#Revolution

(I wrote this post 3 months back, but never published it for some reason. In light of Vishal's epic new blogpost (http://scanmysoul.blogspot.in/2012/10/how-were-inhibiting-our-own-growth.html), I think it's time I let this one out)


Statement: "Im gonna join politics"

Responses: "Thu"
"LOL"
"Are you crazy?"
"WTF?"
"Dont. Its full of bad people and they'll make you bad"
"Dont. Its full of bad people and they will kill you"
"Dont. Its full of bad people and people will brand you as bad"
"Dont. Just one good person like you can't do much"

My Response To The Responses

I have problems, and I'm out seeking to solve them.

As an individual, I've been frustrated with the amount of "India Hate" everywhere. It seems like the outside world respects our country more than we do. We whine about corruption, lack of technology, creativity, a stupid education system, lack of respect for the environment and that's all we do. We whine.

Brodha V, one of India's most popular rap artists had posted a status update that went something along the lines of congratulating everyone who went abroad to work,study or settle. There were quite a few fan boys echoing his sentiments and just one particular guy who tried to stand up, but got gang-raped by the rest of the people out there. Brodha V, in one of his comments, even said something along the lines of "Dont give me that 'ask what you can do for your country crap". Another comment on the thread went along the lines of "Im out of this sh*thole as soon as I can"- obviously a reference to our country.

While I respect his music, his talent and am a big fan like everybody else, there's this attitude (which I don't blame him for having) that he has about our country that is shared by millions and millions of our 1 billion plus population.

Let's take a look at it this way. India is a democracy. An imperfect one, but a democracy nonetheless. In a democracy, people have the right to vote, right to (indirectly) take part in the decision making progress and the administrative progress through elections, campaigns, protests etc. People ALSO have the right to directly get involved and participate in elections by contesting. So what should you be doing if you have a problem with the way our country is run? What should you be doing if you are all-so-knowledgeable and know how to handle a country with more than a billion voices and a billion emotions? Please, our county needs you more than ever. Come save us.

Unlike a few people, I do not congratulate the people who go away. I commend their skill in getting a job in a foreign company. Pah! What an achievement. I'm in awe at their intelligence which helped them secure a job in the best universities around the world. Amazing. It takes a lot of hard work. If you're going out there for personal achievements, higher salaries, freedom from parents and "hot chicks/guys", go ahead. If you're leaving because you think the standards of living are higher somewhere else, or that India 'sucks' due to various reasons and that our country can never be improved, I laugh at you.

I'm not angry with you or disappointed with you, because at the end of the day, its your decision but I laugh at you. I laugh at your stupidity, I laugh at your ignorance and I laugh at your cowardice.

One of the worst things that anybody can do in their lives is to run away from their problems, and there are quite a few people doing this.

A few years ago, one of the biggest superstars the western music industry has ever had and a very controversial singer passed away. He went by the name "Michael Jackson". Guess who performed the preliminary autopsy? Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran.

Yes, yes. Indian only. In fact, he graduated from Madras University. I have no personal gripe against this dude. He's obviously amazingly talented, Chief Medical Examiner whatever of Los Angeles and all, But I just look back to how this skill would have helped our country. How many people would have benefited from the skills of this man. We spent our resources on him for 20+ years of his life, giving him everything from teachers to study material to food. All that input given by our country is helping another country.

Again, his choice, whatever, but you want to know why India is in such a "pathetic" state? Because none of you have the balls to stay here and try and build our country. Our country's development potential has not reached it's saturation point. Our country isn't complete yet. There are tons of bricks to be added to this building and frankly, the reason the construction never ends is because the ones who are supposed to build it, are spending their time whining or running away to work on another "more attractive" construction project.

I hope you guys get the analogy.

So what is my solution to this? Simple. Let's break it down shall we?

What do we need to do? - Build our country.
What are we doing?        - Nothing
What should we do?       - Build.

Easy.

If you want this country to improve, stay here and help it improve. There are tons of ways to do this, but the obvious and most direct way of having ANY kind of actual impact in this country is if we replace the insensitive governments with sensitive ones. The reason Anna Hazare will never get the success he wants unless he directly joins politics is because the political parties at the top, no matter how much they seem to hate each other, put aside their differences against this "common enemy"

How brilliant would it be if the political parties put aside their differences for the developing the nation, instead of playing their silly games in a desperate attempt to try and look good in front of those who don't ask questions?

The only way we can get that type of people at the top is if there's a radical change in the mindset of the politicians at the top (and if any one of you readers can get that to happen, please do so) or if we vote in a new set of people who aren't afraid to take the right decisions even if it will lead to a loss of votes, people who aren't afraid to speak up, knowledgeable people (not necessarily educated) who are willing to make a change and who want to see a change happen.

I know a lot of people who'd fit the bill perfectly (Natteri, for instance) but these guys lack the will to get involved actively. There needs to be a catalyst. Someone who'll step up and get things started in the hope that like minded people will join instead of calculating the probability of climbing this mountain.

