Dec 1, 2008

A sincere appeal

Dear Editor,


Sir, I wish to introduce myself as a 'Common Mumbaikar', who after years of indifference has become numb to the vagaries of a Mumbai Life! The recent massacre has led me to believe that I am indeed ‘Impotent’. I wonder whether I have a right to celebrate on Jan 26! This letter to you is a desperate appeal to help me and the one billion Indians that are feeling equally miserable.


Where was I when some people, we label as ‘terrorists’, killed my brothers and raped my sisters? Why couldn’t I hear the horrified screams of their orphaned children? Well, Sir, as I’ve already mentioned that I stay in Mumbai, which is so ‘very far’ from these rotten things, you know the places where these rotten things are a norm- Kashmir, Assam, Orissa..and sometimes Delhi, Bengalooru, Hyderabad…So I thought ‘What have I got to do?’, I have enough screams to hear and enough orphans to deal with here in Mumbai itself! Every now and then, there is a bomb blast and the system breaks down; the authorities go into hiding and inevitably the courageous Hero would be the ‘Common Man’.



Well, Sir, I have brought the ‘Common Man’ intentionally here. As a reader of your esteemed newspaper ‘The Times of India’, I am a die-hard fan of your daily strip ‘You said it’ by the greatest ever cartoon illustrator: ‘R K Laxman’. It so correctly depicts the Common Man as a silent spectator of the system. In the cartoonist’s own words, the Common Man symbolises the mute millions of India, or perhaps the whole world, a silent spectator of marching time! He represents the hopes, aspirations, troubles and perhaps even foibles of the average Indian. I gather you know what I’m coming to.


My problem with you is this: Just as the Common Man, Sir, your newspaper too stands as a mute spectator all these years! Whenever a system crashes down, your esteemed newspaper would be the ‘first’ to bring us the ‘esteemed news’. And then in the race to be the ‘first’ to bring the next big news, Sir, you forget the burning past. I agree, Sir that you are the highest English language newspaper and in your own words, ‘very liberal’. But, it has occurred to me lately that you represent the masses. You are considered as the ‘Fourth Estate’ not for a rhyme, but for a reason. You, Sir should be publishing the ‘voices of us, commoners’. You should personify the woes of every Indian not just in a cartoon. You should take the lead in asking the ‘Why’s?’ from all our leaders, irrespective of which party they belong to or which party you support.


Our nation, no doubt invariably follows a pseudo-democracy. Where is the ‘For the people’ part? Why it so happens that, after the people are chosen by the people, the ‘chosen people’ easily transform into ‘politicians’. Forgive me, Sir, but ‘politics’ isn’t about managing any more, it has become a ‘murky thing’, and all this while you, the Fourth Estate just looks on…refuses to act. With all the powers that make you what you are, you should be the one to bell the cat. Yes, Mr. Editor, the time has come for you to actually put into practice, your sole purpose of starting this esteemed newspaper.


We Indians need to start a revolution now with an apt war cry. And so, we need you to voice this war cry. For if we don’t start now, there won’t be any Indians left! And then I wonder Sir, who would read your ‘esteemed newspaper’! Is this asking for too much?


Yours Sincerely,
Vin

33 comments:

Rajeswari said...

Great Thots Vin!! Couple of years ago,our former president Dr Kalam urged the media to practise development journalism!But the unpalatable truth is journalism is an extension of politics,drama..and what not?

vinny said...

Thanks Scrawler! if the president urges and they dont budge, then what about my appeal?? v cant take this anymore...but what we can do is keep the pressure up or die 'impotent'!
anyways, u have a great break n come back for us..we need u:)

Scattered Thoughts... said...

bravo! nice effort gurl.. all of us should try our level best to keep the fire alive.. amen!

The Comic Project said...

the 4th estate is an enterprise and we shouldn't expect much else from it. it is just an instrument in the hands of anyone who knows how to use it. maybe we, the esteemed readers, need to learn how.

Anil Sawan said...

interesting way of writing a letter.. you could seriously sent this to the paper.

vinny said...

ST & Sawan: thanks guys, but u know what this started as a small letter to the editor at the TOI site..then i realised i have every right to write big..so i did..BUT they havent approved it as yet!!

There goes a Common woman's freedom of expression!!

vinny said...

Comic project: in that case, we dont require any 'fourth estate'!! the previous three are enough..na??

what to do? there's an utter feeling of vulnerability...

Fr. Jerry Kurian said...

It is good that young people like you are directing your concern (frustration) at someone who is capable (if they want to) of re-directing it to a much larger audience.

More people should react and this should be a prolonged strategy (exercise). Good going.

Firoze Shakir Photographer No1 said...

Great thought .. we have to wake up fast for the sake of the unborn child..

Firoze Shakir

Anil Sawan said...

vins, why dont you actually take a print out and sent it through mail?

vinny said...

Fr Jerry..thanks! it needs a collective and continous reaction though..the moment we let go...it will be back to normal!

did u c the Maha,CM's nonchalance during the press meet??

also, the Kerala CM has broken all records of decency

vinny said...

Very true, Mr. Firoze!
our previous generation gave up their lives to set us 'free'.

hence, we owe a lot to our future generation..

n yes, i support the 'kill word verification movement' here. i have disabled that option n would encourage other blopspot users to do the same too!

vinny said...

Sawan saar, thats a great idea..i too was thinking the same ;)
also, u send that '49 o' - the right to NOT vote..tell them to publish this in the Front Page!

Scattered Thoughts... said...

vin - I actually sent that '49-0' to some local news papers here, as assembly elections are due.. and now on the bigger mission to send it to India Today, HT, TOI etc., sawan and others, let us join hands and flood their inboxes, unless they really think of publishing it.. :)

vinny said...

