I've really had it with these politicians. What in the name of god's heaven do we elect them for? To take care of our needs, right? To ensure that every one gets food, clothing, shelter, education and a good standard of living, no? Did we elect politicians to yell insults at each other? Did we elect them to get offended at anything and everything that happens within 7000 kilometres of the Parliament? Did we elect them so that they can go and fill up our already overburdened courtrooms with stupid Public Interest Litigations on how their honour and integrity has been insulted?
Yeah, you read that right. I've just read a news article about some Congress Party worker in Tamil Nadu filed a case against Rajnikant and Adlabs. What for? He claims that the recent Rajnikant blockbuster Sivaji (produced by Adlabs) insults Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. I had recently seen Sivaji myself and had thoroughly enjoyed watching Rajni being the Bachelor of Social Service (The BOSS) and beating up goons twice his size in abandoned godowns. Neither Sonia Gandhi nor Manmohan Singh made a surprise guest appearance. In fact, the Congress's haath was never seen waving a hello in this movie for the aam aadmi.
OR DID IT? This Congress Worker who I was talking about claims that both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi could be seen in the film. I was astonished. "Where? Where?" I yelled, frantically digging into my memory for a glimpse of this exalted pair. There cried the agonized social servant, pushing his Congress ka Haath out of the newspaper and pointing at the scene in the villian's office. Ah, yes, there they were, standing next to the villian himself in teeniest of desk photographs on the villian's desk that appeared in the film for about seven seconds.
Blast them. They file a case in court for seven seconds of film? And that too, because of an insignificant photograph that I would have never remembered if it hadn't been for this Congress Worker? Let me see. The villian's office was in a hospital called Adi Hospital but which was clearly recognisable (to me at least) as M S Ramaiah Medical College in Bangalore. Did any student of this college file a case saying Rajnikant and Adlabs were insulting his college and his own college board should be pulled up for portraying M S Ramaiah as a criminal's establishment? Should the people who built that table in his office file a case because the film makers portrayed their product as a villian's table? Should cleanliness inspectors file a case saying that the film is making a mockery of their job because the villian's office looked clean?
I actually did notice that photograph but completely forgot about it later. I wonder what the congress worker will think if I tell him that the first impression I got was that that the villian had just doctored that photo so that he can portray himself as a good guy. In other words, the first thing that occurred to me was that the photograph was fake and I was applauding the director for his attention to such detail. But obviously I was wrong. I'm not supposed to think like that. Shame on me.
I think these self-styled censors and activists are the worst thing that is happening to society. They find fault with anything. The Shiv Sena did just that when they demanded a ban on Orkut. They claimed that all Orkut had was 'I Hate India' groups that were 'dangerous to the nation'. Firstly, making cheap remarks about India on an online forum isn't dangerous, it's just cheap. And secondly, for god's sake, there are plenty of 'I Love India' and 'Jai Maharashtra!' groups as well. There are even some pro-Shiv Sena groups on Orkut. Why must they only look at the 'I hate India' groups? Some claimed that Orkut corrupts young people. On the contrary, I've never seen a better platform for people residing in different parts of the country to come together and discuss relevant issues like reservation and communalism - topics that need to be discussed. Of course, there are some sad, twisted individuals who seem to get a sadistic pleasure out of misusing Orkut. But for every one of these sorry people, there are two others who use Orkut positively. Should you deny the latter a chance to interact with people like themselves?
As far as I'm concerned, such demands for banning or litigations against a few seconds of film isn't social activism. These so-called activists claim to represent the wishes of Indian society and the Indian public. They don't. All they represent are their own wishes and their own feelings. And I think it's time they admit it. It's time they realized that not everyone in society agrees with them on what constitutes insult and slander. Face it, there are people who don't like Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. There are people who are both sadistic and bored, so they make caustic comments on whatever they want. Banning them won't get rid of their attitude. Besides, you can't deny Indian citizens the right to insult who they want to insult because it's a free country and they have a right to express their feelings about something or somebody. If you really want them to go, engage in a discussion with them and make them see your point of view. Don't take the easy way out, you'll only end up tripping yourself.
