposing ideology or principles in months / weeks, treating them like prosthetic coat. This is as good ( or bad ) as catching a Flight from Chennai to Delhi only to travel back to chennai upon reaching Mumbai. Maybe it’s better to be jobless rather keeping occupied by meaningless travel back and forth, justifying Post, sulking on new found old tweets fearing the wrath of new Master, who maintains a Shitler’s list on people who oppose him, hosting Bug Boss show, on Govt payroll, harassing everyone in the list for cruel entertainment. But for some, showbiz and political life shamelessly goes on and on… till they wonder why they started on traveling the orbit, if at all Lord Sundaramurugan teaches her the value of journeying, or maybe their thinking is just like their hollow acting.
The bigger a man gets by money and power … the farther he gets from truth and reality
Then we got other Political extras, who worked as Government Bureaucrat serving Political Masters rather Nation, thinking over ridiculous gems for few days to win brownie biscuits from their Master, – “Congress got an ass to run Horse’s race”, not to miss the defamation queue. In current context, any ass is much better fit for an old-ass-ole, throwing stones holding the power switch, inside the democratic glass house, hoping to prove his fake 56″ courage, with his payrolled slaves.
Its an Horse, Its an Ass-ole, Its a Wolf in sheep’s clothing….
The Oldie can’t even muster courage to utter his own neighbour’s name, who is busy taking away his Eden Garden little by little, growing bolder everyday, understanding he is handling a rattlesnake not a King Cobra, as wrongly advertised. The max this glass house breaking Oldie could do is take his incursion enemy for a kiddish swing, at (presently) neighbour’s garden. What we got now is a Quixote’s horse powered by imaginative PR. Shut off the PR and give people a dose of reality check, they will just see a black hole, deep enough to sink them in. Everything about BJP-RSS will vanish for decades.
Apun Bola… Phekta hai Saala
India has seen ridiculous Politicians performing strange acts out of their lust for power and recognition from their Biscuit-Masters. But this curious case of rotten apple from Himachal takes the cake, coming from a rosy dynastic background and gets much rosier when it comes to getting dirty work done. Just like Nayak movie One Day Chief Minister, we got a real life One-Match-Cricketer, as per rules only a Cricketer could hold the Cricket Board Post. He is actually a dumbo compared to another rosy dynast helming the Cricket Board… why bother adhering to rules when you can just change the rules and judgements. Maybe it’s the problem of distance between HP and Gujarat.
He can’t even win a single constituency from his bastion in recent assembly elections, seaking a lot about his skills and competence. But, when it comes to Modi, holding a “Master of entire Political Science” graduate degree himself, without bothering to study, or even enquiring the University if they even provide such course, merit does not matter. Only merit needed is to throw some gaalis in parliament and act like Parliament rowdy with rough acts. BJP has an illusion that, handsome faces don’t lie and commoners will fall for their innocent faces and lies. Even for Rajasthan, Remote controllable handsomeness is becoming the CM criteria rather meritorious Rajes, having a mind on their own.
“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.” – Will Rogers
Now, the rotten Apple has come up with another ridiculous gem, that Congress is betraying RG by delaying his “Appeal”. As an evidence, he quotes Pawan Khera getting reprieve from “Arrest” immediately from SC. So much understanding from an Ek-Din-Cricketer, blooming like a Flower just for one day, on the difference between “Appeal” and “Arrest”. Let’s hope he will play at least One Day Cricket at LAC rather, uttering provoking bravados in Parliament, Or maybe he will deem Incursion as neighbour’s internal matter?
Your aunt has bought a lot of uncles outside [Bahar tumhari aunty bahut saare uncles ko lekar aayi hai]
Finally, when all the extras could not turn the tide against RG, the much touted Operation-Lotus-Baba, the Chanakya, the finisher of sorts entered the arena. This silent serpent Bhai don’t make an appearance if at all BJP had to deal with a major PR crisis. So much for BJP’s pathetic thousand crores PR on RG being irrelevant.
Many times in the past, RG has been a victim of this BJP’s chakravyuh, like Rafale scam, but could not get out of crisis unblemished. But, Congress has handled RG’s disqualification in a mature and progressive manner so far, accommodating the opposition, without hurting their egos, forming a cohesive force. They had a similar set up in 2018 too, during Karnataka Swearing-in ceremony. but somehow Congress evaporated the chance, maybe due to successive state victories and fake confidence. Hope this time it takes everyone along till the finish-line, not falling into BJP’s trap.
“Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.” – Lotus Baba err… Ronald Reagan
Chanakya, is a very rare personality one could get in Politics. His no-stones-unturned approach, playing with all his might to achieve success, playing that Onida Devil, is always neighbouring party’s envy. Also, the same neighbour may not recruit him as his means are outrageous, unethical and sometimes criminal. He may act as perfect foil for his mercurial know nothing Boss, but I personally felt he would have been a better Leader without his servile clutches and equipped with morality of meeting ends with dharmic means, rather by “all means”.
Britishers built a Parliament Well, where still elected frogs pull each other’s legs, bringing down India. Modi 2.0 is building a Parliament in the shape of funeral casket. Feel free to guess its democratic functionality.
Anyways, Chanakya pulled out his ace card on RG disqualification issue- Sympathy card on CBI’s improper treatment when he was in Opposition. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a Joker Card. Even a kid could spot between perceived criminal and a perceived verbal abuser. Even a kid would disbelieve, when a criminally accused orchestrate the conviction of a respectable Opposition Party heavyweight and then play upon his CBI sympathy card. We all know very well the caged Parrot has transformed to a Rabid Dinosaur attacking the opposition identified by Jackie-Chan-akya.
