Hi all,
We always pride ourselves with the fact that we are the world's largest democracy. Every five years when we go out to vote, we leave the rest of the world in awe. We make them wonder how such a staggering exercise is being conducted without major hiccups. The statistics alone is sufficient to rattle any planner and put him/her out of sleep for days.
For all the chest beating that we indulge in, there is a darker side to our democracy that we usually don't visit that often and would certainly like to keep it under the wraps from prying outsiders' eyes. Probably you would have guessed what I am talking about right now.
Inner party democracy has not been on the agenda of many political parties for a long time. They, conveniently, forget the fact that charity starts at home and that being propagators of democracy also means that they themselves have to practice it both in letter and in spirit first. Most of the political parties today somehow give inner democracy a miss. Dynastic politics seems to be the order of the day. If not that then it is a single strong man whose whims and fancies decide who and how the party is run.
Is this what democracy is all about? We all know it wasn't meant to be this way. Why are our political parties behaving in a manner that can be best described as being devoid of democracy? And whose responsibility is it to put the house under order? Where do we draw the line between democracy and indiscipline? Should academic exercises like writing a book come under the purview of a party's ideology?
p.s. I didn't want to get into the gory details of dynastic politics and strong men who control their parties with an iron grip...we all know it too well don't we...:)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
So What?
Hi All,
A national calamity has befallen our nation. We have been wronged and humiliated. Our existence has been questioned and eminent citizens of our country, all of a sudden, suffer from trust deficit.
This would be the conclusion anyone would have come to if he/she had watched the media coverage following SRK's 'detention' at Newark Airport on Saturday. It was as if his detention was as important,if not more, as the day itself. Clippings of Independence day celebrations took a back seat to SRK's 'ordeal' speech! As all of you are aware the issue is still raging on with some celebrities and many politicians coming in support of SRK while the rest dismissing it as yet another publicity stunt for his latest movie. (Coincidentally(?) his upcoming movie also deals with similar incidents).
Now let me come straight to the point. I am angry and disappointed in equal measure with the media and the person in question,SRK. The media went into frenzy mode when the news first broke out and many channels started airing voice clippings of SRK speaking out on the issue. The constant barrage of the 'sufferings' of SRK made me feel obnoxious enough to switch off the idiot box and let the dust settle. After portraying SRK as a fallen hero, now some sections of the media wish to occupy the moral high ground and question the reactions subsequent to SRK's detention and ask what is all the fuss about!
SRK on his part did all he could to make this incident into that of racial profiling and garnered, to a great extent, lots of sympathies from the general public who probably saw this as yet another attempt of humiliation of one of their kind. To make matters worse, he even disclosed the reasons provided by the authorities for detaining him knowing fully well that these very reasons could flare up emotions back home. The least he could have done, in my opinion, is to downplay the incident and brush it aside like Abdul Kalam.
Now i ask, SO WHAT? So what if SRK is questioned. So what if he made to sit in a room for a couple of hours and made to answer a few uncomfortable questions. Is he above the law? Couldn't he have been the one of those randomly chosen people to undergo further screening? What about all those Indians who have been subject to outright profiling? Why hasn't the Indian media spoken up against this practice,with the same amount of intensity shown for this incident, in the past?
I wish to clarify that i am not condoning racial profiling. On the other hand, like all good people of this country, i condemn it outright. But we(media, public and the concerned persons) should stop reacting in a knee jerk manner every time an Indian is questioned or frisked and put all sorts of theory behind the incident. Rather we should look at it objectively.
A national calamity has befallen our nation. We have been wronged and humiliated. Our existence has been questioned and eminent citizens of our country, all of a sudden, suffer from trust deficit.
