Archive for the 'India' Category

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The Phantom Menace

Published on October 29, 2009 in India. 241 Comments

With chapters of my book having come back with edits and with a new chapter I have been working on together with talking to the cover designer, I have been on a blog-break of late.

However when sensational things like Arundhati Roy justifying the reign of terror unleashed by the Naxals and Kamal Khan hurling a waterbottle at designer delicate-flower Rohit Verma (who weeps like somebody has died when asked to cook) on Big Boss Tritiyaa happen then I am forced to break the silence.

Sensational yes. Surprising no. After all both Ms. Roy and Mr. Khan push the envelope of outrageousness for the expressed purpose of self-promotion, a game known as Rakhiopoly wherein one is forced to continually raise the bar of provocativeness in order to keep oneself in the public gaze.

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Hawa Desi

Published on October 4, 2009 in India and Silly. 41 Comments

Welcome to Hawa Desi, the airlines which promises you “Hawa Hawa Khusboo Luta Dey” everywhere in the plane, totally Desi style.

We would like to extend a special warm welcome to any Hawa Desi executive, politician or administrative bigwig or  his wife, daughter, son, son’s wife, daughter’s husband, their sons and daughters, their cousins and their transitive closure thereof,  who might be traveling with us today “free of cost” —–remember yeh aap ka baap ka plane hai.  If anyone of you havent been upgraded to business or first class yet, please get in touch with a member of the crew who will be happy to help you and polish your shoes so you so please.

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The Talli-ban

Published on February 3, 2009 in Censorship and India. 143 Comments

A landmark judgement was delivered today in that the courts ruled that kissing in public by an young married couple is not obscene. [Link]

It is inconceivable how, even if one were to take what is stated in the FIR to be true, an expression of love by a young married couple would attract offence of obscenity and trigger the coercive process of law,”

[Music: Main talli main talli main talli ho gayeee]

Presenter: Welcome to GBTV’s special panel where we discuss public kisses, pub culture and whether the initiative to “ban” talli girls would create a “Talli-ban” culture in India.

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Stamp of Class

Published on May 30, 2008 in India. 31 Comments

Forget the Telgi stamp paper scandal.

The Tiwari stamp “locha” is “herewa”.

A few months ago, the state of Bihar rejoiced in the achievement of Manoj Tiwari, the great Bhojpuri singer and the host of “Chak De Bacche” (Michael Jackson’s favorite program), for being the first living Indian to be honored with an international stamp from the government of Netherlands.

Yes the same Manoj Tiwari who was covered here at RTDM for his Bihar pride song: “Hum Bihari dil baante bhola bhala, Humre ke neta sabke nachawe walah.”

And now it is Tiwari jo sabko nacha raahe hain.

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The Usual

Published on May 16, 2008 in India and Politics. 116 Comments

The standard sequence of events—-

1. Bomb blasts happen in a crowded area of an Indian city X bringing death and destruction in its wake.

2. Startling revelations are made by the administration within a few hours, bringing to light facts no-one could have guessed.

“Obviously, it’s a terrorist plot,” A.S. Gill, the police chief of Rajasthan, said hours after the attack. “The way it has been done, the attempt was to cause the maximum damage to human life.”

God damn those terrorists. Just when we think that they would do things in a way so as to cause the minimum damage to human life, they go ahead and do something totally unexpected.

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