Armtwisting – Unprofessional Dasmunshi

Another instance of misplaced patriotism was on vulguar display recently. Are we sending a lousy message of being totally unprofessional people with the way we carry out our businesses. I am an Indian belonging to the majority, yes I follow the the biggest religion of India, Cricket. I should have been overjoyed with the news. Thanks to our Information and Broadcasting Minster (I am unable to fathom what in the hell the folks in this ministry really need to do). The only time I get to hear about this ministry is during the cricket matches and the judicial reporters of Newspaper writing about the superefficient ministry hauling the unpatriotic Professionals to the courts. These non-patriotic professionals who pay through their nose, who wake early bid and bag the telecast rights and not giving it to the Motherland loving Bhoomiputras (sons of soil) in this Ministry who suddenly wake up from the slumber is simply not done.

Pitiful state of affairs to put it mildly. As much as the news should have been music to my ears that the cricket matches would be telecast, would I really enjoy watching them any more? Wonder where these guys (or gals) from the Doordarshan Prasar Bharati or Ministry of Information and Broadcasting are when they are supposed to be bidding for the telecast rights just like any other bidder. This happens so routinely (officials not turning up to do their work) and then at the last moment wake up to find someone walked away with the cake. To cover up this deficiency, why penalise Nimbus or Start Sports or ESPN who did their work diligently, on time and the right way. My dear Prasar Mantriji and the officials of DD, this is simply not done. You are making Indians a laughing stock in the international business community, where we dont respect letter and spirit of contracts or arm twist legal business into submission. Pray! my limited knowledge on constitutional issues, says an ordinance is passed only for real emergencies and I dont see telecast of Indo-Srilanka ODI series is an emergency situation which calls for an ordinance to cover the warmed up bottoms of arm chaired bureaucrats and politicians. The conditions are ridiculous too – the different set of rules for ODI and test indicated lack of clarity in the thinking (wonder if the brains are in the posteriors of these guys or existent at all). Ordinace saying that the feeds are to be provided to DD without the advertisements is height of madness and highhandedness. Man everyone is in it for money, they have bagged the rights after following the processes and shelling out burning holes in their pockets (to make some money, of course). But shouldn’t DD too shell out before they make their money. I once again hope the judiciary strikes down this ordinance lest Indians are considered unworthy of doing business with. Are you listening, your Honour?

Thanks Dasmunshi, my conscience does not permit me to watch it on DD (anyway, we get to watch only 4 balls an over – the first and last ball are never shown) I rather read the reports the next morning in my favourite newspaper. My word…Nimbus – If I watch the telecast live, it would be on my DTH where I have paid to watch (I am sure most of the Indians feel this way, and Dasmunshis are far lesser in this country)

Racism makes good Business sense

Got thinking about the Celebrity Big Brother reality show controversy. Was this all a stage managed event to boost up the TRP or what for layman is called the Viewership. For me it made a lot of business sense in whatever happened. Everyone concerned were in it for money. An out of work Indian Actor, a Reality show with sagging fortune all just got what they wished. This actor who was no better than an arm twisting persona (whose family was embroiled in a controversy for employing some thugs a few years back to settle scores with a rival) has no bloody moral right to clear or absolve Jade Goody of racism charge, her flip-flop on the issue took away any credibility she had. Considering the way she behaved during and after the controversy, I wish it should have been real and she should have been abused for her cheap behaviour . I again maintain that the whole thing was stage managed for publicity. The whole thing seemed fair to this cheap Actor when she won the show and the big bucks to the extent she is ready to plead to every Indian on behalf of Goody (no Goody) to forgive her. Atleast my fair lady, the citizenry of India with even a bit of brain left never felt offended – so keep the tears for your onscreen shows (which never seemed to come till this issue came along as a great gift to revive your fortune)

Shilpa Shetty knew what was in store when she signed on. She knew she was being paid to get verbally (physically too?) abused and the game was all about how you withstood this onslaught. She surely couldn’t have expected them to treat her with a traditional welcome with Kalash, Deep and Arti. C’mon this was a reality show and everyone was supposed to be at their nastiest worst. Reading through what transpired during the show, felt there was nothing that called for involvement of the Prime Minister of UK, Finance Minister of India – My God!!! this is height (or rather Pits…) All these politicians need to just look at their own backyards to realize what really constitutes Racism. What they all did was hardselling the program by their unwitting involvement or were they bought to boost the program ratings  To make the whole scenario comical, an official ad welcoming Jade Goody to visit India (I cant help laughing my guts out) and for a few days our journalist had nothing but track the progress of her visa application.

Let us look at ourselves on this issue first. Isn’t India with its Caste based society racist too? The Finance Minister who was in support of the bill passed by the cabinet also is a racist because he supported division of society based on their origin (or based on the caste of the family into which a person was born). For more evidence look for any matrimonial ads, looking for fair skin of a particular caste, denomination etc. For me this is racism of the highest order. Don’t we fall head over heels for fair skinned or rich people and look down on the opposite valued people. So dear Finance Minister, you have something better to do than release your books or defend a cheap actor who was out on a publicity stunt. I guess she has her ways to settle her problems (including employing some thugs which has some experience anyway) Let us set our own homes in order. I have seen people in my city (Oh yes, home state of our revered FM) referring to people from the North East as “Chinky” and asking them if they eat dog meat etc – this stereotyping is racism too. Similarly usage of the terms Madrasis – we have examples galore in our day to day life. Have you watched an ad on TV, where West Indian Cricketer says, it is tough to be a West Indian in India (subtle hint that Indians looked down upon the color of their dark skin). These spots were irritatingly regular during the recently concluded Cricket Series.

So while the Celebrity Big Brother crew and participants walk to the bank, let us get back to our mundane lives.