This would be the conclusion anyone would have come to if he/she had watched the media coverage following SRK's 'detention' at Newark Airport on Saturday. It was as if his detention was as important,if not more, as the day itself. Clippings of Independence day celebrations took a back seat to SRK's 'ordeal' speech! As all of you are aware the issue is still raging on with some celebrities and many politicians coming in support of SRK while the rest dismissing it as yet another publicity stunt for his latest movie. (Coincidentally(?) his upcoming movie also deals with similar incidents).
Now let me come straight to the point. I am angry and disappointed in equal measure with the media and the person in question,SRK. The media went into frenzy mode when the news first broke out and many channels started airing voice clippings of SRK speaking out on the issue. The constant barrage of the 'sufferings' of SRK made me feel obnoxious enough to switch off the idiot box and let the dust settle. After portraying SRK as a fallen hero, now some sections of the media wish to occupy the moral high ground and question the reactions subsequent to SRK's detention and ask what is all the fuss about!
SRK on his part did all he could to make this incident into that of racial profiling and garnered, to a great extent, lots of sympathies from the general public who probably saw this as yet another attempt of humiliation of one of their kind. To make matters worse, he even disclosed the reasons provided by the authorities for detaining him knowing fully well that these very reasons could flare up emotions back home. The least he could have done, in my opinion, is to downplay the incident and brush it aside like Abdul Kalam.
Now i ask, SO WHAT? So what if SRK is questioned. So what if he made to sit in a room for a couple of hours and made to answer a few uncomfortable questions. Is he above the law? Couldn't he have been the one of those randomly chosen people to undergo further screening? What about all those Indians who have been subject to outright profiling? Why hasn't the Indian media spoken up against this practice,with the same amount of intensity shown for this incident, in the past?
I wish to clarify that i am not condoning racial profiling. On the other hand, like all good people of this country, i condemn it outright. But we(media, public and the concerned persons) should stop reacting in a knee jerk manner every time an Indian is questioned or frisked and put all sorts of theory behind the incident. Rather we should look at it objectively.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Media’s role during troubling times
HI all,
Love them or hate them, you just can’t ignore them goes an adage. This couldn’t apply more to the media than anything else today. Print, electronic or any other form of media pervades every aspect of our life; informing us and determining, to a reasonable extent, the formation of views and our response to developing situations.
The ongoing Swine Flu Pandemic has highlighted the media’s role yet again in informing, educating, spreading information and awareness among the masses. In fact, I reckon, without the proactive media we have today in this country, the flu could have posed a much bigger threat than it currently does.
Having said this, there are proponents of the argument that media is primarily doing this for the sake of TRPs. Undoubtedly there is great public interest surrounding this flu and media outlets just want to cash in on this frenzy. They point out that we experience greater numbers of mortality just due to preventable diseases like malaria etc. So where was the media all this while, they ask. Fair argument by any measure!
So what are your thoughts on media’s role in this pandemic and in troubling times in general?
Love them or hate them, you just can’t ignore them goes an adage. This couldn’t apply more to the media than anything else today. Print, electronic or any other form of media pervades every aspect of our life; informing us and determining, to a reasonable extent, the formation of views and our response to developing situations.
The ongoing Swine Flu Pandemic has highlighted the media’s role yet again in informing, educating, spreading information and awareness among the masses. In fact, I reckon, without the proactive media we have today in this country, the flu could have posed a much bigger threat than it currently does.
Having said this, there are proponents of the argument that media is primarily doing this for the sake of TRPs. Undoubtedly there is great public interest surrounding this flu and media outlets just want to cash in on this frenzy. They point out that we experience greater numbers of mortality just due to preventable diseases like malaria etc. So where was the media all this while, they ask. Fair argument by any measure!
So what are your thoughts on media’s role in this pandemic and in troubling times in general?
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Amendment to the 'Public Office Act circa 2009'...:)
Election Commission [EC] Circular:
The following 'rules' have been added to the already existing criteria for filing nominations to run for office.
• Ability to shout down opposing views. It is mandatory that prospective member clear the prescribed 'decibel-o-meter' test with flying colours.
