28.8.11

Team Aamir and Arnab

Now that the medics will be free, they should rush to some television channels. First stop is emergency treatment for Times Now's Valmiki. Arnab Goswami is celebrating Diwali - there is so much patakha coming out of his mouth - for the return of Lord Anna from his banwas. Fact is, he was not in exile.

The real agni pariksha (test by fire) does not count. Breaking news is screaming out about "Complete victory". He challenged the viewers: "Is this a victory for Anna or for the billion Indian people?"

Please correct me: is a session in Parliament that has tacitly agreed to the main points a complete victory? Rest assured that Team TOI has ensured that the ads will keep coming. For, the anchor at one point referred with some gumption to "what we call the common man". He was also handing out certificates applauding ministers for conducting the Parliament session so well. "It is creditable..." he intoned.

He refused to entertain "cynicism", although arrogance is his birthright. After Medha Patkar had her say, which was pro-Anna, he used her to fortify his sponsored point. To the extent that he even said, "She does not belong to the constitutional club and may not even be allowed inside the India International Centre." Media people are on quota lists for everything, including membership of IIC, and whatever her stand on this subject it was a cheap shot to earn common man mileage points.

The real cherry was when he was contradicted on his euphoria. He snorted and said, "If one does not understand history in the making, then I would not be true to journalism"!

- - -

My Hindutva party acquaintance has other problems.

The Note:

"I am watching the 7pm news on Times Now. Aamir Khan is sitting next to Anna Hazare. And he is wearing a skull cap, which clearly identifies him as a Muslim.

However Team Anna had consistently opposed any show of Hindu symbolism on the stage.

Strange definition of secularism.

Incidentally, I think one rarely sees Aamir Khan in a skull cap in other surroundings. One has to wonder why he felt it necessary to make his Muslim identity so stand out. Did he take part as a Muslim or as an Indian?"

My take:

This whole tamasha has been about symbolism. Aamir Khan has often used public fora to market his films and himself.

Did anyone object when Swami Ramdev openly propagated a 'Hindu' style of protest? Is everyone wearing a Gandhi topi Gandhian?

Indeed, Aamir does not wear the skullcap, so he perhaps did it to further the cause after the Shahi Imam's objection. And to send out the message that elitist Muslims are with Anna.

Even if he made his Muslim identity stand out, I find it strange that this is seen as antithetical to being Indian.

What about the dhotis and chotis, the sadhus and bhajans? Shall we ask every woman to discard her bindi and the men to put away rudraksha beads so we can be completely secular?

Everyone has used the Ramlila Ground to bribe their way into different groups for their versions of "complete victory".

11 comments:

  1. why you soud so bitchy all the time lady? are you not getting ... nowadays? come on you used be fun some time back, what happen?

    ReplyDelete
  2. C'mon, FV, be more charitable to Arnab!

    He's the best joker of the pack (whatchacallem in rummy - 'paploo'? 'taploo'?)

    He's well versed in the 3 R's - Rant, Rave & Rhetoric.

    He uses Brylcreem (not the Ghulam Nabi Fai kind)

    He's iconic to the Bongos

    He's trending on Twitter - #prayforarnab

    Whenever I'm feeling down and suicidal, I tune in to Times Now

    .... and I have realised ....

    There are less painful methods of committing suicide

    You don't have to be a bullfrog to croak

    God finally has an ass istant

    TE

    PS Did you catch the moment when he dismissed - nay, banished - Swami Agnivesh from his presence with "Well, obviously, you are not part of the decision-making process in the Anna camp .. " Because SA had said that Anna must end his fast.

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  3. FV

    Ah, Yes! Aaamir. Did you know he's added another A to his name? A for Anna.

    And did you see him chewing a B for Banana at Iftar time? He looked as though he was going to upchuck ...

    TE

    ReplyDelete
  4. Could FV be any more irrelevant?

    She, like a lot of her fellow pakistanis, is a supporter of Imran Khan..

    While Indians support Anna Hazare in huge numbers, irrelevants like Arundhati Roy and Pakistanis like FV continue to oppose him...

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  5. FV,

    If I wore a saffron Tshirt with "Mandir Wahi Banayenge" written on it, will you give me the benefit of doubt, like you are giving that great prophet of bollywood?

    ReplyDelete
  6. TE:

    I watched the darned channel only because of my Hindutva friend's note. So, I missed out on the Aamir iftaar.

    Arnab uses Brylcreem? Hasn;t he heard about 'Vasmol ne kiya kamaal"?

    When you feel down you should look for an upper, or just oopar.

    No, did not catch his dismissal of Agnivesh, but just got news that some vid is out about how he SA double-crossed Anna and was talking to "Kapilji".

    Don't know what's happening, but knew it would all be a mish-mash. Everyone is so bitchy :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Arjun:

    You loved my poem? Thanks! No? Duh? Exactly. This is what your comment looks like. It is scattered. Click on 'Imran Khan' label on my blog and check out what I have had to say. You do your Anna thing from wherever you are. Just stay away from Irene. I still think you are 'relevant', and I am a masochist.

    F&F:

    Click label 'Aamir Khan' and see what I think about him, if you did not catch it here.

    But, did he also wear a green T shirt that said, "Masjid waheen banayenge", or do you see these in your imagination? Or was it implied in that green banana - ah, yes, ba-na-na...masjid banana hai, drat!

    As regards giving the benefit of doubt to someone with a t shirt saying "Mandir waheen banayenge", make no. Better than breaking masjids.

    Btw, the best saffron comes from the Mossie countries/states :)

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  8. Forced Hindus out to make Muslim dominated valley.

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  9. You are the first to point out Aamir's skull cap, none questioned it. No news channel commented on it too. only you making it an issue.

    His skull cap look much better than Ugly-bhesh's bhagva pagdi which is a disguise.

    I hope Aamir won't appear with goat beard and Chaplin pants in future.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wish you had read the piece.

    "My Hindutva party acquaintance has other problems." and I was responding to his note.

    ReplyDelete
  11. VM: "His(Aamir Khan's) skull cap look much better than Ugly-bhesh's bhagva pagdi which is a disguise."

    You've nailed it. Agnivesh's uniform is a charade. Like a garden lizard, with a nice camouflage.

    FV, thanks for noticing the color-cards in the Anna-Aamir-Arnab drama. Yes, its just drama on the political stage. And the idea of a "secular show" is becoming greyer by the hour.

    ReplyDelete

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