When Amrit-Shah displayed his Skidamarink skills with his evil fake news Force, but reached saturation limits
I am quite thankful with admiration because Chanakya never makes a scene but a clear and calm narration, unlike his Master. If at all Chanakya wants his sympathy card to work, he should have reformed the CBI in his powerful hands to a Force of integrity, rather avenging. One needs to appreciate him as it really needs lot of guts to believe on people’s foolishness to believe all his lies.
Two old men were sitting in a park, discussing the inevitable, death. One old man by name Badvani said, “When I die I would like to be buried with AB vajpayee, the greatest man, loved by all.”
Then he looked at the other named Kashmiri, who was ninety-three. He said, “I would like to be buried with the political genius Amrit Shah, who freed Kashmir by further destroying its freedom.”
Badvani felt annoyed, angry and he said, “But he is still alive.” Kashmiri man said, “So am I!”.
– Adapted from Osho
But chanakya is someone who has played electoral magic not once but twice nationally and waiting to unveil his EVM ( as nothing else will work this time ) magic show in 2024. I sincerely hope he reforms his criminally Corrupt force. India will always need such genial Go-Getters with morality implanted.
A disciple of Rinzai, a Zen Master, and some other religious Master’s disciple was talking.
The other Master’s disciple said, ‘Our Master is a man of miracles. He can do anything he wants. What is the great thing about your Master? What miracles can he do?’
And the disciple of Rinzai said, ‘The greatest miracle that my Master can do is not to do miracles.’
Osho
The Savarkar Circuit Breaker
I really don’t know how BJP and Hindutva groups make a big deal out of Savarkar. I would admire a certain Procession Star, who stood boldly to not even delete her legacy tweets, rather a person who succumbed to British Colonialism, when there are many others who died for independence. The only difference between those martyrs and Savarkar is that he did a midway U-turn, to become slave of British masters.
“The brilliant prospects of my early life all but too soon blighted, have constituted so painful a source of regret to me that a release would be a new birth and would touch my heart, sensitive and submissive, to kindness so deeply as to render me…politically useful in future*.” – Savarkar.
*Future had Partition and Riots
Savarkar / Nehru are not going to bring in Votes for either camps. Give voters a choice to choose between Gandhi Statue / Savarkar Statue / or even Modi Statue / 5 kg Atta or rice, to decide what works with them. This is waste of energy for Indian politics, especially when Congress is in a pathetic state to not even inform well of theirs or country’s collective current plight to masses. We got to admit they don’t even have resources to tell Rahul Gandhi is disqualified as in brutal dictatorships, to rouse public sentiment. Our current state of India, reminds me of a Joke of a person reading old 1970s newspaper in a tea shop and rejoicing for removal of emergency now. Anyways the Joke does not matter in current circumstances. Now, the Joke is actually on us.
Savarkar or Nehru does not matter to common man. It’s just BJP’s ploy to frustrate Congress on their genuine independence legacy to get to their nerves and turn them bitter and negative.
It suits Ruling BJP, to keep them alive
Having said that, RG could do well in not mentioning about useles Savarkar, whose only current functionality, leveraged by BJP, is to frustrate congress party people on their genuine legacy for independence. There is already a media campaign going on to respect Savarkar and not count him out of freedom struggle citing lame excerpts. The resolution for Congress is to talk loudly about Gandhi and Nehru, with interesting narratives of their non-apologist nature indirectly pricking out balloony Hindutva story, rather bringing themselves down ridiculing other disruptive elements in independence.
Sometimes Truth becomes a double edged Sword. The question of Truth or Silence could be on the utility of truth. This is a Prophetic Cartoon on… even if someone has power weapon, they need to watch out their back more than their enemies at plain sight.
We are all our own teachers in the school of life
Also, keeping future actions to his chest, will make RG more unpredictable, an asset in politics, as BJP is taking clear advantage of his stance on no apologies. The Parliament logjam was designed by the Rulers since they knew very well that RG will not budge for an apology. Congress actually played very well pressing for yet another speech by RG for clarifying on this, a clever googly BJP could not find any playbook to copy. BJP are pathetic souls who still copy the old toolkit of calling out “black magic” whenever the opposition comes out in black dress. Except for poor communication, congress is winning BJP, pinning them on mat, which actually I could not believe [pinch]. Bravo!
It is very good to be important … but it is more important to be good
One can only regret BJP’s empty meaningless “yellow politics” as it’s not about governance, but just timepass with juicy gossipy narratives, slandering opposition. But, as Rasheed Kidwai rightly pointed out about the brilliant packaging of Pathan movie catering to every demography, RG’s speech or Press meets are brilliant and spontaneous, But they lack the flavour like earthy humour of Lalu Prasad Yadav or Seasonal welfarish opportunism of Arvind Kejriwal or Sentimental emotions from a Prime Actor, weeping for votes.
What if Nehru comes alive… It would have been livelier?
Hitting Modi or even uttering Modi will never help RG. He just has to ignore Modi, like he avoided Smriti Irani for all her provocations, and start preparing for mixed and entertaining speeches peppered to capture media trends and masses. He has improved a lot as an affable personality. His communication team could work wonders if they play well to make him a compelling narrative. As far as I know, even corporate honchos hire media professionals to curate with SM posts for reach and professional touch. Sorry if I am preachy / crazy, but there is no point in flattery at crisis, even as a nobody.
