The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
India is fast becoming a country of small bytes processed by even smaller brains.
Using numbers as might and trying to destabilize the system has become an art. We are fast hurtling towards an anarchy, if we aren’t one already. And anarchy is not some romantic idea that many “anarchists” have. Anarchies are always used by the powerful to their advantage. If a flawed democracy is bad, we have no freaking idea how bad an anarchy can be. Ask those who lived in Saddam’s Iraq, or Idi Amin’s Uganda.
Kamal Haasan makes a Vishwaroopam, which has a storyline on “War on Terror” and the terrorism that is emanating from the Middle East. Something that has been shown so many times, that it seems almost a repeat except for the brilliant technical effects. And, as if to target a specific actor, the movie is being banned at every place. And, worse of all, the Madras High Court has declined to give a judgment due to “Law and Order concerns” and wants an “out of court” settlement.
Excuse me???!! Why in the world should judgment be influenced by the tantrums of the loser? If those who are at the risk of losing their case threaten to blow up the system because the judgment doesn’t come in their favor, and the Justices stop from giving out their judgment – then we just do not have a Judiciary at all! It is a freaking pretense! Imagine, the integrity of Judiciary is now dependent on the whims and fancies of goons and hoodlums!
If the goons are to decide what judgments are to happen – through outright threat – then it is – plain and simple – Justice by the Goons!
Is that what we mean by justice? I have tweeted and asked Javed Akhtar and Jaaved Jaffrey on their Twitter Account for any statements that they have made against the ban of Vishwaroopam. Jaaved Jaafri replies back saying that he needs to watch the movie before he can comment. Interesting isn’t it? Whither goes the coveted “Freedom of Expression? Pray, how does watching the movie change his stand on the ban??! Why should it?
Isn’t it sad that artists themselves take such stands?
As per one estimate, Kamal Haasan is expected to lose Rs. 30 crores because of the bans. I believe it will be far more than that, but lets take that. So, the goons are now able to inflict damage worth that much due to sheer threats by numbers!?
Irony of Kamal Haasan’s role
The irony is that in the movie, Kamal Haasan plays an Indian Muslim. A Tamil Indian Muslim. And a R&AW officer. Who fights for his nation and is recognized by not only peers, but even the Prime Minister – in the movie at least (in real life his name has been taken off the Padma Bhushan list now!!).
The people who he is fighting against are the Jehadis in Afghanistan and from Pakistan. And whatever he does even there, he does with a lot of sensitivity. Sometimes he goes through intense moral dilemmas and suffers a lot for that.
Ironically, it is AFTER such a role, his movie has gone through these bans.
Movie Ban is Hooliganism and Vengeance for Something Else
I have seen the movie, and honestly I have been wondering what argument can anyone possibly have against the movie? What is the reason to even criticize it by the Muslims?
I am convinced beyond any shadow of doubt that those who are pressing for ban or going along with it, have violence and Jehad firmly entrenched in their hearts – both Hindus and Muslims. Whether you let the devil go berserk and don’t do anything hiding behind your so-called “inability to do anything” or you actually go out and bomb on the orders of the devil – you are basically in the same boat. Any distinction is only verbal.
One wonders if it is indeed the play of power that the Jehadis are displaying as the Indian polity and judiciary capitulates? Because that is precisely what it is. Jehadis need not fight a war to defeat India.
Ladies and Gentleman, India (polity, Judiciary, and executive) stands defeated.
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
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