Sunday, October 4, 2009

So many points, so little time! : Sep.27 - Oct.3

1. Fourteen lakhs! Wondering what it is? That is the cost of a pen that Mont Blanc released on Gandhi Jayanti. Let us keep aside the debate about whether it is insulting to Gandhi. What astonished me was that someone will actually pay 14 lakh rupees for a pen! That number is still ringing in my mind. I use a pen that Rs. 25/-! I can't even comprehend why someone would want to spend 14 lakh rupees on a pen! And here comes the next joke. Mont Blanc released a limited edition of this pen - only 241 pieces. Why 241? Because Mahatma Gandhi walked for 241 kms during his Dandi March! I mean, what is Mont Blanc trying to prove here? That a pen that cost 14 lakh rupees and which will sell only 241 pieces is the way to remember him? Haa! I only pity the guy who thought about this idea.

2. Speaking of Gandhi Jayanti, Shashi Tharoor asked a superbly relevant question. If Gandhi said Work is Worship, why are we observing holiday on his birthday? I loved his guts in posing this question despite being snubbed for the cattle class remark. And wondering what the Congress response is for this? "It is his personal opinion. The holiday on the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation is for the nation to rededicate to his ideals and principles". So now I am confused. Shashi Tharoor was also talking about his ideals, right?

3. So on October 2nd this year, Congress "rededicated" itself to Gandhi's (dont ask if it is the Mahatma or the family) ideals. Prakash Karat, in
this article, "rededicated" himself to Chinese and Communist philospohy. He is basically saying that China can never go wrong. One blogger aptly asked, Why doesn't he leave the country and go live in China then? The Hindu's editor-in-chief N. Ram did a front page banner story on Chinese 60th year of republic, thereby "rededicating" himself to Communist philosophy too. The BJP is still undecided as to what it should "rededicate" itself for. For that, we need to wait for one more year to know!

4. So, our External Affairs Minister and Pak's External Affairs minister met in New York. Same old story. We said, you act. They said, you act. We said, we gave you evidence. They said, you did not give enough. And the meeting ended. Pakistan postponed it's trial on 26/11 attacks yet again. So, the elusive wait for Pak to act continues.

5. So, now, Suresh Kalmadi, who has been the chairman of the Indian Olympic Committee since time eternal, wants to bid for 2020 Olympics. Dude, how about this - why don't you build some nice infrastructure, allow our sportspersons to win in some of these competitions, get rid of the politics you introduced in the system, and then think about bidding? Or better yet, why don't you just resign from that post, so that most of the ills affecting our sports fratenity will be automatically solved?

6. And finally, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi is free. And life just moves on. We just have to accept it as part of the process. That's the sad state of affairs in the country.

2 comments:

Phani said...

Sudhir,
In case you are not aware, http://cbcnn.blogspot.com is a excellent blog aimed at critiquing The Hindu's reportage.
Thanks,
Phani

Sudhir said...

I comment quite regularly on The Chindu's site too, in the comments section :). Am still a daily reader of The Hindu too, for many articles are intellectually stimulating too. I believe we should give credit where it is due, and also rip them apart when people like N.Ram impose such lowly articles on us.

- Sudhir

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