The “Missing” Advertisement Congress need to poster out : Messrs. Public Relation
Congress PR misses the mark, allowing such catchy salacious narratives above, to flow freehand, leaving it as too leaning and low for them to respond, or too busy in firefighting major issues, rather hiring Renuka Choudhary type firebrand speakers to take care of such opportunistic nutwits, giving back as good (or bad) as it gets to the low lives. What Rahul Gandhi did was right in safeguarding a meaningful judicial verdict. It’s his good Karma which has paved the way for Congress redemption in 2024, provided Congress does it’s campaign well, which I am confident of, unlike Political chameleons who will be preparing for next hop rather fighting it out, to pluck yet another low hanging political post.
If you can’t convince them confuse them – Harry S. Truman
BJP’s PR is well explained by Osho with a simple story, in his own words below.
But the misfortune is that power is in the hands of the wrong people, and the people of intelligence are devoid of power. Otherwise there would not have been five thousand wars in three thousand years.I will tell you a small story to make it clear….
A great mystic heard that one of his friends, a childhood friend — they had played together, studied together — had become the prime minister of the country. Just to congratulate him, the mystic came down from the mountains. It was a long journey, tiring. By the time he reached the prime minister’s palace, the prime minister was getting ready to go somewhere. He recognized the mystic, but he said, “I’m sorry, I have some appointments. I have to go to three places, and I would love it if you can come with me. On the way we can talk and remember the golden old days.” The mystic said, “I would love to come with you, but you can see my rags are full of dust. It would not look right to sit by your side on a golden chariot.”
The prime minister said, “Don’t be worried. The king ( of Adani Land? ) has presented me with a very costly overcoat. I have never used it; I have been keeping it for some special occasion. I will give you the coat. You just put it on; it will cover your clothes, the dust and everything.” The coat was given to him. They reached the first house. They entered the house. The prime minister introduced his friend: “He is a great mystic. He lives in the mountains. Everything that he has is his own, except the coat — that is mine.” The mystic could not believe it: “What kind of stupidity is this?” Even the family was shocked, to insult the mystic in such a way. Outside the house the mystic said, “It is better I do not accompany you. You insulted me. What was the need to say that it is your coat? They were not asking.”
He said, “I am sorry, forgive me. And if you don’t come with me to the next appointment, I will think you have not forgiven me.” The mystic was a simple-hearted man. He said, “Then it is okay, I am coming.” Entering the second house, the prime minister introduced him: “He is a great mystic who lives in the mountains. Everything is his — even the coat is his!” The mystic could not believe that this man had any intelligence at all. Outside he simply refused: “I cannot go to your third appointment. This is too much.”
But the politician said, “I have said that the coat is yours!” The mystic said, “It is unbelievable how unintelligent a man can be. Your assertion, emphasis, that the coat is mine, creates suspicion: there is something you are hiding. What is the need to mention the coat at all? I don’t see the point that in any introduction coats need to be introduced.” And the politician said, “Forgive me, but if you don’t come to the third appointment I will never forget that I have hurt you. Please, there is only one more appointment, and I will not say that the coat is yours or the coat is mine. Don’t be worried about it.” The simple mystic, innocent, agreed to go with him. At the third house he introduced the mystic in the same way, “He is a great mystic from the mountains. All the clothes are his, but as far as the coat is concerned, it is better not to say anything!”
When Truth said, “Sorry. Wrong finger!”
Just like the story, BJP has fooled around enough in last two terms that they really don’t have anything else other than Rahul-nama hoping their saviour of two times – The Congress Party, will help this time too, with last minute self-goals. Sometimes, I wonder if BJP needs Congress more than Indians, to cling on to power. Sorry for self-goal, but people will doubt my credentials without it, being a Congress sympathiser.
I don’t want to make this a gossip level post pulling legs of Political Artists. In any vibrant and functioning democracy with a free media, they all would have got exposed on their hypocrisy. We are at a stage where, “truth” needs an affable makeup to make it look ‘real’. If at all BJP focused on Science and rational thinking, they might have realised, Truth is more powerful than Steam in a boiling kettle. But you know what… They think they could install a Cannon or Army Tank at every place of resistance like JNU, thus putting an Army-Enforcement lid to a boiling resistance kettle. Sad case of Ulta Pulta Geniuses and their Master-misstrokes!
And… That’s Meh! Just yet another Ulta Pulta Genius who genuinely thought India was Shining,when it was actually burning in 2002
When Pontification is better than Defy-cation. – Hum shareef kya hue … poori duniya hi badmash ban gayi [Right when I became noble … the whole world turned naughty]
I don’t mind pontificating as its a better Job than taking swipes at Modi or spelling doom for India under Modi. India has seen worse enemies of democracy even from a Gandhi, whose rulebook Modi shamelessly copies, ( but consciously avoid fault lines by shedding off his own conscience ) along with Hitler’s campaign playbook, making even Goebbels blush, by attaching Bells and whistles to routine G20 Events, just for few grand Photo-Ops, like leading everyone to Dining room and claim to be the World’s Leading Leader leading other scapegoat leaders, falling for his acts, with his propaganda. The name is Vishwaguru.
