Politics galore

You have undoubtedly heard abouyt Pravin Mahajan shooting his brother and BJP bigwig Pramod Mahajan, him being admitted to Hinduja Hospital and needing a liver transplant, the innumerable publicised excursions by his children to Siddhivinayak temple, the ridiculous amounts of sadhus coming to Bombay from all over India, and yogis assuming all sorts of Indiarubber acrobatic positions and headstanding on live coals etc for his recovery, and the latest, Pravin's wife offering fervent prayers for his recovery!

OK, honestly, everything in this post is a result of hearsay and some mild deduction on my part, a bit of newswatching and breakfast table discussions. I haven't been reading the papers at all in protest of the minor annoyance the roadblock outside Hinduja Hospital causes me everyday on my way to work (it was so funny to hear my opinionated driver pronounce that "These politicians think they are Gods. Hehehe). And it's true! I heard on Radio from Jaggu and Tarana (who else!) that there are only 3 fully equipped ambulances in Bombay, and how one of them has to follow visiting diplomats around in case anything happens to them, and the inconvenience this causes to civilians who are actually experiencing illness at the time. And how it makes no sense to follow them around because they are all congregating at the hospital anyway! (Im also mad about Praful Patel - our aviation minister's highandedness in assuming that just because he hold's a diplomat passport he must not appear in person to identify himself to immigration authorities, and when asked, demanding an apology from airport authorities! Is it such a big deal to show your face for one second? He doesnt even have to stand in line! Hello! These people are here to serve the country!!! They have to comply by the regulations in their constitution, by the regulations set by THEM and the people in charge before them! For all we know, terrorists have probably developed sophisticated enough technology to be able to forge diplomat passports! It's true, only women seem to lead by example. Disgusting.)

However, I heard two days ago that the real reason Pravin shot Pramod was not money, or property or attention-seeking, but because Pramod was having a little *ahem* dalliance with Pravin's wife. Now I'm ready to believe it, because, as I've said earlier, nothing surprises me anymore. That could very well be the last straw for a man who has already felt shortchanged by the success of his brother, or , it could be the result of a base instinct that has been homed into a societal norm for millenia. Like Ive said, either explanation is plausible.

What really provokes this post is my father's reaction when I told him this new gossip. While I mother became wide-eyed and secretly thrilled at this juicy tidbit, my father pooh-poohed it! Snorting that it couldn't possibly be a simple base territorial instinct on the part of a chauvinistic, traditional man, and that it must have been simply money or property. What! Does this statement by my father imply that after a point in material and educational progress, a woman is simply not worth fighting over, when there is material wealth at stake? Or that a husband's integrity or honour is merely an antiquated belief?

Is it that inconceivable when horrible practices like Swara and dowry harassment are still prevalent in India and Pakistan? Where sati and female infanticide once existed? Where women keep conceiving and delivering till they bear at least one son? Where, according to the Bhagavad Gita, a woman is supposed to be the moral fabric of society? Where our politicians are not only corrupt hoarders, but also morally lax, involved as they are in almost every nefarious profession in India, be it cheating, smuggling, dance bars? (I'm not saying that some laypersons aren't - they pretty much lap up the smuggled goods and frequent those places that have engaged in scams for convenience. So I guess we're indirectly encouraging them).

On one hand we have the high society party types where infidelity and variety is rampant and flourishing, and on the other hand we have a prominent right-wing-political family in the midst of a private scandal made public, the motives of which are rife with controversy. Which kind of morality is right? Is Pravin's motive more noble if he was saving his own honour and violently confronting his brother? Does a man ever lose the hold he seems to need over a woman, be it physical, financial, psychological, for his own sanity, and be okay with it? Is a woman more valuable a commodity when there is something other than emotional value attached to her? Or is that enough? Does she then come on par with property and money? *dripping with sarcasm*

I really wonder what my dad meant, but I know he wont be able to explain it, besides emitting a derisive snort.

And I really wonder whether Pravin's wife is praying so publicly because she wants to acknowledge her relationship with Pramod, or because she wants to publicly atone for Pravin's act by demonstrating that the family really has nothing against him. Just curious, not judgemental.

But I do know that Im even more suspicious of the BJP and its religious network. Why would all these holy men flock to Bombay to pray for a politician?

I'm not happy with the Congress and the stupid Mandal Commission II either. Manmohan Singh bechara is the face of Congress the way Vajpayee was for the BJP, placid, wise and calm. and Of course Sonia, with her knowing smile.

Sigh.

This is an interesting post on reservations and the Mandal II. I wish I had an opinion but i havent experienced ANYTHING to do with caste, only the fact that St. Xaviers is reserved 25% for Christians and another 25% or so for the SC/ST/OBCs. I'd rather wish that we didn't have to do all this to put people on par with one other, that everyone had equal opportunity from the start.