India – Celebrity Worship And Ostentation Ad Nauseam

December 12, 2015

By Padmini Arhant

Recently the High Court in Mumbai – the city where Indian film industry (Bollywood) is represented delivered a verdict in the high profile criminal case. 

The hit and run case with Bollywood actor Salman Khan faced charges on manslaughter and four others severely injured in the incident that occurred in 2002.

The driver under the influence of alcohol having lost control rammed over people on the curb side leaving one person dead and four seriously hurt in the incident.

The drunken driver identified as the Bollywood actor Salman Khan at that time by eyewitnesses including the actor’s personal bodyguard in the initial police complaint set the stage for long legal battle between two sides – the victims –  the unknown and poor individuals vs. celebrity with net worth over $200 million.

In the thirteen years of legal wrangling and circumventions by the accused notwithstanding witnesses deaths having provided sworn testimony before the magistrate, the court drama in typical Bollywood style was brought to an end favoring none other than the defendant.

The defendant was acquitted of all charges and hailed victorious in Indian tinsel town. The film fraternity and admirers along with fans apparently rejoicing the outcome.

Yet another Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan aka SRK contemporarily dealing with investigations on financial transactions contributing to INR 100 crore rupees i.e. $10 million loss to Indian ex-checker or treasury welcomed the decision in the criminal case of his counterpart Salman Khan claiming the conclusion positive for the silver screen performer.

Just two months ago, the Bollywood actress turned politician currently representing the ruling BJP and NDA government – Hema Malini’s car collision with another vehicle near the national highway in Northern region resulted in the death of a four years old child and her family sustaining life threatening injury.

As per the family’s account – the passerby (a doctor!) having witnessed the horrific incident escorted the celebrity with minor abrasions while neglecting the family including the child that was in need of emergency treatment.

The celebrity Hema Malini received top notch medical attention in private facility compared with the ordinary family left on the highway for more than two to three hours without any sign of rescue attributed to the child’s tragic loss of life.

The actress cum politician Hema Malini held the distressed family responsible for the fatal scene.

Celebrities in Indian society – entertainment domain predominantly film industry and sports arena besides the powerful entities in politics and economic sector held above the law.

Celebrity worship ad nauseam promotes social inequality deepening economic disparity.

Celebrities entering politics upon diminishing stardom is not uncommon.  Actors turning politicians and vice versa is the tradition.

The movie and sports personalities are major attractions for political parties aimed at complicity to policy not necessarily in public interest.  The tasks of mobilizing disenchanted electorate made easier with glamor and glitz distraction.

Unfortunately for the average citizens – the segment in the lowest economic strata looking for opportunity to drift away from continuous struggles, cinema is the means for escapism.

When people in the poorest socio economic background make nobody into somebody evolving as celebrity, the source behind celebrities’ fame and success not only forgotten but also taken for granted in the ever increasing frenzy over superficial display.

The rich, famous and influential ability to wheel justice in their direction slighting evidence based facts in criminal cases made possible by corruption culture and undue fanfare to celebrity status.

Film stars are the creation of collective contributions beginning with make-up artists, costume designers, choreographers and multitude expertise as behind the scenes operatives not to mention the lyricists, screen play writers, musicians and technology oriented techniques under capable director that leads to the final product.

The glory assigned to main characters ignoring the crucial team in movie making and subsequent hype is distortion.

Above all, the show without audience would be zero despite overestimated hero.

Unless bias and adulation set aside with civic funded institutions across the spectrum such as judiciary, police, prosecution and forensics immunity to incentives compromising fair trial, the victims would be denied justice in the real world.

Perhaps the people especially the poorer sections in society facilitating empowerment of those trampling on their rights to fairness and equality awakening to reality would balance the scales in the court of law.

My condolence to families and survivors affected in the society’s intoxication to ostentation prevalent in the form of entertainment.

Peace to all!

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

India – Lalit Modi Twitterati Causing Political Storm

July 1, 2015

By Padmini Arhant

The Indian political establishment is presently engaged in mudslinging and screaming match desperately trying to protect them from the political storm caused by IPL founder and chief Lalit Modi.

IPL – Indian premier league, the cricket tournament started few years ago attracting investors from the entertainment industry, economic sector and political arena.

IPL founder and mentor Lalit Modi – allegedly a fugitive facing various allegations ranging from embezzlement to corruption scandals in India.

As I mentioned earlier much to Bollywood Moguls’ irate for they are prime investors in IPL, IPL – Indian Premier League facilitates money laundering and tax evasion for the bourgeois – the rich, famous and the powerful in Indian society.

Indian political class with all sides having some relationship and connection with the controversial IPL icon Lalit Modi are currently involved in the blame game.

Indian Prime Minister Modi remarked in the latest speech on the potential cyber threat claiming anyone with mere 10th or 12 th class education miles away could potentially wipe away the bank account and warned the nation to be prepared for the ‘bloodless’ cyber war.

Yet supposedly learned IPL chief Lalit Modi from miles away implicated on embezzlements running into billions technically siphoning Indian national treasury with members of Indian political apparatus collusion and complicity exemplify the state of affairs in multidimensional context. i.e. education, ethics and economic bankruptcy.

Lalit Modi’s twitters from offshore evidently prompting the Indian Parliament chirping and I play this song from Indian cinema that aptly describes the present somber mood in Indian political scene.

This song is brought to you with pleasure from me for your entertainment.

The song subtitles briefly is –

Let me remain behind the curtain

Do not lift the curtain

If the curtain is lifted

Then the secrets will be out in the open!

Enjoy the melody.

Courtesy: Padmini Arhant

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