India takes calm approach to Arundhati Roy’s Kashmir remarks
After initial signs that India’s government might move to censure controversial remarks by novelist and activist Arundhati Roy, it appears New Delhi has sidestepped a potential political minefield with U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to the country only a week away.
On Sunday, Roy told a conference in New Delhi that Kashmir has “never been an integral part of India”, sparking a strong backlash.
Opposition politicians called for “the strongest possible action” against her “seditious” remarks and Law Minister Veerappa Moily declared the comments “most unfortunate”.
Responding to the charges against her, Roy countered: “Pity the nation that has to silence its writers for speaking their minds.”
With its recent election to the United Nations Security Council with a view to making it permanent and Obama’s arrival next Saturday, India appears to have concluded — as influential Indian newspaper The Hindu wrote on Tuesday — that the media furore over Roy’s remarks is “essentially much ado about nothing”.
Indeed, after winning the 1997 Booker Prize for The God of Small Things, Roy has become a serial controversy-inciter. Whether it’s stirring the ire of India’s nationalist right with an over-zealous defence of the insurgent left, or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with displaced residents in criticism of the industrialist central government, stirring debate is her current raison d’être.
Back to the Lalit Modi saga
In India, a thin line separates bravado from infamy. In a country that swears by its Bollywood potboilers, it does not take long to turn a one-time hero into a villain.
And the perfect example is Lalit Modi — once head of India’s $4 billion cricket premier league, he was first removed from his post after a tax scandal and later booted out of the cash-rich Indian cricket board.
Media reports on Thursday say the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a ‘blue alert’ against Modi, after he failed to make himself available for interrogation in the corruption allegations.
Modi, who helped revolutionise cricket with its short, television-friendly format combined with lucrative advertising and cheerleaders in packed arenas which upset many traditionalists, is now left with few backers.
And it shows in his demeanour. The man, who was known for his belligerent defence for a long time, has mellowed down considerably.
Even the Indian media has stopped chasing the Modi saga riding on the back of the Commonwealth Games.
But the story, while it lasted, was a source of entertainment for controversy-loving Indians.
Has Shashi Tharoor dug his own political grave?
Is it too early to write the political obituary of Shashi Tharoor, who over the weekend resigned from the post of junior foreign minister not even a year into holding the post?
Some commentators have already written him off. Others, including a report in the Hindustan Times on Tuesday, cite Congress party sources to say Tharoor has not lost all the goodwill of the leadership and could one day make a comeback.
His resignation, so they say, had more to do with Congress not wanting to be seen to let Tharoor get away with it.
Tharoor submitted his resignation amid opposition accusations he had used his political clout to help influence a $333 million bid for the Kochi team in the Indian Premier League.
He was also accused of helping score a $15 million stake in the team for a woman widely described as his girlfriend.
In his statement to parliament last week, Tharoor denied any wrongdoing and, as part of his rebuttal, referred to his high-profile career in the United Nations where he at one stage was a contender for the top spot of Secretary General.
“I have had a three-decade career in international public service that has never been sullied by the slightest taint of financial wrongdoing,” he said.
Once surrounded by high-profile UN diplomats, now surrounded by controversies. He remained unfazed by all the controversies until one that cost him his job.
http://india.suite101.com/article.cfm/sh ashi-tharoor–an-elite-outsider-is-a-cont roversys-child
Amitabh Bachchan and politics of celebrity
Amitabh Bachchan is caught in a political controversy yet again. The 67-year old-actor finds himself in the middle of a row over his presence at government functions in Mumbai and Pune.
While no official reason has been given, Bachchan’s presence at a government function in Mumbai last week has raised hackles in the Congress party, ostensibly because of Bachchan’s bitter relationship with the Gandhi family.
Later the same week, his son Abhishek’s posters were removed from an Earth Day function for which he had earlier been declared ambassador, organised by the Congress-run Delhi state government.
On Monday, the Congress party criticised Bachchan for being a brand ambassador for the state of Gujarat, whose chief minister has not been able to shake off the stigma of the infamous 2002 riots.
And Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan avoided the star at a Marathi convention, choosing instead to attend a day before Bachchan’s arrival.
“Am I hallucinating, or is there a pattern in all this!!!??” Bachchan wrote on his blog on Saturday.
Those who have followed Bachchan, or for that matter, the Gandhis closely may know of the bitter rift between the two once close families.
Congress is off their minds and acting like a cry-baby.How can one of the oldest and a largest political party of this largest democracy in the world be so perturbed by One Person?C’mon what are they being so petty about? Mr Bachchan is the pillar of Indian film industry and we all love him, respect him much more than to think that he is now related to the “Gujarat-riots”. Stooping to low-level of attacking Abhishek Bachchan is just distasteful.As long as Mr Bachchan is not involved in any illegal activities and associations, I don’t really care who he supports and stands-by; it is his prerogative and I trust him on that.I hope our politicians would grow-up and actually help us progress this beautiful country.
Applaud and preserve Sachin-like champions — can we?
Tendulkar’s batting magnificence has been chronicled so much over the years that anything written about him generates as much passion as he does on any cricket field.
His 200-run spectacle against South Africa was another opportunity for his fans to erupt, cheer, sing and write praises.
But with such performances come expectations. So much that almost every time this champion comes in to bat, high expectations generate a sort of fear — in the stadium, homes, TV stations, internet and wherever he is revered.
If he failed to perform, disappointment and even a rare criticism would follow.
His every shot, movement and stint on the ground is monitored not by commentators and experts alone, but by every single cricket fan.
In a country like India, where people’s emotions are driven by instant self-gratification, the fear of criticism after singing paeans is inevitable.
Tendulkar has had a fair share of brickbats and criticism – for his performance on the ground and otherwise.
Much ado in Kashmir over Padma Shri for Mir
It has come as a surprise to many that Ghulam Mohammad Mir, often described as Kashmir’s first counter-insurgent, has been honoured with the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian awards.
Mir alias Momma Kana, 60, who was awarded for public service, has been accused of involvement in cases of extortion and attempted murder.
A police official told ‘The Telegraph’ that Mir’s name sent shivers down the spine of people across Kashmir — he is said to have run a private militia and helped Indian troops combat insurgency.
“A lot of stories about how he would commit atrocities on people began being circulated in Kashmir those days,” the newspaper quoted a police officer as saying.
In the nineties, over a dozen militant groups were fighting Indian troops and at least three pro-government militia groups were helping security forces in combating the rebellion.
New Delhi has denied the allegations against Mir and said the counter-insurgent is a nationalist who fought separatist militants challenging Indian rule in Kashmir.
But officials in Kashmir say the award to Mir had come as a big embarrassment for the state government.
Every body should now one think, GOI cant be a ruler in any of the state in india, because India is a union of states that mean its like a united states,all the states are form together is called united india, because of the state CM and other kashmir officer are fully responsible to declare the name Padma Shri. one think remember you dear people of kashmir we are free nationalist , find the truth behind and prove it to the GOI through any kind of media
Himalayan glacier meltdown: gospel truth?
Twenty-five years from now, the Himalayan glaciers would have almost disappeared. Almost.
Perhaps that foreboding has been stifled. The U.N. body which issued an alarmist warning that the Himalayan glaciers might vanish by 2035 due to climate change is re-examining its report.
Some experts say the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) led by Rajendra Pachauri based the conclusion on the findings of one report.
Controversy surrounding climate scientists and their reports is nothing new. Not too long ago, a team of hackers exposed a conspiracy by prominent American and British scientists trying to put global warming in the spotlight with the help of statistical “tricks”.
But is the latest controversy over the Himalayan glaciers just a case of foot-in-mouth or are there more skeletons hiding in the cupboard?
Media reports say mystery surrounds the financial affairs of The Energy and Resources Institute, which is headed by Pachauri, known for his “$1,000 suits”.
Does this raise questions about the merit of scientific reports?
The prediction that Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035 has now been shown to be unfounded but the date may be wrong the outcome will be the same.
Can Indian hockey be given its due credit?
