A Wedding and Two Hypocrisies: Tina Dabi and Athar Amir-ul-Shafi

Earlier this week, a wedding made news; especially on the internet news. Tina Dabi, IAS topper of Batch 2015 got married to the runner up of the same batch, Athar Amir-ul-Shafi. Media hailed this marriage; calling it breaking of a social "taboo" and what not. Rahul Gandhi congratulated the couple calling them "inspiration to all Indians in this age of growing intolerance and communal hatred". That was the 'tone' most media also reported the wedding. 

Why was this wedding highlighted by media? Because the bride was a Dalit Hindu and the groom was a Muslim - that was so unusual and path-breaking for the media that it could not stop singing in its praise. If we look at the fine prints, this case is peculiar due to entirely different reasons.

First, was it really a new trend? "Muslim boy and Hindu girl" tie the knot in a "love marriage" - is it really a new trend? This trend is as ancient as arrival of Muslim invaders in India. When male Afghan mercenaries came as part of armies and if their leader chose to get settled in India (e.g. Mughals), it was natural that they would be able to find only Hindu girls to marry. Speaking of love - Akbar married Jodhabai; and from most recent 'filmy' memory, Alauddin Khilji waged a war in an attempt to marry 'Padmavati'. History is sick of this trend for those who care about history. And some people were so sick of this old trend that they called it "love jihad" and brought the matter to the court. I am mentioning all this just to prove how old and boring trend this has been. A real new "inspirational" (for Rahul Gandhi) trend would have been if a Hindu boy married a Muslim girl and if they actually got to liveand their marriage survived till they die of natural causes). 

Secondly, Tina Dabi was hailed as a 'Dalit' girl and inspiration for the community. Let us see how 'Dalit' she had been. Her mother is a former Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer and her father is a serving IES officer. She did her education in Carmel Convent School and graduated from Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram college. Tells that she is from a high-class family and got top education and then if she topped IAS entrance exam, we should salute her talent, not her caste. There is nothing 'dalit' about her; as the media reports. If people from privileged background like her are called 'dalit' (downtrodden); it is an insult to the real 'dalits'. 

For me, these two hypocrisies are more interesting than the wedding. 

Who is causing caste riots in India?

Looking at the trends of caste based riots happening in India, it looks like an organized one where some forces are trying to destabilize the government at the center.

This is being done with General Elections 2018 in the mind. Needless to say this is dangerous for our democracy and all Indians must expose those who are creating this environment of conflict. India must focus on development alone. 

Here is a cartoon which very aptly frames it:

Thug Life of Arvind Kejriwal

Thug Life was an American hip hop group. It released their only album in 1994 called Thug Life: Volume 1. Today, we all know 'thug life as an urban slang. It stands for many things including the philosophy of not following any rules and trying to succeed somehow against all odds. In India not many can qualify as leading a 'thug life' for very long. Vijay Mallya led a 'thug life' for some time; today he is hardly successful and hence he became just a 'criminal' instead of a 'thug'. There is only one great 'thug life' title awardee in my opinion currently - and that is Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

That was a time when the "honesty gang" was trying to gain much wider audience. It chose a strategy of hurling shoes at big people, getting beaten up, and becoming famous in the process. At that point of time there was an "empty space" in Indian political landscape. BJP as primary opposition party had already lost that space after gaining power at the center. Congress which ruled the country for so long, did not quality as opposition (it is still trying hard to make people believe that it is an opposition party despite having lost power everywhere). Media, anti-national people and chronic skeptics looked at Kejrwal and his gang as the "right choice" for taking that empty space of a "spoiler".

Kejriwal and his gang alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association when Arun Jaitley was its president. The massive army of part time Aam Aadmi party members and full time skeptics took his words as a gospel. BJP supporters kept calling them "blind supporters" and more urban slang like "Aaptards" were born but it just did not fade. Thug Life succeeded against all odds.

But today, Kejriwal has apologized to Arun Jaitley.

"These allegations made by me were based on information and papers furnished to me by certain individuals who represented to have first-hand insight into the affairs of DDCA. However, I have recently discovered that the information and the imputations contained therein are unfounded and warranted and I was clearly misinformed into making these allegations," wrote Kejriwal in the apology to Jaitley.

"I offer my sincere apology to you and your family members for any harm caused to your reputation as a consequence of my allegations," the apology further said.

Just like Kejriwal was on "allegation spree" back then, he is on "apology spree" now. Kejriwal's apology spree consists of his apologies to BJP's Nitin Gadkari, Congress party's Kapil Sibal and Akali Dal's Bikram SIngh Majithia.

"I made certain statements, without regard to its verifiability, which seem to have hurt you. I have nothing personal against you. I regret the same. Let us put the incident behind us and bring the court proceedings to a closure." wrote Kejriwal to Gadkari.

