FilmStar CMs…Is Something Wrong With the South!!

I was speaking to friends a few days back, when someone brought up the topic of filmstar Chiranjeevi’s imminent entry into politics. The debate was if Chiranjeevi had it in him to be able to emulate the likes of NTR in Andhra or MGR and Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu. To which, one of my friends remarked that it was the fanaticism towards filmstars, combined with immaturity and a total lack of political acumen that makes the people in the southern states of our country turn filmstars into political bigshots.

While this feeling of derision seems to be the notion amongst most Indians, a closer look at these two states, their history and their socio-political scenario will actually make you realize how logically inconsistent it is. Both AP and TN are remarkably progressive states and also form a considerable chunk of India’s software and biotech industries. Let’s not forget that the top brass management of 3 of our top 4 software firms consist of people who hail from the south! Why then, will the people of these states act naive while electing their leaders! What’s wrong with the South!!

Let us take a brief look at the filmstar-turned-chief ministers we have had till date down south, and their rise in politics. That should help us find an answer to our question.

Tamil Nadu (or the Madras Presidency as it was then called) had always had important Congress leaders, C. Rajagopalachari or Rajaji (Independent India’s first Indian Governor-General) probably being the most well known of them all. Another popular leader and an ex-Congressman E.V. Ramasamy Naicker or Periyar as he was fondly called, had started a “Self Respect Movement” and had formed the Dravidar Kazhagam, aimed at achieving an egalitarian society, one where the backward classes had equal human rights. But it had not become a political force, until the genius of Annadurai liked the movement to a Dravidian entity and broadened its base. This was also the time when the state was witnessing protests against the Centre’s decision to make Hindi the sole National Language of India, and a compulsory subject in schools. After Annadurai broke away from Periyar’s DK and formed his own Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), he got two very useful allies in this struggle – film writer M. Karunanidhi and the charismatic actor MGR. Cinema has always been a very potent medium, and film heroes all over the world making a strong impact on people isn’t very difficult to comprehend. So when MGR started spreading the message of DMK through his films like Anbe Vaa, he became the face of the Dravidian Movement. Although he later broke away to form a separate All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) after differences with the then chief minister Karunanidhi, he had already garnered the support of the masses, enough to make him win every election till his death in 1987. His legacy was later inherited by another filmstar, Jayalalitha.

To be noted at this juncture is the fact that it was Annadurai’s Dravidian politics that had created the platform for MGR to form a party which people could associate with. Otherwise, a Malayali Menon born in Sri Lanka had little chance of ruling a state like TN.

Now we come to NTR, another charismatic filmstar who ruled Telugu cinema for decades, alongwith other stalwarts like Akkineni Nageswara Rao. In the early 1980s, there already was significant discontent among the masses, against the Congress government, on accounts of unemployment, corruption and general anti-incumbency. And then came the unfortunate incident of chief minister Anjaiah being publicly humiliated at the Hyderabad airport by the then General Secretary of Congress, a certain Rajiv Gandhi! The incident hurt the pride of Telugus across the state. NTR timed his move well, floated the Telugu Desam Party and went into the elections 9 months later with a call for restoring Telugu “Atma Gauravam” (self-pride). He won a landslide and became the CM.

However, NTR’s political career shows us that even a film megastar like him couldn’t win elections just with the sheer power of stardom. In his first term as CM, he got into saffron robes and tried ruling the state ideologically, leading to disastrous consequences. He ended up losing the elections in 1989.

The filmstar-to-CM stories of both MGR and NTR have a very common theme. The key point in both the stories is the fact that they had serious social and political agenda, and not mere star status, that helped them rise in politics. Yes the filmstar status helped in getting them nearer to the masses, but the people were voting for their agenda more than their stardom. This brings us to an important question: why only TN and AP, why don’t filmstars have the same influence in other states?

Well, for that to happen what is essential is a very strong sense of distinct identity or shared history with the star. That is probably why people across the Hindi speaking belt of India will find it tough getting emotionally involved with a Hindi film star. Not even with someone as larger-than-life as Amitabh Bachchan.

Among the other states, Gujarat and Orissa hardly have film inustries of note and the Marathi film industry has been completely overshadowed by Bombay. West Bengal probably was our best bet to become another TN. Immense self pride, a desire for egalitarian society and a strong sense of history, the state had everything that it needed. But just as the Dravidian parties did in the south, communists filled up the vacuum in WB. Even then, had megastar Uttam Kumar chosen to be the face of the non-Congress group, WB too could have had its own filmstar CM! Similar to WB, the Akali Dal moved into power in Punjab, almost at the same time. And Kerala went the WB way, the communists there too seized the opportunity to gain power.