Good artists copy, great artists steal. – Pablo Picasso
India has always stood up to Autocrats and made a strong comeback every time, winning over them. The problem with attacking Modi is that he manages to grow bigger with all the truth, dubbed as filth, thrown at him. He just wipes them off with his good-old-pocket-friend-you know-it tears. His latest victimhood act was because Rahul Gandhi pinched him from London and it’s a World’s shame if not Modi’s shame as Modi is the World in his own Utopian propaganda world as his supporters are made to believe.
I have the most reliable friend you can have in American politics, and that is ready money. – Phil Gramm
It is difficult to break this Vishwaguru myth, but the unreal bubble could be burst when individual voters start understanding the bubble could just entertain them with fairy tale stories, filling them with momentary pride, but never fill their stomach. That seed of doubt is the responsibility of combined opposition. When we as a Country rank first, when counted from last in Happiness Index or Hunger index, how long such malicious campaigns could sustain? BJP may hope to touch the finish line by 2024 to finish democracy forever, faintly hoping to sustain the fake pride till then. But, genuine History always have brutal episodes in store for such mindless dictators. For immediate reference, one can dial Rajapaksas busy searching for a place to rest their backs or Bolsonaro at Florida McD or Trump if he is not busy watching Shawshank redemption.
No comments.
When we fear our own Silhouette.
Modi is not the autocratic one-stop problem of India, but a symptom of people’s cravings for a Mindless Authoritarian, longing for Majoritarian pride at the expense of their own happiness and prosperity. Remove Modi, there will be stronger cravings for an abusive Leadership in a decade or so. So, the opposition need to fix such minds rather obsessing over a sideshow called Modi, who tries every second to become mainstream with his compulsive PR. As Osho says, sometimes people choose Leaders, but most of the times, it’s the pretentious Leaders who tend to walk ahead of others to choose themselves as Leaders. So, Congress will win the PR Game once they start ignoring Modi to focus on people’s welfare and catchy reforms.
He knows nothing and thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career. – George Bernard Shaw (in Major Barbara)
When BJP realise – Kal Ho Na Ho.
How BJP could be brought down is a challenge we all need to break through. Congress is precisely fighting a mass Milgram’s psychological experiment, an experiment whose results made even the experimenter vexed, establishing the theory behind brutal saffron obedience, where only 20% stands for ethics and truth while remaining 80% faithfully complies for all wicked instructions of giving shocks to the receiver. It takes a lot of courage to be a Minoritarian among Majoritarian thinking and still fight the good fight. Rahul Gandhi and Congress does exactly that, India has clear track record of doing exactly that against British Rule.
“Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality, relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority.”
Stanley Milgram
Congress could also do better on few cases with very minimal effort.
The Congress and Mascot – Rab ne bana di Jodi.
First, there is a lot of opposition for Congress, as if they are the actual Ruling party, thanks to Modi and his ED, Shah and his CBI, making them caged Dinosaurs of New India groomed to scare away any regional parties away from Congress. It’s a decade old design of BJP, alienating Congress from Regional Leaders as both their narratives never meet, though they always remain stuck at cross roads for long. So, Congress needs a common narrative which could attract the Opposition. Common minimum Program worked like magic earlier for UPA. But for now, there are no such initiatives even when we are just a year ahead from elections. With clues of discontent and anti-incumbency, BJP prevails over with loud white noise, over all its drawbacks, claiming already to be winners of 2024. The clueless opposition is currently busy spending their energies on fighting CBI – ED, could work on dispelling the crooked myth of invincible Modi being carefully cultivated in people’s minds.
When Amrit Stooge Shah accelerated Kalki Avatar
The monthly income scheme initiated by Congress in 2019 is a step in right direction, but the problem was with its reach. BJP’s PR usually involves people’s participation in one way or another, from single clicks on virtual internet campaigns to physical donation of scrap for Statue of Unity, making people involuntarily surrendering their loyalty with small acts of promise and unquestioned obedience. Congress could engage people on similar lines making people apply for it or refer to neighbours and relatives to make it compelling and popular social narrative.
Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions. – Edward R. Murrow
I do remember, MKS did it with a Complaint resolution Box for his State Election campaign, vowing to resolve on becoming CM. It was not a smooth initiative, inviting mockery, but certainly a step in right direction instilling confidence of returning back to rule and making people believe in him. Opposition need to have that audacity of Hope and such unbelievable / unpredictable programs to counter BJP, whose only toolkit is going to be Hindu Rashtra and EVMs,
A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. – Winston Churchill
People are distressed on poor conditions they are subjected to… But nobody clearly knows the reasons behind their poverty. Many of their causes of misfortune are triggered by Government’s atrocious Policies which banks on Cronies to loot in the name of Business for Modi and a certain refugee ( out of Gujarat ) coming up with CAA to perform dirty Ops for Modi. Congress may have to educate them subtly on diverting their anger towards the actual targets. The real metric of good living is not chest thumping TV news or whatsapp forward on Minority going down with Bulldozer, but about checking how heavy is voters’ Money purse, quantum of nutritious food they feed children and quality of education they could provide to their offsprings.
Hatred is by far the longest pleasure; men love in haste but they detest at leisure. – Lord Byron
Mascot – The Vote Baazigar
So, more than pomp Programs, Congress needs symbolic faces / Mascots who could lure the individual voters and then the Parties subsequently. The Yatra established Congress as a fevicol force.
The Mascot of Hope and deliverance could stand for what any Voter will desire for and connect with.