Hey ST, man thats so cool...great campaigning by you..i'm sending it as an email to all in my contact list too...like u say "Spread it like the common flu " :):)
requesting them to spread it too...

HEART-BREAK KID said...

Do not worry about those who have come thru boats.
Our forces can easily defeat them.

WORRY about those who have come thru votes.
those are our REAL ENEMIES

Pls keep on trying to spread your message, never let it die...
I have sent many letters to diff newsapapers but no luck. Hope they publish yours...

HEART-BREAK KID said...

Had Received a fwd, thought of sharing.

An Olympic shooter wins Gold (Only a game) & Government gives him 3 Crores & many many corporate sponsors to boot.

Another Shooter dies, fighting with terrorists (Saving our country and our live) & government pays his family 5 lakhs.

What a Injustice!!! Not that money matters but the indifference to a soldier fighting for his country...

vinny said...

Josh, i dont want them to publish my letter..i want the editor to ACT on it.. to do his job..isnt that what a newspaper is supposed to do?? to ASK the questions from the elected people?
thanks for sharing that forward..a sad state of governance in india!

BTW, u started a blog just to be able to comment here? no posts??
WOW !!

Fr. Jerry Kurian said...

I must say that even the media has got it all wrong. This whole thing has been made into a soap opera of epic proportions. I will be writing on it.

Politicians many a time shoot off something without thinking. And on the other hand the media problematize things when what we need is sensible reporting.

HEART-BREAK KID said...

@ Vin - If only it gets published your voice could connect to some souls..rather than Editor taking action for which i believe there is no hope..
No, i had wanted to voice my feelings thru this forum then i found that there are lot of people like you who are doing gud.
Rather than having different voices it's better one voice reaches one and all..

HEART-BREAK KID said...

@ Fr.Jerry - I agree with you.

I was really taken aback by the media projecting the terror strike as "WAR ON MUMBAI". For god's sake this is not a war, in war you know who is an enemy but in this case it is not.

I was also surprised how these terror strikes were re-run as if it is a Soap Opera.Just to have the max no. of eyeballs these media people are just taking advantage of the terror strike. I was also disheartened how Barkha Dutt was handling this whole incident, she was just overdoing.

vinny said...

Fr. Jerry, very true !
in a 'sensitive' time like this, we dont need any 'sensationalisation'...thats the last thing we need..Ask how the father who's son is slain feels about all this...n one would know!
the media should lose a few of its 'own', then they would know!

btw, me n my friend Sen are daily discussing the internal politics of the state and the truth we realised is that only GOD has to intervene now, with the kind of 'leaders / traitors / liars" we have...

v have seriously started praying. So Fr, pls help in collective praying...

vinny said...

Josh, maybe u should also post ur voice in the collective voice at indiblogger , blogadda, etc mumbai attacks blogging links..
this would help in significant ways! my letter hasnt been approved by the newspaper ...isnt that proof enough!!

anyways, i will be posting a few such letters with the 'FROM' as 'Lashkar E Taiba' - this is the only way to ensure my letter reaches the editor!!

pls dont mention abt any Barkha...that woman is the biggest creep in the media.

An Indian said...

Ah… Need of the hour!

Stand up please! Solutions are on the way!

As for the politician go and the need of the hour, I have come up with some interesting theories… please do read and let me know!

Thanks,
An Indian.

http://nationwithoutpeople.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-nation-awaits-are-we-ready.html

vinny said...

An Indian, yeah, certainly need of the hour !! thanks for visiting..

Unknown said...

Dear Fellow Indian Blogger,

Can you please show Your Support for Project India
by displaying the "Project India Badge" on your
Blog or Orkut or Myspace pages.

You can read on how to do this at the following
link - http://projectindia.in/badge.php

Thanks

vinny said...

Kiran, hope this isnt spam...ur link doesnt work:(

Anonymous said...

Hi Vin,
Brave and great thoughts. You have depicted the emotions truly. We should really think what we can do on this.
Actually what we need is young energetic people in politics. You and I and all the good people over here should enter politics, should form a party where strict rules should be enforced on the qualifications of the candidates. That way we can end this stupidity in politics. Also we should ensure no candidate be in office for more than 2 terms (as in case of US president). That way we can make sure the office always have young vibrant and corrupt free people.

I am not adding more but I do really apologize for my CM's stupidity. I feel he is too old and has lost his mind. Ii wish he stops this business soon.
I feel proud of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan. Let God bring peace and solace to all the families of the martyrs.

HEART-BREAK KID said...

@ Chris - You have expressed my emotions and feelings,I have been thinking on the same lines for the past week by coming to India and help our country in a small or big way to the path towards actual democracy.

Are we ready to enter & clean his shitty place.

India needs young honest politicians.

vinny said...

Chris, nice to see u back!
yes, India needs us, young, honest politicians! ur apologies for ur CM?? come on..everybody is feeling sorry for his behavior..let us not divide the states as per stupid CM's..
Major Sandeep is an inspiration in life as well as death. May his soul rest in peace..

Anonymous said...

@Josh - yeah, we need more people to think like this.

@Vin - Stay united and fight united.

Whatever our reasons, please take thoughtfull unbiased decisions and don't rush on.

Sandeep Bharmoria said...

Good attempt...

gayathri vishwanathan said...

Wow we used the same mascot, the common man. Like u even I am a great fan of 'You said it'...I share your sentiments. I guess we cant remain as mere spectators. I know we dont have too much of power in hand. But as Madhavan said in Rang De Basanti: Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hotha. Use perfect banana padhta hain

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