An evening with The Boys....

That's a rather sweet family pic clicked by my daughter Arundhati, with Aditya, my son, taken at one of the most glamourous parties ever hosted in Mumbai.

The Boys launched their lush, extravagant 10 kilo tome at what qualifies as the MOST lavish book launch in India... and possibly, the world! As the weight of their combined genius was weighing me down ( my Abu-Sandeep saree must have weighed 7 kilos, minimum), I sensibly decided not to move from my seat. The beautifully designed book with its deliciously homo-erotic images of nearly nanga British male dancers , is absolutely exquisite. Yes, there are several gorgeous women featured in it , too. Alas, they don't stand a chance! The men are just tooooo beautiful. But it was only after carefully going through the monumental tribute celebrating 25 years of Abu-Sandeep, that I realised just how important their contribution has been in the still far-from-mature fashion industry in India.

The long evening at Antilia, started well.... and got progressively better. Nita Ambani, along with Amitabh Bachchan, were the knock out show stoppers.The fashion show featured some of our veteran models like Anna Bredmeyer and Noynika Chatterjee - both, class acts. But oh.... it was the divine, heady music that completely captivated me. I asked The Boys for it ... and voila! I now have it. It's a Sony Music CD, Classic Bollywood,Shaken not Stirred. By the Bartender. What a medley,,,, what a remix! Seductive all the way.... especially, the dreamy version of Khoya, Khoya Chand and Babuji Dheere Chalna. How clever of The Boys to pick silky nostalgia for their immortal garments. An inspired stroke of genius.

This is what I wrote for their book....

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Simply put: ‘The Boys’ are the best. There is a rare eloquence in all that they create, which is rare and unique. I use the word ‘eloquence’ and not ‘elegance’. Several designers in Indiacreate elegant garments. But only Abu-Sandeep manage to make their garments speak! Mind you, it really is the garments that do the talking… the wearer is merely the vehicle. When you are an Abu-Sandeep loyalist, you don’t have to say a thing! You merely float into the room for conversation to stop and the clothes to take over the rest of the communication! That’s how it has always been for this talented duo.

I can’t call myself an Abu-Sandeep loyalist, alas. But I do possess two outstanding examples of their work that bear ample testimony to their refined design sensibilities. Where does such inspiration come from? Can quiet, understated good taste be taught at a reputed international school of fashion? Does anyone really acquire such deep and abiding knowledge of craft skills going back centuries working in a Parisian atelier with a genius designer? Can a similar passion for all that is beautiful in the world be passed on by someone else? Impossible! Their aesthetic is distinctly their own. And one only has to recognize their immense talent for what it really is – a divine gift. ‘The Boys’ are blessed. Their art remains as ethereal and undiminished as it was when they began their fascinating voyage into the unknown, eccentric, egotistical world of fashion 25 years ago. How fortunate are they! And it is because of this precious gift that their label has seen the sort of appreciation only a few designers experience during their life time. The only reason why the two have been able to maintain their supremacy in the brittle and highly competitive world of couture, is because of their unshakeable self-belief and commitment to their art. It is indeed a sign of true confidence when senior designers like Abu- Sandeep refuse to go along with whatever is au courant or trendy, preferring to stick to their métier, and still succeed in holding their own, leaving panic attacks to lesser beings!

Their work is their meditation. It shows in the meticulous attention to detail that remains a hallmark of their label. Perfectionism always pays. Experts may spend hours deconstructing the Abu-Sandeep magic and analyzing their various ‘periods’ according to the cuts and craft skills they show- cased along the way. But the truth of the matter is more basic : Abu-Sandeep are timeless. I possess precisely two sarees designed by them, and I love both. I love them enough to be really, really possessive about them. Which means I deny access to my own daughters who otherwise have a free run of my wardrobe. I own some other equally wonderful sarees , but the Abu-Sandeeps remain special. One day, I shall pass them on to Anasuya Devi,my grand-daughter. Better still, maybe she will acquire her own sarees and kalidaar angarkhas painstakingly created by ‘The Boys’. Imagine that ! Three generations draped by Abu-Sandeep. Perhaps that really says it all!

Time for some 'serious work' folks....

