Sunday, January 5, 2014

Santa Arvind comes to town...

For the New Year.... a newish haircut! Sebastien is particularly gifted. He's French.  A former DJ. An enthusiastic photographer. And in his present avatar, Director of a hair salon (JCB). I guess he knows his music as well as he understands hair! Great experience! This picture was clicked by my daughter Arundhati on his fancy camera.
                                                              *******
This appeared in Sunday Times today....
Arvind Kejriwal : India gets a Santa Claus…
 India has been waiting for a Santa Claus for ages. Maybe, we just got lucky! Santa rode into town this year and did so in a unique fashion. No fancy sled. No reindeer. No jingle bells. He was carrying just a jhaadu and a jhola full of unexpected goodies. People cheered. Critics jeered. But despite the odds, our desi Santa managed to touch countless hearts. The just concluded X’Mas and New Year celebrations were marked by the one emotion that has been missing in our lives for decades – hope. Rightly or wrongly, a single individual became the focal point of this collective hope  -  Santa Arvind .His timing was impeccable. Things were getting pretty desperate. There was mayhem all around. Doom and gloom defined the national mood. Out of that chaos, emerged a non-descript person, who is being hailed as the biggest game changer in the country.
Listening to his seminal speech in the Lok Sabha,  a few things became startlingly obvious . The simplicity of what he was saying, made the others look really foolish . His approach was direct and non-confrontational. It was devoid of theatrics or unnecessary drama. The content was easy to access… process… decode and absorb. He spoke in a language understood by the large majority of India. Minus any flourishes, and stripped to basics, the clarity of his speech may well go down as the single most direct form of mass communication in the public arena. He spoke more like a concerned citizen and less like a seasoned politician. Given that he must have been perfectly aware of the historical significance of this address, he chose his words carefully and well. The thing is, Kejriwal played a credible Santa. He didn’t shortchange his constituency by making absurd claims or demands. And he didn’t alienate his opponents by  hurling charges and accusations at them. The contrast between him and ‘them’ was instantly recognized and applauded by India.
Kejriwal has understood the psychology of our people far better than any of his rivals. He has read us well. He knows our pulse. And he effortlessly presses all the right buttons. Most importantly, he gives the impression he isn’t faking it. Citizens are exhausted. Citizens are cynical. And citizens are impatient. They can see through political nataks. It’s not pompous orators with the gift of the gab, they seek. Neither is it pampered Baba Log speaking in posh accents and  suffering from a case of serious ADS ( Attention Deficit Syndrome). It is someone more like themselves they want. Someone who doesn’t talk down. A straight forward fellow . A no-nonsense chap.  But here’s the catch. So far, Kejriwal has acquitted himself convincingly as just another aam aadmi looking for change in a hopelessly corrupt system. His Paani-Bijli  narrative has worked well, even if one can pick several holes in its populist pitch. His moving into a comparatively modest, but still frightfully extravagant 6,000 square feet duplex, may not sit all that well with the jhuggi-jhopdi- jhola wallas he courts. Some of his earlier gestures also smack of mass manipulation. None of this matters in the long run, if – and it’s a pretty big ‘if’ – Kejriwal relentlessly pursues and punishes the corrupt. Our vote was cast for  that  single promise.And we shall hold him to it.
It’s fascinating to see Dilliwallas scrambling to adapt to the new order. Long term netas, who have  remained deeply entrenched in the old style of functioning (complete with the standard sho-sha of office), have realized the party is finally over. It has always been Delhi that set the standards for netagiri for the rest of India. Almost overnight, Kejriwal has rewritten the rules. Those khadi-couture clad leaders with perfectly co-ordinated sleeveless Nehru jackets, look almost comical as they strut around, noses in the air, black cats surrounding them,  supreme self importance exuding from every gesture and utterance! How idiotic they look! How dated. How pathetic. Each one of them, a ludicrous symbol of all that we despise and have despised for decades. Suddenly, they seem over. They are past tense. And one hopes, with them goes the baggage of misdemeanors and crimes that have blighted our lives for too long.
Can our Santa keep up with increasing demands? Will his sack run out of goodies? Is it euphoria that is driving our enthusiasm? Does this well meaning Santa stand a chance in hell as a national leader? Will ‘they’ allow him to take his sled across India? Worse, will he eventually sell out and become one of them? These are our worst nightmares. But then again, we live in hope! There are those who are dreaming of Santa becoming India’s P.M.  A word of caution here : Much as I hate to rain on Kejriwal’s party, it’s worth reminding him and his admirers that  a wise leader takes things one step at a time. The first baby step has been taken in Delhi. The jhaadu has done its job where it was needed the most – in the Capital of India. The rest of the country will follow. Eventually. As they say in China : Slowlee, slowlee, catchee monkee!


