How the Battle Between Politics & Media Won't End

A couple of weeks ago, we published an article on the Guwahati molestation case, the moral of the story being ‘soch badlo, kapde nahin’ (change the way you think, not the way they dress). The other day I was watching ‘No One Killed Jessica’, the film based on the Jessica Lal murder case, on TV again, and it got me a tad intrigued with the whole concept of ‘trial by media’.

Wikipedia (yes, Wikipedia, problem?) defines ‘trial by media’ as the following:

Trial by media is a phrase popular in the late 20th century and early 21st century to describe the impact of television and newspaper coverage on a person's reputation by creating a widespread perception of guilt or innocence before, or after, a verdict in a court of law.

There are too many pros and cons of the concept for me to bother listing them out here, a small glimpse of which is presented in the definition itself (are you telling me you can’t detect the slight negative connotation associated with the phrases ‘widespread perception’ and ‘impact on a person’s reputation’?). What I’m far more interested in is trial by media in a country like India where the concept has been significant in greater proportions than the rest of the world. The judiciary is most definitely not untouchable; corruption is as present there as it is at the next traffic light crossing where those two short policemen in moustaches look the other way while their wallets grow just a little bit larger now and then. And so of course, who better to police the police judiciary than the media? As a history student at heart, I have had to accept the importance of case studies unequivocally and therefore will proceed to draw upon two such “trial by media” cases in the glorious motherland to examine its effects, before going on to study the Guwahati case and why the hell the media should or should not take pride in what they’ve done.

First up for trial (pun intended) we have the Jessica Lal murder case, for the sole reason that I know the story by heart thanks to the fantastic Bollywood movie made on it.

Jessica Lal, a model, was working as a barmaid at a party when she was shot dead for refusing to serve drinks because the bar had run out of alcohol. Manu Sharma, the guy behind the gun, shot her in the head. Manu Sharma, Amardeep Singh Gill, Vikas Yadav (remember this guy’s name, it’ll crop up again) and Alok Khanna absconded for a few days. But of course with every idiot stupid enough to shoot someone over a drink comes a barrage of famous names:

-Manu Sharma’s father is former state minister Venod Sharma. A powerful guy, apparently.
-Vikas Yadav’s daddy dearest was another state politician and thug extraordinaire, D. P. Yadav.

Okay maybe not barrage, but just about enough names to keep it 'exciting'..

The judiciary progressed at a pace infinitely slower than those “deep” movies that claim to have a very soul-touching message but basically waste 2.5 hours of your life. If I said the judiciary crawled towards justice, I’d be lying. They lay flat on their stomachs and once in a while hoped a gust of wind would push them towards there.

12 accused, 9 acquited (including, of course, Manu Sharma), 101 witnesses, 32 turned “hostile”, 7 years, case shut and there you have it- apparently no one killed Jessica.

Media to the rescue, but of course. Rallies, marches, sting operations -no stone was left unturned to find out why such an “open and shut” case had gone so horribly wrong. A second trial was carried out, and Sharma was given a life sentence. Now, go watch the movie.

For Case Study B, we have the Nitish Katara murder case. I chose this one for a specific reason (yes, unexpected twists ahead for those of you who haven’t read about this case).

Nitish Katara was a young executive in Delhi who was murdered in 2002. He had fallen in love with his classmate Bharti Yadav, and so apparently fell victim to an ‘honor killing’ (it’s the nice way of saying he was brutally murdered because Bharati’s family didn’t approve of the relationship).

Katara and Bharti had been dating for 4 years in 2002, but during the trial Bharti denied any relationship beyond friendship. She claimed she was scared of how her family might react. I’d say her fears were somewhat justified, considering Katara’s body had been battered by a hammer and set to fire.

4 people saw Bharti’s brother take Katara into a car, and the next morning his body was found beside a highway. The police initially said that her brother confessed to kidnapping him but then they retracted their statements. The U.P. police extracted a confession and taped it, and NDTV managed to get their hands on this tape and broadcasted it in 2006. Who was the brother, you ask? Vikas Yadav. Ring a bell?

Obviously the nuances of these cases are too many to fully explore but the overarching theme remains the same- the media publicized these to such an extent that the courts were forced to remain extra vigilant. Like anything else done well in India, this, too has sparked criticisms that are based on the claim that the media has no say in swaying justice and that they should stick to their own turf. While these claims may have some foundation, they don’t hold up very strongly in a country like India’s due to the rampant corruption present at every level that makes it necessary for the media to irritate the right people once in a while. Instead of the politicians, it is the media that, more often than not, fights for the people instead of fighting the people. Let’s face it, nobody wants people like Vikas’s father D.P. Yadav (charged with nine murder cases, three attempted murders and a number of kidnapping and extortions) to represent us, but they still do. For those (mostly politicians) who accuse the media of altering facts for sensation, they don’t realize that for us, the people, it is a choice between those who alter the facts more and those who alter the facts less. No prizes for guessing which is which.