That was exactly my thought process when I decided to do this. The few AU delegates at SANMUN 12 and a few others from my school would have already heard about it, but it's done. I've decided. Im going to join politics. Start my own political party and actively try to bring about a change in our country.

To my readers, I hope you will not be one of those too scared to take a step forward, I plead for your support coz no one can do this alone. Wait until 2022. The Revolution takes it's form then, but the movement starts now.

Im not sure if we'll ever succeed, but you're never gonna score a goal if you don't take a shot.

"Be the change you want to see in the world"- Mahatma Gandhi.

Jai Hind.  

Racism?

"Mujhe Kaale Log Pasandh hai"

One remark, one dialogue from a film and it's amazing how it can cause nationwide outrage. The actress in question has been slapped with racist allegations and personally, I've seen violent threats against her on facebook.

"Rani Mukherjee is such a b*tch! I feel like slapping her!"

"Rani Mukherjee SUCKS. RACIST *****"

The comments on such posts are more direct violent threats towards the actress and frankly, I think it's taking it too far.

I responded to all that with a status of my own.

"Mujhe Kaale Log Pasandh hai" and "Karuppu dhaan enakku pidicha color-u". What's the difference? Yet, no-one screamed RACISM for the latter.

The person in question didn't respond to the status as such, but whatever.

This blogpost far exceeds just the dialogue from the Aiyya promo and "the interview in which Rani Mukherjee said south indians are black" (if it exists)

So, I read this article forwarded to me by one of my close friends and it was an attack at the Bollywood industry as a whole for stereotyping.

Cool. Really cool.

Frankly, I believe we should look inwards first. Look at our own films. The fact is, everybody is guilty of stereotyping. Just a few examples here -

I'm pretty sure all of you who saw it laughed at the "Awas:Ajing" scene. The fact is, Vivek makes a very racist remark in that film's comedy track. His "friend" in the film spoils Vivek's chances of getting buttloads of cash and xx acres of ground. Vivek punches him, flattens his nose and says "Haha, ippo un mookum chinese kaaran maari aidiche!"

Isn't that racial stereotyping?

HOW many of our films have stereotyped Malayalis? (Mallus, for those who think its fun and then cry foul when someone makes a derogatory remark about tamils)

We stereotype the Malayali accents, their "Omane"s and their "Kutti"s, their dances, their mannerisms, everything.

Oh, and what about Telegus, (Goltis, for those.... you get the drift)

They get attacked most often in our films. Whether it's Balram Naidu in a big budget film, or Vivek again making the "Kaila Laddu thandhu anga Jilebi ah pichu potturkaanga" (referring to the telegu script).

In fact, stereotypes of the Telegu and Malayali cultures have given Tamil cinema most of it's memorable comedy tracks.


Even in non-comedic scenes, what about the pot-bellied Punjabis, Nepali watchmen, sweet-eating Bengalis and the Sethjis who always happen to be pawn-brokers? They're all racial stereotypes. Hell, we make stereotypical references to our own people. The portrayal of TamBrahms in tamil cinema itself is very stereotypical. The dialect and the accents of the Iyers and Iyengars are made fun of constantly. We've made fun of those who speak in classical Tamil, made fun of Madras baashai.

And who doesn't love the classic comedies with our actors portraying foreigners?

Oh, and this one's a killer. Whenever there's a scene referring prostitution in Tamil Cinema, you can always expect the words "Bombay" and "Mumbai" in the dialogues. Like, seriously.

This is not an attack at the Tamil film industry. I love those dialogues and laugh at them too. I just happen to watch Tamil films a lot more than any other Local language films in India, so it's easier for me to spot stereotypes here.

Let's forget cinema and move on to general life shall we? If you're gonna make a big hue and cry about the dialogue from the Aiyya promo, we're all racists. We've all referred those with an Asian complexion as Chinkees and laughed at the Sardarji jokes which makes them look retarded.

In fact, the Tamil term which is used to describe a foreigner is "Vellaikaaran". Hopefully, you know that that term means "White Man".

Stereotypes, stereotypes everywhere. We're a society that thrives on stereotypes, and there's nothing wrong with it.

Stereotyping isn't a crime. We need to learn to laugh at ourselves a bit. And it's not like Rani Mukherjee said that we suck because we're black. She said she likes us. It's something to be happy about.

Maybe Malayalis do speak in a certain way, Seth-jis do take up a particular profession and maybe Mumbai does have prostitutes, but if we can stereotypical references to them, they can make references to the fact that we are generally more dark-complexioned than North Indians. There's nothing wrong in being dark-complexioned, so why take offense to that remark?

I think any art would be very boring without stereotypes. Face it, they lighten up our lives. As long as it doesn't cross over to your real-life behavior and as long as you don't discriminate people based on the stereotypes you see in films (and I don't see that happening with that dialogue), its fine.

Learn to laugh at yourselves. Please.

Adios!!
Vikas