KAHIHI

I do not understand whether to cry or enjoy since the day Sachin Tendulkar (ST) declared that he would be spending 30 hundred thousand rupees on Satya Sai Baba (SSB) statue.
Sachin Tendulkar might be sitting on billions earned by his hard work and genius. However, considering the billions spent on offering completely free cardiac and neurological treatment or on cancer heart ailments that SSB’s trust offered to the aam aadmi, despite the few fragile blocks at the foundation, nowhere brings ST close to SSB.
In this opportunistic world where it has been impossible to have treatment on serious ailments, SSB can be called as a philanthropist of philanthropists. However, the stigma remains irrevocable, wherein his initial cheap hand tricks publicized as miracles thereby assuming the disciples to be idiots, one and all.
ST is a good boy with inexhaustible stamina on the ground and parallel patience in life out of the ground, until recently. But I think he is overburdened of the inertia of the goodness.
Who made him to make a statement that Mumbai belongs to everyone? He was never a politician neither did he exhibit an inclination to be one in the future. Why then should he make such senseless utterance? Or has this apparently patient looking lad come under the spell of an impatient political bigwig? A general doubt!
The examples are aplenty, fresh and stale, that the famous figures in art and sports fields have entered the political field to get mud-slinged and eat dust subsequently; nothing else. Or is there no more place left on the top and the downslide has started?
These two actions of ST have brought him to a level below. It was a matter of a few seconds. Look at the sky, regain patience and keep quiet, exhibiting a masterly “well left” at the question. Absolutely nothing more than what he does on the pitch.
A Don Bradman comparative, who could hide his expressions, cries on internationally televised channels is near to getting comparable with the gaudy heroines of Hindi movies of 70s. Let the tears flow. But to wipe them in such a situation is tantamount to acting. The rudalis and the adivasis who never inhaled the polluted weather of so-called civilized cities crying over the dead body of their near or far people seem more grief stricken though for completely different reasons.
One prima facie obvious shortfall of this public figure is he doesn’t refuse offers. May it be the exemption from customs duty or Bharat Ratna honour. It would cost him nothing much to refuse. In fact it would enhance his image. But no, his close friends think him to be a generous fellow who offers help to a few. They never quote it. They whisper as if involved in a whisper campaign.
Whisper campaigns bear no more value than the gossips, they do not understand. And such examples take away one from the image of model citizenry.
How can a man express a desire to make a statue of the so-called god who has built state-of-the-art hospitals, railway stations, and private airports, with a paltry sum of 30 hundred thousand rupees? Isn’t it ascetically ridiculous? Are there no other prestigious ways like adding this sum to SSBs foundation or helping poor patients with this poor sum?
Or are his advisors overbearing and sullied and decided to belittle him?
Recently I read unbelievable news that he wouldn’t have to pay tax on certain amount of his earnings. In fact he should show the willingness to pay the full amount and set an example of an ideal citizen. From the recent actions of him it doesn’t seem a possibility.
For certain his think tank has started leaking. The advisers are going berserk. They may be legal or accounting experts. But there is always a conscience keeper built in you. It seems to be on the back foot.
ShivSena Supremo, other day warned him on Times Now channel to play on his pitch and not on the political pitch, very aptly. When such interviews (about ShivSena) happen, the chain reaction follows faster than the nuclear process. The media always hungry like Bakasur pounces to get fed by such news.
Loksatta, a Marathi morninger is found playing second fiddle unconditionally (!) to Congress in recent times. The intentions of the erstwhile editor unwritten like British Constitution were known to any Tom, Dick and Harry. He would be the first to fire its flickering salvo against ShivSena. The short sighted writer would search for his thick glasses to reminisce and visualise the handshakes ShivSena made with other party leaders, deliberately forgetting the strange bedfellows of Congress.
The new editor of Loksatta, in his new avatar, is blaming ShivSena for the closure of Marathi schools in the area of its Central office forgetting that the main responsibility being that of ruling state coalition! What a silly statement? May be due to the jaundiced vision.
Had ShivSena been in power, the learned man would have held them doubly responsible and not the opposition then. They need a reason, no reasoning for anything to draw such illogical inferences.
Maid servants’ children are sent to English medium schools. As municipality is ruled by SS, it is their responsibility, the state policy has nothing to participate in the matter; the learned man might be thinking in the manner of Prime Minister. The PM’s perception that economic side is his liability, and the political and administrative liability is hers, might be created due to the haughty thinking, discarding tendency or simply submissiveness. The editorial brain follows the path of the non corrupt, self-effacing man at the helm. Who cares for the corruption that has brought the country on the brink when I am clean, is the silent message that has already reached the billion minds.
Also they insist the children of the leaders of the Marathi cause should attend Marathi medium schools. Why? Shouldn’t they insist for Marathi at par with English and other European languages to attain individual as well as national progress?
What exactly they think is their duty? They are the front runners in the field of improving and raising the standard of Marathi, if not to the international level at least to the national level. What’s their participation? I’ve seen many of them plagiarizing cheap phrases from Hindi movies like “All is well”, a popular phrase from a hit movie by Aamir Khan pronounced in slang, proudly.
Surprisingly psychiatrist like Rajendra Barve too uses the phrase. He may give 112 onionskin reasons for that. But what about vitiating the language? This is no promoting for certain.
The early 20th century thinkers and linguist and editors like Tilak, Agarkar and likes modified Sanskrit and English phrases and words to suit in Marathi (like say, fraction of a second in kshanardha, which is more appropriate than the original) what these Lilliputian editors are contributing? Sycophancy?
In the state where the education ministers didn’t know Marathi, the language of medium of the state, forget objecting to this dire situation, the newspapers sat like ostrich dipping its beak in the burning sand and as a hobby continued printing the interviews of dumb newcomers on the screen and the reviews of who necessarily second or third rate books written by their near ones don’t feel that this situation of language of the medium of education is their prime duty. One can’t expect more than the head-in-the-clouds thoughts from the editors.
I congratulate the new editor for repeating the act of his predecessor, as mostly the editors of Marathi newspapers are just a gloss and not mettle. The newer one too seems to be on his way of proving a flash in the pan. After all we all are traditionalists by lineage and maintain the conservatism till the last drop of our blood is dried or burned.
As he momentarily seems to have fallen in love with the word pitch let me remind that he is playing on the erstwhile pitch of Ramnath Goenka from where many others were pitched out but only Arun Shouri was called back again.
So was it written. But shall so be done?

