Having easy access to desi channels here adds to one’s entertainment in many ways. Besides the obvious doses of Hindi film and songs etc., one also gets the chance to view Indian politicians make unabashed fools of themselves on international television. This morning, on NDTV, I watched with disgust Amar Singh’s diatribe against Sonia Gandhi’s accent, her manner of speaking Hindi, and her inability to eat sattu. Amar Singh campaigning in Rae Bareli, was in his element mimicking Ms. Gandhi’s accent and manner, and apparently really enjoying himself. And he played to the gallery it seems, because I could hear laughter. People found it amusing that Mr Singh has mimicry skills , coupled with the ability to make cheap shots – apparently requirements to be an Indian politician. Now Amar Singh is ODIOUS, and I’m no big fan of Ms. Gandhi either, but such crass displays are nauseating, sickening and leave me floating de-spiritedly on strong waves of revulsion. Amar Singh, his face contorted to mimic Sonia’s manner, voice raised in high falsetto – this is the face of Indian politics ?
Now Amar Singh is not way up there on the IQ quotient scale, but stooping to this level is ridiculous. And the horrible quandary is that I’m not sure whether to laugh at this dumb man, as I watch his childish antics in disbelief, or cry at the specimen of politicians this dense person represents. One part of me tells me not to be so naïve, after watching politicians take money on camera, I still believe that they should debate one another on intelligent, mattering-to-the public issues, like poverty and education, that they should employ the sparse gray cells they possess to think of the well-being of the nation and it’s people ? After watching an affronted Singh huffing and puffing his way out of the Zee awards, because his friend the GREAT AMITABH (after all he is the Big B, let’s all come lie at his feet, for here lies salvation) was not accorded a seat to go with his presumed status, I naively believe that Singh has an iota of common sense in his entire body ? And what’s wrong with Bachhan & Co. ? Why do they associate with bottom-of-the-political-barrel scum ?
All this while, Sonia’s been in politics, all Singh can come up with is “can she eat sattu like us ?” ??? Clarification Mr. Singh : the constitution does not require you to be a sattu eater to qualify to contest elections, and extensive research has proved that sattu eaters perform just as dismally in Indian politics as non-sattu eaters. And this is hot off the wires, Mr. Amar Odious Singh, and no doubt will come as a crushing blow to your sattu-devoted self, non-sattu eaters can even, GASP ! HAI ! HAI ! DOUBLE GASP ! aspire to become , OH MY GOD ! the PRIME MINISTER !!!
I do think that the CEC must come up with standards of moral decorum to be preserved when castigating one’s opponent in the public/political arena. No, it’s not that I am worried about Ms. my-dynasty-shall-rule Gandhi’s psyche upon hearing the sattu diatribe; politicians have thick skins, she’ll get over it. No, my concern rather is to give politicians something tangible and constructive to argue over, like ideologies and policies, something that might be marginally more useful than sattu-eating contests.
After all, we can’t let sattu sway matters, can we ?
Categories : _india , _culture_and_society
amar singh had started a blog,,but sometime afterwards dropped the idea..Maybe after seeing the criticism of his ideas,,Anyways politicians are the termites on the Indian tree..
If his blog had content whining about superficialities like “sattu-eating” and such, I’m sure he would have had complaints. Politicians as termites – how apt.
Great post Amodini. Cannot comment on Amar Singh as care less but still, I could feel the disgust vented. Politics in India..a play at the most.
Nik_of_my_time,
I know – sometimes I feel that way too – couldn’t care less etc. But then looking at such depravity on television from “leaders” really makes me want to vent.
Oh,i am sure you are a hardcore congressi to the core,now that you are criticising sattu,our desi equivalent for proteins or pasta.how can you criticise our great socialist,who talks dirty on phone,moves in swanky cars has big-time buddies like bade-bhaiyya Amitabhji Bacchan,Chhote-Bhai Anil Ambani & co.
i am agast and dumb-founded that you categorise him as scum like.he is a slogan-shouter,film critic,party-animal as well.
and how come you ignore the way,he hasruled UP,making it second only to Bihar.
~lol~i am just kidding.this guy annoys me is all.the tamasha continues…
Bhushan,
I agree – I criticise too little 🙂
To place matters in perspective, Amar Singh has reportedly been subjected to humiliation by Sonia Gandhi on several occasions. This was his way of getting back at her. Jaya Bacchan was forced to give up her parliamentary seat by Sonia Gandhi’s supporters. Sonia Gandhi also did not permit Narasimha Rao’s last rites to be performed in Delhi.
In other words, while Amar Singh’s behaviour was nasty and inappropriate, Sonia Gandhi has tended to be quite nasty and vindictive too.
It is hardly suprising that the Bacchans are closely associated with Amar Singh. Incidentally,
Amar Singh hasn’t really “ruled” UP, though he has been closely associated with Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mulayam Singh Yadav has been in and out of power a few times, so he can’t be held solely responsible for poor governance in UP (“second only to Bihar”). Laloo Prasad Yadav and his wife, on the other hand, ruled Bihar for 15 years, and are unarguably responsible for the misgovernance of Bihar. The Congress party must also share some of the blame because it supported the Rabri Devi government for several years.
I’d also like to make the point that Amar Singh’s speeches did not affect the outcome in Rae Bareli. The fact that a few people in the audience laughed upon hearing him mimic Sonia Gandhi isn’t teribly important. Many supporters of George W. Bush poke fun at his diction.
P. S. Ravi
Ravi,
My point was not to make Amar Singh look better when compared to Sonia Gandhi, or to question whether his conduct influenced votes, but to address the ridiculous levels which politicians publicly stoop to to make rivals squirm.
I haven’t (yet) seen Sonia mimicking Singh, or question his inability to eat, say, pasta but she’s probably not a naive innocent either.