This is the second time that one of the best known figures that India looks up to and reveres, has come out in the open and said his bit regarding what he thinks about the MNS motto in life. The person who dumped MNS concepts before Mukesh Ambani was India’s God of Sport, Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin had also openly expressed his thoughts that he is an Indian first, then a Maharashtrian or Mumbaikar.

Raj Thackeray arguably, could not really do anything at that time. He was a friend to Tendulkar, was the funda loudly proclaimed and accepted at that time. However, wisdom in not responding or making a scene about it was the larger picture. Sachin, who India reveres as an Idol for generations to emulate and rise up to in terms of capability and cult levels, is placed far, far above the MNS. Leave alone for the nation, this holds true for Maharashtrians in general, and Mumbaikars specifically. A single slur or outcry against Sachin Tendular would have seen public favor go away from MNS, Marathi or not. Rank and file would have edged, stormed and walked their way outta the MNS into wider open spaces. For cricket is one area across the Indian Diaspora, that does NOT tolerate politicians interfering with their Gods.

And now comes Mukesh Ambani into the picture.

Ranked in the top notches as far as list of world’s richest people go. Head honcho of the largest org that India has ever seen. Owner of the Mumbai Indians franchise (Tendulkar is Captain here, too). Arguably, the largest employer that Mumbai and Maharashtra has today.

This is a good time for people to see whether the MNS is truly convinced in their cause, or wish to just rabble rouse.

Any cause that people hold to their hearts, cares not for status, popularity and other things. Causes are people. People are causes. One man may believe in something and take his belief to the skies in terms of acceptance and popularity cuz he believes in it hugely enough.

Will MNS actually dare take on the commercial and industrial might of an Ambani and the clout of a Tendular combined? They should, if they so seriously believe in their cause.

Instead of harassing and making life miserable for people who can’t even defend themselves, the MNS should actually take “panga” against people like this who with one word could turn their entire follower clan inside out. That will prove that they are actually concerned and serious about the cause that they propagate with so much vim, vigor and gusto.

Go Raj and MNS. And fight Ambani if you have the balls. Throw him and his industry out if you dare. Cuz when he says that he doesn’t care for your thoughts, the hundreds of thousands of people, Marathi or not, will stand by him. Entire environs that he buys and sells from will be with him. Obviously, he provides them the means to run their homes and businesses, not you. And believe you me, Ambani saying this is a far bigger threat for you than a poor taxi/auto driver not learning Marathi through the books you’ve thrown at them.

I’d like to actually see that you care, Raj and MNS. And I will believe you, if you go and whack an Ambani or a Tendulkar.

All subject of course, to you caring enough. You may of course, continue what you’re doing and keep whacking poor people who can’t defend themselves against you.

Wherever there is ADsense, there seems to be ADvani, promoting/projecting himself as the next PM. Whatever site I go to has Advani’s picts, messages, domain name plastered on it.

Advani / the BJP are the actually the first in India to cash in on a burgeoning media called the internet. Hate ‘em, Love ‘em, you have to see them at least once before you block ‘em. Sites ranging from the tacky to the pure click-through have recorded Advani’s footprints. Sites related, non related, contextual or not, are seeing the results of what is probably the BIGGEST keyword purchase from India for quite a while. Why, even Paki sites promote Advani as PM.

And why not? I remember reading someplace that Rs. 230 Cr. have been earmarked for the Advani as PM ad campaign. Safely assuming that 10% of this is spent on online advtg, its is a WHOPPING Rs 23 Cr campaign. Or roughly, $5M USD spend. And obviously, adsense is going berserk in deciding where you’re coming from, before showing you ads earmarked locationally for you.

All links lead to lkadvani.in, a cleverly designed joomla implementation. The team that has designed this and the content team thats handling regular updation and interactivity seems to be doing a pretty good job. Also the site is doing pretty well in terms of eyeballs, posts and so on. What’s more, the site reveals a well networked presence into YouTube, FB and Orkut and of course Advani’s own Blog.

The flip side is that the orkut interface is cartoonish, and shows a frog and a beetle. Also, The BJP’s site falls FLAT in terms of design, content and interactivity when compared to Advani’s site.