The year was 2007. Cheerleaders danced to the beats of a Bollywood song as India was about to script a nail-biting finish against Pakistan in the cricket Twenty20 World Cup final.
With tricolour flags in hand, almost every Indian spectator was gripped with the spirit of patriotism. The impact on TV viewers couldn’t have been less.
And all this while, little did cricket fans realise that intensity was coming from a song ‘Chak De India‘ filmed on a sport so different in its administration, handling and following.
“Chak De! India“, the film featuring the song, was an effort to remind the nation of its national sport — hockey.
Of a sport that brought the nation eight Olympic gold medals.
Of a sport that saw the emergence of a spectacular sportsman.
Of a sport that went on to witness one of its most unfortunate days when India failed to make the cut at the Olympics for the first time in 80 years.
It’s pity that hockey is in such a bad state of affairs. I have give a different prescription for the revival of Indian hockey at the blog http://chapter18.wordpress.com/2010/01/2 6/batting-for-hockey/
Do check it out.
Nara
The media and paid news: Who shall guard the guardians?
The media watches everyone but itself, commented an argumentative friend the other day.
How many ‘sting operations’ has the media done on any of its own, say on the ‘Paid News’ controversy?
I was at a loss.
The morality of sting operations is a debatable topic but the larger point demanded a response.
The media does investigative stories practically every week but does it deliberately avoid turning the gaze inwards?
Is everything as it should be with the Indian media – newspapers or television channels?
Even with the relatively free, noisy media we have it is difficult to answer that in the affirmative.
Glad you wrote on this, Vishal.
I recently came back to India after a few years of living abroad and incidentally this thought crossed my mind while I was flipping through our local news channels.
However, I found that your write-up lacked any deep investigation or reflection with too many questions posed for the reader.
Interesting comments by all the readers above me.
Much ado over Indian Summer?
Universal Studios has shelved plans to shoot “Indian Summer”, a film based on the lives of Jawaharlal Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten.(UPDATE: On Friday, a studio spokesman was quoted as saying “Indian Summer” is continuing to be developed but will not go into production until the script, budget and cast are all in place)Filmmaker Joe Wright, who was slated to direct the project, was quoted as saying there were creative differences between the studio and the Indian government.Many people are not comfortable with national leaders being portrayed on celluloid in any way other than flattering.Most leaders are interpreted by their followers in a particular manner. Any alternative recounting especially on celluloid runs into controversy.Biopics of leaders are few and far between in Bollywood in spite of it being a vibrantly political and prolific film industry.Some say the Indian masses tend to deify their leaders and hence are less receptive to anything critical.And celluloid is a mass medium more than any book on history ever can be.In Pakistan, the movie “Jinnah” starring Christopher Lee and sanctioned by the Pakistan government had also run into controversy.But does public policy also contribute to this state of affairs?The Indian Express says in a report that ministries don’t transfer records to National Archives “which leaves modern, democratic India’s history shrouded in secrecy”.Does this contribute to a lack of public discussion on various facets of our leaders’ lives and policies and therefore an intolerance of alternative readings?As for the movie “Indian Summer”, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was to appoint a liaison officer to ensure the movie did not deviate from the approved script.Is imposing a government-sanctioned memory of events on people any different from Mayawati’s efforts to erect statues to herself?
@Gandhi’s called his works as EXPIREMENTS with truth. A very funny scientific statement.- Posted by Rohit– Did Dara say GANERU or Gandhi–I did not see? You always find a way to drag irrelevent stuff without telling why you are annoyed with anti-Mayawati comments. A specific rebuttal rather than an advise to read history would have been much useful.How do you know that Dara is not an ex-serviceman who has read history half- or one full generation ago and is speaking from personal experience in military and civil life unlike you.
Roya has simply reminded the chauvanist Indean leaders of the truth. She is perfectly correct, Kashmir has never been an integral part of India. She could have also qualified by stating that India has never been a single country.
It was under the british that India became a single unit and a colony. Before any one you try to deny this reality please read fully the history, before and after the muslim conquerers.
Rex Minor
Ps I must say the lady is very smart, nothing unusual in India!