The only other Dravidian state, Karnataka, also had a larger-than-life filmstar in Dr. Rajkumar. But throughout his life he maintained a safe distance from the power game, thus “depriving” the Kannadigas of a filmstar CM!

So, evidently nothing’s wrong with the South!! Electing filmstars as chief ministers has little to do with political knowledge or the lack of it! There are a lot of other forces and factors involved in it, more than what meets our eyes. So the only question left unanswered now is, will or can Chiranjeevi emulate NTR? Well, only time will tell us that. He definitely doesn’t have much of public opinion to ride on, like what NTR did at the time of his ascent. For now we can only wish Chiru luck, and keenly track his political journey.

 

IPL and Sports in India

A year and thirteen days. That’s how long ago I had written last on “The Fourth Dimension”. And while I had touted the last entry in this blog (written after a 2 month hiatus) as a ‘comeback article’, this time around the comeback has definitely assumed “Ganguly-an” proportions!

Speaking of Ganguly and cricket brings me to the cricketing extravaganza that has currently created a frenzy in the country, or at least in most parts of India – the DLF Indian Premier League. “Cricket ka Karmayudh“, that’s the way the parent body has decided to promote the event. Well, “Cricket aur Manoranjan ka Karmayudh” would probably have been a more apt tagline. Or, as one of the country’s premier news channels calls it – “Cricketainment“!

Here, right at the onset, let me make it very clear that I, personally, am not in the least against adding a certain amount of entertainment quotient to cricket matches. I have always believed that the game is attractive enough to be able to hold on to its own charm amidst latest Hindi chartbusters blasting away at full volume and scantily-clad cheerleaders dancing outside the boundaries. And that there isn’t really a need to worry about the game being overshadowed by these fringe elements. However, it is the format of the game and the amount of money that has gone into this event, that makes me apprehensive.

Looking at the positives first, IPL has done Indian cricket a huge favor by bringing out some sparkling new talents and providing them the opportunity to rub shoulders with the greats of the game. The Manpreet Gonys, the Wriddhiman Sahas, the Abhishek Nayars and the Swapnil Asnodkars, struggling to make a name for themselves in the not-so-widely-followed domestic tournaments, wouldn’t even have dreamt of playing with the Mcgraths, the Warnes and the Muralidharans! That they are actually doing so in reality now, will not only let them learn from these greats but will also do their confidence a world of good. Having already got a taste of playing against international stars, they will, in all probability, find the transition to the next level a much smoother ride.

And not only Indian cricket has benefitted. IPL has given us two explosive top order Australian batsmen in Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach. They have already shown that the Aussies will not have to look far for a replacement for Adam Gilchrist at the top of the order. The IPL has also helped the ever under-performing Shane Watson, touted as the next big thing in Australian cricket, to blossom into the fine alrounder that he is. And last but not the least, the IPL has shown us that Shoaib Akhtar, without his tantrums and with his mouth shut, is still potent enough to single-handedly change the course of a match!

Having said all this, two questions still remain. First, is T20 the ideal format for a youngster to enter the international arena? Should a budding player concentrate on the finer aspects of his technique in order to become a complete batsman, or should he start clearing his left leg and start hitting across the line right from his coaching days! After all, as all the experts say, test cricket is still a batsman’s real test. A typical example of this syndrome seems to be Gautam Gambhir. For all the talent he has, he has never really fared well in test matches for India, in spite of doing exceptionally well in the shortest version of the game and reasonably well in ODIs too. In his case, rather than shotmaking, the problem seems to be more in his temperament. Also, with the advent of T20, will youngsters be still interested in taking up the art of bowling? After all who would like the idea of running in hard just to get flayed all over the park!