• Should be strong enough to yank the speaker's microphone out in case the speaker asks you to stop speaking or says anything that is not in your favour.
• Ability to fall asleep while serious discussion is going on. Candidates with snoring that amounts to just a whisper will be preferred over the rest.
• Compulsory absenting on Fridays so as to take an extended weekend holiday. Punitive action will taken against members who insist on attending sessions on Friday.
• Ability to smuggle in wads of currency notes and display it in the well of the house at the most opportune moment in the full glare of the cameras. Conceiving unique smuggling ideas will attract incentives such as 'black money limit' extended to 10 crores and relaxation in the 'less than 5 years' in prison rule by another 2 years.
• Asking ONLY questions for which members have been paid for. Extra questions will be charged at 420/question.
P.S: This post was never meant to demean anybody or any country... :)
The following 'rules' have been added to the already existing criteria for filing nominations to run for office.
• Ability to shout down opposing views. It is mandatory that prospective member clear the prescribed 'decibel-o-meter' test with flying colours.
• Should be strong enough to yank the speaker's microphone out in case the speaker asks you to stop speaking or says anything that is not in your favour.
• Ability to fall asleep while serious discussion is going on. Candidates with snoring that amounts to just a whisper will be preferred over the rest.
• Compulsory absenting on Fridays so as to take an extended weekend holiday. Punitive action will taken against members who insist on attending sessions on Friday.
• Ability to smuggle in wads of currency notes and display it in the well of the house at the most opportune moment in the full glare of the cameras. Conceiving unique smuggling ideas will attract incentives such as 'black money limit' extended to 10 crores and relaxation in the 'less than 5 years' in prison rule by another 2 years.
• Asking ONLY questions for which members have been paid for. Extra questions will be charged at 420/question.
P.S: This post was never meant to demean anybody or any country... :)
Amendment to the 'Public Office Act circa 2009'...:)
Election Commission [EC] Circular:
The following 'rules' have been added to the already existing criteria for filing nominations to run for office.
• Ability to shout down opposing views. It is mandatory that prospective member clear the prescribed 'decibel-o-meter' test with flying colours.
• Should be strong enough to yank the speaker's microphone out in case the speaker asks you to stop speaking or says anything that is not in your favour.
• Ability to fall asleep while serious discussion is going on. Candidates with snoring that amounts to just a whisper will be preferred over the rest.
• Compulsory absenting on Fridays so as to take an extended weekend holiday. Punitive action will taken against members who insist on attending sessions on Friday.
• Ability to smuggle in wads of currency notes and display it in the well of the house at the most opportune moment in the full glare of the cameras. Conceiving unique smuggling ideas will attract incentives such as 'black money limit' extended to 10 crores and relaxation in the 'less than 5 years' in prison rule by another 2 years.
• Asking ONLY questions for which members have been paid for. Extra questions will be charged at 420/question.
P.S: This post was never meant to demean anybody or any country... :)
The following 'rules' have been added to the already existing criteria for filing nominations to run for office.
• Ability to shout down opposing views. It is mandatory that prospective member clear the prescribed 'decibel-o-meter' test with flying colours.
• Should be strong enough to yank the speaker's microphone out in case the speaker asks you to stop speaking or says anything that is not in your favour.
• Ability to fall asleep while serious discussion is going on. Candidates with snoring that amounts to just a whisper will be preferred over the rest.
• Compulsory absenting on Fridays so as to take an extended weekend holiday. Punitive action will taken against members who insist on attending sessions on Friday.
• Ability to smuggle in wads of currency notes and display it in the well of the house at the most opportune moment in the full glare of the cameras. Conceiving unique smuggling ideas will attract incentives such as 'black money limit' extended to 10 crores and relaxation in the 'less than 5 years' in prison rule by another 2 years.
• Asking ONLY questions for which members have been paid for. Extra questions will be charged at 420/question.
P.S: This post was never meant to demean anybody or any country... :)
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