Archive for November, 2009

Marathi Asmita! (Marathi Pride)

Monday, November 16th, 2009

The recent spate of incidences has once again forced me to write about Marathi and Marathi viewpoint. Once again the issue of Marathis and their points of view are at gunpoint. Marathis are asked for proofs of their love for nation. Once again Marathi pride (Asmita) is under siege.

Its very easy terming Marathi sentiments as anti-nationalist and separatist and what not! Raj Thackerey and Bal Thackerey are ridiculed everywhere outside Maharashtra and are forcefully made the representative of Marathi Pride (Asmita). Congress and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) Marathi leaders alike are happy licking their national bosses’ shoes, but the actual Marathi Asmita doesn’t get mention anywhere. Everyone very conveniently forgets that there is whole lot of Marathi beyond Thackereys and Congress and BJP and that Marathi lives in hearts of everyone who loves it. And ask them, they will swear by it instead of their mothers first. Its one of those Indian Languages which has huge literature right from most ancient periods. The Maratha Empire (Named by its ruling dynasty) whose language was Marathi was the sole Indigenous and sovereign empire during Mughal Agression. Marathis have a special pride, right from those times. When Delhi was to be freed of Mughals, it was Peshwas who rallied there. When China Attacked India in 1962, Yashwantrao Chavan (The then Chief Minister of Maharashtra) quit his post of CM to go to Delhi as Defense Minister of India. Maharashtra has a long association with the concept of India as one nation. One can take a look at large number of Marathi Freedom Fighters. It was Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Sawarkar who strongly advocated the use of Hindi as National Language, despite his huge differences with Jawaharlal Nehru on other issues. Doubting Marathi people’s sense of Nationality and their love for Nation is a huge insult to them. One may now raise the topic of “Samyukta Maharashtra Andolan”(Joint Maharashtra Movement) and ask why did Maharashtra demanded a different state? Let me clear, I know very little about the social and political situation of that time so I cannot exactly state, but one simple question I have, if all the other states were arranged linguistically, then why was Maharashtra and Gujarat made an exception? I have never delved deep in this question though. But another question, why were peaceful protesters fired at, by Police such ruthlessly? 105 casualties! What was that? How was that even justified?

Anyways, moving forward with the question; What is exactly the normal (Non Thackerey and non political) Marathi Sentiment? It was an interesting situation, when one of my friends living in Mumbai for last 20 years (Obviously oblivious to Marathi) asked me, what is my definition of Marathi Manoos? Albeit, with a sarcastic tone. I simply smiled and said, its whatever you feel. Seriously, how can you define this. If even after living in Maharashtra for 20 years you can’t understand it, then maybe you are at fault. This increased sarcasm for Marathi people and their sentiments is a serious Media Hype. English and Hindi Media are constantly bombarding Thackerey statements and Lalu-Amar-Nitish Statements. Everyone is getting what they exactly want. Media get their sensation, Thackereys and Lalu and company get into public gaze for all wrong reasons. No one questions their commitments to development of their states. No one asks them their contribution towards upliftment of the people they claim to be fighting for. Almost all the Prime Ministers of the country, barring a few have been from North India, but still North India, despite claiming to be “Heartland” of India, continues to be underdeveloped even after more than 60 years of Independence. Why all the Southern states show remarkable progress and intelligentsia and lead the Corporate and IT progress.

Further, another one asks me to segregate the terms Mumbai and Maharashtra, since according to him except Mumbai there are no or negligible migrations to other parts of Maharashtra. This again is the result of drawing conclusions from Media reports. If you go into Maharashtra there are many developed pockets and all are experiencing the inrush of Migrants. And the problem isn’t limited to only Mumbai or Maharashtra, it is a “Pan-national” problem and has to be addressed on more serious terms. Its pan-nationality can be understood by considering murders of Biharis in Assam, or skirmishes between Bengalis and Biharis in Bengal, or by recent uproar in state of Madhya Pradesh.