The other question that haunts me is the kind of money that has been poured into this event. Even the least expensive franchise, the Rajasthan Royals, cost a whopping $67 million. Was this kind of money really required? Will it not demotivate players from carrying out international duties? Or even more importantly, in a country like India where cricket already is a religion, is there a justification in spending millions on the same sport rather than supporting other sports and sportspersons who actually require the money? Mr. Ambani, the richest Indian at the moment, could easily have invested in table tennis or athletics rather than buying the most expensive team in the IPL. He probably wouldn’t have got the kind of returns he is getting now, but then if a Mukesh Ambani can’t afford it, who can! Mr Subroto Roy of Sahara, already sponsors the national teams in cricket and hockey, and probably sees no reason to spend more money on some of the other not-so-high-profile sports. Vijay Mallya is already into a lot of glamorous sports – tennis, football, formula 1 and now cricket. And in spite of all these corporate biggies and their so called love for sports, we find an Anju Bobby George, a Dola Banerjee or a Saina Nehwal looking for sponsors and not getting any.

The only time I can recall an Indian businessman investing in some of these low-profile sports, was when Lakshmi Mittal launched the Mittal Foundation Trust aiming to develop medal prospects for the 2012 Olympics in Squash, Archery, Boxing, Shooting etc. A commedable initiative for sure, although the others have not quite followed Mr. Mittal’s path yet and have decided to stick to cricket, at least for the time being. So while the IPL augurs really well for Indian cricket, at least for the shorter versions of the game, it may spell doomsday for the several other sports in our country which are in real need of investors.

To end on a positive note, Shahrukh Khan in an interview just after buying the IPL’s Kolkata franchise, said he would like to spend the money he earns in IPL on the development of other sports in the country. We can only hope and pray that he does so soon, and that other corporates too tread similar paths. The earlier they do so, the better for sports in this country.

 

Moral Police…Who Governs Them??

Finally…I get to write again!! In my introductory article I had made a promise – to keep this blog going for as long as I can. And today, after a break of a couple of months, I am here to gift “The Fourth Dimension” its 5th article!

Well, honestly, when I started writing this article, I did not have any particular topic in mind. In fact, being a proud citizen of a country as colorful and eventful as ours, I was never really worried about running into a crisis of subjects to write about. But over the last few months, the more I read about the right-wing elements and their tales of moral policing thoughout the country, the more I was convinced that this should indeed be the topic of my comeback article!!!

Well, it’s nothing new actually. Such cases could be heard even a few years back. In fact, the Shiv Sena and the VHP activists trying to spoil Valentine’s Day celebrations has been a pretty regular event since a decade or so. Today, I suppose, Valentine’s Day parties are incomplete without them!! But it is the sudden spurt in the frequency of such incidents that makes me write this article.

It will be an understatement to say that I was shocked when, during the World Cup, Mandira Bedi was criticized for showing disrespect to the national flag!! It was outrageous! Even I was watching the telecast, and not for a moment did I even think of trying to figure out where in Mandira’s sari was the Indian tricolor!!! I was there to watch the program, not Mandira’s sari!!! Whether an actress should host a cricket show, well that’s debatable! But accusing her of disrespecting the national flag was insensitive to say the least!

If you all remember, there was a similar flag controversy a couple of years back, and it was Sachin Tendulkar who was the culprit then!! For opting to keep the tricolor on his helmet! Accusing a person who has carried the hopes of millions of cricket fans for well over a decade, of showing contempt towards the national flag, is in itself an act of irreverence! Somebody questioning Tendulkar’s patriotism is simply unacceptable! What we should question instead, is the sanity of these protesters!!

If there really is a need for restricting the use of the national flag in order to prevent its disrespect, then probably it should start with our very lawmakers! Some of our MPs and MLAs shouldn’t even be allowed anywhere within the proximity of the tricolor! It is these politicians (a large fraction of whom already have criminal cases against them) who bring disgrace to the nation with their heinous acts!

And it’s not only about the tricolor. These highly moral friends of ours, try and play “Big Brother” in every possible situation. From attempting to block the release of certain films, to getting young art students arrested for objectionable and obscene paintings, they are everywhere! The way Chandramohan, a student at one of Baroda’s art colleges, got arrested for something that he painted as a part of his examination, defies sense! And what is surprising is that the government plays its part as well!

Rather than taking a strong stand on this issue, the government comes up with its own ludicrous and, at times even childish decisions in an attempt to protect our culture! What other adjectives can you use for the Indian government’s decision to ban television channels for telecasting allegedly obscene content! In this age of the world wide web, is there any rationale behind such a decision?

I don’t want to get into whether the telecast was indeed obscene. Or, should one watch these channels and whether it is right or wrong to do so. I even accept that the content telecast in these channels is probably not the kind of culture we Indians have grown up to. What I do not accept, however, is somebody telling me what to watch on t.v. and what not to! As an independent citizen of India, I believe, I have every right to select the kind of programs I would like to watch!