The Boys launched their book, India Fantastique, amidst mega fanfare at Ántilia. It was nothing less than magnifique!! More on that soon... it was great to see senior models on the ramp. These ladies are still the asli Catwalk Queens.... as for the glittering crowd, I think it would be fair to say the real show stopper last night was Amitabh Bachchan, who stood ( literally!) head and shoulders above the rest.

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This appeared in the Sunday Times today....

Time for some ‘serious work’, folks…

Thanks Rahul Baba! For once, the nation is one hundred per cent behind you. Last week, the Son of India declared he was ‘seriously’ not interested in what Baba Ramdev was saying or doing. Because he was more interested in investing his precious time doing ‘serious work’. This is seriously, the most serious thing he has ever said. And we should take him seriously. Oh come on… it isn’t that tough. 65 years after Independence, we haven’t taken ourselves seriously. Or, at any rate, seriously enough. No wonder nobody else does, either!Two extraordinary events polarized India last week, and had we paid more serious attention to the gravity of both situations, perhaps things wouldn’t have reached this sorry state. Today, we are dealing with a seriously nasty situation in which we are turning on ourselves - our own people are being chased out of one state after another and more or less ordered to go back to their home states in the North East. This is just too shocking for words! What crime have these Indian citizens committed? Why can’t assorted state administrations offer them the protection they are entitled to by right? What message is Delhi sending across the nation by making special trains available to hapless, terrified young people, to flee the Capital like petty thieves scurrying for cover? Yes, Rahul Baba. Serious (and immediate) work is indeed needed on a war footing, before the situation worsens.

Ditto for what Mumbai experienced just a few days before our 65th Independence Day, when for the first time in public memory, rampaging mobs systematically attacked the police, snatching service weapons, firing in the air, molesting female constables, torching police vans, fire engines, OB vans, private cars and two wheelers. Such a daring and dangerous development does not take place ‘spontaneously’. Someone was clearly testing the waters. But who? It was an unprecedented lethal attack on the vardiwalas, possibly to check the official response to it.Would the incensed cops retaliate brutally to the provocation, leading to a carnage?Would a bloodbath follow?Nothing of the sort happened mercifully - Mumbai cops displayed both maturity and restraint.Worse, the same hooligans desecrated the Amar Jawan Memorial smashing the glass case and stomping all over the site. Post the mayhem, several questions remain unanswered. No matter how efficiently Mumbai cops handled the aftermath of this awful incident, one thing cannot be dismissed easily.The Mumbai attacks on cops were carefully planned. They were the prime targets. All the other acts of wanton violence were incidental. What we mutely witnessed was the ugliest manifestation of power play involving warring politicians settling old scores and using the police force to do their dirty jobs for them. When cops become puppets of politicos, what faith can the public have in their ability to protect the city? Today, most sensitive appointments in the police force are determined by conniving politicians.The nexus is blatant and brazen. The home ministers of several states report to their bosses operating from Delhi. The most critical positions are filled by cops who are openly identified as being so-and-so’s men. There is no unity within the state cabinet, leading to divided loyalties in the police force. The day a top cop becomes someone’s man, anarchy rules.

We have reached the tipping point. The violence against citizens, be they students from the North East or Mumbai cops , is being strategized and manipulated by shadowy people with nothing to lose. Not a hair on their heads is likely to be touched in the chaos. Their names may never be known to us. It is a truly terrible situation with bureaucrats at war with other bureaucrats, cops at war with other cops, ministers, their hirelings…. everybody at war with everybody else.That leaves our preachers, maulanas, godmen and gurus – perhaps the most dangerous bunch of the lot. In such a strife driven environment, the few sane voices around don’t stand a chance of getting heard. Even if they do manage to articulate what needs to be strongly stated, who’s listening? Weak at the Centre, weak at the State level… India is about to commit hara kiri. 65 years ago, there was hope in the air. And great expectations. Today, those we entrust to lead the nation are on the backfoot, busy offering alibis and excuses. It has come to a point where we are passively permitting religious fissures to further divide us. Will our desperation compel us to pin all our hopes for salvation on an unlikely savior? Will the next Indian political blockbuster be titled ‘Ek Tha Rahul?’ Or wait… it could also be, ‘Ek Thi Priyanka…” Yup, folks. Serious work ahead!

