HATE SPEECH OR INTOLERANCE AT IIT MADRAS?

Students of the present generation have always been under constant fire for being too indifferent to their contemporary society, buried as they are in their mounds of books, thus conveniently ignoring the goings-on in their immediate surroundings. Here's one exception that has raised his voice against a guest speaker delivering a very special lecture, which indicates that he was in fact intently listening to the lecture.

I am referring to Abhinav Surya, an M.Tech. student of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, who chose to protest against the tone, tenor and content in the lecture delivered by retired army officer Major General G.D. Bakshi, as part of the Extra Mural Lectures (EML) on the eve of Independence Day. He not only criticised the speech by dubbing it ‘hate mongering’, but also went to the extent of lodging a complaint with the IIT Director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi.

          Mr. Bakshi is one such person who never hesitates to call a spade a spade, as known to his followers. As any other ex-serviceman, he’s always brimming with patriotism and a sense of pride about the nation. Going by the high position he has held, his knowledge about the way the (armed) forces work and his constant watch of Indo-Pak activities from close quarters, one can easily assume that he’s talking plain matter-of-fact and that his views are not at all hawkish.

          It is common knowledge that a speaker often laces his speech with heavy dose of knowledge pertaining to his domain. If a Veena player is invited for the EML, it will be a different ‘gyan’ for the students about Raga, Tala and Pallavi. An environmental scientist is known to talk a lot on global warming and the ever-growing hole to the ozone layer. Similarly, an ex-serviceman who had served in the highest echelons is only expected to echo views on his arena. The views thus aired are generally several rungs above that a common urban dweller’s mind can reach.

Going back to the intro paragraph, the Gen-X students are not only very different, but very indifferent too. Especially the students of premier national institutes are often accused of being bothered more about the torque of their four-wheelers, higher RAM for their smart phones and comfortable dollar conversion rates, than about the issues plaguing the society, right from poverty to national security. Agreed, there are two ends to the spectrum of any topic, the acceptance and tolerance levels move from left to right (or bottom to top, if “Left” and “Right” could be mistaken as ideologies). We can assume that an unassuming Abhinav Surya was comfortable at the left end and Mr. Bakshi’s virulent part of the speech bordered on the extreme right, causing a wide gap to appear between the two. The perspective of other students can be plotted somewhere between the two extreme ends, going by their levels of tolerance. If Mr. Bakshi’s speech was extremely hate-mongering, could the other way be Mr.Abhinav Surya was extremely intolerant to a perspective that is different from his?

He has quoted in his letter about Mr. Bakshi as saying “In our generation we split Pakistan into 2. Your generation should split it into 4. Only then we can live in peace”. From a common man’s view point, this statement is quite objectionable and indeed contains ‘hate stuff’. From the macro level, he was only referring to what could have been a strategy adopted in the past for better national security, an affirmation of scattered occurrences, a series of events worth chronicling or at least, an honest confession by an officer. The army will not mince words when it comes to plain speaking, as it is in the know of the atrocities committed for decades from across the border and the extent to which the country has been made to bleed, literally and financially as well. ‘Love thy neighbour’ had failed to cut ice as far as India’s sixty-year-old neighbour is concerned.

“Cut-throat” was once a harsh word, but it has slowly sneaked into the management boardrooms while referring to the competition and the need to “kill” it, though not in the actual sense. Similar is the phrase ‘eye for an eye’ that does not mean literally gouging the eye out. When the contemporary world is full of such seemingly-negative words for describing tougher situations, why do the goody-goody students prefer themselves to be seen as extremely good, positive-thinking, violence-hating and good-to-all?

On one hand, there is much hullabaloo over the muzzling of freedom of speech on campuses and on the other, the very student community wants the freedom of a speaker to be curtailed. Where does the need for curbing Mr. Bakshi’s freedom to speak arise, as long as it is not against the nation’s interests? If only one student had protested and all others listened to him without any objection, can we tag the rest as ‘tolerant’ and Mr. Abhinav Surya as being ‘intolerant’?

The truth will see light if the footages of the speech are released for the public. I don’t think the IIT or the organisers of the EML will censor it…!

KABALI....DAwn...!

