Let's take a trip back down the memory lane.
Imagine this is 2003. India has just defeated the formidable Australia in the World Cup finals. The Indian Team has come back home amid wild jubilations. Posters such as the one above are seen on billboards all across Bombay.
Imagine also that you are a socially responsible journalist who really believes in secularism and social justice.
Please write a short essay reacting to the poster. No prizes. Your essay will be published on this obscure blog. Competition open for two weeks from today.
7 comments:
Barb
I think I know who the 'socially responsible journalist who really believes in secularism and social justice' is
What particular incident or writing are you referring to ?
Let me take a shot.. a quick one..
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India has won the World Cup finals against formidable and unseemingly unbeatable Australia. While credit should be given to our cricketers, is winning a world cup tournament consisting of 10 cricket playing countries across the world a big deal ? BJP and its "Sangh Parivar" saffron allies have put up posters congratulating the cricketers, all over the country (at the cost of crores of rupees that could have been used to uplift the aam aadmi and the poor), claiming credit for the success of the Indian team.
The state of sports infrastructure in the country is in shambles. Apart from cricket, no other sport gets much recognition. The aam-aadmi sports like Khokho and kabaddi have no support from the saffron government, which claims to be swadeshi but congratulates the team that won a "foreign sport" tournament.
The Hindu fundamentalist extremist fascist communal divisive forces of BJP and Sangh Parivar do not care about farmers committing suicide or the troubles of the aam-aadmi. They are responsible for slaughter of thousands of peace loving muslims in Gujarat, who have lived with Hindus for centuries in peace , before Modi came along and destroyed the communal fabric of Gujarat.
In the recent days , inflation has risen from 2 % to 3 % in just six months.. HOrror of horrors. How will the poor survive ?? The price of onions has doubled from Rs 2 per kg to Rs 4 in 3 days, the poor have nothing else to eat. Onions are the most nutritious food for the poor and at the lowest prices. This shows that BJP and the fundamentalist terrorist Hindus of the Sangh Parivar do not care about the poor, but they are worried only whether India will win the world cup or not..
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Phew thats all.. I felt like puking at myself after reading what I have written.. Damn, i feel like a betrayer... :-)
Whats the prize ??
The Sec-Soc script will go like this.Excuse the spelling errors and consider me for the prize(:
Not far from Mumbai where the Indian team landed to tumultous welcome,is Vidarbha.In this region of India thousands of farmers committ suicide unable to repay back the debt due to the failure of cotton crop.Noted econmist Prabhat Patnaik,who teaches in the presitigius JNU in Delhi,blames the neo-liberal policy
of the current dispensation for the pauperisation of the country side farmers.Independent political analyst Praful Bidwai agrees "The NDA has unleashed a economic warfare on the poor and marginalised section of Indian
society by framing the policy for the super rich who consitute less than 1 million in this country'
While the survivors of the Vidharba Farmer's who committed suicide received a compensation of Rs 1(many cheques bounced too)
,the BCCI Chief (who is accused by critics of failing in his job of Senior Cabinent Minister)
lost no time in announching a reward of Rs 1 crore for the players of the victorious team.
However all is still not lost for the poor Vidarbha Farmer.Not the entire spectrum of political leadershipis participating in this extragavantly competitive display of showering huge money.Congress President Sonia Gandhi ,
who has sterling track record of empathy and concern for common man(Aam Admi,as the party calls them) has strongly protested against the the ugly celebrations and largesse that Congress state Government has showered on the players.Its reliably learnt from the
sources close to Congress President that she has personally admonished the Congress Cheif Ministers for indulging
the cricketers who already make huge money through endorsements and match fees.
On the other hand of the political divide,the ruling Hindu Nationalist BJP could barely hide its divisive communal agenda even during the time when cricket team has managed to unite the nation that is torn by
religious strife.While its national spokesman tried to give a communal color to the innocous post-match remark of the
Pakistan Captain,its controversial CM in the state of Gujarat has refused to announce any awards for the cricketers from
the state who played a pivotal role in the victory.Its no coincidence that two cricketers from the state come
from the minority community.Only in 2002 the state witnessed genocide where street gangs of Hindu militants targetted Muslims in retaliation to burning of a train coach carrying pilgrims.Enquiry by Railway authorities has not ruled out of
possibility of accident being the reason for the coach catching fire.It needs to be added that CM 's role in the genocide
is under investigation by the federal court of the COUNTRY
Off Topic: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-sander26sep26,0,3998908.story?track=rss
They would have taken next flight to US to lodge his complaint at UN stating 'Modi loving saffornistas are a threat to Irfan and Yusuf'.
Wait, you say they are from Gujarat? WTF, blog away anyway blamming Modi stating if not for Modi, Irfan would have got hat-trick.
Thanks for the essays.
Shadows,
No prizes. We will change the rules slightly, in compliance to our socialist tradition. There will be no winner, all essays will be posted in a separate post.
jk,
The conditions described in the article may or may not apply to India. However, one thing is clear. The political reservation thing has made sure Dalit leaders are hijacked by major political parties. That is one of the reasons they have not been able to mobilize as a unified force.
Anonymous Bloop:
Psst! a short essay of how many words....
:)))))
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