But then we have the Guwahati case, where a media journalist happened to be recording the molestation. He recorded about 20 minutes of footage, and that worries me. It worries me because I don’t think anyone can stand watching the video for 20 seconds, let alone recording it live for 20 minutes. His claim was that his video “helped convict the molesters” and while this may be true to an extent, the concept of humanity is brought into the line of fire here. 20 minutes? Was recording it for 20 minutes absolutely necessary? I’d have to agree when people say that might have incited the mob even further. Where does the media draw its line in the business of “delivering the truth”? In a sense, this, too, is ‘trial by media’- the case’s criminals will be convicted at a faster pace, fast-tracked through the swamp that is the Indian judiciary thanks to the media, etc. etc. However, before our profession comes our humanity, and this wasn’t displayed at all.

It is a constant battle between the media and our political system. The former has gained so much power since the concept of ‘trial by media’ came into play that it seems virtually untouchable, but in the midst of becoming untouchable we need to remember that at the end of the day, they too have their limits that they cannot cross. This is something our politicians conveniently forget, and something our media needs to remember. The former is expected, the latter is desired.

 -Lassie

Source of cartoons:

http://www.doctorshangout.com/profiles/blog/list?month=06&year=2011

http://cartoonistsatish.blogspot.sg/2010/12/cartoons-done-for-legal-era.html

That One Time Bollywood & North Korea Made News for Similar Reasons

As a die-hard Bollywood fan who is “mildly” interested in politics, the last few days have been nothing less than an emotional rollercoaster for me. I have dipped in and out of depression, thanks to all the news about marriages (or the lack of it) reported both in the Western and Indian media.

“Saif-Kareena Wedding Called Off?”

“N. Korea’s Kim Jong Un Married!”

I’m sorry but how is one meant to take both of these lying down? I am at a loss when trying to decide which piece of news has affected me more, and this article will attempt to reach a conclusion. A bit of soul-searching, if you will.

Introducing the two happy couples for those who don’t like Bollywood/ don’t read newspapers/both (what a miserable existence)- first up are Saif-Kareena (or for those shippers out there: Saifeena). Two of Bollywood’s biggest names (and I don’t say this lightly), the two are arguably on the level of Abhishek-Aishwarya (Abhiash heheh) where fame and status are concerned. They were meant to tie the knot after the release of Agent Vinod (don’t watch it) this year but postponed it to October. Next, we have North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who took over the title of “dictator” “leader” after his dad Kim Jong Il died last December (I hear he was il. Sorry, done-to-death joke, I know. But then again, so was he). Kim Jong-un married his lovely wife Ri Sol-ju after he saw her performing at a concert hall (BOLLYWOOD SCRIPTWRITERS TAKE NOTE!!). Aged at around 28-29, Kim is the youngest head of state in the world. He is also a couple of years younger than Kareena Kapoor.

Kim Jong-un and the Missus

Kareena Kapoor & Saif Ali Khan

Saifeena (as they shall be called henceforth) have been dating for 5 years now, and talks of marriage have been on for ages now (albeit more by the media than the couple itself). However, with Kareena’s latest film “Heroine” (the trailer of which we recommend watching by the way) lined up for release soon, we hear she got cold feet and postponed the wedding to late December, or even next year. I don’t blame her, which married heroine has managed to keep her pre-marriage appeal? Dad, Madhuri Dixit doesn’t count and even if she did Aaja Nachle was horrendous, so that once again proves my point. Save your career Kareena! Saif isn’t going anywhere (hopefully).

Kim Jong-un though. He’s a completely different kind of weirdo. Since his father’s death, what looks like attempts have been made to make North Korea more, for the lack of a better word, “cute”. He’s been photographed hugging soldiers, with women by his arms (not the military type), and posing for photos with troops, things I think his dad wouldn’t be too happy doing. He has toured amusement parks and concerts where guest appearances were made by Mickey Mouse and Disney characters. Yes, it’s no Shah Rukh Khan dancing at Filmfares but give him a break, the guy’s trying. He’s also shuffled around the military in order to consolidate his power further, but that’s not very significant in the face of this photo-

Like I said, cute. In the words of a wise friend (just kidding, Chap’s my only wise friend)- “What a swell guy”. Absolutely no pun intended on the word ‘swell’. And now the media is going absolutely berserk over the fact that he’s married. And why wouldn’t they? Nothing says “take me seriously” better than showing off your pretty little wife to the media. Furthermore, headlines yell “Americans weren’t invited to the wedding”. Pity, but not as depressing as the time Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan weren’t invited to Abhiash’s wedding. You want to try convincing me that the former is worse than the latter? Don’t bother. Especially considering America has no diplomatic ties with North Korea, but HR and SRK were more than “bros” with Abhiash. Furthermore, I don’t see why everyone’s getting so terribly excited about this little revelation about Kim Jong-un’s wedding. Yes, sure, it makes him look like more than a chubby ruler, and sure, it makes him more of a family man than before. But that doesn’t conceal the fact that North Korea is still an awful place to live in, more and more citizens are starving by the day, basic amenities aren’t available to most people, they still shower pretty pathetic propaganda leaflets on South Korea once in a while, literacy levels are abysmal to say the least and of course- the fact that they probably have access to nuclear weapons. But it’s okay guys, Kim Jong-un is married!