Maharashtra has a ved (mania) for celebration. Of any kind! Come September or August, people of Maharashtra are charged for ten days. They don’t do anything but sing songs in haphazard manner with no mercy to rhythm, they play loud speakers defying 50 decibel limit to express their joy with delirium. Come October and they are ready to repeat the fruitless act. Then Diwali and other single day celebrations follow. Joy one should take, but not to the extent of wasting huge time and expense of keeping one’s career waiting.

Obama came to the city. Far away from the city of Illinois his media managers might have chalked out the itinerary of his India visit. However, imagine Michelle Obama mingling in the crowd of boys of an English medium school in Fort and straight heading to dance to the tunes of an ethnic Koli Marathi song – you’re under loss of state of mind.

It’s never so with Americans at the upper hierarchy and I’m grieved to say, always so, with Indian political counterparts. A fresh like pomphret example of Common Wealth Games in Delhi!

So they planned from a distance that is exactly on the opposite of the globe and executed the plan in filthy Mumbai without a wrinkle on the face. Soon our shameless politicians, with their crest fallen faces, may visit US to study how to reciprocate the gesture in a comparatively clean city. However, let us keep aside the political analysis by the analysts with crooked and favourable angles expressed as a running commentary.

Michelle’s dance! The scene kept cheering the mind. Michelle is a good dancer. She caught to the tunes immediately with Madhuri Dixit’s ease. It’s in their blood. To catch the rhythm. But Barrack was not at ease. Doesn’t matter. In last few, about 20 seconds he tapped on the tunes. That was a symbol of humility. How many of our politicians with their dogmatic face and vain pride could have shown this gesture?

That achieved two purposes. It tickled the hearts of rich and at the same time created a feeling of pride among the original tribes of Mumbai. Bichchare Bhandaris and Pathare Prabhus, other original tribes! Would have the tour planners thought of this? Congress the ruling party of Maharashtra may be able to draw a benefit from this gesture.

Owing to sincere and persistent requests, Obama danced with his sleeves folded and with fastened necktie.

We were taught to button the sleeves while meeting seniors. To fold full shirt sleeves was supposed to be uncouth. The British tight upper leaps are able to gulp the morsel? The Korean and Chinese taken over the garb of dark suits would be able to digest it?

Our Marathi entertainment channels don’t care of President of India and new chief of the state who is a M.S. from California. The dissuading Marathi entertainment channels thumping hideous programmes in the name of humour on the face of the Marathis evading the intro and life portrait of a so educated chief minister. They were accompanied by relatives, the journos in high places, like that in Adarsha Society. Are they not equally sinful in their act?

I had regards about the British stiff upper lip. But in Bush’s time that was burned out by Tony Blair.

It’s said that: a true American never accepts anything for free. He pays for it and pays for best quality. Despite their depleting resources they’ve not given up the habit. Prima facie Obama has made a provision for 50 thousand jobs. BPOs are not affected as the fear loomed a month ago. Go, grab them.

Analysts are not catalysts. Throw them in the recycle bin.

Though so, we have our own iconic example, still intact. Years ago Indira Gandhi danced to the tunes of folk songs of Adivasis in a remote village. She sincerely believed to be a daughter of an Adivasi in her earlier birth. With her grace and a little smile, the impression is as live in my mind as then was.