The Kabali fever touched its peak, making the entire world shiver and finally hit the silver screen on Friday to tremendously impressive openings.

The hype normally associated with a Rajnikanth flick is known, but this one was on a never-before scale. As Rajnikanth's contemporary image for the latest film generally turns out to be the mascot for the entire entertainment industry till the craze subsides, the grey bearded icon turned ubiquitous during the month-long promotional blitzkrieg. For the first time, Rajnikanth's image appeared on aircraft, SIM cards, limited edition cars, silver coins and where not?

A film buff can smell something fishy in the script or execution, going by the last minute (over) hype generated for the film. And unfortunately, it turned out to be true in this case...!

So much was told in the extended first half that the second half had literally very little to convey. It is perhaps for this reason that the film drifted directionless for a while. None expected a gangster movie to move on such a sluggish pace, sagging at various spots. Most of the time was spent in showing the larger-than-life Rajnikanth in slow motion, with the 'Neruppuda' BGS adding sparkle. The movie deserves to have been handled with more care and executed neatly.

The Super Star went beyond his regular stylish appearance and put in serious effort to act wherever required. Kudos to Rajnikanth and Radhika for the emotional scene when the couple reunites after 25 years. We find a lot number of characters in the film, some of them appearing from the flashback to the present. Suddenly we find it difficult to recollect their faces as well as their grey shades.

Pa. Ranjith has put in a lot of effort to extract acting from Rajnikanth. His fiery dialogues, which are known for questioning the rotten traditions, focuses on social upheaval against the bourgeois and Dalit empowerment in this film too. Rajnikanth wears suit for the entire movie and it is not without a reason. The excessive focus on Rajnikanth's attire indicates (as Radhika Apte mentions in a dialogue) that the attire indicates the growing stature of a man (read: a community as a whole). Rajni also states to the villian in the climax that his (again read: a community) development is indigestible to them. These scenes and dialogues inspire the downtrodden sections a lot.

Akin to 'Nayakan', Rajnikanth gets shot by his own, somewhat mentally unstable, man at the end. Does Rajnikanth die or not? The answer to this million dollar question is left to the viewer's imagination, as the screen darkens with a bullet sound. Though this anti-climax is against popular sentiment, Rajnikanth perhaps wanted to convey the message that gangsters will inevitably die at the end, in order to convey a message to the society.

Though endowed with enough technical values, the film grossly misses something. For the average viewer, the story is not narrated in a straight manner. And for the die-hard fan, 'that Thalaivar Rajnikanth' embedded in their mind is not fully unleashed. Finally, it satiates the thirst of neither...!

Having gone to the theatre amid darkness for the early-hour fans' show and after coming out after sunrise, it finally dawned on me that all's not as well as expected and as hyped...!

A tale of two Muslims..!

While one Muslim died on Monday, another is facing the gallows.

The entire nation hails the first one, admires him as an ace rocket scientist, likes the simple-living of the former President and prays for the peace of his soul. On the other hand, the second is hated for his anti-India stand, his dubious role in Mumbai riots and for making a mockery of the Indian judicial system.

India knows what to look for and what not to nit-pick when it comes to good men and bad men. No Indian looked at Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's religion when adoring him as his own family member. Had the divisive mindset been there, as has been projected outside the country, Kalam would have neither ascended the highest position, nor would he have become the darling of the Indians.

The other side of the coin has the Memon who has been awarded a death sentence for his role in Mumbai blasts. Whether death sentence has to be done away with is a different cup of tea on the human rights front, but the argument put forth that he has been sentenced to death only because of his religious background is absurd. Research shows that only 5 p.c. of those awarded death sentence in India so far are Muslims. Unfortunately, there are voices against the judiciary even within the country. Even people holding responsible positions wag their tongue so carelessly on such a sensitive issue. It so happens in a vibrant democracy, unless the judiciary takes offence and declares it as contempt.

The world does not have to teach secularism to our country. We know whom to admire and whom to abhor. Playing the 'Muslim card' is too old a trick and I hope the parties shun it and focus on their development, in real terms.

As a friend pointed out in a lighter vein, there is no threat to secularism in India, as long the Ramzan Haleem and Christmas plum cake titillate the taste buds of the friendly Hindus..!

