7th March

It’s A Slumfest

The article talks about the parties that are going all out to cash in the latest Slumdog Millionaire success while thrashing the Congress’ authority over the song even though Congress bought the copyrights of the movie’s signature tune.

The movie, besides just a box office success, has received acclaims and critics from all over the world. With Indian cast, British producer, Hindu-turned-Muslim music composer and American award, the movie literally belongs to the entire world. However, Congress would question it since they bought the copyrights of its signature tune to use it in their campaigns. Other parties, however, thrash this claim. From Narendra Modi to CPM MP Md Salim to Mamta Banerjee; every Neta has been using the song and the tune to attract voters. Nitish Kumar went a step ahead with his VVIP parade in the cycle-rickshaw to watch the movie. Clearly it was an election gimmick.

The crux here is that even if all parties try to trade in the Slumdog success, the party who will actually make the common man dance to the tunes would only come to the power.

Gandhi’s Things

The article, with reference to the recent auction of Gandhi items, comments on the excessive hoo-ha over possessing items of the man who himself never cared much for them. It also talks about the dual aspects of his legacy. 

The recent auction of Gandhi’s possessions was thankfully won by Vijay Mallya and thus ensuring the possessions remain in India. It was a dilemma situation for New Delhi, caught seemingly disrespectful to make efforts to restore the possessions of the great man back to his country while fighting the cash-crunch owing to economic crisis at the same time. But it’s surprising to see such possessiveness for the items of a person who himself never cared for it. Gandhi’s legacy is a dual faced. Father of the Nation makes him binding to politics apparently while the saintly veneration connects him to spirituality. Combining politics with spirituality is unhealthy as it pollutes the later one while dilutes the former. Such cult is not practical in 21st century and certainly some of the Gandhian principles don’t work like his emphasis on agriculture and anti-industry stand. 

Thus, it’s not good to put Gandhi at the pedestal since spirituality has no place in economics and politics and moreover Gandhi himself wouldn’t be comfortable there.