An unemployed Youth could connect to it and the Angelic bride it brings him home.
A poor woman could connect to prosperity or at least a Full Thali Meals for the family.
A Tribal could connect to his own conserved land currently ruthlessly ravaged by Prime Benamis.
A minority could connect to a Brotherhood they could look for help at crisis.
A Majoritarian could connect to the Universal God who would tax him less but reward him more with bliss rather blissful ignorance.
A Farmer could connect to a divine entity which provides logistical support and assured prices for their produce.
An MNREGA Worker could connect to a scheme which upskills them with longer duration of employment connecting to Quasi-Government Partnerships like efficient RTE in Education.
Need of the Hour – A “Congress Hoon na Angel” who understands and embraces the Poor, with grass root level connect.
Congress needs a narrative which could surpass the petty ambitions of sniping Modi or his Benamies, and directly reach out to the Voters who are looking for “What’s in it for ME” by ushering in fresh change of regime. More importantly, the voters should be able to identify themselves with the Mascot as solution to their day today bread and butter issues. Most importantly, it will be difficult for BJP to target a Mascot rather real Leaders like RG. How can BJP target an angelic mascot fighting out Hunger, hatred and arrogance?
The Real Mascot of New India
The mascot could be on the lines of Amul’s ads, witty and informative, with a catchy slogan for voters. It could also be on the lines of a stolen Ram mascot destroying Ravan with ten heads of Poverty, Hatred etc. The mascot will provide Congress a universal appeal and its willingness to compete beyond its Leaders. There are speculations around Kasba Peth Model, where Congress fought it out faceless and on local issues. While there are various factors forming BJP weakness, it will be detrimental for Congress to derive solid positives from a small victory. BJP is known to score big wins at the expense of few losses to stimulate lethargy and winning arrogance with opposition. Maybe it could be an half-hearted effort to lose and to weaken Shinde team. It’s also fishy how BJP did not even manage to impress its own upper caste sympathisers with a weak candidate, adding up to the suspicion.
Mascots – Ideal for Outreach – On the fly or parachute-landing the message at Door-step
Also, it’s quite suspicious if there is a method in BJP’s stupidity, to keep on hitting RG, trying to build him as compulsive alternative to Modi, by keeping him on media spotlight. BJP’s strategy could be to alienate the day dreaming opposition Leaders as there is no PM chair left to fill on. Also, by building a narrative on RG, it will be easier for them to sabotage his Leader image just before elections, stressing there is no other viable alternative to Modi. in 2019, BJP allowed RG to pitch on “Chowkidar Chor Hain” narrative crescendo on Rafale scam, only to diffuse it just before elections by making him apologise before Supreme Court for the same. Congress was also made to believe with circumstances, that apology will do no harm, armed with fake confidence of secure State wins in 2018.
It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance? – Ronald Reagan
BJP went on full frontal assault with his apology and a nationalistic campaign on their another favourite punching bag other than RG – Pakistan. Hence, Keeping issue based multi-frontal mascot will help Congress in long run, putting their stakes on multiple baskets. Gandhis are the binding souls of Congress, but it’s time to put up a facade just like opposition’s Ravan type propaganda with multiple opportunistic masks, to avoid BJP’s 2024 salvos.
tu cheez bari hai mast-mast main cheez bari hoon mast – Mascots and Political Campaigns are awesome things.
The Invisible Mass Movement
Congress got established as an organic mass movement. Milgram’s Research gives some clues on what could have catalysed Ahimsa as mass movement. The experiment is all about giving electric Shocks to a Learner or Receiver for all his incorrect answers asked by the Teacher. The Shocks keeps gradually increasing till 450 Volts.
Milgram Experiment Setup
While the majority complied with the instructions of the experimenter giving conceived to be brutal shocks, mindlessly obeying the brutality from an Institutional authority, our interest is towards the very few who stopped and stood for their values and conviction, empathising with the Learner. There were also few unique cases where the Experimenter failed to coerce the Punisher as below,
People restrain when given two contradictory orders, like Religion Vs fascism
The Punisher getting stirred up morally as the sufferer calls for his own violent treatment.
When Ahimsa makes ‘Dear Zindagi’.
Point 2 illustrates the Ahimsa of Mahatma Gandhi.
It is not as if disobedience to unjust authority was being manifested for the first time when Milgram coerced his participants to administer shocks to innocent learners. History bears witness to the fact that people, at large, have shown resistance, especially when faced with instructions that go against their values. Then, there have been stalwarts, one of the tallest among them being an Indian, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, fondly referred to as the Mahatma by his countrymen. Following in his footsteps, we have people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu and many others. What was it that made them different from the rest? It was the ability to motivate thousands to resist unjust state practices, each in their own homeland, yet resist in a manner that was totally devoid of violence. In the process they were highly successful and were able to bring about justice for their followers.
VK Kool and R Agarwal, Gandhi and the Psychology of Nonviolence
The main difference between a cat and a lie is that a cat only has nine lives. -Mark Twain
BJP’s victory is when Religion and Fascism says… Dil Se Re.
Subversion of Point 1, infusing both religion and fascism shedding all contradictions as “Muscular Religious Nationalism,” both intertwined making the evil fascism look holy and authoritative under religious garb, makes for BJP’s election success. So, to uproot such thinking from grassroots, Congress could start from its roots – where resistance to British rule started – “Religious cohesion” to mobilise its social welfare ideology.
