My name is Anshul Raj. And I’m not an Indian. Though the people who framed the Constitution of my country, insist that I am one, but the people who are supposed to be upholding the dignity of the same and be exemplary practitioners of it today, are hell bent on proving otherwise.
I’m a North Indian, they say, as if I’m from a particular neighbouring country which everyone loves to hate, very comfortably forgetting the word that succeeds ‘North’. Is it my fault that I belong to a state that believes that being the most populous state in India is an achievement to boast of? (Seriously, it remained the most populous state even after a new state was carved out of it in 2000; and trust me, divide it further into two more states and the chances are both of them would be competing for the top spot in this particular category.) Or is it my fault that all that the political leaders of my state care about is self-glorification (ah, at least there’s one similarity between the Senas’ state and my native one) and are busy erecting their own statues, even though they are hale and hearty (statues would normally be erected once you’ve left for your, hopefully, heavenly abode) and have all intentions of being alive and kicking for the next God-knows how many years? (Visit the state capital. It is indeed a ‘Maya’nagri.) Or is it my fault that the Constitution bestows upon me the right to move about freely and settle in any part of the country that I like? (The Senas would know that if they cared to read it.) Do the Senas have an answer to these? I guess not. On being questioned on the issue, I have seen their leaders fumble and grapple for words on T.V. on more occasions than one.
Apart from the previously mentioned so-called Constitutional right, I guess, I also misinterpreted the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, which political parties across states feel is like a bone that can be thrown and withdrawn at their own will. I guess, you already know, which recent issue I’m referring to. All right, so ‘he’ feels that it’s okay if Pakistani players come and play in the IPL. My response: Big Deal! Their response: Blasphemy! Profanity! Irreverence at its peak! Sena Supremo’s feelings hurt! (Yawn!) Burn effigies! Tear posters! Attack cinema halls! Behave as if suffering from some unknown mental ailment! (Kangana Ranaut excels in that, on-screen, of course! Kangana Ranautism of politics, eh?) Send threat letters asking for ‘co-operation’ (Whatever that means!) Take vandalism to an all together new height! (I really suspect if the people attacking theatres knew why they were doing so. Or were they just hired to do so? Or, may be all of them missed a motion and were taking out the frustration of their constipation on the cinema halls.) Public response: Screw the Sena! Screw! Screw! Screw! (Applause! Applause!) My advice to the Supremo: Don’t take people for granted. I know you’re incorrigible. You’ll repeat the act again. But, MNIK was just the tip of the iceberg. Next time, could be an even more shameful defeat. After which there might not be another ‘next time’.
While one Sena excels in vandalising and the other one believes in playing soccer on the streets of Mumbai, only that the ‘Bhaiyyas’ are used instead of footballs; a third one, thriving in the state of Karnataka takes pride in molesting women for going to pubs and being ‘immoral’. Result: This particular Sena chief, Mutalik, recently had his face blackened by a daring young man. (To the daring young man: whoever you are, please take a bow!) The video footage was hilarious and Mutalik’s statement that followed was even more so. ‘It’s a slap on the face of democracy’, he said. (Someone needs to clear this poor fellow’s head! Wasn’t it a slap on his face and a big win for democracy?) My advice to Mutalik: A garland of shoes and a donkey ride awaits you next! I dare you to repeat your previous act!
We take great pride in saying that we’re a democracy. The World’s largest one for that matter. But are we? Or is democracy a myth that exists just on paper? Anyone who’d visited a multiplex in Mumbai over the last weekend to watch a particular movie (which by the way, is fabulous) and be branded as ‘unpatriotic’ by you-know-who, would agree that multiplexes looked nothing less than heavily guarded fortresses. What kind of democracy is this where it takes a Police Force of 45,000 to release a film? And trust me, if it can happen to the people I already mentioned, it could happen to any one of us as well, making us feel that, perhaps, we’re not Indian enough by being denied what is rightfully ours. At least, making me feel that, perhaps, I’m not Indian enough. May be then, I’m right when I say, ‘My Name is Anshul Raj. And I’m not an Indian.’ Though, I’d be proud to be one.