Coming to think of it, Kareena calling off the Saifeena wedding does seem much more heartbreaking. I’m going to quote another friend of mine because her sentiments reflect those of fans worldwide-

Tanvi Bhaskar 7:49 PM

omg

WHY

i thought

they were all finally happy

for once

omg whyy

i ACTUALLY liked them

shipped them if you will

Amen to that, Tanvi.

But there you have it folks. Tis’ the season to talk about weddings, apparently, but we need to stay focused on the bigger picture here. The media is going gaga over Kim’s marriage, but it cant distract us from the plight of every single North Korean in the country and the fact that these “reforms” are as deep as Kareena’s cheapest face mask. Real reforms are yet to take place, and when those do, I promise I’ll release an article titled “How Kim Jong un-did his father’s despotic rule”. Obviously, no pun intended.

-Lassie

Law-psided

Some of you may have heard about recent events in Colorado where a psychopath going under the pseudonym of “The Joker” opened fire on a crowd of innocent civilians, killing a dozen and wounding several more in the process. Now, an article in The New York Times has revealed that the suspect was able to purchase ammunition worth $3,000 on the internet. This included 3,000 rounds of handgun ammunition, 3,000 rounds for a rifle and 350 shotgun shells. During the process of acquiring this firepower, not once was Mr. James Holmes subject to a background check of any sort. His identity remained virtually anonymous throughout the entire transaction process.

Since this is the USA in question, organisations called “Gun Groups” have quickly jumped to the defence of the online system, saying stricter controls would only limit constitutional rights of individuals. This is understandable, when you consider American “culture” consists of guns, pick-up trucks, camping and spending nights everywhere except in one’s house. The obvious solution would be to regulate the sale of ammunition to ensure it doesn’t end up in the hands of deranged lunatics. But here, too, there appears to be an issue. Firstly, Republicans tend to be supportive of gun rights and secondly, restrictions on ammunition sales constitute a violation of rights (in the USA).

What is hard to comprehend is this. The USA as a nation has not ratified the convention on the rights of the child (CRC). This is because political and religious conservatives believe that the treaty is “Anti-family” and that the authority of parents is undermined as a result. So are the same “conservatives” arguing that arms and ammunition are pro-family? Juveniles should be given life sentences without parole but people should not be restricted from purchasing enough ammunition to rip the life out of a small city. From the various sources that are anti-CRC, it seems as if this lobby comprises citizens who are generally upset that the UN is trying to “undermine” the US’s standing as the godfather of the world. Why else would they be upset that other nations have agreed to it? What do US conservatives know about the interests of countries in Africa when they can’t prohibit people from filling their homes with firearms?

Agreed that most mass murderers, like Mr. James Holmes, are mentally “unstable” to say the very least. But that doesn’t mean law-abiding citizens should be allowed to order .50 BMG from online websites. That would be like uploading world intelligence data to Facebook and hoping nothing bad happens. Or leaving a bank vault unlocked because 99% of the customers are loyal. The only way is trial and error. Everyone needs to be screened before they are allowed to purchase firearms. This is the only method by which such tragedies can be prevented. And it is certain that gun owners who feel their rights are being violated would make the most dramatic of U-turns if they lost loved ones in such an incident. And if this violates constitutional rights, perhaps it’s time someone came up with the brilliant realisation that people’s rights to firearms don’t need to be consistent with their rights to vote or their right to fast food. Consider Singapore, where people are fined for chewing gum, drinking Coca-Cola on a bus, riding bicycles through an underpass and so on. It’s not as if any of these activities are remotely as life-threatening as a fully-loaded .357 Magnum. So why then, aren’t there stricter laws regarding firearms? The time has come for this to be changed.

In conclusion, not regulating the sale of ammunition can only be a bad thing. Regulation will not be bad, only inconvenient. Sadly, it does seem as if people would prefer convenience at a higher risk of tragedy. And at the end of the day, firearms are as destructive as explosives on a plane, for instance. So if people can bear the inconvenience of being frisked at airports to make sure their flights are safe, why should they complain about laws that will ensure their children are safe too?


-  Chap.

 Sources:

1.        http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/us/online-ammunition-sales-highlighted-by-aurora-shootings.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&hp
2.        http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2001/02/un-committees-take-aim-at-family-structure-and-morality-analyst-says
3.        http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2001/02/bg1407es-how-un-conventions-on-womens

Why Presidential Candidates Should Watch More Reality TV

I know we tweeted that we’d write an article on the Indian Presidential Elections only if Sangma won but let’s face it; the way Sangma is taking his inevitable defeat is too good to resist writing on.