I’m an algebra liar. I figure two good lies make a positive. – Tim Allen
“The social psychology of this century reveals a major lesson: often it is not so much the kind of person a man is as the kind of situation in which he finds himself that determines how he will act.”
Stanley Milgram
Joh shaadi waale ghar mein seva karta hai … usko bahut sundar dulhan milti hai [Those who help in the house that has a wedding … they get a very beautiful wife]
Just visit any small temple, looking around, You will find BJP-RSS presence via Placards or Volunteers doing passive propagation of their religious-fascist-ideology, like banning cow slaughtering, getting people voluntarily inducted to their undercover fascism. As an antidote, Congress could Perform mass gatherings and hosting Meals served across all religion / caste dining with Leaders to establish connect with the masses, along with its much admired yatra Program. After-all, Food is an easier way to get into heart of any commoner, than any vicious propaganda.
If the lambs of the world had been willingly led, they would have long ago saved themselves from the butcher’s knife.- Gandhi
BJP has successfully capitalised upon Sonia Gandhi’s origins to cast doubts on her “biased” welfare for minority religions. Its high time Congress starts investing on spiritual Unity with mass mobilisation programs in Places of worship to dispel the Italian Christian myth getting carefully nurtured to make RSS-BJP look like sole saviours of Hinduism. Maybe, Congress could revive its Seva Dal for providing easy access to commoners. Seva Dal could be put across as non political arm of Congress at temples / Mosques / Churches and other places of worship offering charity or food or at-least listen to people by providing grassroots support.
The Great BJP Blender mixes good Religion and toxic Politics. The entire Rafale Scandal got covered up with few Lemons and Mirchi. You had to check Social media then, for how a French product was so tamed and Indianised by mighty Modiji. Only We, the incredible indians will buy such stuff. I meant the media narrative.
It is claimed that the greatest achievement of Gandhi was the spiritualization of politics through an attempt to bring together morality and politics, two realms normally thought of being antithetical to each other. What was the logic behind such thinking? Gandhi was forthright in stating that there cannot be a distinction between body, mind and soul. The three are not only interlinked but form a complete unity in the individual human being. Thus, actions (body) cannot go against beliefs (mind), which in turn cannot contradict “Truth” (soul). Since both morality and politics have their genesis in the same human mind, how can one contradict another? Politics can, thus, never remain devoid of morality; the need of the hour according to Gandhi is moral politics, moral politicians and moral statesmen.
VK Kool and R Agarwal, Gandhi and the Psychology of Nonviolence
No power on earth can subjugate you when you are armed with the sword of ahimsa. It ennobles both the victor and the vanquished – Gandhi
Chak De Congress!
Sustenance: Gandhi did not just propose Satyagraha, but along with it… the moral means and ends to achieve it with constructive Programs, which actually provided the sustenance for the people believing in satyagraha. Congress could also try negotiating with NGOs and SMEs to understand and formulate common minimum program for the growing urban demography. It could also work with the Farmers and other rural organisations to come up with welfare schemes that will provide sustenance of their livelihoods, rather just job guarantees for few days. Such disparate dialogues to unify non-political masses will ensure the Political Parties who depend on the same masses for their vote-banks, compelled to join with Congress.
A fact very difficult to educate the masses, who are busy filling small holes in the National dam when someone has already diverted the flow to his huge garden
Rather working on Caste and Religious demographics, Congress could do well with aggregating economic demographics for a strong foundation for Future. Congress always thrived on such non political Organizations, its high time they use them to complement their resourceless and depleting cadre.
Messaging: If at all Congress wants to have a chance on making people listen to them, they need to improve on their Messaging Machinery. It just cant be few elite minds working from Capitals, doling out Press Conferences and getting angry on twitter, as rightly pointed out by Prashant Kishor. Mo-Sha duo has completely dismantled the good old Political messaging structure. People dont pull out news nowadays. The BJP’s curated news items are pushed down their throat irrespective of their liking. Congress will need muti-layered, channel of communication to reach down to commoners.
It has been a consistent pattern so far, that BJP’s propaganda machinery is able to convince voters maligning the Congress with fake smear campaigns. Priyanka Gandhi’s “Neech Rajneeti” was morphed to “Neech caste” by a weeping victim Modi in 2014 UP, and it worked to an extent as caste is a sure-shot emotional pot stirrer to majority of individuals, just like Parties fight over Gandhis and Savarkars. We all have conscious and subconscious caste biases with own stories of discrimination by higher castes and oppressing lower castes. BJP has capitalised on every emotional issue blocking individual’s cerebral activity well so far.
On any day, emotional party wins over cerebral and intellectual Party. The very reason behind slandering Nehru lineage is to make people emotionally numb on the dynasty’s genuine sacrifices, by making it a mockery and focus on newly minted Jholawala sob stories.
A carefully orchestrated campaign on RG as ‘OBC Virodhi’ could be the next impending danger for Brand Congress. BJP has mastered the art of repeating the lies enough times that people memorize such lies subconsciously and reflexively vote for them. When most of the population struggle to cope with the deep economic crisis and earn their livelihood, only BJP’s push mechanism of information will go through. People may not bother such cheap political acts eclipsed by their own survival needs. This works as a good reason why BJP ups their ante on “Congress against OBCs” which is a winning recipe for long from Post-Mandal era. Just like Ayodhya Ram temple is an emotive issue connecting Cow belt Hindutva, Caste is an identity connects every Hindu. It’s an emotional issue connecting > 50% of the OBC population. Only such cerebrally blinding emotionally binding caste / religious issues could win them, when people are engrossed in acute economic crisis.
