We Indians are a bunch of highly radioactive element, a little push and we react to any situation in a very fiery manner and forget it equally fast to move on to react to a different issue!!
A lot needs to be blamed on the way media has covered the entire issue of cat fight between our Bollywood beauty Shilpa Shetty (who is in dire need for publicity, specially after a flop career, though I am not saying that she has done it on purpose) and Jade goody (A nurse by profession but far from the attitude of one). Any such fight between two people on a celebrity show becomes “Breaking News” on Indian TV channels. Germans and Irish have never been portrayed in the positive light but how often have heard or seen them blowing their top. All I want to say is that India has reached and achieved such a global status that such issues should be dealt with dignity.
I am completely with the Tourism department for taking the bold step to invite “Oh not so Good!!” Ms Goody to come to India and taste out hospitality and tradition. The best way to humiliate someone is to make him/her face the truth and that’s what I am in favour of, let Goody be invited and come to India and we put our best foot forward to play host to her. Let her go back with only more colorful memories of India and be ashamed at her behaviour with our fellow Indian. In fact we can take this opportunity to promote tourism in India and project how warm India has been (in the past) and will always be to its guests.
Imagine the kind of publicity and coverage India will get with Jade goody enjoying the back waters in Kerala, river rafting in Ganges and shopping at innumerable places.
At the same time I support the bottle manufacturing unit in Gujarat for Jade Goody’s perfume, to halt the manufacturing to show our unhappiness and discomfort at such comments. But as Gandhiji said, never hate the human, hate the bad qualities he/she has and help the human to eliminate them.
Jade, we welcome you with open arms and warm heart.
“Atithi devo bhava”. We Indians have always welcomed and accommodated visitors, much visible from our diverse culture.
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7 comments:
Good Article, very well placed.
Good article!
I think that precious media space wasted on this issue is completely unbecoming and unwarranted of Indian media. It is as if there are no pertinent issues to be highlighted apart from 'Big Brother' or closer to home 'Big Boss' capers and the full-fledged overdose of the Ash-Abhi wedding! It is a joke that prime time media (television and newspapers) are subjecting viewers / readers to this nonsense. If we want to get a piece of what's happening with the film / modelling world and entertainment, there is Bombay Times and Filmfare! I would not want to read about that on TOI front page or see that as "Breaking News" or "Headlines" on prime-time news channels.
The 'Jade Goody' phenomena is yet another creation of the media. It is pathetic that channels such as television and newsprint are being used by people to further their own causes and make themselves heard (whether or not they make any sense at all). Who is Jade Goody? Nobody had even heard of her before this controversy!
As they say, "good or bad", any publicity is good publicity! It has worked for Shilpa Shetty, Jade Goody and almost all of this fraternity!
While I am personally happy for Shilpa Shetty on her winning the 'Big Brother' challenge and peeved with Jade Goody for her remarks, I think we should not let our collective emotions be used by these so-called celebs to improve their own brand equity and bank balances. We have very important and genuine concerns and issues as a nation internally as well as from a global perspective!
I don't care whether Goody visits india or not of if and indians accept her with open arms or denounce her. There are more important issues to consider for our media and government than waste time on such petty issues.
British,Irish, Germans etc. are all racist,but so are we indians (castiest if not racist). We feel bad if some tom/dick/harry in developed country calls us names, but we totally forget the way we treat lower working class in general in our own homes.
How many times have you let the maid servent sit on your sofas in your living rooms, or respected them as an individual, or not shouted at them when they took off from the day to day work... the list is endless.
Would our media ever write an article about the plight of millions in this class and the daily insults they face as an individuals? or would we as loyal citizens ever lend our ears to such news the way we did it for Gooodys (et. al..)?
I dont think so!!!
We are a country with people full of double standards, and hypocrisy.
kutte bhokte hai to bhokne do....keep walking, as Gandhiji said.
Kaushal Satam
Fact that Shilpa shetty has won the big boss challenge, has everyone go search for their tongues.
I really don't understand the fuss being made by media over comments made on a gameshow. Why can't they take up more newsworthy issues. And what right do we have to cry foul when we treat people in our own backyard miserably. I appreciate the Ministry of Tourism's decision to invite Jade to India to experience our hospitality. Hopefully she will be ashamed of her behaviour. But it would be even more appreciated if the media instead of wasting newsprint, time and energy on such frivolous things take up genuinely serious issues.
Jade Goody obviously didn't mean anything when she said whatever she did. She just said it in anger (which her crying and apologising on camera shows, unless they were all 'crocodile tears'.) And even if she did mean what she said, who the hell cares when our very own Shilpa has said that on second thoughts Jade didn't say anything racist at all.
If Shilpa doesn't mind and if Jade has apologised what's the big fuss about. Why are we becoming 'abdullah deewanas' in a 'begaani shaadi'? Just because we are Indians? But why does it bother us?? We can't kill a person for expressing his/her opinions. We know where we stand and why bother with stray comments from idiots??
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