And as for the government, I will be only too happy to see them try and resolve the real problems that impede our country’s growth!

 

Gandhigiri Helping Munna Bhai..?

It has been almost 2 months since the TADA court had announced its verdict on Sanjay Dutt in connection with the Mumbai bomb blasts. “Sanjay Dutt is not a terrorist“, proclaimed the court. However, the sentence is yet to be announced. And the way in which Dutt has repeatedly managed to keep himself out on bail has already raised a few eyebrows, and sparked off protests from the relatives of others accused in the case.

Is it a case of a star getting special treatment from the judiciary? Is it a violation of “All men are equal in the eyes of law“? Or, more importantly, is Munna Bhai playing the role of saviour for Sanju Baba?

Well, personally, I loved Munna for his antics in Lage Raho… and its prequel. I have enjoyed Dutt’s acting in a couple of other films too. However, I am also a staunch supporter of “Equality in the eyes of law“. A filmstar, just because he has advocated Gandhigiri in his films, should not be let of the hook for a crime that he has confessed to have committed. And I say crime, because in spite of being a fan of Dutt’s acting, I find it extremely hard to believe that somebody in this country would require an Automatic Kalashnikov (AK-56) for self-protection!

Whether Sanjay Dutt, as a person, has changed for good, is debatable. His friends in the film-industry definitely feel so! In fact, it can well be a case of a spoilt brat of rich and famous parents committing a serious mistake, and then realizing the same after being made to pay for it (Let’s not forget, he has already served a jail-term for over a year.)! However, can we really be certain about that? Who knows, instead of being repentant, he may still be in touch with the underworld! One thing, though, that goes in Dutt’s favour, is the fact that, unlike Salman Khan, he has been able to keep himself out of any further controversies. He has not been found hunting endangered animals, neither has he been accused of drunken driving, nor has he publicly troubled estranged girlfriends!

The CBI wants maximum punishment for Dutt, a 10 year jail term. On the other hand, he is seeking the benefit of the Probation of the Offenders Act, which entitles the court to release, for his good character and conduct, a person who has been found guilty of an offence not punishable by death or life imprisonment. If the judge and the jury truly find Dutt to have been really co-operative throughout the course of this trial, and they honestly feel Sanjay Dutt can indeed be released for his good conduct, then they definitely should go ahead and do the same. However, the judiciary should ensure that such a decision is taken impartially. Without the influence of Jaadu ki Jhappi, or for that matter, any of Munna Bhai’s fictional philanthropic actions!

 

Singur, Tata and the Rs. 1 Lakh Car

Singur and the proposed Rs 1 Lakh car project by the Tatas have been making news for quite some time now. And unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. It all started with the acquisition of land from the farmers, which, the opposition led by Mamta Banerjee, claimed, was illegal. And even now that the Tatas have actually started construction at the site, the controversy is far from over!

Personally, I was pretty interested in this whole project, as was the middle class junta of our country. It provided us with a suitable alternative to motorcycles, far more safe than two-wheelers on congested city roads, and also extremely affordable. However, the way things have transpired, completing the construction of the plant itself is a challenge now, let alone starting production by 2008!

And I have to say, my heart goes out to all those poor farmers who have lost their lands. And that too, at a place like Singur which is supposed to be one of the most fertile stretches of land in the state. And for once, I support Mamta Banerjee in her fight against the construction of this plant. In the past, I have despised her for her over-the-top, foolish actions like throwing a bunch of papers at the Lok Sabha speaker and staging several unnecessary walkouts. But this time, she is fighting for a cause that is genuine, a cause that is in the true interests of the people of the state.

For the last 3 decades West Bengal had been craving for a Chief Minister who could take the state forward, someone who could help the state regain its past glory. And after Buddhadeb Bhattacharya took over from the seemingly unapproachable Jyoti Basu, there was indeed an air of change in the state. The new CM was open to investments in the state by private firms, and a lot of companies actually started showing interest. The Tatas were no different. However, the one thing that went against Buddhadeb this time was his own stubbornness regarding the site of the plant. Yes, Bengal needs this plant. It’ll definitely provide employment for a lot of people in the state, it sure will improve the quality of life. But, not at the cost of a piece of land that is so productive! Whether the land was acquired legally or not, I don’t know. But why waste a fertile piece of land like this?