I remember that due to Kejriwal's allegations, Gadkari had gained really bad name and was considered a corrupt man in the popular psyche by most people outside Maharashtra.

One interesting fact is also that these apologies are actually the final nail. You would remember that Kejriwal had shrewdly hired Ram Jethmalani as a lawyer to represent himself against Jaitley in the later's defamation case. He knew that Ram Jethmalani was immensely angry against the BJP; and he wanted to use that anger in winning that defamation case. But sadly, his experience also did not go well as he had a spat with Jethmalani over the controversy around payment of fees from the state treasury.

So where do these apologies stand in the overall 'thug life' of Arvind Kejriwal? I think these are just a new feather in his cap. He is the greatest thug of our time - he first fooled people with his allegations against these established political leaders and he has fooled people by his apologies against the same leaders. He meant nothing personally against those leaders when he alleged corruption charges against them. He means nothing now when he says "my sincere apology" to them. There is nothing "sincere" in the psyche of Arvind Kejriwal. There never was; except a very deep motivation to become a bigger man than he is by riding over shoulders of other men.

That is how I would always remember him - a man who stood over shoulders of poor old Anna Hazare and made his own name and bucks. He brought deep distrust among the masses against any possibility of an honest "non political" alternative to the current political landscape.

The reason I don't like Kejriwal is not because he has flaws. Everyone has "flaws" - but not everyone lives a "thug life".

- Disclaimer: Views are personal

Don't Give Me Red: Communist Farmer Politics

Recently, 35000 agricultural workers marched from nearby villages into Mumbai, made a demonstration and returned after the state government agreed to all their demands. If we look at how the whole story was played by media, I have only one word - "poetic".

Emotional, pitiful pictures of farmers were posted everywhere in the media while hiding the political affiliation of these protesters with the Communist Party. Had this been a genuine mark of 'distressed farmers', they would have looked a bit diverse. But all of them were wearing Red Caps (Red is the Symbolic color of the Communist Party with Red denoting "Blood" of workers killed fighting Capitalism). All of them were carrying Communist Party flags which show the "Hammer and Sickle" symbol. The hammer and sickle symbol was first used during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Hammer stands for the industrial workers and the sickle represents agricultural workers. This symbol represents the unity of the two groups - the typical vote-banks of the Communist Party everywhere.

What have the Communists done in India so far? Apart from destroying the whole economy and work-culture of a communist state like West Bengal; forcing industries to shift out of the state? Communism is a theoretical and romantic idea which has been discarded in most of the developed and democratic places of the world. It has been classified as regressive and detested by anyone who has a bit of understanding of the world economics.

What were the demands of these farmer-supporters of the Communist Party? (1) Waiver of loans - sure, let us destroy our government banks; well whatever still remains of those (2). Handover ownership of forest land to adivasi farmers - nice, please destroy our forests; burn them down along with their birds (3) Hiking minimum support price for crops 1.5 times - yes, government should buy crops at higher cost and let the grains rot in the storage houses.

All three demands were unreasonable and uneconomic. But that is how politics works. After all, those who came to Mumbai were not just any farmers. They were members of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, the farmers’ collective of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). That is why only 35000 of them came to Mumbai (Maharashtra has approx. 1.4 Crore farmers population).

Why did not the media tell me also about their political affiliation but kept calling them "poor farmers"? Why did not the media tell me more about their demands, with forest-burning plan and all; but kept showing me their "broken chappals"?

It was so because media houses are truly the "News Traders" - a term Modi ji had used way back. They do not stand for "Truth" but stand for only making "Money" using whatever means. Ironically, these media houses of today represent the true "Capitalism" - which Communist Party was supposed to fight. But until they serve its purpose, who cares?

Now these Communists are planning to move to Delhi - trying to repeat their feat of Mumbai. Beware - you would soon be flooded with more pictures of "Broken Chappals"!

News: After Maharashtra, farmers march towards Delhi, demand loan waiver

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/maharashtra-farmers-call-off-protests-govt-agrees-to-demands-developments-118031300117_1.html

Supreme Court's Decisions Acting As Law Maker

Sometimes Supreme Court looks like the only functional Opposition Party at the Center. Sometimes it looks like the only Law Maker in the country. Sometimes it works like a Super Regulator. And all the time it works as a Spoiler for someone.

E.g. news from last 2 days:

- Supreme Court refuses to allow entry of foreign law firms

- Supreme Court extends Aadhaar linking deadline indefinitely

- Supreme Court to auction assets of Unitech to refund home buyers

- Supreme Court allows passive euthanasia

After a few years you will forget what are the respective roles of Legislative, Executive and the Judiciary.