Shekhar Gupta's 'We , the ignorant."'

My friend Olga sent me a text message at 8 p.m. last night to say Shravan would end at 9.48pm. y On one level , I was relieved and wondering what was for dinner ( Biryani, as it turned out). And debating whether or not to sip a glass of wine. Naaaah. Thought better of it... ate a shudh vegetarian meal, and quietly went to bed. I had really enjoyed observing Shravan this year, and was reluctant to abandon my familiar rituals as abruptly.

Lunch today changed all that. My daughter Arundhati who had observed Shravan as well, cooked a delicately flavoured Bassa ( roasted pepper sauce with fresh herbs and crushed garlic). That was it! Tonight is the night of a mega soiree - The Boys ( Abu-Sandeep) are celebrating 25 years in Fashion with a bash at a world famous address, that promises to rival Karan Johar's 40th birthday party. Moet awaits. Or will it be Dom????

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Blogdosts... thought provoking and accurate.... as Shekhar generally is...

I'll post my take on the crisis tomorrow...

That is why we don’t get anger in Assam, fear in Bangalore

Please visit: http://www.indianexpress.com/columnist/shekhargupta/ or scroll down to read the article in its entirety.

We, the ignorant

By Shekhar Gupta

A venerable old teacher in my journalism school taught us the “three example rule”. So here are the three I picked up over the past week as India’s “northeast” hit the headlines for reasons happy and sad.

The first two came as Hindi cinema responded joyfully to Manipuri boxer Mary Kom’s success. No surprise that Shahid Kapoor, while hailing her as India’s “million dollar baby” called her “Maricom” as if she was some latest internet-mobile phone product rhyming with telecom he is endorsing, and kept the twitterati amused and indignant for a day. Then someone much older, enormously better read and cerebral, Amitabh Bachchan, said she hailed from Assam, only to correct it later. And finally, a little exchange I had with a genuinely well-meaning former civil servant (with long and distinguished service in the Northeast) on a TV show on whether Mary Kom’s success would change our perceptions of the Northeast. He wasn’t happy that so many boys and girls from the Northeast, now spreading all over India, were mostly working in our service industries, from restaurants to airlines, to hospitals. Why aren’t they doing more important jobs?

Each one underlines to us some aspect of the ignorance, insensitivity and patronising “mainstream” attitudes that we retain about the Northeast. You can understand Shahid Kapoor not being able to spell his favourite boxer’s name. He probably has no time to read the sports pages in the newspapers, or go beyond the glamour supplements. Mary Kom, I’d suspect, can spell better than him, and definitely can teach him a real thing or two about boxing. But Senior Bachchan? You can understand someone of an older generation (including mine) confusing a Naga, Mizo, Khasi or Garo for being an Assamese — Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya were districts in old Assam. But Manipur?

IT is one of the oldest and most distinct states in India and has never been part of any other state. Its demographics can, however, be confusing. Its largest and most distinct ethnic group are the Meiteis of the plains, most of whom are Vaishnavite Hindus and non-tribal. They have given us many stars in weightlifting (Kunjarani Devi), boxing (Dingko Singh, Suranjoy Singh, Devendro Singh), archery (Bombayla Devi) and, not to forget, hockey (Thoiba Singh). Manipur’s hills are inhabited by diverse tribes and many of the conflicts that arise there, including the recent blockades, are because of inter-tribal tensions, compounded by lousy and corrupt governance. Even when I first went to Imphal as a reporter in January 1981, the state was often described as “Moneypour” for its leaky and corrupt government, large sections of which were hand-in-glove with one or the other of its many insurgent groups. Our northeastern state’s demographics can fox anybody. For every tribe that inhabits Manipur’s hills, Nagas, Mizos, Kukis and, of course, Mary Kom’s Kom (a microscopic tribe of just over 20,000), for example, a larger number live in a neighbouring state or Myanmar. So you can understand the senior AB getting mixed up.