I’m a North Indian, they say, as if I’m from a particular neighbouring country which everyone loves to hate, very comfortably forgetting the word that succeeds ‘North’. Is it my fault that I belong to a state that believes that being the most populous state in India is an achievement to boast of? (Seriously, it remained the most populous state even after a new state was carved out of it in 2000; and trust me, divide it further into two more states and the chances are both of them would be competing for the top spot in this particular category.) Or is it my fault that all that the political leaders of my state care about is self-glorification (ah, at least there’s one similarity between the Senas’ state and my native one) and are busy erecting their own statues, even though they are hale and hearty (statues would normally be erected once you’ve left for your, hopefully, heavenly abode) and have all intentions of being alive and kicking for the next God-knows how many years? (Visit the state capital. It is indeed a ‘Maya’nagri.) Or is it my fault that the Constitution bestows upon me the right to move about freely and settle in any part of the country that I like? (The Senas would know that if they cared to read it.) Do the Senas have an answer to these? I guess not. On being questioned on the issue, I have seen their leaders fumble and grapple for words on T.V. on more occasions than one.
Apart from the previously mentioned so-called Constitutional right, I guess, I also misinterpreted the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, which political parties across states feel is like a bone that can be thrown and withdrawn at their own will. I guess, you already know, which recent issue I’m referring to. All right, so ‘he’ feels that it’s okay if Pakistani players come and play in the IPL. My response: Big Deal! Their response: Blasphemy! Profanity! Irreverence at its peak! Sena Supremo’s feelings hurt! (Yawn!) Burn effigies! Tear posters! Attack cinema halls! Behave as if suffering from some unknown mental ailment! (Kangana Ranaut excels in that, on-screen, of course! Kangana Ranautism of politics, eh?) Send threat letters asking for ‘co-operation’ (Whatever that means!) Take vandalism to an all together new height! (I really suspect if the people attacking theatres knew why they were doing so. Or were they just hired to do so? Or, may be all of them missed a motion and were taking out the frustration of their constipation on the cinema halls.) Public response: Screw the Sena! Screw! Screw! Screw! (Applause! Applause!) My advice to the Supremo: Don’t take people for granted. I know you’re incorrigible. You’ll repeat the act again. But, MNIK was just the tip of the iceberg. Next time, could be an even more shameful defeat. After which there might not be another ‘next time’.
While one Sena excels in vandalising and the other one believes in playing soccer on the streets of Mumbai, only that the ‘Bhaiyyas’ are used instead of footballs; a third one, thriving in the state of Karnataka takes pride in molesting women for going to pubs and being ‘immoral’. Result: This particular Sena chief, Mutalik, recently had his face blackened by a daring young man. (To the daring young man: whoever you are, please take a bow!) The video footage was hilarious and Mutalik’s statement that followed was even more so. ‘It’s a slap on the face of democracy’, he said. (Someone needs to clear this poor fellow’s head! Wasn’t it a slap on his face and a big win for democracy?) My advice to Mutalik: A garland of shoes and a donkey ride awaits you next! I dare you to repeat your previous act!
We take great pride in saying that we’re a democracy. The World’s largest one for that matter. But are we? Or is democracy a myth that exists just on paper? Anyone who’d visited a multiplex in Mumbai over the last weekend to watch a particular movie (which by the way, is fabulous) and be branded as ‘unpatriotic’ by you-know-who, would agree that multiplexes looked nothing less than heavily guarded fortresses. What kind of democracy is this where it takes a Police Force of 45,000 to release a film? And trust me, if it can happen to the people I already mentioned, it could happen to any one of us as well, making us feel that, perhaps, we’re not Indian enough by being denied what is rightfully ours. At least, making me feel that, perhaps, I’m not Indian enough. May be then, I’m right when I say, ‘My Name is Anshul Raj. And I’m not an Indian.’ Though, I’d be proud to be one.
6 comments:
Loooveed it Anshul!!...you echo my sentiments...now if only the sena could read this!!..it'll be another slap in their faces(just what they deserve i say;))..keep writing like you do..your posts make for engaging reads!!:)
@The Butterfly a.k.a Sancha: Thank u soooo much...Please keep reading my posts and keep commenting too...it's encouraging to read your comments :)
Anshul - Im all praise!! Its great that you've taken a stand and such a passionate one at that :) great piece of work, keep writing away :)
Yes.. it is a shame that democracy has just been rendered as a term that's being overly used by people who themselves abuse it and do not have the slightest of respect for it. Perhaps they define it differently from the rest of us. Shame on all the politicians of this country (except for a few brave ones of course).
@Arundhati: Thank you Arun, had to write this, whatever happened was just plain stupidity! And keep tha praise coming, it's motivating. :)
@Gaurav: Fully agree with you...
hey!
it's a thumbs up for u.
it's for the comment above mine
dear! as u rightly said that Mumbai rocks i agree but its MNS which sucks then u being a mumbaikar cannot do anything then how can u expect a so-called bhaiyya from north to help clean ur own house when u are so incapable of getting rid of such rats...
no offense!
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