THE FALSE HAS ALL ARGUMENTS IN ITS FAVOR. Have you heard the famous story? — that there is a wall between heaven and hell. God was very disturbed because the wall had not been repaired for centuries and He wanted the devil to repair it — just the ordinary problems of all kinds of neighbours. The devil of course wanted God to repair it. They started arguing and in the heat of the argument God said ‘If you don’t listen to me, I will drag you to court!’ The devil laughed. He said ‘Where are you going to find a lawyer for yourself? They are all here!’ – Osho
If you just peel one layer of this “OBC Virodi Congress”, you will find that the bankrupt fugitives are not even OBCs or even Hindus. Modi is a not caste surname, does not indicate any specific caste but used across many identities. Even Gandhi is from Modh-Bania case, which Congress could leverage further to diffuse this attack. But, no amount of denials and clarifications from Congress would dispel this myth. As the yatra dispelled many such myths about Congress’s perceived religious biases and RG, only performance and action could bring in remedies. The next yatra / pan indian initiative could be stressing on caste unity subtly as Congress is much bigger than basal politics, pushing up OBC Leaders upfront and listing out the OBC Quotas and welfare Programs brought by Congress. “Let the Poor and unprivileged Unite” could be the war cry rather emotional divisional politics, where BCs and OBCs are could find a common platform for their own good.
BJP’s “convenient casteism” was never ripped apart or checkmated by any of the Parties so far, except for Cartoonists. Even this Cartoon poster from Opposition would have damaged up a lot of BJP’s new found OBC love
BJP, a Nagpur Brahmins Party is the biggest culprit on deceiving OBCs. Subramanian Swamy baptized Modi as someone with all brahmanical qualities to lead country and most importantly BJP. Contrast this with Kharge / MMS who never make their identities and the]ir background a big deal. his The reality of double engine BJP rule is, backward classes are hapless who can’t even avail justice. Hathras remains a tragic case of caste oppression not just from the upper castes but from the executives and Rulers, secretly burning the corpse to shut off the case.
Congress could have raked in EWS quota and how it unfairly promotes few already up the ladder economically, if at all they have the conviction like few regional Parties. In Karnataka, many poor people’s quota are removed irrespective of religions. But Congress is silent afraid of BJP’s deadly imaginary moves. The thumb-rule is, every action on caste will backfire badly on the ruling BJP Party rather any opposition demanding them.They could also come up with masterstrokes, like RG asking for another speech in parliament making Modi run towards Courts for rescue, demanding welfare schemes, by hearing backward classes.
Narendra bhai Premis on the Left, OBC Virodhis on the Right.
Congress could wish to put up Posters on RG’s disqualition nationwide, and get to see for themselves how far their Messaging reaches out to the public. In Tamilnadu, they clearly rely on their allies even for winning their own elections. Even their Press Conferences, if at all it has any impact, could be a bit more innovative to cater to the gravity of the situations like making RG a prominent figure in Political stage, rather a routine pampered child caught between old wise men. RG has done enough mistakes to learn and become wiser, now it’s only a matter of perform or perish.
UPA Vs NDA – The only difference is… Perspective.
Inflation has been a major problem during UPA times which could be due to the economic upturn, but also due to increase in spending power due to Government aids. But, Congress could do well if they provide aids to poor in exchange of hard work as incentives rather free doles. The unemployed youth could receive stipends along with their upskilling process to make them employable. MNREGA could be enhanced further with guaranteed contractual income schemes. Electrical and Water subsidies will help the poor to afford basic services rather just cash doles, eventually finding its way to Bars and if not to other Private institutions hiking fee due to increased spending power of poor. Ultimately, it ends up creating more ‘Private Institutional Adanis’ rather uplifting poor, depriving them of basic education and healthcare. It’s just another ploy of making the poor getting back to square inside square one.
Branding is all about training the mind on the first visual and sound we correlate with the Brand. There is a lot of wisdom with Indira Gandhi choosing “Garibi Hatao!” rather making Gandhis the actual campaign front. Politics anywhere is never about bringing someone down, however incorrigible and imbecile the leadership is, but about giving the voters a nuanced fake Pedestal, however modest it is, like a child getting fascinated with Unicorns.
When people on actual pedestals dont work or answer the people, ultimately, the pedestal becomes pedestrian as an Election tool for anyone’s fascination. For proof please check Srilanka’s Presidential Palace after protests.
BJP won the branding on two ways in 2014. It painted Congress as corrupt and propped up Modi as Messiah to tackle corruption. Irony is that Modi transformed himself to be “Messiah of the Corrupt”. Modi played “Ice boy” with opposition and people, rather answering the blatant manipulation of stock market and loot money funneled through shell firms. when Adani was busy with Slides in Stock market playground to the extent of 11 Lakh Crore. People have got so numb with Corruption and occupied on their own survival, they did not even notice someone was on infinity slide.
The only poll strategy which has helped BJP after 2019 is, with due credits – Thank You Savarkar! Modi looks more Humane than Dictatorial sadist when he perform an apology, which might get even better if its heartfelt.
