India – Celebrity Worship And Political Circus

July 9, 2015

By Padmini Arhant

The celebrity worship in India is unprecedented and to a large extent foments megalomania.

Politics and controlled communication media share a deep bond with entertainment sector in the country.

The political parties are constantly vying with each other in bringing people from film and sports industry (cricket in particular) to represent them.

The commonality is the hunger for power, fame and fortune forming the basis for mutual attraction.

Celebrities are held above law in any issue extending into embezzlements from kickbacks and backdoor deals in government venture.

Those involved in accidents resulting in loss of ordinary citizens life from drunken driving and in other scenario contributing to excess speed limit on the less developed highway are protected from appropriate action.

The two incidents – directly related to Bollywood actors had victims and their families blamed for the untimely deaths and deprived of prompt medical assistance.

In this regard politics turning a blind eye to celebrities faith whether from natural birth or apostasy that is otherwise contentious in all affairs proves the political priority to stardom transcending religion, ethnicity and other background.

The latest one with the incumbent party BJP MP (the member of Parliament) supposedly representing the poor constituency of the economically disadvantaged Uttar Pradesh state riding in Mercedes as the official vehicle for personal trip crashed into oncoming automobile causing the death of a four year old child and leaving other passengers seriously injured in the car.

Besides the factors behind the accident, the preferential treatment provided to the celebrity turned political party representative deserves mentioning in humanitarian context.

The passerby, a doctor had taken the celebrity with minor wound in his car ignoring the remaining victims and the Hippocratic oath to rescue anyone especially the most vulnerable of all in need of emergency care.  

The doctor going to film star’s aid  leaving others behind – the four year old girl and five year old boy suffering massive injury is a failure in professional judgment. 

Accordingly the celebrity received top-notch attention in the best medical facility.

Meanwhile the critically injured passengers i.e. non-celebrities in the other car were abandoned to their fate for half hour in the accident scene.

According to the victims personal and eyewitness accounts they had to ride in an auto rickshaw (the three wheeler scooter) to reach the nearby government hospital. The four year old girl (Sonam) succumbed to her wounds on her mother’s lap on the way to the medical center.

The celebrity was fussed over with comprehensive procedures and the family with life threatening injuries became relevant only after the glaring gross negligence brought to public focus by the grieving father.

The mournful family also expressed their disappointment with the Bollywood actor turned MP not reaching out to them despite the fateful experience with the loss of their child.

To make matter worse, the celebrity accused the father for not having followed the traffic rules holding him responsible for the tragedy.

In this instance, the celebrity as the serving political representative could care less about the civil duty to inquire after the family and other members affected in the traumatic event clarifying human life matters only when the entity is a celebrity.

The apathy to mainstream problems is the underlying feature in the deteriorating human character.

I hope for the speedy recovery of the family hurt in the unfortunate collision with strength to bear the painful moment in life.

On the contrary, the ongoing political storm in New Delhi attributed to the present foreign minister intervention to assist the controversial IPL (Indian Premier League – Cricket Sport) founder dubbed the fugitive to travel within Europe for medical purpose concerning the family is asserted as the humanitarian call and lauded amongst the political class.

The IPL chief confronted with allegations and charges refuting through twitter social media dragging the polity into spotlight.

These developments confirm the so-called world’s largest democracy also renowned for the biggest political circus on earth.

Indian political establishment is the epicenter of corruption and criminality notwithstanding treason evident in explosive scandals across political parties alternating term in office.

The political class and bourgeois subservience to appease the unscrupulous external forces is second to none.

The election is a fraud with extensive bribery of electorate using counterfeit notes and black money from various channels near and far including the underworld and nefarious elements subscription to candidacies for vested interests.

Even the pretentious common man party (AAP) staged as anti-corruption faction encouraged Delhi voters to accept money from the other political parties – BJP, NDA and Congress and cast the vote for AAP. 

Cash for votes is not limited to campaign trail and the tradition carried over in Parliament and state assembly to sway opinion on legislation usually favoring domestic and foreign oligarchy and stifle anti-graft law.

Politics using religion is the trend sowing the seeds of discord – the trait inherited from imperial divide and conquer strategy. The irony is the political members lineage to Islam with ancestry not recollected in selective memory.  

The former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi was married to a muslim Feroz (Gandhi) making the descendents part Muslims in origin. 

The political members i.e. the Prime Minister Narinder Modi and the Patriarch of the ruling party L.K.Advani as well as the former chief minister of the state as chief trustees of temples viz. Somnath (God Shiva) temple in Gujarat recently barred entry to non-Hindus viz. Muslims and Christians citing the entrants to seek permission from the temple administration prior to visit.

The reason for the ordinance is apparently in response to Islam mosques and Christian chapels not allowing visitors from different sect.

Such conduct is reflective of using God as political pawn to impose fundamentalism in society.

Any religion restricting access to people of any other faith or non-believers to the place of worship cannot be true followers of the religion and ownership on God as the sole entity of a specific domain is ignorance prohibiting acceptance.

The prevalent religious dogma is contradictory to major religions claim as monotheist i.e. One God as the universal power.

Monotheism would encompass secularism without reservations upon the religion being established with blessings from God – the Supreme divine power behind creations for constructive evolution.

The isolation of religion premised on orthodox belief and largely political gains highlight indoctrination substituting spirituality.

Condescendence and discrimination widely practiced conforming to foreign authorities influence over politics and other sections in society.

Nature is bestowed with facts and knowledge since the dawn of life on earth leading to the existing information age in digital format.

Regardless the aptitude exemplified in positive attitude accompanied with gratitude delineate the genuinely knowledgeable, the authentic from platitude due to magnitude, fortitude and plenitude defying servitude to uplift the spirit of the multitude at any altitude.

Peace to all!

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

 

 

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under Featured, Indian Sub-Continent 

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