The mass hysteria surrounding the Anna Hazare campaign to get the Jan Lokpal bill passed, Kiran Bedi disgracing herself with her antics, a crowd of hooligans, housewives, crying children and freeloaders, announcements of kids getting lost in the crowd, Bollywood celebrities dropping by, promotion by news channels, sms promotions to gather support- What more could you possibly ask for from a Live reality show? Reality TV is the in thing this season and Team Anna seems to know just how to get it right with the Indian audience. They have media managers on board, who decide everything for Team Anna. When to give speeches, when to start swinging the Indian flag, food for supporters, songs to be played --- Keep the crowd entertained, give interesting bytes to TV channels and the show will be a success!
They make mistakes but are quick to backtrack when things backfire. They know how to come up with interesting slogans that will touch Indian hearts. Team Anna is concerned about Anna's health but wouldn't let the old man break his fast. Kiran Bedi insisted Anna must not end his fast and was quick to tweet about it. Why isn't she fasting?? Why so much pressure on Anna? We wouldn't mind if Kiran starts fasting for a change and gives Anna a much needed break.
Yesterday, the much hyped Miss Bedi spat fire on Indian politicians, elections, the Parliament, etc....
Speaking from the stage in Ramlila Maidan Kiran Bedi managed to make a fool of herself without help from anyone. Is that the way a senior leader conducts herself in public? She was spitting venom and the rowdy crowd could have taken the cue and turned violent. But, she wouldn't have taken responsibility for her actions. She is still happy about the things she said yesterday and would not mind repeating the act again. She got what she wanted --- media attention --breaking news in all media channels. Power turns people crazy - she is a living example of that.
The holier-than-thou Kiran Bedi herself has previously tried to get her daughter admission to an MBBS degree through unfair means. While posted in Mizoram, she had used the Mizoram quota to get her daughter admission. These quotas were reserved for the underprivileged students of Mizoram who didn't have the means to fulfill their dreams. In 1992, there were widespread protests in the streets of Mizoram but the media highlights only those issues where they see a benefit for their TRPs. The ruckus in Aizawl failed to hit media headlines in mainland India and was only published in single columns and newspaper briefs. Kiran's daughter, however, never completed her MBBS studies and flew over to the US to study journalism. The question is - Why is she pointing fingers at others when she herself has used the law and the powers vested in her while she was in the IPS to her own personal advantage?
Getting back to the reality show - The crowd is thrilled. Celebrities are making appearances, they can listen for free to music by Kailash Kher, tea and biscuit being served is another attraction at the Ramlila ground. In the history of revolutions and campaigns, I have a distinct feeling that this one will stand out for all the wrong reasons.
1 comments:
Liked the way you put it. Good one
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