The most important of the three, however, was the civil servant’s response — and not because it was lacking in empathy. Both in his lament that young northeasterners were coming to the mainland and finding jobs only (or mainly) in the services sector, and that more effort was needed to “integrate” the Northeast with the rest of India, he highlighted the fact that the establishment elite’s view of that region has not essentially changed in the last many decades. It is still a distant and estranged region that needs to be somehow brought into the fold, “Indianised”. That stars like Mary Kom would help “us” and “them” in that endeavour. And further, that, it can only change if somehow, people from that region, particularly those with distinctive northeastern features and therefore subjected to truly unfortunate and now criminally illegal racial taunts in our big cities (mainly Delhi), move into workplaces “more important” than the ones they are currently visible at.

It betrays, equally, a lack of understanding of economic mobility — people move into jobs and professions for which they have distinctive skill advantage. And also the added strength of work ethic, dignity of labour and casteless, classless social equality that our tribal societies mostly — and thankfully — still retain. I had my first exposure to this wonderful non-hierarchical view of life in my early travels to the Northeast when I found, to my total surprise, drivers, peons, police escorts all sitting down with the minister and his guests to eat at roadside dhabas. And then, at the Aizawl secretariat, a post-lunch table tennis game between my old friend Fanai Malsawma, then education minister, and his driver. As the driver thrashed Malsawma, he continued to remind him of how slow, lazy and leaden-footed he had become since he was made a minister. And others, mostly drivers and junior employees, sniggered and applauded. Show me a driver in the mainland who will thrash his minister at any game. Or, a minister who will take it in his stride.

IT is because of this remarkable tribal approach to life, casteless egalitarianism, dignity of labour, that tens of thousands of our minutest minorities have discovered how indispensable they are to the booming services sector in our big cities. And they bring some of the most remarkably unique talents, besides, indeed, boxing, archery and weightlifting. A majority of singers and musicians at our restaurants and bars, even at Rashtrapati Bhavan at the banquet for Barack Obama, are boys and girls from the Northeast. You cannot go to a restaurant, bar, or spa, fly on an airplane or be laid up at a hospital without finding someone from the Northeast performing a key function. Should we look down on them patronisingly? Can we even afford to? Go ask the owners of these businesses, even security companies, who are now running around the platforms of Bangalore’s railway station, pleading with their northeastern employees not to flee. These terrified young people represent the first generation of our northeastern compatriots to venture out, seeking a living and dignity in the mainland. We owe it to them — and to ourselves — to make them feel wanted, respected and secure.

Most of us do not even know how tiny these minorities are. There are just over a million and a half Nagas, less than a million of Mizos and all the tribes in Manipur do not add up to a million (7.4 lakh in the 2001 census). Add to that a million each of Khasis and Garos. Arunachal Pradesh has just about a million tribals. And the Bodos, much in the news for the wrong reasons lately? Just about 15 lakh, scattered over several districts of mostly lower and middle Assam.

Their rising presence and indispensability to our cities speak of their brilliant talent which, in turn, is only matched by our ignorance about them. That ignorance is responsible for our lack of respect for our most distant countrymen, as well as our failure to understand what makes them angry. The latest and the saddest example is our lazy view of the Bodo violence through the prism of our mainland’s communal/ electoral politics. Identity, ethnicity, livelihood and survival in the Northeast, including Assam, are very complex issues, fuelled by native peculiarities rather than our classical Hindu-Muslim paradigm. Most Bodos are not even traditional Hindus. Many follow their own indigenous faith, and a sizeable number are now Christian. They are not attacking these settlers because they are Muslim. Nor were the Lalungs, or Tiwas as they are known today (it will be a stretch even now to describe them as Hindus), who killed more than 3,000 in four hours in Nellie in February 1983. It just so happens that the settlers (who the tribes see as alien infiltrators) are Muslim, and Bengali-speaking. But it is better to leave such grave and complex misconceptions about our northeastern citizens for another day. For now, we are struggling to spell their names right, to even figure out where they are coming from. Thirty-one years back, when Arun Shourie sent me to the Northeast as this newspaper’s correspondent, the cashier had earnestly asked me in which currency he should be sending my salary. Events of the past 10 days would tell you that we haven’t changed very much since.

http://epaper.indianexpress.com

http://epaper.financialexpress.com

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Shobhaa De

shobhaade.blogspot.com

Prachi deserves better... doesn't she??