The one nation chants seem all very poetic and laden with nationalistic fervour, but there is a limit to the cooperative upliftment of regions. Cooperative upliftment shall not be one sided for long period. If this “Nationalistic” practise leads to downfall of developing regions then there is something inherently wrong in the basic concept. 60 years is a huge period. Southern states, though always given a secondary treatments have managed so much developments and Northern states despite enjoying all the benefits that come through leadership have only excelled in corruption and gundaraj. Wake up dudes, its time you put in efforts and try to achieve what others have. When Raj or Bal Thackerey shout for Marathi cause, they take up a very sensitive matter in a very shallow way. But, the propagandistic answer-shouts from Lalu and company are worse than that. Because, they shamelessly shy away from their own deeds. The Northern outbound flow of people is because of these shameless leaders reaping the benefits of all the resources of their states. And now they are being made hero by Media. Abu Azmi, the most ridiculous fanatic is touted as Hero of national language. I want to ask Nitish and Lalu and others, that if they claim that Mumbai is what Mumbai is because of North Indians, then why can’t you now start and make one Mumbai inside the so called “Heartland” of India? Who has stopped you? And sane, literate people are calling Marathis names just through the information, they are presented by Media. And worse, “Rational” and “Liberal” Marathis are also touting the same little things to ridicule their own. The irony of the situation is these people are living in Maharashtra for last so many years and are enjoying the very “Pan-National” behaviour of Marathi People, by still neither learning Marathi nor showing any interest towards doing so and now those very people are ridiculing the Marathis for their Anti-National behaviour. Marathis are being insulted without a reason as far as I think. I do not expect anything from outside Maharashtra to understand, since the only source of info for them is over sensationalised media; but I feel sad for those who have lived in Maharashtra or are still living, and more so I pity at those who being Marathi themselves, do not understand the actual issue.

The issue remains of centralised development and political inefficiency to decentralise the development. Leaders need to be asked the questions. Ways like, shouting “Freedom of settling anywhere” and “Pan-Nationalist” sentiments are nothing but unrealistic and poetic ways of running away from problems. “Mumbai” is national property! Here ends the duty of leadership. Now, poor displaced from Northern states and unemployed from Maharashtra would fight it out. Add to that MNS (Maharashtra Navanirmaan Sena) and ShivSena.

Ever imagined why ShivSena and MNS were born in first place? Such things happen when countries are developing. The pie is attacked by everyone in the house. But, this fight over pie has to end someday. Everyone in the house should grow up and become able to earn their own bread. Cooperative upliftment is a wonderful concept if employed systematically and not by declaring “Mumbai Sabki hai!” (Mumbai belongs to everyone)

Asking questions such as are you Marathi first or Indian first is stupid and idiotic! There is no definite answer to every question. Its as if you love your mother more or father more. Some people may have their definite answers. Further, answering such questions in presence of Media when you are a noted celebrity is priceless! Sachin Tendulkar did exactly the same and has now become an instrument for Thackereys, Congress, Media and North Indian dudes.

Get the perspectives clear before you doubt Marathi People’s national commitment. Maharashtra is probably only state, where slogan goes “Jai Hind! Jai Maharashtra!” (Glory to India! Glory to Maharashtra!); country’s name figures before state’s name.

Jai Hind! Jai Maharashtra!

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One tight slap!

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

MNS-Maharashtra Navanirmaan Sena

MLA-Member of Legislative Assembly

RSS-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

BJP-Bharatiya Janata Party

Abu Asim Azmi- Leader of a party called Samajwadi Party

LK Advani – BJP Leader

When MNS MLAs slapped Abu Asim Azmi in Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra. I was more than thrilled. Frankly speaking, Abu Asim Azmi deserved a slap, but not this way. Actually, in this incident Abu Asim Azmi got what he wanted. Loads of cheap publicity and tales to tell about his heroism. I was suspicious as soon as Abu Azmi declared his intentions to swear in Hindi instead of Marathi. He cited the reason being, he needs time to learn the language. I don’t understand how many hundred years he wants before he learns the language, because from the past many years, as long as my memory goes, he is living in Mumbai. He has fought many an elections from here and surely enough, Official Language of the city is Marathi.