The presidential elections took place on 19^th July, the main battle was between tribal leader (again, he calls himself that, not us) P.A. Sangma and ex-Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, with the latter being an absolute shoe-in especially after he got Mamata Banerjee’s blessings and this afternoon, Mukherjee was declared India’s 13^th president (and that’s what you missed on Glee!).

You always have those kids who seem like they’d be a gracious loser right up until they lose. Sangma isn’t like those kids. He always seemed like a bad loser, what a pity. An IBNLive headline very amusingly screams “Sangma is a poor loser!!” (exclamation marks are my addition but they might as well be there). But my favorite part is where Sangma says:

"I may have lost the election but the nation has also lost a golden opportunity to show solidarity with tribals"

NO WAIT DON’T STOP READING I PROMISE YOU IT GETS BETTER

"People of northeast are no more capable of standing on their own feet ... They have become dependent on central government."

What Sangma hasn’t realized is that “people of northeast” would rather be watching Indian Reality Shows where winners are voted for (very similar to but exponentially more interesting than our political system). Lets take a look at some general-knowledge-generated statistics:
1) Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa (India’s rendition of Dancing With the Stars): Season 3 winner Baichung Bhutia was from Northeastern India, as was Season 4 winner Meiyang Chang.
2) Indian Idol (Guess which show this is a rendition of, correct guesses get a confirmation that their intellect is equal to if not greater than an 8 year old’s): Season 3 winner Prashant Tamang, again hailing from the Northeast.
3) Dance India Dance (my own, personal favorite how absolutely exciting!): Season 3 produced both its winner and its runner up Rajasmita Kar and Pradeep Gurung from the Northeast, their version for younger kids (DID Lil’ Masters) saw the winner Jeetumoni hailing from the Northeast and this year’s hot favorites Saumya and Om hail from- it’s okay I’ll leave something for you to guess.

Above: Sangma in what we hope is his Bhangra piece for next years Dance India Dance audition

There you have it. India’s top 3 talent shows and their winners in the previous seasons. Sorry Sangma, but you’re clearly barking up the wrong tree (or watching the wrong TV channels). The people of northeast are more than capable of standing on their own feet.. when and where it counts. You need to relax, take a deep breath and turn on the TV to see what real vote-appeal means. We further recommending auditioning for one of these next year, you might become more popular. Then, perhaps, Elections 2017 might be your calling. 

-Lassie

Oops They Did It Again.. (albeit for the third time)

So China and Russia just vetoed a UN Security Council resolution regarding sanctions against Syria for the third time. Take a bow guys, you’ve achieved a hat trick! Looking at the issue vetoed against, Mao and Stalin would be as proud as a mother whose son has handed her his first paycheck. Or third. On a separate note, Assad’s bloodstained regime has managed to do what decades of the communism brethren couldn’t; it has aligned the two countries on something they apparently finally agree on- not taking action against an absolutely brutal and oppressive administration. Perhaps it reminds them a tad bit of their own history? Perhaps not even history?

What the situation is: Born out of the Arab Spring, the Syrian Uprising is an ongoing conflict between “leader” Bashar-Al-Assad and rebel groups hoping to live their lives without watching their family members die. Other noteworthy regimes collapsed thanks to the Arab Spring include Tunisia, Libya and Egypt (the Pyramids were unharmed, relax travel agents. Other Egyptian treasures? Not so much).

What the situation outside Syria (and inside the UN) is: I can sum it up in about a line- what the others want; China and Russia don’t i.e. Assad’s departure. Some countries have cut ties with Syria, others are openly supplying rebels with arms. Russia, Iran and China are Assad’s most important allies at the moment, with Russia very openly supplying the Syrian government with arms. The kicker? Even the Al Qaeda and its affiliates are anti-Assad. To summarize my sentiments in a rather pathetic word- LOL.

Because I have realized my love for lists, I’m going to compile noteworthy vetoes other P5 [those are the 5 permanent, veto-wielding members on the UNSC for those of you who i) don’t read the news ii) have never done MUN iii) don’t read the news but have done MUN as a country whose name nobody has heard of] nations have used-

-USA- on the Israeli military operations in Gaza, and the call for withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza strip and an end to the violence from both parties involved (definitely vetoed more than thrice, do take note)

-UK, USA, France (triple veto how terribly exciting!!)- condemning the US invasion of Panama

Since, obviously, P5 has 5 nations and we’re looking at noteworthy (strictly according to me only) vetoes by other P5 nations we’re left with only 3, so there you have it. USA’s list, when expand, would take up an entire article by itself, so thanks but no thanks.

The point of that fruitless exercise was to simply demonstrate that countries other than Russia and China have used their veto to further their own foreign policies as well. Both are, in principle, opposed to the Arab Spring itself. Didn’t stop Tunisia, Egypt and Libya’s regimes from toppling did it? Assad’s regime will topple, eventually, if Machiavelli knew what he was talking about 499 years ago (and I believe he did). Machiavelli stated a Prince (or government) should be feared but not to the point of being hated, which is when it becomes very possible for the opposition to topple him. Assad is going to go regardless of whether China and Russia use their veto 3 more times or not, its just a matter of when. Unless the USA get frustrated and decides to nuke them, in which case the world will end before December 2012 anyway.

