The Ideal Celebrity

I just finished watching Shah Rukh Khan's short interview on IndiaTv.

Some people manage to turn you around to their point of view inspite of your own strong opinions about them. I'm not a very big fan of Mr. Shah Rukh Khan the actor, but I find myself admiring Mr. Shah Rukh Khan the person.

The interview was about the famous actor being held up in the US for questioning. India TV kept propping up dramatic catch phrases like 'Khan ke apman ka Dard suno', or "Apmaan ke bad Khan' etc. During the entire interview however, all Mr. Shah Rukh Khan tried to do was emphasize that what happened was routine procedure, he was bewildered yes, as anyone would be, but it is nothing to sensationalize. It was very admirable the way he downplayed an obvious effort of the News TV channel to blow up and dramatize the issue, no go, Shah Rukh never gave them the opportunity.

THIS is the way the celebrities of an educated sensible nation should behave. THIS is the kind of example they should set forth to their audience, young and old, especially young. THIS is the kind of attitude every Indian should display, simply being proud of what they are. THIS is the attitude that makes Mr. Shah Rukh Khan a lot more than the king of Bollywood, I'm sure thats a very admirable thing to be too, but at the end of they day, what lasts is how good a person you are.

The reporters kept quoting other people, some politicians, some actors and what not, and kept trying to create more melodrama in the interview, but sensibly enough the actor did not rise to any of those. They even kept misquoting him, where he said that the use of cellphone was not allowed, they wrote that HE was not allowed to use a phone, as if targeting him for some personal injustice. The attitude of the media was very irresponsible, melodramatic, and shameful for a country of well educated citizens.
He did express that prejudice on the basis of religion is not fair, and there he is completely justified, but apart from that, he maintained a very down to earth and yet dignified stand on being questioned for security purpose. He also appealed that the kind of help he received from the Indian media, the Indian embassy or whoever the officials involved were should be extended to every other respectable Indian. I would say that although I don't remember his words verbatim, his very attitude is worth quoting, worth adapting by all of us. He very humbly accepted that he's a common man as much as anyone else, and it was fair enough that the security at the US airport was simply doing their duty.

I wonder what it would take for us Indians to take our attitudes responsibly. I wonder how long will the media take to act responsibly when it comes to forming public opinion. I wonder what it would take for every common Indian to feel special about himself on his own, and not depend on someone else's opinion to define his own identity.

Mr. Khan, I hope people will learn from you, 'coz you are an inspiration for many. I hope they will learn a lot more from you than dressing up, carrying a 'cool rock star attitude', realize, notice that you are a good human being before anything else, and understand that THAT is what matters. I also hope that other celebrities will learn from you, realize that their words, their opinions affect the minds of Future India, and that they have a responsibility to at least not mislead them, if unable to lead them in a right, positive direction.

Here's to hoping there are more responsible and sensible Indians like you out there.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY - the Tryst to be Independent continues...