Bahubali: A film of epic proportions...!

Finally, the mega movie of Tollywood is out amid huge expectations and to overwhelming response.

Not only the team's painstaking shooting and post-production effort for two years, but also the maverick marketing effort during the last two months, seem to have paid off, as the film has evoked a roaring hype on the first day. Prabhas and Rajamouli carried the film throughout on their shoulders and the result is evident. The body-builder has really slogged it out for offering a fine performance, which, without an iota of doubt, will remain the best in his career. However, I find something missing in his magnetic eyes. Is it the charm in the romance scenes or the fire in the fighting scenes? 

The movie was chiseled to perfection by the master sculptor S.S. Rajamouli, who appears in every frame of the movie in the form of his trademark grandeur. It's the turn of the audience to watch awe-struck as the scenes navigate through the picturesque waterfalls to the exuberant palace via the snow-capped mountains.  In some scenes, it is hard to tell the real scenes from those created in the studios through computer graphics. The aerial depiction of Fort Mahishmathi appears to have drawn inspiration from his previous flick 'Magadheera'.

Hunk Rana as the cruel king Bhallala Deva talks little, but evokes a sense of fear and repulsion. Snow white Tamannah Bhatia moved beyond hip-shaking to portray a powerful role by wielding the sword. Expected Anushka Shetty to don the 'Arundhati-like' royal look yet again, but as the aged queen, imprisoned and shackled for 25 years, she presents a dignified role.

The film clearly takes Telugu film-making to a rung higher. In spite of the all the hype and the film's ability to maintain it till the end, there's something that an ardent Rajamouli follower will find missing. The hero enters the heavily-guarded fort in no time, making a mockery of the multi-layer security system. Similarly, when he walks up to his shackled mother, the overwhelming emotion in the face of Anushka is clearly missing. The war in the flashback takes a lot of time, but still does not sag. The film proceeds on expected lines and there's almost nothing that is not unpredictable. The only thing unpredictable is when the curtain comes down with a thud, alongside a message that 'Bahubali 2' will be released in 2016.

At the end, the hero rescues his mother from the cruel king. No points for guessing that the sequel will focus on senior Prabhas wedding Anushka in the flashback and the junior Prabhas killing Rana to avenge his father's death. Sathyaraj, Ramya Krishna, Nasser have powerful portrayals, while Rohini and Sudeep leave a mark. M.M. Keeravani's indelible impression is hard to miss in the background score, rather than the songs. The loud cheers that Rajamouli's brief appearance as a bartender evoked from the audience is indicative of his growing visibility, especially on television and social media in the recent months.

After 2 hours and 45 minutes, one finds the end very tame and sudden, with nothing great achieved till then. The 'divide-into-two-parts' might have been a result of the elaborate script and the lengthy taking, but it has to be seen if Rajamouli & Co will be able to retain audience interest on the sequel. On a positive note, the unit has enough scope to mould the sequel going by the response to the first part.

Hope the hype does not kill the real interest of the audience...!

Rangarajan: Time for 'Power Play'

Rangarajan: Time for 'Power Play': Time for 'Power' Play...! Pawan Kalyan, the 'Power Star' of Telugu tinsel town would not have imagined in his wildes...

Time for 'Power Play'

Time for 'Power' Play...!

Pawan Kalyan, the 'Power Star' of Telugu tinsel town would not have imagined in his wildest of dreams that he would make his political foray immediately after the state's bifurcation and address the public ahead of the general elections.

In spite of whether he was nurturing political ambitions or not since many years, state bifurcation set the stage  for his entry, going by his power-packed, yet so-so, address on Friday.  In fact, the state's haphazard division, leaving all the stakeholders finding themselves in a 'lose-lose' situation, was a perfect disaster recipe for the entry of as many aspirants into the poll arena. No, there is no reference whatsoever here to the Jai Samaikyandhra Party of Nallari Kirankumar Reddy, who conveniently dozed off after the impressive public meeting at Rajahmundry, failing to cash in on the initial euphoria.