So what now? Unfortunately, a trip to the dentist. The UN, before it was the UN, was known as the League of Nations. Back then during Hitler’s rise to power and Mussolini’s colonization attempts everywhere, the League of Nations was a funny thing. Smaller countries accused Britain and France (the USA wasn’t part of it) of wielding too much power and steering LoN decisions according to their own foreign policy. Cue a trip to the dentist, where the League of Nations went in and the United Nations emerged, fully fitted with a new set of dentures. The UN was top dog, it was the bomb, it was the world’s pocketful of sunshine. With expanded membership, power was shared amongst many more members and became a common platform for negotiations and discussions. Good for them, man. However, now the UN seems no longer to be “top dog”. They’re in dire need of some new dentures to strengthen their "bite". For my latest MUN our delegation was China’s (what fun!!). My two very capable and extremely humorous delegates to the Security Council had promised us they would veto whatever resolution tried to pass, much to the frustration of every other nation in the room. When I look back, somehow I see a similar situation playing out in the actual Chinese delegation (but they, unlike us, saying it with an absolutely straight face). So yes, new dentures are in order. The Security Council is flawed in the sense it is impossible to take any comprehensive actions that affect the interests of any of the P5 nations involved. How absolutely irritating.

To sum it up, Assad will be toppled, Machiavelli (like Bollywood) is always relevant, the world might end in 2012 and the UN needs to visit a dentist (we recommend Dr. Wong on Orchard Road. Kidding, he’s awful).

Apologies for posting this a day and a half after the actual veto took place. If you want on-the-spot, up-to-date news, follow Chap and me on twitter- @dem0crazies

-Lassie

(for sources of cartoons, look at "How Russia & China Scored Their Hattrick- Cartoons")

How Russia & China Scored Their Hattrick- More (pretty cute) Cartoons

source of cartoons:
http://pritheworld.tumblr.com/post/17217120793/palestinian-cartoonist-sabaaneh-shows-graphically
https://www.nytsyn.com/cartoons/cartoons/697070.html
http://www.zapiro.com/cartoon/717460-120209mg#.UAlRXzH9O0I
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2012/feb/07/syria-un-resolution-veto

Patriotism – Made in China

In the build-up to the Olympic Games, several strong opinions were expressed over the revelation that the US Olympic Team’s apparel is manufactured in China. Amid recent spikes in unemployment, this news angered several US Senators. Naturally, of course, this has now turned into a major debate. A "Team USA Made In America Act of 2012" is waiting in the wings. Senator Steve Israel, for example, had this to say.

“Today there are 600,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in this country and the Olympic committee is outsourcing the manufacturing of uniforms to China? That is not just outrageous, it's just plain dumb. It is self-defeating.”

I see. This from the senator who is part of the same federal government that spent $3.6 million on importing flags for the Fourth of July celebration, $3.3 million of which went to – you guessed it – the People’s Republic. Name a commodity – children’s toys, souvenir keychains, mobile phones, computers and so on – they’re all made in China. What the US Senate has failed to realise is that Chinese workers would obviously be much, much cheaper to employ than American workers. Therefore they leave themselves with two choices. Either they can buy into Chinese products or spend 3 times what they normally would to purchase a sense of “national pride”. We are speaking of the country whose president was brought up in Indonesia, which prides itself on multi-culturalism and attracts millions of immigrants annually.

Even “American” corporations have their products made in China, because it’s cheap. This means customers don’t need to sell their kidneys to be able to afford them. Besides, place of assembly is as relevant to a mobile phone as a “best handwriting” certificate is on the CV of a university graduate. The Apple iPhone isn’t assembled in Palo Alto, California. The Dell XPS 13 is not assembled in a building at the junction of East 57^th street and 5^th Avenue. The only manufacturing industry to have survived in the ‘states is the car manufacturing business in Detroit. And even now, Ford and GM receive frequent blows from Asian manufacturers like Toyota and Honda, to name the largest. Even NASCAR – a deeply American tradition – features cars from across the Pacific, albeit Japanese ones, not Chinese.

When “Made in China” started off as a brand, its reputation was quite poor. Chinese products did not generally ooze quality, and those with sixty-day warranties were almost certainly expected to self-destruct come day 61. Consumers frowned at Chinese products and the label unwittingly turned into a bigger put-off than a store attendant with ADHD. Gradually, though, Chinese products and Chinese manufacturers grew in stature. Today the world has Lenovo, Huawei, Li-Ning and so on – companies which are reputed if not worshipped. And amid recent reports that Lenovo is set to become the largest PC manufacturer in the world (ahead of “American” corporations like Dell, HP and Apple) China does finally seem to have cemented its place at the top of the pile.