Independence day....
Today's the day when 62 years ago we achieved independence from the British Rule.
I'm wondering something fancy and patriotic to write about today. But somehow it wouldn't do justice to this day.
Cynic that I am, I sit here and wonder exactly how significant is this day to us Indians. We're a weird race. We blow out of proportion silly little things like a five year old falling in the ditch and completely ignore something as significant as our Independence Day. It has the least number of SMS's passed around, unenthusiastic greetings and celebrations, and the regular monotony of a holiday. I'm sure there ARE quite a number of people out there doing a lot more than that, but since it doesn't include me, I feel pretty useless and left out.
Of course, on a more dismal note, I'll also point out all the things that we're still not free from. We still labor under the oppression of diseases, pollution, malnutrition, poverty, terrorism, over exposure and dependence on technology, the oppression of MONEY, of peer pressure, of depleting and degrading natural resources, morals, cultural values.... blah blah blah. The question is - how much of it bothers us; and even more importantly, are we willing to do something about it?
Our forefathers, so to say liberated us from foreign rule so that we could make our own choices, and the only ones really celebrating this day, or at least making a pretense of doing so our not-so-dear politicians who probably are the only ones fully exercising this right of CHOICE.
An average Indian is still stuck in making the same stereotypical choices, (I wonder if they can be termed choices at all, since they're so spoon-fed) making ends meet. Even those who do better than that classify living life as a few annual outings taken with the family where they visit stereotypical places, spending on stereotypical luxuries, each vying to outdo his neighbor or relative or brother or friend or enemy.
Our scriptures themselves say that those who do not venture out to learn new cultures, new languages and new ways are no better than animals. So what do we do? How do we free ourselves and the rest of the Indians from their mundane stereotypical lives? The ones that WANT to Free of course. How do we emphasize on this day that we are free, we are free, independent, that we define ourselves, that our identities are neither chained in our culture, nor in the western culture, that we are who we are and we are proud of who we are, that we make choices, independent choices, not those dictated by family or society or situations?
With freedom of course, come responsibilities. And it is shouldering these responsibilities that emphasizes that we are a free race. Each of us has different responsibs and some common... ahem... noble ones that we all need to shoulder. Yes, I know it's easy to be all philosophical but it's not all that difficult to take a few small steps. Like switching off the lights in your house when you don't need them, or not taking unnecessary long drives and saving oil, or trying to give your parents little things, moments that they sacrificed to raise you, or not littering the roads, or not losing patience when someone bangs into you by mistake on the road, or making women feel more secure EVERYWHERE.... There are many things we can do, and every time we do any one of them, it's like celebrating our independence, whatever day it might be.
Theres no need to be all puffed up and make impractical resolutions with fire in your eyes and patriotic fervor in your heart or anything fancy like that, just a determination to do better, be better every moment of life. That would probably be more than being independent citizens of our wonderful country, it'd be like being independent of all our weaknesses. Sound like a good thing to be, no?

Media. Is. Revolting.

Its shocking. India is so rapidly coming on the world map. Emerging as a country that MATTERS. And yet the Indian media is so irresponsible and pretentious. There are a number of news channels aplashed across the telly tody but none can claim to responsibly report news. Instead they all aim at twisting and stretching news in whatever way needed to emptionally enrapt the foolish mass of audience that dosent distinguish between drama and news.
Take for instance the news about the five year old boy Prince, who fell into a narrow dith and was pulled out after about 50 hours. The media had a ball. The kid was shown repeatedly either sleeping, or eating, or crying till he was finally fetched out. After around 30 hours of digging had been done, the media started announcing that the boy was now just a few moments away, just a few feet away, and dragged that piece of news for another 20 hours.
There was just one boy and one ditch. And too many news channels. shamefully enough they could not even get the basic information like the boy's age, right. Some claimed it to be 6, some five. Nor could they agree upon the depth of the ditch. While some announced 50 feet, some 56, some 60...
Even more shameful was the response of the public. To merely hear their voices on TV people from god knows where would call up and announce that they'd been up all night praying, or watching TV or lighting candles or even organiuzing public prayers for the boy.
To be honest, the situation hardly seemed that dire to me. The kid was given enough food, seemed to be in quite a comfortable position, and had a very justifiable enough reason to have played hookey from school! Then why all this unnecessary hype???
And even after the boy was fished out, he kept appearing in different TV channels, playing, pranking, and generally being made an unnecessary fuss of. Its a very obvious enough proof that all the media is there to do is to keep the general public distracted in such mindless emotional dramas. Now whether it is encouraged to do so by the politicians, or hotshots who profit in some way from doing so, or is simply tempted because the general attitude of the public itself is still so entwined in the same.
It is understandable enough to want to wish the boy well. But there appeared to be NO such complications as to have expected him to be otherwise. It is understandable enough to be curious about whether the boy came safely out or not. But I cannot and absolutely cannot digest the fact that people prayed all night, and not just one or two, but scores and ascores, hordes and hordes, wishing the boy to get out. If humans had so much humanity in them
then terrorism wouldnt plague us. And those scores of phonecalls that claimed to have prayed for Prince would have jammed the phonelines of all media channels when the bomb blasts in Mumbai happened. Shockingly enough, I didnt hear any such phone calls....
The media is such a strong weapon in forming public opinion, making or breaking it. While it still remains to be decided that whether should media undertake the responsibility of forming people's opinion or not, or merely act as an informant, it should atleast be responsible enough to not resort to mindless drama.
Reporting news, and reporting it correctly and accurately is a responsibility enough. On top of that if the news channels do choose to form public opinion, they should concentrate on maturing the general opinion of the pulic, keep them on their feet in such a way that the public is educated and enlightened well and truly as to where its rights and duties lay.
The print media is hardly better off. News papers emerged with tacky front page headlines such as "Paatal se Nikaala Prince", and "Kurukshetra Mein Ek Aur Mahabharat" for a news item that was hardly worth more than a few lines on the side coloumn. Moreover, the story stretched further on inside the papers.It shows how much of an emotional fool the masses make themselves and how the media encourage wholeheartedly it to make money.
We Indians blame the government, the media, the police and lord knows what other institutions for our backward status, for lack of amenities, for social disgresses. And yet, we do not realize that all these institutions are merely a reflective and responsive act to the mass opinion. If we, the masses refuse to such dramas and unnecessary lurid blow ups that the media distracts us with, the media will be forced to report according to the going mass intellect. Once the media changes its attitude, the government, the police, NGO's, religious groups and every other institution that forms the present society will knuckle down to delivering its best. Its up to us to stop taking the muck and mickey and expect what we deserve. Once we start rightfully and voiceferously asking for what is due to us, it shall be delivered.
Jaago India Jaago. Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached.