I watched Ek Tha Tiger on Independence Day. Period.

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The strange case of Prachi Desai...

By any standards, Prachi Desai is a talented and beautiful young actress. And yet, her career in Bollywood seems to be going nowhere. Howcome? Here’s someone who had made her mark – and made it strongly – with Rock On! her debut movie, opposite an equally talented actor,Farhan Akhtar. She came to Bollywood as a gift from the world of television in which she had reigned as Soap Queen in the hugely successful Kasamh Se. As Ekta Kapoor’s darling, Prachi’s position on television was secure and supreme. Tv audiences adored the fresh faced Gujju girl, and she had countless panting male suitors ready to slash their wrists for her. Prachi was India’s comfort food - like ghar ka dhokla or Ba’s ghee-soaked thepla. She dressed demurely, spoke demurely, acted demurely. As Ekta’s arm candy and a permanent fixture at the tv Czarina’s frequent parties, Prachi had her future and fortune cut out for her. Suddenly, something went ‘phut’!’And today, one hardly sees Prachi. Or, let me be more specific, the old Prachi. The new avatar is unrecognisable. She has shed kilos ( so has Ekta), fired her stylist ( so has Ekta) and acquired a hot, new wardrobe ( so has Ekta). Prachi is seen in designer wear, carrying the latest ít’ bags and generally partying it up – not as Ekta’s constant escort, but on her own. Despite the strong signal being sent out to Bollywood film makers that she is finally flying solo, is single and ready to mingle, nothing seems to be happening on the career front. Which is really a pity. Prachi deserves better.

So.... if it ain’t happening for the Pretty Prachi, what’s wrong? Well, the way Bollywood works, either you align yourself to a powerful person - preferably Salman Khan - or to a powerful camp ( KJo). If you decide to take your chances on your own, good luck to you, honey! In Prachi’s case, there’s another factor. For too long she was identified as Ekta’s girl. That privileged position has its upside when the going is good and Ekta still fancies the person, but heaven help you if there is a falling out. Perhaps that’s what happened to our Prachi. One minute she was up there, feted and pampered by all. And here she is today, her skirts getting shorter and tighter... but still zero meaty roles coming her way . For whatever reason, our television stars have not managed the cross over and become mainstream . Whereas Bollywood stars have not just swamped television, they have decimated everybody in sight, especially when it comes to reality shows. Prachi, poor thing, falls awkwardly in between. Unlike some of the other Soap Queens who came after her, Prachi finds herself dangling in a grey zone, patiently waiting for that big break in Bollywood if and when it comes.

There’s something slightly odd about the careers of TV stars the world over. They live and die with the soaps they act in. No matter how many women the world over fantasised about Don Draper, the dapper ‘Mad Men’’ actor ( alas, I can only recall the character’s name!), no Hollywood studio will take a chance with that guy and put big money into a major movie starring him. Why? Will the same man project less sex appeal on the big screen? Or is it just his TV character - the Don Draper persona - women have flipped for - and not him? Ditto for the lovely ladies from ‘Pan Am’’ or the devastatingly handsome young star who plays Vinnie Chase of the older hit ‘Éntourage’? Do you remember or care who acted in ‘Gossip Girl’? This seems to be an international phenomenon and who’s to say why this is so? Often, I glance at pictures of parties thrown by exceedingly successful but largely anonymous Television stars in Mumbai and I immediately turn the page. Some of the actors are startlingly good looking, very well dressed and most presentable. Especially, the girls. And yet, Page 3 has no space for them ( unless, of course, they are paying for the coverage). Not a single international brand has signed up a TV star for an important endorsement so far – despite their vast fan base. No international fashion house wants to fly any of these actors to occupy front row seats during the Fashion Weeks in Paris or Milan. Given the reach and popularity of Television soaps, this is rather surprising. But regardless of their good looks and glamour, TV stars are horribly short changed and rarely given their due. P.R. companies speak disparagingly about ‘those TV- types”, and they simply don’t feature on anybody’s A-list. Society hostesses shun them and consider them a bit too down market to include at a swishy soiree. If they get to open boutiques or stores, those are generally located in Tier -3 cities, never in Mumbai or Delhi. Sponsors are happy to shell out serious money to one film old Bollywood star kids with zero talent , but shy away from hiring well-established, hugely successful soap icons. Poor Balika Vadhu looks almost comical when she’s not in costume and weeping buckets on the small screen as a child bride. I watched her in some dance show and my heart bled. I guess, that’s the end of her reign.