Anyway, from the time he declared, I understood his intentions to unnecessary heat up the atmosphere. And MNS readily obliged. A war of words and warnings ensued and the end result was nothing short of spectacular. Abu mustn’t have expected a slap though. He very well deserved a slap for his undeterred venomous speeches from long time heating up the religious sentiments. And as far as I remember, once his son was detained for drugs possessions along with some other rich sons, including Dilip Chhabria’s son. He himself doesn’t particularly enjoy a clean track record, going by his lavish properties. But, the only problem is this slap is hit at wrong place and at wrong time. Though, MNS did achieve what they wanted, going by some of the reactions that I received from acquaintances, rational thinkers would differ. For me, an ultra cynic, Abu was gifted with the cheap publicity, just at the cost of a slap. Cheap Deal indeed!

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Now, I want to turn to a complex issue. As now-a-days, I am obsessed with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, I am reading anything that I can find about him. Two days back while reading some of his quotes, I found this piece of quote interesting and I tweeted it, “A ruler who needs a religion is a weakling and weaklings should not rule.” While I posted it, I attached “…so true” as my opinion to this. As soon as I posted it with a clean mind and admiration for the man, I realized what I had done. As those who know me know, I am generally a BJP supporter and used to be devout some time back, I understood that some bites would follow and there it came. Sensing this, I had started to figure out how exactly I will answer this.

The answer is BJP as we it today is confused and directionless. If you look at the agenda that BJP had in its heydays, it consisted of an important term – Common Civil Code. RSS, the parent organization of BJP still advocates it. Now, as for explaining the sudden rise of BJP on national scene, I always hear that BJP started it with demolition of Babari Mosque. I want to ask them, can I say that Congress started it by allowing the division of the nation? Can I say, that Congress started it, first with Operation Blue Star (interestingly is the symbol of Judaism) and then with mishandling of situation in Kashmir? No, I cannot say that, because that would make me Communal. The basic definition of Communal is at fault, because it actually doesn’t have a definition. RSS since its birth has always been a reaction. Its very birth was a reaction to Muslim League. The demolition of Babari Mosque was a result of many factors, such as LK Advani’s oratory skills, mob fury but most importantly, Hindu Insecurity. Everybody asks questions, but no one has found the answer as to why, on such a large scale, did the majority community became insecure? And the reaction to demolition of a mosque was? Serial bomb blasts in Mumbai. What else you expect to follow? Blindly all the exasperated voters turned to saffron labeled outfit. Of course, there were and there are opportunistic and hot headed leaders, but terming BJP as a whole as religious affair is injustice to the very purpose of its formation.

Right from its birth BJP has fought for Common Civil Code. And what is Congress doing for all these years? All I want to ask is when you say, “A ruler who needs a religion”; do you only mean he advocates a certain religion? Can’t it also mean he uses the weapon of religion? Like Marx said, Religion is opium. Tell me when did BJP say it wants to create a Hindu Rashtra? (Except for it iterates to reinstate Ram Mandir, which is an entirely different and complex issue and needs hours of writing) Instead, it was actually BJP regime, when strained relations in Indo-Pak started to loosen. But Nawaz Sharif was toppled and all the efforts went waste. Further, BJP never enjoyed complete majority in Parliament, thus could not apply its Agenda to the fullest. Further, those who claim they came to power because of religious sentiments, then just tell me, the Babari Mosque was demolished in 1992, and the reaction bomb blasts occurred in 1993 followed by riots and BJP came to power in 1995. How could the religious sentiments sustain for this long. I agree religious sentiments did play some part, but it had a lot to do. The violence had resulted in anti-incumbency sentiments and further, the religious tagging was long before Babari was demolished. Terming, BJP’s rise to power as solely the result of Babari demolition and religious outburst, is like self deceit. Actually it was Congress, which before independence played the Religion Card, in Khilafat Movement and after independence it used the minority concessions to actually deceive Muslims. Otherwise can you explain how a community, which was the ruler in Moghul empire and favoured in British Raj is still poor according to much touted Sachchar Commission Report? And BJP’s fall was a result of amateur behaviour of its front leaders and nothing to do with suddenly matured voters.

So, people that’s my answer to the question.

Moreover, it is entirely amateur to equate the statement of great man so squarely. He made the statement in context of Ottoman ruler and his statement did have deeper meaning. But if it is being thrown around, just for the sake of argument, it indeed shows the gross immaturity. Because, Indian Polity is far more complex than people usually are made to believe.