Delhi - the land of ...Eight? Ruins.

Its one of the most popular titles that kids use while writing about Delhi. Atleast, till late it spelt "Delhi- the land of Seven Ruins" . DElhi has been housed and populate seven times, and tuine just as many times. The city has a magnificince of it own to have survived so many times. Delhi has seen many raids of terror from people like Ganghis Khan, Nadir Shah, Ahmad shah Abdali... and the rest. But each time, the city has valiantly stood up to these raids, graccefully crumbled down and got back on its feet, each time a new face moulded by the then ruler. The city now, as it is, is a corncupia of cultures and ethnics. People of all classes, colours, creeds, sects horde the streets. The streets themselves tell tales of the times gone long ago maintaining facets of time and culture. You can find every kind of lane in Delhi. An eight lane highway as well as a skimpy little alley that allows just one man to pass at a time. Victorian landmarks, modern well spruced high rises and Moghlai constructions. Five star Hotels to household inns. Sophisticated business centres to back-alley cottage industries. Delhi has everything. For everybody. And all this can very justifiably be attributed to the 'contributions' made by the multitued of people who have targeted Delhi, either to ruin it, or to settle it.
These days however, the city is on the verge of being ruined in a new way. And this time ironically, by its own people.
Delhi is to host Commonwealth Games in 2010. And the government thinks that it can change the face of the city in four years. There are loud claims of transforming Delhi into a second Paris. And how does the government set on to do so??? By mutilating the city. The MCD (Municipal Coropration Department) has taken up the taks to weed out illegal constructions in the city, Demolish them, not repair them, correct them but DEMOLISH them and no less. Among these come residential areas, some commercial areas and countless slums that are being uprooted out of the blue to materialise thise 'transformation'. Bulldozers have suddenly cropped up everywhere and are tossing big and small buildings alike, uprooting them like mushrooms. Some buildings are having their balconies grazed, some the eiter top floor, or even floors, and some are completely being erased out of existence. And the residents? The occupants? They have the option of either pocketing huge bribes to the department rangng from their clers, the polcie officers to the executive officials, or watch their homes being swept away.
MCD has claimed that 80% of the constructions in Delhi are illegal. Question is, where were the officers when these 'illegal' consturctions were on the way? even the guidelines set by the departsment regarding the classifications of 'illegal' and 'legal' constructions are hazy.
Not to mention that bribery is still in full swing. It is definitelya lucrative job, that of a MCD officer. First, you get paid to erect these constructions. Then you get paid to demolish them. And again, you get paid by those who are desperately trying to save their abodes from crumbling to dust.An MCD officer is on an average salary scale of 6-11,000 INR, based on seniority and skill level. Take a look at the ACTUAL incomes of these Departments:
2 to 2.5 Lakhs : paid per month to the MCD officials in charge during the period of construction
1 lakh paid for constrution of additional storeys
1 lakh paid to police officials during construction
Rs. 100/- paid to policemen as per truck entry fee.

