Enough of sentiments being hurt, what about Scientific Temper?

One of the many videos that is in circulation on social media of a religious ceremony, epitomizes the still existing blind faith. Even though, the particular video only exposes one instance, there are many examples of such stage magic across religions in our country. Movies like 'Oh My God' or 'PK' can only come and go. Why? And How? 

First of all, this circulation, which is producing lot of laughs, also shows some sort of hypocrisy that has been induced into each one of us. While mocking such stage dramas, which are merely showing, what most of us hope for and ask for in many of our daily prayers. While we are mocking the guy on stage, we are also mocking ourselves.

We bear and laugh off such acts, but the slightest hint of serious questioning of the blind faith gets the raw treatment, first from the fringe groups, who create some sort of ruckus that will be backed up by softies, who say that it is hurting the sentiments of believers. Irrespective of the party in power, There have been instances, where books, movies, images or even cartoons, which ridicule the blind faith, faced the brunt of a ban by the state. Even as i write this, some country bombs were thrown by a fringe group on a TV channel office for conducting a discussion show on 'MangalSutra.'

So then, what about the sentiments of the rationalists, atheists or even agnostics, who get hurt every time, when their faith to reason and logic gets quashed by the blind, nonsensical rhetorics? How long should, only they have to tolerate this apathy with no such tolerance coming from the other side.

With the number of recent bans making it clear, where even the fresh government — which came to power on the plank of development, by the way — stands, it seems the development of scientific temperament and reason that the constitution asks of its citizens is at stake. Unfortunately, the governments and political establishments at large are just happy to keep the people there in the dark.

Stage dramas:

Minding the Mindset

The people who are feeling that Nirbhaya was insulted by the documentary must be actually feeling insulted for themselves and are reluctant to accept that such kind of mindset is not uncommon in our over-glorified country. This whole episode of outrage over the making of the documentary — even before watching it — itself proves that those, who want this documentary off the lime light are wrong, as it has clearly brought back the issue into the public debate actually. Can any one deny that?

There are two separate things that are being questioned now: one is the need to interview criminals behind bars, which has so much to do with the mindsets of people in our country - especially in cases like Nirabhaya - which has to be checked; and the second is on whether the documentary can effectively convey the message for the betterment of our society or not, for which one has to see it first.

Now, the only criticism that can be attributed to the media that has aired part of the interview or at least tried to do so yesterday, is the usual sensationalization that can be found in everyday news. It did piss me off when they were putting each ugly remark that the culprit had made as a headline one after the other. But, I think our anger against the media or the foreign film maker is either misplaced or is a sign of our insecurity, as a society.

What can one say, when our Union Home Minister, seconds after telling that he was hurt watching those comments made by the culprit, questions the need to make such a documentary that has compelled him to make a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the issue in one way or the other. Some of our honorable intellectual members of 'House of elders' also took the same route, with few acknowledging the need for change of mindset.

And for those, who say and believe that the documentary is defaming us as it is only one rapist's mindset that can't be generalized, the documentary also includes the interviews of culprit's lawyers, who are as defying as the culprit in saying that the victim should be on road at that time and that she should have pleaded him for mercy or whatever. And above all, we have our own parliamentarians and leaders, who make almost similar comments frequently. Do we need more proof than that?

The government has just acted like a traditional Indian family, which wants to keep the secrets inside, regardless of how worse the situation is for half of the people in it.

Anyway, as most of us will gradually start paying lesser and lesser attention to the issue, hell with it, lets just block and ban everything that tries to make us think, and lets live in ignorance…

Cultivation of another kind…

Leaked internal mails allegedly reveal favors by Corporate groups to people in places of power

Another whistle was blown on Friday, just a day before Union budget gets placed in the parliament and grabs the lime light, revealing several internal mails of a corporate group, ESSAR, which has allegedly engaged in unethical practices of appeasing a number of politicians, bureaucrats and journalists by offering smart phones, jobs to recommended candidates, free rides and even (as small as) top ups.The mails also mention other corporate groups which have mastered the art according to them.

However, all the mainstream channels on Friday were selective in targeting the Union Minister Nithin Gadkari, keeping the corporate entity and the other beneficiaries out of the debate mostly. Almost all the channels spent their air time in questioning the Union Minister Nithin Gadkari's propriety (moral or otherwise) in taking a two night trip with his family to a french cruise ship, which belongs to a subsidiary of ESSAR corporate group, during one of their foreign tours in July, 2013. The Minister's family has also allegedly used the company's chopper for their travel to the yacht.

Mr. Gadkari was reportedly not in any official position at that time in the government or in BJP, but his influence over his party Chief Ministers at that time and his current portfolio as a Union Minister, are well with in the bounds of taking important decisions, which might have or may favor the ESSAR group. But the "quid pro quo" is not established by any party just yet. On the other side, Mr. Gadkari and his defenders inside and outside BJP say that he had only visited a friend during his personal tour with his family and that it doesn't amount to propriety. But, none of these people were asked what they think about the corporate groups internal mails in which company officials discuss about cultivating influential personalities, which clearly shows their intentions. Some mails also seem to have mentioned similar practices by other big corporates like Reliance and Airtel.

Some other conspicuous issues that came out of the mails are the proposals to offer smart phones and job opportunities to the candidates recommended by these personalities that include prominent politicians like Digvijay Singh, who when approached by media said that they have only recommended eligible candidates and apparently felt nothing wrong in doing so. Hail the impartial partiality of our Netas.

Following the exposes, some of the journalists, who allegedly received cab services among others, have faced the wrath from their managements, which in the case of Hindustan Times seems to have opened more such allegations as per this report. More detailed report about the expose in Indian express can be found here.

Renowned Supreme court lawyer and a crusader of corruption, Prashanth Bhushan has filed people interest litigation on the issue, while the ESSAR group has released a statement saying that leaking of their private mails amounts to theft and that they will take legal steps. They have also stated that some of the mails are 'apparently' fabricated.

Caravan's latest report with proofs on Gadkari's report can be found here. 

Additions:

Fresh detailed report in NewsLaundry explains how Essar officials have allegedly tried to persuade journalists to alter articles in their favor. The report also mentions some articles which might or might not have influenced by the group. One particular article mentioned among them, about the group's involvement in the 2G scam, was reported by Ashish Khetan, who was with Tehalka then, and is currently a prominent member of Aam Aadmi Party. However, there is no mention of any favors to him in the mails that do mention some other journalists from some prominent media organizations.