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Sab Maya Hai
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 By Da BullIt has been weeks since news broke out on the starvation deaths in Orissa. The footage shown on TV explains why art cinema in India as we knew it, died. Why hire actors and write a script when you can get all of it for free. Gautam Ghose and his ilk made no money nor did they manage to get middle class India to raise their antennae to the sad lot of rural India. Star News definitely manages to make money since in the middle of a discussion on starvation deaths the announcer cuts short a social activist to say, "Great, great! But we have to go in for a commercial break!" and then turns to the audience sitting on their comfortable sofas in their living rooms and intones, "Fascinating discussion! Please don't go away!" As for the social antennae, well it's ludicrous to see the Union and State Ministers look TV cameras in the eye and deny vehemently the footage on TV to say, "No there are no starvation deaths. This is completely wrong! The people who have died were eating poisonous roots." Sure tribals in Orissa like to eat poisonous roots instead of rice. It's probably a matter of time before someone says that, "We don't want to interfere with the glorious traditions and culture of these people." Self-respecting Indians will pour their whisky and say, "Shocking". The opposition will shut down parliament and pretend that this is a shocking first for India. The government will call it a conspiracy by the opposition. The poor in India will escape it thanks to Doordarshan blacking out the "lies" and their inability to read or write their own names. Children will grow up asking parents to show them cartoon network instead of half nude malnourished human beings. The NRI Indians will be glad that they are not here and hope for a Kargil to ease their conscience by pulling out chequebooks to contribute to national pride. As for me I just flip the channel safe in the knowledge that in a few weeks after some shouting in the parliament, some more academic discussions on televisions the tribals will be forgotten, till the time there are no more bomb blasts, no boxing bouts in parliament, no missionaries who are burnt at the stake, no visits by the prime minister abroad. Then once again a TV camera will land up in some village somewhere and rediscover starvation again. Oh damn it I forgot the old Indian saying "Sab maya hai". RECENTLY ON JAAL: If The Taliban Win.... Vox Judicutura! Wanted: A Governor Gift Cow Et Al Diaspora Disgust Chitti Chitti Bong Bong Off Course Pol Poll: Are You A Neta Wannabe? The Raj Strikes Back The EMail Of The Species Kandahar Ka Kaana Raja The World Is Not Enough Back To Squire One Poll Gita Where There's A Bill, There's A Wait DotComs, By The Numbers GoI-ing After Veerappan The Bore-Gush Race Hack Attack! Eee! Governance! Justice Unbound Small States, Large Stakes Con Banega Crorepati Salesman No. 1 Cat And Meows 25 Years After Paswan Goes DOTty Child's Play Toilet Paper Drought And About Boer Boar The Joke's On You The Coming Of Bill T Kannan SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK ABOUT THIS ARTICLE: ?
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