Let’s hope Prachi Desai doesn’t go the same way. She really is lovely. I once ran into her and Ekta at the airport in Goa . She went all coy and simpered away when we were introduced. Ekta looked proud and proprietorial – after all, she had created Prachi. The two of them were taking a break, and looked really happy together. Perhaps they can start afresh and Ekta can create a new vehicle for Prachi . Because, once upon a time in Mumbai, Ekta loved Prachi. Because, that’s what genial Godmothers are supposed to do for their protégées.Come on, Ekta – do it! Prachi... aur hum sab ke liye....

The Original Daddy Cool....

With my favourite festival just a few weeks away, I was delighted to receive this sweet image from a well wisher...

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My thoughts went out to Vilasrao Deshmukh's family. He was a Daddy Cool in the most positive way... an extraordinary father who encouraged his three sons to follow their individual dreams. The ever-smiling Deshmukh will be missed by his many admirers... this has been a sad week.... Prabhuddo Dasgupta, photographer extraordinaire, passed away a couple of days ago, and Deshmukh, earlier today....

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Daddy Cool….

The old boy is something else… mind it! Let’s hand it to N.D.Tiwari.Not only was he in total denial during the prolonged period of a messy paternity suit filed by Rohit Shekhar, his biological son, but even today,after losing the case, Tiwariji remains unabashed and brazen as he declares boldly, “ I have full rights to live as I want.” For Shekhar and his mother, it has been an agonizing battle fighting for their own rights. Rights, that may now include another bitter war over N.D.Tiwari’s considerable property. Was that really what this was all about – property, money, assets? Perhaps.This ugly controversy could have been handled with more discretion and dignity, had Tiwari been more sensible. In the old days, men like him could walk away from their obligations and res- ponsibilities very easily. All they had to do after a one night stand was to callously abandon the woman.Powerful politicians could get away with this and more. But unfortunately for Tiwari, he hadn’t factored in a few key things when he bedded Rohit’s mother over 30 years ago and conveniently forgot all about it. God knows how many more Rohits and Rohinis Tiwari may have fathered! But here was one Angry Young Man, who was not prepared to let it go so easily. He went to court. And insisted on a DNA test. Thirty long years ago, such a test was not an option. How could Tiwari have anticipated such a twist in the tale? Obviously he hadn’t… and must have counted on immunity from any such investigation , if it ever arose.Who was Rohit Shekhar, anyway? A nobody. Who cared whether or not he was stuck with the tag of being born a ‘bastard’ ? Certainly not his father. But clearly Rohit was made of sterner stuff… as was his mother.

It takes real guts for a young man in our patriarchal, feudalistic society to take on a person who has far more clout and far more money. A man who obviously believed Rohit’s court case was nothing more than an annoying mosquito bite. Who cares about a son fighting for his mother’s honour?In a society where a woman like Rohit’s mother is invariably converted into the vamp of the piece for sleeping with a man not her husband, it is her moral character that is questioned. It is her child who has to bear the stigma of illegitimacy at every level. Tiwari must have counted on exactly that . It is to Rohit’s credit that he soldiered on. And it is to the courts’ credit that Tiwari was compelled to provide a blood sample that finally nailed him.