This is all about the 'Jana Sena' party launched by Pawan Kalyan. By spreading the newly-coined word 'Pawanism' well in advance, the actor cleverly sent feelers among his fans, community and well-wishers that something is seriously in store. If we go back five to six years, we can recollect instances where Pawan's social consciousness surfaced in the form of his expression of agony and fight for a cause. At least, unlike Chiranjeevi who spoke of 'Samajika Nyayam' only before the launch of his party, Pawan dwelt on key issues much much before. Concern is okay, which can be channelised into action by launching a voluntary organisation or supporting a charitable institution. But choosing a political platform, in the garb of social service, is a dangerous game and a 'One Way Entry', where running away is hardly an option. His social concern notwithstanding, he was never reckoned a serious player in the political game, nor would he have considered himself one. Chiranjeevi set us a good example of how to launch a party and a still-good example of how not to bring down the curtains on it.

Whatever is about Pawanism and his seriousness on politics, Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party episode will continue to cast a shadow on the junior Konidella. His much-hyped announcements, policy statements made with 'punch' dialogues and future goals will all be taken with a pinch of salt. Already, people are commenting his entry as 'Anna poyi Thammudu vache daam daam daam...', a colloquial saying that indicates that one has gone and the other has come, nothing serious about it....

From whose bow has this 'Pawan' arrow emerged was another question pondered over by many. On the face of it, his 'Congress Hatao' indicated his hatred for Congress. But, not all could attribute his move immediately to the TDP, as Congress is known for playing such mind games. By helping Chiranjeevi launch Praja Rajyam as the 'main opponent' to the incumbent Congress, it engineered a split in the anti-Congress votes that would have otherwise gone to the TDP in 2009. And now the DNA Party. Little does one doubt on whose gene the YSR Congress has inherited...!

And now the Pawan factor. Why not Pawan be another arrow from the Congress bow. The doubt did not persist for long and it was evident sooner than later that it, in fact, was waiting for long in the TDP's quiver. If the alliance materialises, Pawan is expected to wean away 'youth votes' from Jagan's kitty and also help consolidate Kapu/Balija votes in favour of the TDP. In one way, it is now Chandrababu's turn to enact a YSR of 2009...!

Only time will tell if it is 'Anukoola Pawan' or not...!

JAGGA REDDY: Alone in a crowd..!

Why nobody takes Jagga Reddy seriously?

The Telangana region, including the state capital of Hyderabad, has been witness to the same old rhetoric of separatists for the last nine years. There are the slogan shouting students, agitating employees, demonstrating advocates and rabble-rousing politicians. But one politician has made his voice clearly heard, a diametrically opposite view of the (majority) popular one, and has escaped physical assault (?!) all these days. He is Jagga Reddy, MLA of Sangareddy in Medak district. Unfortunately, his voice is lost in the din.

Though Hyderabad is half-filled with settlers from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, nobody opens their mouth to respond to, let alone condemn, the provocative statements and derogatory remarks on them by Telangana protagonists, for the fear of having stones pelted at their houses and inviting agitators to squat at their doorsteps. It is sure that half of Hyderabadis do not want separate Telangana, but who gives them a damn? Even the Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) has made it clear that it is against bifurcation, which more or less reflects the stand of the Hyderabad's Muslim population.

Almost all the legislators from Telangana have taken a uniform stand on Telangana, willingly or due to compulsion, coercion or for not wanting to ruffle feathers. Jagga Reddy, on the other hand, has made it clear that a separate Telangana will not serve any purpose and in fact, make things worse for the state. When the backwardness theory backfired, as proved point-by-point by Sri Krishna Commission that 'Telangana is not the only backward region in the state', the protagonists of separation stood by self-rule to push their demand ahead. "A mere aspiration to be separate will never stand in the long run", is Jagga Reddy's point, but whatever point he has made failed to hit the nail hard, thanks to the separatists among the media representatives who have covered his programmes.

The separatists have a version to stand by, whether right or not, thus consistently pushing their demand ahead. In the same vein, they have a responsibility to lend an ear to the people having an opinion different from theirs. As a different view is always met with violence, people stopped talking ill of separation, the lone exception being Jagga Reddy. Perhaps, he has not been attacked so far, for the sole reason that he is a fellow Telanganaite...!