What makes Buddhadeb’s obstinacy even more difficult to understand is the fact that there are other plots of land available in the state where the Tatas can build their plant! We do have land near Dankuni, as well as the semi-urban area of Rajarhat! And yet, for some strange reason, the CM is hell-bent upon having this plant in Singur only!

The Tatas in this whole controversy, have maintained a strictly business-like approach. They are only concerned about setting the plant up, and that is quite understandable. They had been shown this piece of land, they liked it, and now they want to go ahead with their project. We don’t know what could have happened had the WB govt. showed them some other plot of land!

The dispute, I feel, will continue for some more time, as no feasible solution seems to be on the cards. Mamta Banerjee, with the support of the farmers and Medha Patkar (who, ironically, has learnt her fiery brand of social activism at an institute built by the Tatas themselves – the Tata Institute of Social Sciences!) is relentless in her struggle. And as far as Mr. CM goes, no signs of him becoming flexible either! So, we’ll have to wait a little longer if we are to see the climax of this movie! Just one thing, the Rs. 1 Lakh car project would be extremely beneficial for the middle class of this country. The ego of a stubborn politician should not prevent it from successful execution!

 

India Poised…

Couldn’t think of a better subject for the first article of my blog. With a leading media brand of our country carrying out an “India Poised” campaign through its newspaper and television channel, not to mention the “Rising India” campaign by a competitor channel, I thought it was really worth dicussing the topic. What is India poised for? Or, is India really rising?

“The economy of a country is an indicator of the growth of that nation”. Well, if that is the case, then we sure are rising. With the Sensex hovering around the 14K mark, and threatening to soar even higher and Indian business houses trying to go global and making some significant acquisitions in the global market, the Indian economy is definitely at its best, and is expected to do even better in 2007.

However, in a country as diverse as India, I strongly believe that economy cannot be the sole indicator of growth. There are several other factors that determine how well the nation is doing. Of course, besides our economy doing well, we indeed have had several incidents and achievements in the last few years that make us proud to be Indians. For a start, we probably have two of the world’s most highly educated politicians in the form of our President and our Prime Minister. We have had an Indian almost end up as the UN Secretary General, only to pull out of the race at the last moment. Indian authors have continued to do well in the global market, except for the Kaavya Viswanathan fiasco. The performance of Indian sportspersons at the international level has greatly improved and we can now boast of world class players like Saina Nehwal, Jeev Mikha Singh, Pankaj Advani and Parimarjan Negi. Even Indian mainstream Bollywood movies are winning international recognition with films like Lage Raho Munnabhai, Omkara and Rang De Basanti getting critical acclaim in other countries.

However, do all these imply India is really rising? Or, that India is poised for a great 2007? Let us not forget, this is the same country where we still have women being killed in the interiors of Bihar and West Bengal, accused of practicing witchcraft! Witchcraft, in the 21^st century!! This is the same nation, where a case of defacing of a statue somewhere in Uttar Pradesh can actually lead to violence and riots in a place as far as Maharashtra! We still have hundreds of farmers in the Vidarbha region committing suicide every year. And, not to forget, almost half the population of this country is illiterate still! We still have a government that tells the people of the nation what to watch on television, and how to write a blog on the Internet! We still have reservations in the educational institutions and corporate organizations of this nation, reservations based on, not financial status, but on caste!! The fact that we still can’t forget our castes, even in this new millennium, is both shocking and ridiculous.

And we say India is rising? India is poised for great things? Well, financially, may be yes. But is that enough? Does that make all Indians happy? It doesn’t. We still need to do a hell lot of work, in varied areas and fields, if we are to really stand up and say, “Dum duma dum India, Zor laga do India”.

 

Hi Friends!

Hi friends,

I am back, and with another blog this time. I had started a couple of blogs in the past, but couldn’t quite keep updating them on a regular basis. Well, this time I intend to be regular. In fact, I have decided to keep this blog going for as long as I can. But then, I do have a past record of not following my own decisions!!!

One more change from my previous blogs, “The Fourth Dimension” is not a sports blog!! It may come as a surprise to those who know me, and they might be thinking how on earth can I write about subjects not related to sports!! Well, this is just an attempt, let’s see how it goes. As Murali Prasad Sharma had once said, “Life me bahot kuch 1st time hota hai re mamu”!! This is one such first time!!

Happy reading, happy blogging to all of you! And, please do feel free to comment on my articles.