In conclusion then, the US can’t seem to win anything in the manufacturing industry. Not even an egg and spoon race. China has firmly cemented its place at the very top. The US senate should stop worrying about this because it cannot convince Johnny Texas to work for peanuts stitching underwear for Michael Phelps. Not when he needs to buy a pick-up truck, some cheeseburgers and a hat for the home. Instead, they should start worrying about more pertinent issues, like how Obamacare has made many people want to migrate to Canada (this cannot end well). Make them happy, solve the immigration crisis and do try to win a war for once.  

-Chap.

Sexual Assault Cases & Why Logic Takes a Backseat

“Soch badlo, kapde nahin” (change the way you think, not the way you dress) was college student and protagonist Suvreen Guggal’s mantra for a couple of weeks, a few months ago, on Channel [V] India’s youth show Suvreen Guggal- Topper of the Year when Suvreen’s best friend got molested by her ex-boyfriend. In response, the college authorities cracked down on every skirt- toting, shorts-wearing female student and imposed a dress code. Logic? Don’t know what you’re talking about.

But of course, who really takes life lessons out of a Hindi TV serial? Nobody, until a couple of days back. Horrifically relevant to what took place in Guwhati on 9^th July, when a teenage girl was brutally slapped, beaten up, groped and stripped in public view for an inglorious 40 minutes. That’s more than half an hour. That’s more the duration of your daily soap.

She was returning after celebrating her friend’s birthday at a bar, and got into a fight with a couple of boys she had gone to the bar with. But of course, people fighting amongst themselves is the clearest invitation for a mob to join in apparently. A reporter with a camera caught the entire thing on video which has since gone viral on YouTube (Please, don't search it up. Show some respect). A girl just walked out of a pub with two boys? Definitely enough information for everyone from one end of the street to the other to judge her character!

Here is the case broken down into numbers; you can do the math yourself.

·         The girl is from Class XI. What were you doing in Class XI? Are you even in Class XI yet?

·         The incident took place a kilometer away from a police station. A kilometer. 1000 metres. The average person takes 10 minutes to walk a kilometer. Not run, walk.

·          However, the police aren’t your average people. They took a casual 30 minutes to get there. Just another day at an Indian police station?

·         There were at least 50 people in the mob. 11 have been identified, 4 have been arrested. The first arrest was made 2 days after the incident.

·         The group molested her in the police jeep itself. A television camera crew was present and took a video in order to help convict the molesters later. (Not much math in this one, do find it in your heart to forgive me)

The entire nation hangs its head in shame. As it rightly should. However, of course when a highly publicized case such as this one makes it to the media, everyone has something they want to say. My next little segment is called ‘Stars (and I) react’. Do try to take something out of it-

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Kumar- “I regret that victim’s name was revealed by my office but we immediately corrected that mistake and asked the media not to publish her name”
My say- Thanks man, I’m sure she appreciates your grave concern for her and the fact that this mistake can’t be rectified, but that’s perfectly fine!

National Commission for Women Chairperson Mamta Sharma- the police are "shying away from responsibility."
My say- Watch this turn into a blame game, and fast. Speculations of this being used as a political game are already abounding. P.S. The NCW hasn’t done all that much either, earning itself more than a little criticism.

Opposition Leader in the Assam Assembly Sirajuddin Ajmal - "We will go on fighting, go on agitating till very serious and substantial action is taken."
My say- Proves my point above just about beautifully.

Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup District, Ashutosh Agnihotri- “ We are planning to take action against the bar owners if they are not following the norms. The bars are supposed to be closed by 10 pm."
My say- Yes, of course, the bars are completely to blame! You go girlfriend!

NDTV Journalist Barkha Dutt-@BDUTT

Let's keep our eye on the big picture. 50 men sexually assaulted a teen in public view. Only 4 arrests so far. Find the creeps. Jail them
Getting conflicting details on role of the cameraman who filmed #Guwahati sexual assault. Can anyone shed  light on how video was uploaded
My say- Finally someone who’s actually representing the sentiments of the public. Thank you Barkha Dutt! Where her second tweet is concerned, read on

Amitabh Bachchan (via srbachchan.tumblr.com) -"Pro-media comment defends itself by stating that the media's job is to inform and that handling a mob may be the prerogative of a hero in film, but not the reporter! Giving excuse that the recording assisted in identifying the culprits, sounds lame""In incidents such as this, how is it that a TV camera crew comes to know beforehand of a molestation to be taking place - so they could record it as content for the channel they work for"
My say- Fair enough, Sr. B. I’m just overjoyed a Bollywood star is speaking some sense, ignore me here. However, there is truth in your statements that is reflected in Ms Dutt’s tweets as well. There’s something we need to consider- the stationing of the cameraman was in quite the convenient location, wasn’t he?

