The Indian media - yes the same ones who were dropped on their collective heads by their collective mothers - are at it again. First wrenching someone's words out of all context, and then baying for that person's blood. It's Shabana Azmi's turn again. The details are too moronic to repeat here, but I have just one thing to say.
Not because Shabana is a friend, but because I hate idiot newspapers that do so-called 'stings' with only half of their bird-brains in place. And cause so much damage to the national fiber and fabric.
First, her remarks (available on cnn-ibn live) have been deliberately misunderstood, and then some retarded hack has 'precis-written' them so that everyone who wants to prove some half-assed theory about Shabana's take on Muslims, immediately sits back and says, "Ah, there she goes."
On top of it, based on this demented interpretation of what she said, today's paper tells us that they oh-so cleverly carried out a 'sting' operation to prove that in fact it is not at all difficult for Muslims to buy a house in Mumbai. And what did this sting involve: Two reporters assuming Muslim names called up builders and brokers, asking to buy a house. These builders and brokers were oh-so sweet, and did not baulk at the names and were happy to show them homes, as long as they had the money ready. Well Duh! and Duh again, guys. Of course they dont have a problem selling to anyone and will spout non-communal words or wisdom.
If you were journalists/reporters in any real sense of the term, you would have taken this to the Building Society level, and seen how blatantly and clearly many societies simply will not give an NOC to the seller who has a Muslim buyer. This has been going on for the last 10 years at least, across class lines. I know this from personal experience. My then husband (a Muslim) and I went through 96 flats before we could buy the one we finally did. Everywhere it was: "Sorry, society is not going to give permission to sell to you." Finally, the one we did buy, was bought on my name, I dealt with everyone concerned, and my Muslim husband was kept a dark secret, till we moved in and then decided to 'come out'. And of course no broker or builder gave us this treatment. It was the actual people living in actual building societies who did this.
So media-morons, when will you stop having theories, and then going out gathering evidence to fit your theories? What you end up doing is unleashing the latant misplaced anger of thousands of bakri readers, who are immediately swayed and begin to bleat their 'protest'. And you do truth, fairness, and national integration absolutely no justice. But then maybe you just dont want to know or deal with the truth, do you? Too boring, right?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
moronic media
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12 comments:
The treatment of minorities in mera Bharat is a national shame. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Used to not be that way. But the concept of 'the Other' was generated, nurtured, and thoroughly encouraged. Yesterday I saw my Marwari grocer being openly thugged by 2 youth for Ganesh Mandal donation - and the line of argument was: 'you people make so much money all year round...now part with some for a good cause'. I asked them what they did all year round, and they said 'nagar seva'. Ya right, a.hs, I wanted to say. But frankly, didnt dare to.
Yeah, the situation is very very bad.
Just not in Mumbai or Delhi, but almost entire North India....not that much in South though.
But it exists of course. Sometimes you get so frustrated...kya footpath par jaaye insaan....
The worst is the sitaution of poor and lower-middle class Muslim, who doesn't have the money to pay excess rent or buy house at a much higher price than others.
And nobody wants to discuss this issue publicly.
The reason is NOT any hatred for Muslims, average urban Indian doesn't care about who worships which God. It's the fear that if there are riots again our political hoodlums will create riots in any Society with Muslim residents...all this started after 1992-93. So BJP has succeeded in making us all notice our names and regions and religions and castes...I don't see it ending anywhere anytime soon :(
First time here, through Blog Bharti. Nice blog!
Gouri, you are obviously blissful ignorant about history and the societal dynamics of real India. Otherwise, you would have known that all over India people have always lived mostly in clusters based on caste and religion. This phenomena is not 10 years old! Life is far older than when your limited personal experiences began.
Had you told every one that you are an SC, you would not have got a flat either. Similarly, had you known a bit more about India, you would have known that it is equally difficult for, say, Hindus to get a house in an area dominated by Muslims.
But, it is fashionable to talk about Muslim discrimination based on not even half baked knowledge. Indian Homemaker is partially right when she says that in urban India, the element of fear is also one factor.
Try the SC trick. You will learn a lot. And also go to the real India out there in the countryside and read some Indian history. Write you next book after that. And not for readers in the West.
hey vinod
thanks for telling me what my next book should be about. but i'll decide that myself, thanks, sir.
you seem to have many axes to grind and chips on your shoulder, sir.
why you are so incensed at my recounting my experience is not clear - and your leap of logic, that this means that i dont care or have heard of SC problems etc is childish, at best.
bye bye
gouri
@Vinod Sharma I know for a fact that this discrimination against Muslims exists. There are unwritten Society Rules...and generally the reason is fear, but often it is also prejudice. I have discussed it with members. There was a time (just after the 92-93 riots) when, I am ashamed to say, I did not think there was anything wrong with such rules.
Gouri, I was not incensed at you recounting your personal experience. It was your typical urban diatribe about Muslim discrimination that I found difficult to digest. You and possibly I are from a minuscule 'secular' minority that does not discriminate at all on basis of religion or caste.
The overwhelming majority of Indians are still socially insular, as I had mentioned earlier, and are not comfortable with sharing living space with people of other castes/religions. This has been going on for thousands of years and is somewhat in a state of equilibrium.
We may find it offensive. But most people have not been brought up like us. You are perhaps not aware that at the height of Sikh militancy, people in urban North India were not willing to let out houses to Sikhs. India Homemaker and you are right that there is discrimination. But it is necessary to keep this fact in the right perspective and not inadvertently appear to sensationalise it as a dark conspiracy of Hindu India against its Muslim citizens.
Unfortunately, you friend Shabana Azmi did not show the necessary sense of responsibility when she chose to make her famous statement. I give her the benefit of doubt that she is ignorant of the societal dynamics of real India since she has lived in Westernised Mumbai all her life. But she cannot, in all fairness, expect everyone to know that she comes from a different world altogether.
As to the advice about your book, apologies are in place for the manner in which I dismissed your creative effort. But I do believe that we need to go out there and get to know 'Second Indians' of the other India which is another country altogether for some of us.
see, vinod, when you talk down to people in phrases like 'you are perhaps not aware' - it is amusing, and irritating too. you dont know me from adam, so how do you presume about what i am aware of or not? i am, you must understand, more than what i write on one day in my blog. so your condescending presumptions and lectures are thoda not welcome.
In Bangalore I have a tuff time getting a house in Jaynagar because I am a non-vegetarian. People simply do not want to give the house.
But I guess it is ok, I really dont know if I should call it discrimination or whatsoever. But I do hate it when media tries to make it as religious issue. Because I dont think it is related to only to religion, it is also related to habits, caste, smell of cooking, colour, etc.
yes goli i agree. some buildings are eggless, dogless, etc. some wont have single women, single men - the divides are just increasing at every level!
gouri
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