Yeah, you read that right. I've just read a news article about some Congress Party worker in Tamil Nadu filed a case against Rajnikant and Adlabs. What for? He claims that the recent Rajnikant blockbuster Sivaji (produced by Adlabs) insults Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. I had recently seen Sivaji myself and had thoroughly enjoyed watching Rajni being the Bachelor of Social Service (The BOSS) and beating up goons twice his size in abandoned godowns. Neither Sonia Gandhi nor Manmohan Singh made a surprise guest appearance. In fact, the Congress's haath was never seen waving a hello in this movie for the aam aadmi.
OR DID IT? This Congress Worker who I was talking about claims that both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi could be seen in the film. I was astonished. "Where? Where?" I yelled, frantically digging into my memory for a glimpse of this exalted pair. There cried the agonized social servant, pushing his Congress ka Haath out of the newspaper and pointing at the scene in the villian's office. Ah, yes, there they were, standing next to the villian himself in teeniest of desk photographs on the villian's desk that appeared in the film for about seven seconds.
Blast them. They file a case in court for seven seconds of film? And that too, because of an insignificant photograph that I would have never remembered if it hadn't been for this Congress Worker? Let me see. The villian's office was in a hospital called Adi Hospital but which was clearly recognisable (to me at least) as M S Ramaiah Medical College in Bangalore. Did any student of this college file a case saying Rajnikant and Adlabs were insulting his college and his own college board should be pulled up for portraying M S Ramaiah as a criminal's establishment? Should the people who built that table in his office file a case because the film makers portrayed their product as a villian's table? Should cleanliness inspectors file a case saying that the film is making a mockery of their job because the villian's office looked clean?
I actually did notice that photograph but completely forgot about it later. I wonder what the congress worker will think if I tell him that the first impression I got was that that the villian had just doctored that photo so that he can portray himself as a good guy. In other words, the first thing that occurred to me was that the photograph was fake and I was applauding the director for his attention to such detail. But obviously I was wrong. I'm not supposed to think like that. Shame on me.
I think these self-styled censors and activists are the worst thing that is happening to society. They find fault with anything. The Shiv Sena did just that when they demanded a ban on Orkut. They claimed that all Orkut had was 'I Hate India' groups that were 'dangerous to the nation'. Firstly, making cheap remarks about India on an online forum isn't dangerous, it's just cheap. And secondly, for god's sake, there are plenty of 'I Love India' and 'Jai Maharashtra!' groups as well. There are even some pro-Shiv Sena groups on Orkut. Why must they only look at the 'I hate India' groups? Some claimed that Orkut corrupts young people. On the contrary, I've never seen a better platform for people residing in different parts of the country to come together and discuss relevant issues like reservation and communalism - topics that need to be discussed. Of course, there are some sad, twisted individuals who seem to get a sadistic pleasure out of misusing Orkut. But for every one of these sorry people, there are two others who use Orkut positively. Should you deny the latter a chance to interact with people like themselves?
As far as I'm concerned, such demands for banning or litigations against a few seconds of film isn't social activism. These so-called activists claim to represent the wishes of Indian society and the Indian public. They don't. All they represent are their own wishes and their own feelings. And I think it's time they admit it. It's time they realized that not everyone in society agrees with them on what constitutes insult and slander. Face it, there are people who don't like Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. There are people who are both sadistic and bored, so they make caustic comments on whatever they want. Banning them won't get rid of their attitude. Besides, you can't deny Indian citizens the right to insult who they want to insult because it's a free country and they have a right to express their feelings about something or somebody. If you really want them to go, engage in a discussion with them and make them see your point of view. Don't take the easy way out, you'll only end up tripping yourself.
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