“Dont let the Mob Win. Dont tell your daughter she can't go out alone at night. Dont restrict the clothes she wears. Teach your sons better”

-@BDUTT

And there we have it. Something I really want to scream out till I’m sick of screaming. Teach your sons to behave, not your daughters to dress. Let’s take a little look at something I discovered this morning-

Young girls in salwar kameez decry jeans and other Western wear as “provocative”, and explain how donning such clothes “invite” trouble from boys. In Muzaffarnagar, UP, “the Khaps seem to have had their way” (NDTV).

I can’t even begin to list the things wrong with that. But I’ll attempt it anyway because I’m relentless-

1.     I’m sorry but I wasn’t aware there haven’t been any instances of molestation and rape of women in sarees and salwaar kameez. Sorry, I must be behind on times.

2.     “Trouble” is going to come regardless of the place and situation. All it requires is a stray thought and unfortunate opportunity.

3.     The bit that troubles me the most- nobody invites this. NOBODY. No girl wants this to happen. No girl looks in the mirror, wears her skirt and thinks “On a scale of '1' to 'provocative' how do I look?”

I’m tired. I’m extremely tired. This article has more than drained my emotions. I am sick and I am tired and I want change. I need change. WE need change. The problem is that this is just one in a billion cases, it just so happened that this was “caught on camera”. In a few months nobody will remember this. The pigs will spend a few months in jail and then walk out laughing. And then repeat.

Wake up. This is happening every single day, and can happen to every single girl.

Soch Badlo, Kapde Nahin

-Lassie

(Some of you might want to consider switching from those saas-bahu shows to more thoughtful ones like Suvreen Guggal. Can't promise it'll be a 100% thought-provoking, but it guaranteed won't be a 100% bullshit)

The Election That Might Make No Difference Whatsoever

What it is- With the Presidential Election in India just around the corner (or tomorrow) we have with us, ready to become the next namesake head president of the country- tribal leader (we're not being mean, he calls himself that) P. A. Sangma and ex Defense, Foreign and (most recently) Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Observers believe the latter is almost a shoe-in for the post, with this final post being almost a "graceful sendoff" marking the beginning of the end of his long, active and respected political career. 


What we think- "If an African-American can become the president of America, why can't an Adivasi become the President of India?" Sangma's words, not mine. To be absolutely honest, it reminded me of the time Rakhi Sawant announced to an amused media that Katrina Kaif had copied her moves from Sawant herself to produce hits like Sheila and Chikni Chameli. Not relevant in the least, I'll admit, but I never promised relevance at all times. The moral of this irrelevant comment, however, being "kahaan Katrina aur kahaan Rakhi", or in this case- Sangma and Obama. Other factors, too, work in favor of Mukherjee, a very prominent one being that people are celebrating his resignation from his previous post as Finance Minister. If it takes him becoming President to quit being Finance Minister, so be it! Again, not my thoughts, although I don't know how much I disagree (or agree) with the general consensus. Icing on the cake for Mukherjee? Even Didi (Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal and Obstinate Extraordinaire) has finally given him her blessings.


-Lassie


cartoon source: http://www.manjul.com/index.php/2012/05/08/presidential-polls-pranab-mukherjee-emerges-frontrunner/

No Change, Not Strange?

Indian news channels constantly report on the various problems the country faces. These include inflation, corruption, crime, discrimination, economic stagnation et cetera. Unfortunately, despite the hyperbolic tendencies of the NDTVs and CNN-IBNs of this world, most of this is factual. However, ask an average Indian what the most irritating things about daily life are and the list would be as follows. Mangoes are too expensive, roadwork takes too long and nobody has any change. Any effort to find change is either utterly futile or not worth the effort.

Ask an auto driver for change and you will be turned away faster than a pre-pubescent child at a nightclub. Ask for five rupees in a general store and prepare to be greeted by a cacophonic silence. Your supermarket bill ends in a non-zero digit? Prepare to be burdened with several toffees you will probably never have heard of, let alone eaten. Need to open the battery compartment of your Rs.50000 MacBook? You can’t, because you have no coin change and neither do any of your colleagues or relatives. Consequentially you will be forced to use the end of a spoon to perform a function it was never designed to carry out. And this is the big issue. Why does no one in India have any change? If what the news channels say is true and a terrible bout of inflation is in the air, then logically people should be burdened with kilogrammes of unused and useless coins. These should form mountain ranges to rival the Himalayas. Yet this is evidently not the case, seeing as coins are as common in India as the Statue of Liberty. 

Short-changing (as it shall now be referred to) is causing severe complications in the Indian economy. There are those that have benefitted – this faction consists mainly of the companies that manufacture confectionery found at supermarket billing terminals. The evidence is overwhelming. Products like Parle Gol Gappa, Alpenlibe toffees, Cadbury Éclairs, Lotte Coffee Bite and so forth have become so successful that even Mentos and Halls can now be procured in Re.1 packs. Sales of chewing gum to disgruntled grocery shoppers far outweigh sales to eight year-old boys. Other benefactors of short-changing include men’s pockets – no more bulges caused by an excess of Re.1 coins – and security personnel, who can finally refrain from asking people to empty their pockets of change before frisking them. 