It seems to everyone, that this is just an aping of Obama’s online campaign, where he managed to garner HUGE funds and support. Sadly, I find that the campaign managers here, have not really looked at various aspects that Obama’s team did.

India Elections 2009, Future PM of India, Advani, and even Advani for PM refuse to throw up the site in Google. And terms like Prime Ministerial Candidate return not the site, but a sub-domain, thats Advani’s Blog.

The bottomlime

Advani is 81, as of last November. Come this Nov, he’ll be 82. And while his enthusiasm energy and ambition are laudable, one ponders whether one would want a Prime Minister so far advanced in years. And more importantly, when a mandatory retirement age is fixed at 60 for Govt Services, HOW can our constituion ever uphold anyone beyond that age becoming even a MINISTER, leave alone a Prime Minister?

The AD spends are fine, probably, “the wider seen is the more subscribed to” funda that drives adverts might work out in Advani’s favour. But I don’t think his age will. Its time for him to actually rest and mentor youth in the BJP, and not to push himself to the forefront. Its time for him to draft plans, policies, strategies that only he can in terms of the capability that his experience has gotten him.

Ad-vaani or no, I say NO to Advani as PM. I say YES to a Jetley or a Sushma Swaraj.

And reminded one of the 26/11 attacks. Shattered Glass everywhere, mayhem, debris, and shattered confidences.

All because an organization denied 20 employees their need for forming a union under the Shiv Sena banner. According to reports, cops simply stood by and watched this happen. And then arrested a token few after the damage had been done.

Terror attacks from within the country.

Who is to guard us from lunatics like this?

This is not the first time that the Shiv Sena has indulged in acts of vandalism, damaging property, benaving riotously, causing panic and above all, taking away a sense of security and well being that the nation has tried so hard to provide its citizens with. All through, they have gotten away with acts that would have led to worse retribution from the law in terms of punishments and so on, in case of the “common man”.

Are not the Thackerays, Uddhav and Balasaheb, to be held directly responsible for this? Should they not be held responsible for these acts?

I do believe that there are provisions in the law to ensure that political parties being represented here, have to pay up and make good damages incurred by such incidents. I would like the governments to come up with facts and figures informing us, how much damage is due to Sena antics in the past five years, and how much of it has been really recovered?

And if they HAVE NOT PAID, maybe the election commission should step in and BAN these buggers.

And in closing, when the common man gets down to the street, these buggers better watch out.

Take the latest case of Sanjay Dutt.

Been hounded by hazaar weird anti-social fundas in his life, including drugs, possession of weapons of mass destruction, calls to some really “wanted” people of the underworld in India being recorded and make public and so on. And today, is on the threshold of an altar that promoses to take him into a new life (of seva or corruption, time will alone tell).

Most people I spoke to about this tell me, “he’s reformed”, or “he’s munnabhai” yaar, and “remember his gandhigiri thig?”. Yeah right. “HIS” gandhigiri thing. Sure, his “Munnabhai” was a success, but since when has an actor ever been identified by the role he plays ? Should not some villains then be in Jail for all the rapes, murders, etc that they’ve done in movies?

I remember the time, when just on an “anti-incumbency” mood, people ousted the veteran Ram Naik (note the adjective … “veteran” … got nothing to do with my take on good or bad) for a very absurd concept of Govinda representing them in parliament ?

I bet that other than those who made money off his campaign funds, no one’s happy there. What has the guy ever, ever done for his constituency other than say that he doesn’t have time for politics cuz his shoots are more important?

Its not that this happens only in India. The world over, movie-dom does seem to contribute a fair amount of “over the hill” assets to politics. But the, unline India, there are processes in place to measure accountability. Here ? None. Result ? Some weirdos who have become popular by din’t of being seen enough on celluloid screens, decide that they’re “ready” to serve the junta, and decide to jump into politics.

No getting down on the roads and cleaning gutters, or spending time with lepers like Baba Amte did, or something like that. They want to “serve” from office through “deputies”

Darn !

I’ll never, ever watch a movie again, I guess. Cuz when I watch a movie, I automatically add to the eyeballs that some idiot actor is getting. Who knows, my eyeball might be the deciding one that elects him to “power”.

Sanjeev