A SALUTE TO BISHNOIS

Salman Khan is now behind the bars till he is bailed out to the relief of Katrina Kaif, Salim Khan, Sallu’s dear and suffering mother, his brothers, and a lot of idiotic (to say the least) fans. In an age when eyewitnesses go hostile or develop sudden amnesia at the drop of a few greenbacks, the resilience of Bishnois of Rajasthan is commendable and gladdens my heart. A salute to you and your spirit.

Having said that, I would like to talk about what is being shown in the electronic media and written in the print. The worst part is the views of the fans. Most of these are necessarily young. If they represent the opinion of the new generation, then I must say I have to revise my positive opinion of this generation considerably. The arguments can be split into two parts. Let us see what these are.

1. Sallu is being jailed for killing just a blackbuck/deer

Just a blackbuck? First and foremost, it is not just a deer/blackbuck. You are talking of an endangered animal here. At a time when most educated nations have a large movement for conservation of the biodiversity and for conserving the environment in general (entire green parties have emerged in the political life of these nations) these young fans of the brawny star are demonstrating their utter callousness about the issues that must be dear to their hearts.

Alright. Let’s not argue from this point. May be we are insensitive to the environmental issues. Did Salman Khan not know that hunting these animals (why these blackbucks, you can’t even hunt a deer which is just a deer) is illegal and a punishable offence? If he did not, he is a bumbling idiot and if he did, he is a criminal.

While on this point, personally to me, a blackbuck is far more beautiful than Salman Khan.

2. If you can’t punish criminal politicians, why are you punishing our dear Sallu? Let him go Scot free just like Shibu Soren and countless others. Law is being partial here and blah de blah…blah…

To all of you who give this argument, I have this to say:

Let someone kill your mother/spouse/child (God forbid that happens; this is just an example) and let that someone be punished by law. Then, my dear Sallu fans, shout till you are hoarse for this criminal to be released just because Shibu Soren has been freed. Kindly also shout that the law is being partial!

Think of this and please, confine your stinking breaths to the tenements of your mouths!

WHAT IF BJP AND CONGRESS JOIN HANDS?

For more than 7-8 years now I have been airing this thought to my acquaintances. Why can't BJP and Congress join hands and create a coalition? First and foremost, it will be free of the smaller and often disruptive elements. Secondly it would mean the end of secular/pseudosecular debate which has no meaning and no substance. No party in this nation is secular or communal. Each party has a different brand of communalism or secularism. Each party champions the cause of this or that religion in the name of secularism, each party plays vote-bank politics in the name of secularism and each party succeeds in stoking the fires of hatred and strengthening the hands of religious dons whose interest is in keeping the populace backwards so that their business continues unabated. What we need is a coalition that realizes that the true probelms to be addressed are economic in nature. The BJP has always had a liberal outlook as far as economy is concerned and Mr. Manmohan Singh and a few others in Congress have shown their mettle already in this area. In fact, Manmohan Singh has been the progenitor of the entire reforms process.

The effects of such a combination would be:
1. Cooling down of communal fires.
2. Faster economic development.
3. Stabler governments.
4. The persistently coughing communist comrades will be kept out and will not be able to hold the entire nation to ransom.
5. In the long term the nation may even be able to get out of the stranglehold of the Gandhi family.

There will be one bad effect of such a combination:

Life will become rather boring for us passionate political arguers. Currently, it is such a hot and worthy and steamy way of passing time, getting excited, calling others by bad names and feeling great about it. All that would vane and we would be very sad indeed by its passing.

So, what do you think?