For any further brickbats I am always available.

P.S. – Today is Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s 71st Death Anniversary! My salute to his memory!

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Travelling back in time

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Entire world seems to be travelling back in time. Yes. You heard it right, really we are doing that. According to Einstein, we need to travel faster than light to achieve that, but thanks to some “Glorious Bastards” we are managing it anyway. Yes, we are fast moving towards middle age again and the day won’t be far, when our future generations will be in stone age again and finally we will achieve to bring about yet another big bang and hmmm….what next?

I will just give examples.

  1. A Muslim organisation in India, issues a fatwah against “Vande Mataram” (Same patriotic song that has become A.R. Rehman’s signature tune for long) terming it anti islamic. And this all occurs on the same day of honourable attendance by Home Minister of “Secular” Republic of India.

  2. Somewhere in Indonesia, I read that they are about to bring out a law that will prevent women wearing tight clothes.

  3. A Saudi Man is convicted by a Saudi court for flaunting his sex life on a Lebanese Talk show.

  4. A Saudi woman who was the representative for the production house of same Lebanese show in Saudi Arabia is convicted for same offence i.e. Offending Islam. Later she is pardoned by Saudi King on mercy (Though, many smell international pressure here, since this case was highly publicised in Western world)

  5. A Pakistani Muslim girl, who has tattoed “Alham Dulillah” (Praise to God) on her back is spotted in one of Mumbai’s biggest mall by one Indian Muslim and he calls his mother, who then rallies some more women to the place and physically assaults and verbally abuses the girl in the mall itself for insulting Islam. When I ask how did it offend Islam to one of my educated Muslim colleague, I get an answer that tattoing on back is offensive. I somehow controlled my urge to ask about frontside. The girl quickly flies off to her native “Islamic” Republic of Pakistan from the “Secular” Republic of India.

  6. Some girls who are in a pub in southern India are attacked by a bunch of hooligans claiming to be a Hindu Right wing outfit. Their claim – the girls are offending Indian and Hindu culture by drinking with boys and wearing skimpy outfits.

Well I just realised that I am also spiraling down back into the time. This account may just feature India and the Middle east but actually there are a lot many Christian Conservatives too in Europe and Americas, whose tales do not get much publicity. They are called cults sometimes. But Europe and Americas have a far larger population who is progressive and thus these cults remain cults and fail to make it to mainstream.

That underlines the fact that if sanity has to prevail, insanity has to be outnumbered overwhelmingly. For that, mass education is a mandatory requirement. And to achieve that kind of mass education, we in India and such developing and regressive societies, need Educational Reforms. I understood what educational reforms can do when I read about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It was his achievements, alongwith some disturbing and disgusting news prompted me to write this post. If we really want to stop the journey back into time and we want to move forward. We have to follow the path shown by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He partly succeded in his ventures only because of Educational Reforms. Whatever was left unachieved is being achieved slowly by Turkey. I am highly impressed by whatever meagre information I read about him and now I am waiting to get my hands on one of his authentic Biographies.

I only read in our textbooks that M.K. Gandhi supported Muslims on Khilafat (Caliphate) Andolan (Movement) to bring Muslims into mainstream Independence movements, but our textbooks don’t mention that the cause M.K. Gandhi fought against at nation’s expense was actually something to stop the contemporary Muslims from going back in time and put them on way to progress in Modern World. Further M.K. Gandhi’s steps didn’t only backfire but also lead to an unnecessary tagging of different Hindu and Muslim causes, which in turn lead to the problems that we historically are facing till date. The Caliphate (Khilafat) was abolished by Ataturk for the greater good of Muslims and the Modern post World War I world. And he proved it with his revolutionary reforms and guidance to take Turkey long way ahead of other Muslim Nations. And yes, importantly it is the only Muslim Majority nation to be Constitutionally Secular and actually practises it in Education and Law.

What a stark contrast between M.K. Gandhi and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. One more interesting fact. We, all know M.K. Gandhi is lovingly(!) called Rashtrapita (Father of the nation – though I am not sure) also Ataturk means Father of the Turks.

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