Builders shell out around 20 to 40 lakhs per construction. No mean feat. But these builders can afford thisone time expenditure that is still inconsequential compared to their enormous profits. But what about the people who buy these houses? they're hardly all multimillionaires who can warm the officers' pockets when and where needed.
There are instances everywhere of 'selective' demolition which simply means, that buldings that have been paid for under the table are declared 'legal' or 'legit', and those that havent been are dragged down to dust.
Someone needs to define this menace. Someone needs to intervene and notice that the people who ultimately suffer are the ones that are largely not guilty of anything.Someone needs to redefine legitimate and illegitimate thoroughly enuogh for both people and offices. Otherwise, we'd have not a Paris, but just another ruined face of delhi, a mass of rubble and concrete, to show in 2010.

Rain here, Rain there, different rain everywhere

Well, looks like delhi's weather's matching Mumbai. The sky is just as overcast, as laden. Looks like thats the case everywhere in India.. The rains however are not so much of a boon, except perhaps to loiteres, or school children or people who have time to enjoy the weather... or like u say, lovers who're close enough, free enough to spend a day in bed. Whether there to enjoy it or not, the weather is decidedly beautiful.
Farmers everywhere, however are cursing the weather for spoiling their crops. Funny how humans can be so socially crude when their moods and needs suit them. One monsoon they sing and praise the downpour, the other they curse and moan the same.
Except that here in Delhi, it has a sinister edge, a sullen clip to it. Maybe its not so much the rain,more so the aggravated shopkeepers and businessmen fighting to keep their livelihooods apiece.
We were going to the bank, my sis and I. While we waited at a red light, there was a gathering on the square where a crowd of businessmen had gathered listening to speeches made by BJP who's in the opposition right now. They are valiantly making promises to help people deal with it, and making dire threats of excommunicating Shiela Dixit publicly.
While thats all majorly a political play, the fact remains that these miscalculated attempts at transforming Delhi into Paris for the commonwealth games is perhaps the most impractical decision the government can make. A sprawling city like Delhi that has already developed far beyond the offshoots cannot be manipulated to be re-structured according to the Government's whims. the city already boasts a spread of 80kms in all directiions and breeds businesses of every class, type and form imaginable. Someone made a very accurate remark yesterday 'Dilli sabka pet bharti hai'. True, it does house and feed people of all classes, cultures, people from all walks of life.
The weather does seem sullen, as if forecasting a storm in brewing, which seems to be the current mood of Delhiites. To me, the weathers a mood to eat good stuff, grab a good enid blyton, there r even going to b nice movies on Star and HBO.
Lets hope the Govt takes sensible steps to pacify the dilliwallahs. Otherwise, its very likely that I might get a few unexpected leaves from office!!!

Not bad. THIRD first post. AU is def going public eh??? Let see how far this goes. Blogs, like people, have identities. At least mine do. Or perhaps I have MPD. Thats Multiple Personality Disorder in case you ont know. All my different personalities are going on the net and making a stark display of intellect, humour, wit and unabounded talent. Hey, dont mind! I am Arrogance Unlimited after all right???