One of the big losers due to short changing is the parking industry. Fed up with not having change to pay the attendant, people have come up with new and innovative ways to avoid parking their cars. An example of this is at Bangalore airport, where drivers wait outside the entrance until they are summoned, whether they drive Tata Indicas or Audi Q7s. This has resulted in a rather perplexing conundrum for those that visit the airport. Parking is easily available, but why park when you can only cough up a Rs.500 note for a Rs.30 parking bill? Why not instead just wait outside and have a coffee at the drink stall set up by an opportunistic entrepreneur, where you will struggle to pay the outrageously complicated sum of Rs.27 and end up with some éclairs? 

The biggest loser, though, is the Indian consumer. Not having coin change has had serious implications on bank accounts. Consider an average middle class citizen about to purchase a small car on a seven-year loan. On a loan of Rs. 5 lakh, his monthly instalment would be around Rs.8739. However, short-changing has resulted in this being rounded off to the more convenient figure of Rs.8750. In the context of a car, Rs.11 does not seem like much, but over seven years, that’s a difference of Rs.924. That’s 924 Cadbury éclairs, or several cases of tooth decay. The same scenario applies to all purchases, including home loans, which can be up to fifteen years in length. This equates to a sizeable hole in one’s account statements, or a very bad case of diabetes mellitus. 

In conclusion then, Indian media are liars. Phoney. Bogus. Fraudulent. Their claims about inflation are baseless. Sure, petrol is more expensive, food is more expensive and Cadbury éclairs are more expensive. But when the best tasting coffee is not Rs.75 in Café Coffee Day, but Rs.5 in a railway station, why complain? Perhaps they should write about more pertinent issues. Like how no one has any coins anymore.


-Chap

3 Things Islamabad Could Learn from Bollywood

In the light of the recent glorious ousting of Yousuf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court in what foreign journalists call Pakistan’s first ever “judicial coup”, newspapers have gone wild pointing out things Islamabad can do or should do in order to regain stability (according to Pakistani, not international standards) in the country. I came up with my own, slightly idiosyncratic list that I have drawn from Bollywood.

• Debut actors can be a good thing every now and then
Some 4 years ago, Bollywood began to see an influx in debut stars. Either that or I actually became bored enough to recognize stars who weren’t Shah Rukh Khan or Abhishek Bacchan. Imran Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh et al came along when everyone was getting slightly annoyed with the same done-to-death faces. Pakistan’s new prime minister, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, might be going down the same road as our actors that refuse to quit (cue in 35 year old actors playing college students in every “youth” movie). Nicknamed “Rental Raja” due to the alleged kickbacks he received during the rental power corruption scandal, he instills very little confidence where emerging out of the political chaos at hand is concerned. Political analysts have already passed their verdict: he’s going to go down the same road as Gilani (or going to flop at the box office, you pick). What the Pakistani government is now in absolute dire need of are young politicians. It would be ludicrous to suggest these youngsters take up prominent portfolios, but even a start might be good (Bhutto and Sharif kids, take note).
• Sequels get worse as they progress, and remakes rarely ever succeed
Read Golmaal 2, 3, and (most cringeworthy) 4. Golmaal was superb, Golmaal 2 wasn’t all bad, 3 was bearable and 4 downright cringeworthy. When I flip through the movie channels and one of them is playing, I literally cannot tell the difference between the storylines or the ending of each. Coups in Pakistan are turning out the same way. Parties come to power, promises are made, people are disappointed, parties are ousted. Repeat process. Where the latest “judicial coup” is concerned, striking out “military” and replacing it with the word “judicial” isn’t exciting observers any more. Himesh Reshammiya remaking “Karz” isn’t going to guarantee him a hit, it’s not the plot per say that’s faulty, just the producer. When the institutions themselves aren’t in top shape, why bother trying to “remake” the government ‘n’ number of times? The political scenario needs a revolution, not a “do kauri ka” remake.
• Too many big (stars) players definitely spoil the broth
We’re all too familiar with those movies that have all big stars and no story line (*cough* Players *cough*). The problem lies not in the actual actors themselves but the fact that whenever we have a number of big names producers tend to sacrifice the story line. And then of course, the media feeds on the off screen drama of “what happened when X and Y had to share screen space”. What we saw in this latest ousting was not just an ousting, it was a power struggle. Gilani, Riaz, Chaudhry, the PPP itself (who has likened this coup to the “judicial murder” Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) are all embroiled in a battle that isn’t going to end with this. The players might change, but the sentiment will remain the same- too many big names eventually will clash due to conflict of interest. In a country so heavily dependant on kinship and patronage, this is especially relevant as each individual has their own agenda and promises to carry out.

This list states the obvious, if not anything else. However, my dad says that the obvious needs to be stated once in a while in order to make sure we don’t ignore it. Here you have it, the obvious- Bollywood style.


-Lassie