London diary in Outlook

http://outlookindia.com/diary.asp?fodname=20090720


(The images I shot at Lord's)

Too early to be gay and merry

Joke No 377 had to be modified, no two ways on that. If unnatural sex is criminal, most straights would be behind bars for indulging in ‘unnatural’ oral and anal sex.

However, what my gay friends need to come to terms with is this: the legal clause was never the problem, it remained only in them books. Just about no one was prosecuted for gay life, and I keep hearing these rubbish stories about blackmail by the cops… you can never catch people in the act, it happens behind closed doors. So if gay couples did give in to blackmail, it was probably because of fear of being ‘exposed’ before parents, pals, etc… which has nothing to do with the law.

Which then straight (unintended) brings me to the point I am making: The stigma and prejudice against homosexuality is not a legal problem, it’s not something a judge can order away with the stroke of a gavel. It’s a social problem, most people in this country haven’t accepted same-sex partners, and gays are almost always frowned upon or mocked at (watch Madhur Bhandarkar’s flicks for a demo). Gays are considered nature’s freaks, and it’s gonna take a very long time for these prejudices to go away. The law cannot change our beliefs, if that was so, untouchability has been declared illegal years ago, yet caste discrimination rages on across the country.

To me, this problem cannot be solved till we as a nation accept homosexuality as a trait of nature, a genetic issue, and accept it as a ground reality. And that is gonna take many, many years, maybe even decades.

So while my gay friends are celebrating on the streets, they must accept that this is a very small beginning in their long struggle to be accepted. A lot of work needs to be done, starting with public campaigns to reposition gay life in the ill-informed junta’s minds and hearts. It was never a legal problem, it’s a perception problem. Gays need communication experts and corporate honchos (to sponsor these efforts). And not lawyers and judges.

PS: One silver lining: For once, the sadhus and the mullahs and the priests have come together as one, in their protest against the modification of the clause. If nothing else, at least our homo pals made them agree on something! Gay ho!

What icon????

As expected, both, the Indian TV and print media is bustling with people paying weepy tributes to Jacko, as if they knew him as intimately as Bal Thackeray’s loo. Hiyuk, hiyuk. And the most appalling tribute: “The man was a great icon!!” Haha.

Here’s the problem with us: In our blind adulation (and desperation to be seen/read/heard in the media), we have become incapable of separating an individual from his/her body of work. Once we do that, the word icon will get forever banished from our vocab.

Here’s the deal: Though personally I never did dig his stuff (I found the dances and lyrics pretty juvenile), I have to admit Jacko was a great entertainer, a cool singer and a fab performer for his zillion fans. Some of his songs will live on, and when we hear them at some point in our lives, we will miss a heartbeat, recollecting our growing up years. It is also a fact that his talent had eroded in the last decade, but in any creative field burn-out is inevitable, so that part can be overlooked. So let’s pay tribute to his rare talent, and close the chapter.

But to call him an icon for the world is a travesty, a cruel joke. The man was a disaster, no less. How can a man who’s ashamed of his colour of skin, who admits to sleeping with kids, who dangles babies from a high-rise (and this list is long, so I won’t bore you further) be a role model by any stretch of imagination? The truth is, Jacko was indeed a whacko, a deranged, delusional individual (his ex wife Presley said that), a poor example for both, children and adults of this world. That is an indisputable truth.

Tomorrow, god forbid, but if something happens to people like Britney Spears, Salman Khan and Paris Hilton, even they will be called icons! Haha.

By the way, forget these air-headed sods, I don’t even refer to our greatest hero of all times, Bapu Gandhi, as a role model. I applaud his political ideologies (his work), but I deffy don’t show the other cheek to offenders, I detest khadi, and nope, celibacy is a strict no-no. :}

All the PM’s family men

So, the cabinet has been sworn in. Great. Let’s hope they can get some real work done now. (And in Mumbai we should be happy Vilasrao will now exercise his famed inertia in Dilli). My only grouse is this: a vast number of sods who will rule us for the next five years are some or the other mantri’s beta or beti. Or nephew or niece. Which means despite Congress’s massive win, despite all the promises, merit has once again gone to the dogs. Dynasty continues to rule, and outsiders can keep waiting exactly there: outside.
Guess some things never change. Wish my dad was a neta. I would have been made for generations to come, instead of blogging for free. Humph!

Check my new blog

Hi, for the next few weeks I am posting at:

http://www.myspace.com/anilthakraney

See you there!

Cheers

No country for old men

With a vast majority of our population under 30, it’s absolutely crazy that we continue to be ruled by geriatrics. People like Advani should be playing toy games with their great grand kiddies in the lawns of their retirement villas.

The problem is not just the age itself, but these old folks’ complete disengagement with the rapidly changing world, its attitude and its beliefs.

Which is why while what the populace really wants is security, infrastructure and opportunities to fulfill their career ambitions, what we are promised is temples and masjids in moffusil towns. And hatred against communities.

Which is the big reason why so many of us don’t vote. Put in younger candidates with proven credentials, people we connect with, then see what happens at the voting booths.

Also, I just don’t understand one thing: if there is retirement age fixed in all other professions (including the public sector), why must it be any different for politics? In fact, when it comes to running such a complicated nation, we badly need people out there who are fit in mind and body. Surely the time has come for the Supreme Court to take a look at this issue.

A rider: when I say younger people, I don’t necessarily mean dynastic politics. (Look at the joker Sanjay Gandhi has begetted.) We need fresh blood into the system, and that ain’t gonna happen until the hot seats are vacated by the dinosaurs.

So it’s all very well to run campaigns asking youngsters to vote, but what’s the point if in the end we land up having the same old fogies decide our destiny?

mutalik interview

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/mar/070309-Pramod-Mutalik-Shri-Ram-Sene-Oscar-awards-A-R-Rahman-pubs-dating-Gandhiji-western-nations.htm