What happens next will be interesting to monitor. But if it does turn into a property issue, everything else be damned, well… Tiwari deserves it. And Rohit has certainly earned his inheritance after being deprived for three decades. If Tiwari does indeed have a change of heart and embraces the young man sincerely, apologises to his mother and unconditionally accepts both as family, it will make Tiwari a bigger person in the eyes of the public. But such a thing is unlikely to take place. Men like Tiwari have been getting away with sexually exploiting women and discarding them at will since time immemorial. Our mythology is replete with similar stories. India has typically condoned men like Tiwari and pinned the blame on women. What happens between consenting adults is indeed their business. But what happens to children of such liaisons is more worrying. Rohit Shekhar ( regardless of his motivations) may have done a huge favour to others in similar situations. The days of suffering in silence are over. Every child has the absolute right to fight for what is his or hers by law. Most illegitimate offspring of influential fathers don’t possess the required tools to fight for justice. Most abandoned women are too terrified of society’s backlash to take such a risky route. Some are killed before they can contemplate such a step. Others find their mouths sealed either with money or threats to physically harm them and their child. Rohit Shekhar could have been bumped off years ago. That he is still alive is a miracle. That he has won, is not just a personal triumph and vindication of honour, but a victory for thousands caught in similar traps. As for Tiwari…it’s too late for him to press the ‘Rewind’ button. And it’s no use keeping his finger on ‘Pause’. As for ‘Fast Forward’ – hell, if at 86, he’s still upto his old tricks, one can only hope for his sake he has discovered condoms.

Why Mumbai burns... again and again....

Watch Times Now at 10pm..... I hope we get a few answers....

This is written for Bombay Times.....

Why Mumbai burns… over and over again….

Let’s not beat about the bush for once and call a spade a bloody shovel. The arson and rampant acts of violence that rocked Mumbai last Saturday evening, had very little to do with Assam or Myanmar, and everything with dangerous games ruthless politicians play. This was no ‘spontaneous’ show of anger by Muslims demonstrating their hurt sentiments , this was an orchestrated, well co-ordinated and deftly executed political ploy that went out of hand at some point. Or else, 800 cops would most certainly have managed to stop the attacks on innocent people,the systematic burning of buses, vans, cars and two wheelers which went on for a good hour before it was finally brought under control. Had the cops swung into action earlier and asked for reinforcements, two lives wouldn’t have been lost, nor would we have had to deal with over 60 injured people, cops included. This cannot be passed off as ‘mob mentality’, when protestors had come well prepared for violence. Through all this rampaging and rioting, the shadowy figures instigating all of this remained safe and sound in Delhi and Mumbai, remote controlling wanton destruction in order to gain the all important political advantage in 2014. I’m pretty certain, half the youth rounded up near Azad Maidan would not know how to pronounce Myanmar, leave aside be able to pin point its location on an atlas. Misguided, mislead and possibly paid to take to the streets, they did what they were ordered to… and Mumbai suffered yet another blow.

There is something decidedly perverse about Mumbaikars accepting someone like an R.R.Patil as Maharashtra’s Home Minister, given his track record. Who can forget his infamous comment after the 26/11 Terror Attacks when he glibly said “such small-small incidents do take place in big-big cities!” On Saturday, he was once again on television channels talking about the horrific incident and rationalizing why Mumbai was caught on the wrong foot yet again. Let’s get ready to listen to the same old homilies about intelligence failure and why the state government is forever napping while Mumbai heedlessly burns… again and again. What has really changed after 26/11 ? The answer is depressing and brutal : nothing. The cast of characters handling such a crisis remains virtually unchanged. The cops take their orders from one lot of politicians. There is zero unity in the State cabinet and evidently no real attempt at crisis management. The State administration gets into the act hours after the damage is done. Lame excuses and alibis are trotted out with a straight face. We have no choice but to listen to hollow justifications and wonder what went wrong. It is really pretty disingenuous to claim “ much more damage could have taken place.” Really? How much more? Can someone quantify it, please? There was a great deal of self -congratulation over the ‘timely action and the restraint showed.” By whom? This time, the mediawallas were not spared either. What did protestors gain by torching OB vans? Beating up photographers? Where were the cops when that was happening? Who gave the orders to open fire on rioters?The average Mumbaikar has the right to ask which individual was in charge during those crucial hours?Or are we supposed to remain mum, dumb and clueless as usual? Unfortunately, we are as vulnerable to attacks from within and without as we were three years ago. When a city turns on itself, that is far more dangerous than an assault that comes from other shores. The message this time is pretty clear : We need to be saved from despotic, power hungry politicians and preachers before we save ourselves from protestors. But who is brave enough to bell the Big Cat ?