Whatever the Congress corruption numbers blowjobbed by BJP for current Karnataka election, the numeric shock treatment to voters got already over and will not help any of the Parties. BJP again throwing muck on Congress as corrupt when they had nine years of rule to clean it up, will only corner them eventually. As mentioned, BJP has exhausted all their tricks and playbooks of falsehood. If they scrape their empty idea vessel, they will end up with the noise of Adani benami, Inflation and unemployment.
If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you. – David Brier
Priyanka Gandhi’s Himachal Pradesh Guaranteed schemes strategy trumped Modi’s weeping Brand, though anti-incumbency can also be a factor. Congress Karnataka Guarantee scheme also looks promising, as BJP is already planning for Vidhan Soudha hijack after 2024 with Kangaroos getting inducted to Congress. Since Congress and Self-goals are like conjoined twins, Congress seems more than willing to accommodate the turncoats for yet another “Hotel Gate Security” moment. Maybe it’s much easier to gain Gandhi’s sympathy by waiting inefficiently at Hotel gates rather possessing the wisdom to be in power for 5 years. Selfless candidates matter much more than anything else. Posts are temporary, character is consistent / permanent. Once a Brutus, always remain a Brutus. If RG is not showing Leadership in candidate selection, I don’t know how Congress will sail ashore with such inconsistent and confused leadership rivalry, completing its 5 years tenure. If this tamasha goes on, next time people may choose the easiest route of directly electing BJP rather wasting time on Congress Resort Politics.
It’s Superhuman effort from RG with his BJY Marathon. While it’s unfair to criticise on rest, one sincerely wishes along with Cartoonist for good- But “Jaa RG Jaa” only happens in Climax. Politics gets boring with multiple intervals.
Most importantly, Cadre lacks the zeal to perform better owing to serial losses at elections and lack of resources to sustain their interest. Not everyone in Congress could afford the luxury of abroad trips to relax and rejuvenate for losses. But, one could wish for schemes to uplift their livelihood, so as to boost their performance. More than Social Media and other PR campaigns, the Party people on the ground, act as Human connect and win elections. Wonder how strong Congress at basic Booth levels, as it seems pretty clueless on creating a formidable election machinery on the ground, even after ten years of facing a strong adversary. Its not just Mics are not working at parliament. even the Congress Cadre is not working to the fullest of their capability.
Election Sutra
Give voters a nice toy to play with so that they don’t have to generate pride and happiness with someone else’s bear hugs and Photo-Ops. Give them a Hearty meal of promises and subsequent fulfillment so that they dont mind fake-PR-hatred in their moments of prosperity. More importantly, ensure establishing a listening channel as Campaigns are like selling dreams in a busy and loud Market.
Although a grown-up man may think that he has no teddy bears, he is wrong. What is his God? Just a teddy bear. Out of his childhood fear, man has created a father figure who knows all, who is all-powerful, who is everywhere present; if you have enough faith in him he will protect you.
Osho
In Tamilnadu, Politicians pioneered on the above with various campaign versions from Thriumangalam Bypoll Formula to Erode Bypoll Formula. Sadly, they ended up giving too much of everything, they could not win Large scale Assembly elections, unable to satisfy the voters, beating on their previously set benchmarks and expectations. But, Arvind Kejriwal showed the art of selling pedestals with his unique and sustainable model on Social welfare basic metrics along with a dreamy PR campaign. But it will be a challenge for anyone to adopt a Pan-India model. But, Congress could at least work on it rather following Modi’s tattered about to expire PR photoshop playbook. The real advantage for BJP in 2024 will be on Congress Vs BJP seats, right from Campaigning, Polling and Protecting the EVMs from tampering, Congress still remains clueless as if it’s just pressing a Button and then taking a break till next election.
To play with symbols and beliefs is Human. We all have affinity towards symbols connecting with them than Future PMs. Even Modi’s Pirate ship to PM-ship had to sail through Aam aadmi mascot dangling 15-Lakhs-Vikas-Carrot, absconding for long after wining.
Om Shanti Om – The Conclusion
Not everyone is an Arjuna to aim at the Bird’s eye in a tree. Even other mighty Pandavas and Gauravas failed on finding the right target. Jayalalitha on her second stint delivered impressive governance. But could not win her next election owing to poor economy and inflation. If that is the case, guess how much Modi will suffer on this ground, if he is deprived of his weapon – religious-fascism.
New India’s Rabid Force
A satyagrahi does not abandon his path, even though at times it seems impenetrable and beset with difficulties and dangers…. Even in these circumstances, his faith shines resplendent like the midday sun and he does not despond. With truth for sword, he needs neither a steel sword nor gunpowder. Even an inveterate enemy he conquers by the force of the soul, which is love.
But Duragraha is a force with the opposite attributes. … The wielder of brute force does not scruple about the means to be used. He does not question the propriety of means, if he can somehow achieve his purpose. This is not dharma but the opposite of it…the man who follows the path of Duragraha becomes impatient and wants to kill the so-called enemy. There can be one result of this. Hatred increases. The defeated party vows vengeance and simply bides his time. The spirit of revenge thus descends from father to son.
Satyagraha will triumph in the end. The duragrahi, like the oilman’s ox, moves in a circle. His movement is only motion but it is not progress. The satyagrahi is always moving forward.
– Mahatma Gandhi
The problem with political jokes is that, they get elected – Henry Cate.
After all, Gandhi, RK Laxman and SRK share the same aphorism, “Never underestimate the power of Common Man!”.
[The Common Man] from India can survive without water, food, light, air, shelter and freedom.
Timepass Politics 