Viewers' Voice

22/03/2009

 

Ironies in all this


 

"If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer him your second cheek too -- I have not heard any thing more idiotic than this," says the new Gandhi in the political arena and adds "if someone dares to slap you, cut off the arms of that rascal so that he could not slap any of your brothers".


 
Firstly, there is nothing new in these kind of statements. Every beginner in the saffron party  starts learning these kind of statements from some beginner's guide possibly. What strikes me is the name Gandhi and the inherent irony in the above statement vis-a-vis the name. Who is Varun ? Nobody ! Thousands such Varun take birth in this country every day and vanish in the great sea of population. But Varun Gandhi is someone we all know by now, just because  his last name 'Gandhi' is borrowed ( in some peculiar way) directly from the Mahatma the preacher of nonviolence and truth. The person who gives meaning to an otherwise moronic and pitiful existence , itself gets negated in the above statement.
 
Secondly, we all know this new Gandhi kid. Why! Did he perform some great deed like his mother whose animal love -- more than human love -- is propagating her name to far and wide corners? The answer is of course negative. Here comes the second irony: just as a stench spreads faster than a fragrance, this kind of news spreads with an exponential rate. Only yesterday, Rajdeep Sardesai devoted an hour of TV program to this prodigal Gandhi scion and his great making. And just as open wounds and infestation attracts flies more than the sweet country sugar, people like me feel compelled to express themselves on such futile discussions.
 
Thirdly, the BJP has distanced itself from these kind of statements. The party whose 'great' leaders like Uma Bharti and Narendra Modi have got accolades for such 'inspiring' speeches in past, has suddenly had a self realization. It claims to be a nationalist party that does not differentiates on communal basis, follows only development agenda and disclaims being a 'temple making company'.
 
Last but not the least, the grad old party--the Congress-- whose leaders dream of a 'unipolar polity', 'communal harmony' and sing songs custom made for 'Aam Aadami' and his developments, has started talking about ethics and moralities and all nice stuff. Jai Ho !   But to crude ears like mine, whose patience is wearing thin, when these politicians talk about morality it sounds like street-side hookers are giving sermons on chastity.
 
--Upendra Prasad

 

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