The Pink Chaddi campaign ROCKS !
It has all the ingredients of being an AMAZING campaign.
- Naughty and Provocative, pure tongue in cheek.
- Doesn’t damage life n property directly.
- Adds value to a flagging economy (chaddi’s sold).
- Doesn’t need a mass gathering, or anything like that.
- Is cool enough for each to do his/her own way.
- Is Rad/mod/etc.
- Has no political overtones except a nice bubbly pink.
This has been the best viral, and public support garnering engine I’ve seen in AGEZZZZ. Be it whatever cause, whatever reaction, this is way too cool.
However, this campaign also troubles me not a bit. I am FORCED to remember other sundry demonstrations of hate against freedom to be just you, to express yourself, similar to the one that the SRS wrought on people.
I remember various similar incidents that took place by radical, fundamentalist Islamic groups against
- Taslima Nasreen
- Salman Rushdie
- And of course, who can forget the fatwa against Sania Mirza for “not covering her body while playing tennis” ?
- And others.
These incidents were not seen as serious by people at all … leave alone the people, the Govt of India also did not come out strongly against it in terms of directly denouncing acts like these. Why didn’t anyone come out to send whatever-colored-chaddis, bangles, etc to these bigots who had the gumption to physically abuse a woman, whose only claim to this treatment was that she spoke against percepts/beliefs of a “religion” ?
Since when has India been so Talibanized that one can’t speak their minds out about a religion, whatever religion (remember, we value secularity and democracy above all) and feel free to walk around with their heads high? Or has bashing up any cause driven by Only Hindu / Hindutva forces or brigades become fashionable?
I have been feeling of late, and incidents like these, where Minority expressions of hate are spared, that the biggest bane our country faces or will face, is the slowly ticking time bomb of “minority appeasement” politics. I also have the very sincere feeling, that within this country’s secular framework, there’s a slowly expanding, as yet un-vented, level of resentment against these minority appeasement politics. Its a resentment born out of the underlying fact, that all acts in the names of minorities are tolerated, and people are allowed to get away, while Hindu / Hindutva related episoded are considered worth bashing up.
While the above is not a pro-Muthalik or pro-SRS stand in any way, its a question mark, as to when these entities born out of “appeasement politics” will wither and die away on their own?
My take is that this will happen, when the Govt stops various minority appeasement policies in the name of religion, caste and creed. And when the Govt and people will start treating ALL such impingement on freedom of expression with equal severity.
Like sending whatever as naughty or weird to those Fundamentalists who slapped Taslima Nasreen in public. Like sending something even more weird to a Sanjay Dutt who’s standing for elections. Or to Ministers / Govt who collect temple funds, and levy pilgrim tax on Hindus to subsidize pilgrimages / trysts with GOD that other religions take.
Simple fundas of misplaced nepotism, driven by Govt after Greedy Govt to get Votes and their share in the organized looting structure of politics, are what have made the Muthaliks of the world raise their ugly heads up. And these heads will continue to stay reared till all religions, castes, creeds, sects are given equal status. Not as members of a vertical, but as citizens of India.
Sanjeev Sarma
4 Users Response In This Post
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The PC campaign is a mark of intent. Our intent is all we can be sure about these days. Will it make the SR change their ways? No. Will it ensure that we don’t come face to face with such goons ever again. I don’t think so.
But it IS a way of saying that you don’t agree with what they are doing. And in a way that is non-violent.
I don’t think India has been Talibanised. You don’t wake up every morning wondering if you will live through the day without suffering damage. You are still free to say what you want.
Those who don’t raise their voices against Muslim vices are not the role model to follow. There are many who do. You just aren’t looking in the right places.
i think i understand what you’re saying.. but in this case, i doubt it is as much about ram sene, as it is about valentine’s day… if an org affiliated to another religious faith had done this, the response would still have been there… think of the target audience for v-day vs those for rushdie/taslima/sania… in communication, i think its not just the message that matters, but the handle (catalyst) .. among youth, few handles can be as strong as v-day…
also, consider the viral potential of fb/witter now vs then… even for ideas, Roger’s bell curve applies
Hatsoff! I have found very few people who think this way.
PC campaign is just a viral, it has nothing to do with Ram Sene or with Valentine’s day or with Women’s right and freedom. It’s just a cheeky thing that will keep the nation occupied for a week or two. Much like candles in the window for Tibet.
As manu highlighted, it just shows viral potential of facebook/twitter.
It gives well-deserved attention the ones who thought of something so cheeky, and yet makes, unlikely “stars” of people like Muthalik. Anyone who gets more than ten mins of time in our head is already a star.
On a more serious note, Muthalik, IMHO is a minority too. Religion is not that important to most people.
He is being singled out only because he targeted ordinary people doing ordinary things, as opposed to the Islamic entities who issued fatwa on people in the marquee. People don’t identify themselves with Sanias and Taslimas and think they can afford the lawyers to take up the case, and get money in return.
Similar objections have been found on blogs when Malaysia’s top Islamic body has banned Muslims from practicing yoga. I can guarantee you that if a facebook group is created for it, it will find buyers.
500 Burnt Bras will be sent to Union Minister of Women, Renuka Choudhury and its radical feminist friends on 14th Feburary by Save Indian Family Foundation(SIFF) for their “Family Breaking” and anti-national activities.
These radical feminists are accused of legal terrorism by promoting misuse of dowry laws and arresting/jailing more than 1,23,000 women without investigation in last 4 years.
They are also accused of “moral policing” to deny freedom of any mother to communicate with her son once her gets married and forcing married men to throw their widowed mother to street.
Why the hell feminists used to beat up arrack/liquor seller in villages?
Why there are double standards?
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