You utter a word in Marathi and they would empty the backdoor godown of appreciation if you are a non-Maharashtrian. See the Marathi channels. That’s how many Maharashtrians are.

To go a little back, when Chandrababu Naidu was a toddler, coordination was par excellence among Telugus and Marathis. The basic union movement was raised on the foundation and pillars that Telugus constructed. They knew and spoke Marathi so well, that after an hour long lecture when the orator’s name was declared as say, Reddy, the workers, attending the meetings, had an expression of awe on their faces, unlike a one-word-wow of the day.

Construction worker in building construction business was too a Telugu specialty. They gave their sweat to Mumbai, literally. Anybody might have ruled Mumbai and Maharashtra, yet there was no clash among them and Marathis, whatsoever, as they worked honestly, establishing brotherhood with local people.

On this backdrop, the ex-Chief Minister of Andhra comes to the border as if invading a different country, eats biryani, sleeps in an air-conditioned room after that, and later goes back to his state, declaring that Maharashtra police beat him up! In the history of human hospitality, no atithi has lied so promptly after a solid food offered to him.

“Put on your dancing shoes” – was a famous and popular song during the high-school-attending days of Chandrababu Naidu. Failing to recall that, he tried to act by rolling on the ground, complaining about beds. He was seen sleeping with his shoes on instead!

Maharashtra, with a large heart, didn’t object to Andhra’s dam that had brought the backwater well within the Maharashtra territory.

With such a pack of loose script, the Neta decided to shoot his lousy drama on the backdrop of Krishna water and had to run away before the Muhurta clap. Instead, he heard other kind of claps shooing him away from the scene by the local residents of the location, i.e. Babhali. That was very much cinema style.

While shooting ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’, a 1984 Hollywood film with our own Amrish Puri as a villain, in Kamshet near Lonavala in Maharashtra, 3000 people of the region helped director, Steven Spielberg with total cooperation. In Babhali those many people whisked away Chandrabbu. The difference in between the Abhineta and Neta is clear.

The second schedule of this runaway Neta was in his territory. Many mob scenes of delirium were there. But his chief minister under orders of 10, Janapth did not allow to shoot the sequel. So also the people from the Karimnager are opposed Chandrababu, which is obvious from the letters of protest appearing in Deccan Chronicle.

In 230 BC, Saatwahans of Junnar near Pune ruled Kotilingala, now Karimnagar of Andhra, a part of Telangana and part of Krishna Godavari belt. Chandrababu has come to visit and claim the water after two and a quarter centuries.

His father-in-law, NTR was an Abhineta who acted in more than 300 movies. He had seen his ups and downs after entering into politics. In the time of Chandrababu’s childhood many of the auto biographies written with titles like ‘My Son’s Father’ or ‘My mother’s Daughter’ or likes.

Chandrababu, if decides to write an auto biography could take above mentioned title. The relationship has no genetic connection as it is for the titles having son, father, daughter, mother etcetera. So it is very apt. NTR was a great actor or showman first, and a leader afterwards. That Chandrababu is not. He is a leader first and an actor afterwards, now a flop, albeit.

What a difference!

Traveling during the peak hours in Mumbai is no less than an adventure, be it by any means – your private car, cab, auto, bus or a local train. People, often scream – “Kya hoga is shaher ka, kitne khadde hai”, as the bus bumps into some puddle. Close investigation (it’s very easy to get into a conversation with such frustrated people) reveals that people who often curse this city are ones who are outsiders. Welcome to Mumbai - the Swapna Nagari – (City of Dreams).

People come to Mumbai for various reasons, and in the process start taking city for granted. They expect total comfort and pleasures that they probably left back in their parent city. People start comparing Mumbai with other cities, Pune is clean, Bangalore is so organized, this is so well planned, and that is so cool and so on. The logic of this comparison is beyond comprehension of any average rationale brain. Why should there be a need to compare some city which is just on a development phase, with Mumbai? Moreover, five years from now, your city could become like Mumbai that you bicker about today, more miserable may be.

The fact that others boast of their city’s magnificent infrastructure will attract masses and in turn will make that city as much crowded as Mumbai, or even more. Similar thing happened to Mumbai. People flocked to Mumbai in search of opportunities and crowded the place all over. It had lot to offer to anyone who came in and it still does today.

Yes, it is crowded today, roads are not good, there are slums but little introspection will reveal that all of it was because of Mumbai’s image of city of dreams. Traffic problems and hindrances to infrastructural developments are because of unauthorized constructions, be it huts or chawls. Irony is outsiders have created the mess and outsiders crib about it.

A Mumbaikar (not necessarily a Maharashtrian) for no reason is blamed and becomes an object of mockery (I have personally got remarks saying – what’s this city, it’s a shit place). However, a compassionate Mumbaikar is still firm on his role of acceptance and adjustments, taking happily whatever comes his way. At end of the day, he calmly sits back and ponders what can be done to preserve this swapna nagari – Aamchi Mumbai.