20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would advise all in India to be a bit careful while going gaga over Santa Arvind.

I have many reasons.

Some of them:

http://tsvhari.blogspot.in/2014/01/will-kejriwall-do-something-like-this.html

Unknown said...

A DANGEROUS BALOON THAT MAY BURST ANYTIME. INJURING THE MODI-FIED PEOPLE.

Unknown said...

https://www.facebook.com/meenuyadav100

Dibyanshu Pandey said...

Has anyone thought, after all who is an Aam Aadmi? Check out if u agree with it..
http://gloriousmonk.blogspot.in/2014/01/aam-aadmi-and-its-side-effects.html

CapriHeer said...

Happy Birthday Shobha Madam :)

Pooja Rathore said...

Dearest Ma De,
Happy Birthday to you,wishing you the very best in life....have a fab year ,shine always....
Lot of love to you from heart!!!

Anonymous said...

Shobhaa! Aap Jiyen hazaron saal aur uske har mahiney ke din ho pachaas hazaar!

skeptic owl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Appa Balwant said...

Hello Shobhaji,
Happy Birthday ...
I wanted your photograph to be displayed on this page:
http://mahitisagar.com/0107.php
I am creating this free informational website in Marathi.
Thanks in advance

skeptic owl said...

many many happy returns of the day mam! may not only this but your whole life fill with alot of happiness and joy:)

DV said...

Hi Shobhaa

Wishing you a very Happy New Year. I love both your blog & books. When is "Never a Dull De' coming out. I live in NZ and cant find it.

DV said...

Hi Shobhaa

Wishing you a very Happy New Year. I love both your blog & books. When is "Never a Dull De' coming out. I live in NZ and cant find it.

Unknown said...

Hi,
I am writing on behalf of Democratic World mag being published from Delhi. They want to feature you in their cover story in the next issue. I am based in Hyderabad. Could you kindly spare some time for me? I will send you a questionnaire. Please respond me to payam.sudhakaran@gmail.com

Latha said...

Good post. Arvind has refused the bungalow offered to him though he lives with his wife (unlike Modi), 2 children & parents. Include a guest room & even a common man needs 4 bedrooms with this kind of family. And then there is a party office attached to it & a lawn to meet the common people. But Arvind would go for a smaller one. Like Rajiv Gandhi he has also refused security for him & his office whose "nateeja" we saw recently. The man is too simple for his & his party's security & convenience. When pompous netas have palaces, this 'working CM' doesn't have even the necessities.

Unknown said...

Belated birthday wishes Madam..... Only time will tell if the Aam Aadmi remain the same ! Hope good days for Indian Politics .

Manoj Kusshwaha said...

i support kejriwal he is a sound of change

Unknown said...

Thanks for nice posting about
Packers And Movers Dwarka

Unknown said...

nice one post
Packers and Movers in Mumbai

Unknown said...

****hot mallu aunty photos****
****aunty photos without saree****

****aunty photos****

****hot aunty photo album****

****tamil aunty mulai photos****

****mallu aunties photo gallery****

****aunties photos****

****tamil aunty pundai photos****

****mallu aunties photos****

aunty photos without saree
****aunty photo album****

****mallu aunties picture****

****tamil aunty mulai pundai photos****

****hot aunties pundai photos****

****tamil aunties pundai photos****

Unknown said...



movers and packers noida
packers and movers in gurgaon
packers and movers in bangalore
packers and movers noida
packers and movers gurgaon