THE BJP GIVES PEOPLE CHOICES
Fed up with the political situation in India, where the slavering anti-Hindu and anti-national leftists and the ruthless mercenary rightists have, between them (and often in secret collusion with each other), made any honest and serious political discussion on any topic totally pointless and meaningless, I had decided to avoid writing anything on any political (as in "political party") issue. And the issue on hand, the "farmers' agitation" against some recently introduced bills by the BJP government at the centre, is not one on which I am well-versed or any kind of expert.
It is clear that the so-called agitation is indeed backed by extremely dubious anti-national elements of different kinds, as alleged by the government and pro-government protagonists in the media and social media. That in itself need not make the agitation wrong, since it is now the norm that pro-BJP elements will defend and support anything and everything done by the government and anti-BJP elements will condemn and oppose anything and everything done by the government. But I have not studied the issue in detail, and therefore what I am writing in this article should not be taken as my views for or against the bills or, for that matter, for or against the agitation. At this date of writing (7-1-2021) I don't know what will become of either the bills or the agitation, and honestly (given the shady antecedents of both the sides) I will not pretend to be very concerned either way.
But one point in the arguments made by the pro-government (i.e. pro-farmers'-bills/ pro-BJP) side has got under my skin so much that I have been itching to write on the subject for weeks, but restrained myself till now. It is the claim that the bills give the farmers "choices" that they did not have before, without taking away their existing benefits and advantages. This claim brought to my mind the last time that the BJP government had made a similar claim, in respect of another issue — a totally unrelated issue, and some people may even protest, a pedestrian or "unimportant" issue — and brought a strong sense of déjà vu. There is a saying in English (apparently a translation of a Latin phrase from the Aeneid of Virgil) "beware of the Greeks when they come bearing gifts": I would say "beware of the BJP when it promises choices". Therefore, let me make it clear once more: this article is not about the farmers' bills or the farmers' agitation, it is about the "choices" that the BJP gives to Indians. People (and political parties) tend to use the same tricks and tactics again and again. I just want to point out this particular trick or tactic.
Cable TV is one of the major sources of entertainment for large sections of the Indian population. That it is being replaced, or has been replaced, among a large part of the population by the internet and the smart phone is a different matter. Large parts of the population still watch cable TV programs and serials. What I have to say below is about people in cosmopolitan cities like Mumbai (being a kūpa-maṇḍūka, Mumbai is my kūpa), and it may apply to other places (urban, semi-urban, rural) with less exactness.
Long ago in the dark ages (i.e. till the year 2017 or so) people who had cable TV used to get hundreds of channels — anything between 200 and 600 channels of every kind — for the princely sum of anything between 200 rupees and 400 rupees per month (depending on the locality). This included most regional language channels (Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Sindhi, Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Bengali, Assamese, Oriya, etc., even Sanskrit, Bhojpuri, etc.), a large array of entertainment channels, foreign channels, news channels, cartoon channels, religious channels, nature channels, travel and food channels, music channels, sports channels, etc. etc. True, a few channels in certain categories required additional fees if someone wanted them particularly, but by and large the sweep of the fare offered was extremely comprehensive.
But the BJP government decided that the people did not have "choices"! For the sum of 200-400 rupees per month, people were being forced to have hundreds of unwanted channels on their TV!!! So the BJP government introduced a new system by which people could choose, and pay for, only the particular channels they watched or wanted to watch, and not have hundreds of unwanted channels thrust down their throat.
Naturally, many Indians thought that since they generally only watched a few handfuls of channels on a regular basis, they would be able to reduce their monthly cable bill by choosing only those channels. If, for example, each channel was for 5 rupees, and they generally only watched around 20 channels or so on a regular basis, their monthly cable bill would reduce to around 100 rupees per month at the most. After all, who does not like "choices", especially if they are economical as well?
Well, the choices were apparently not per channel. They were per "packages". If you wanted to watch one particular channel, it was compulsorily part of a "package" which included a large number of unwanted channels. To begin with, there was a monthly fee of 150+ rupees for a compulsory pack of mostly unwanted channels (plus taxes and cable charges on the sum). Then every other channel you "chose" was part of a "package" where you had to pay for the whole package. There was even a limit on the number of "free" channels you could choose, and for every additional "free" channel you wanted, there were additional charges to pay. And many free channels were totally chopped out of the system: I will specially mention here a channel "Insync" which was started by a group of top Indian classical artistes especially to popularize Indian classical music. A party claiming to represent "Indian culture" would be expected to make this a compulsory channel, but this channel seems to have been stonewalled into oblivion.
I will not go into details. Suffice it to say that in our house we used to get (or rather we were forced by the crooked cable operators to get) hundreds of channels for 350 rupees per month. Now we pay 385 rupees per month, and (thanks to the "choices" being given by the government) get only a few handfuls of channels that we would want to watch. We used to get, for example, 10+ English news channels in 350 rupees. now, in 385, we get only one: Republic. The majority of entertainment channels, foreign channels, news channels, cartoon channels, religious channels, nature channels, travel and food channels, music channels, sports channels, etc. are gone from our TV.
Even more to the point, the anti-national "tukde-tukde" cable operators in Mumbai used to force us to watch channels in every single regional language! The BJP, with its zeal for national integration and giving "choices" to the people, gives us the choice to choose packages for each regional language. We have naturally chosen a package which gives Marathi channels (and end up paying 385 rupees instead of the earlier 350). A cousin of mine (our mother-tongue is Konkani) staying just outside Mumbai was educated in Marathi, her husband's native place was across the Karnataka border in Kerala but he was educated in Mangalore in Kannada, and their son-in-law was educated in Chennai. They used to watch programs on Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil channels for 300 rupees per month. After they were given "choices", their monthly bill shot well above 800 rupees per month to include packages having channels in these four Indian languages. Needless to say, all other regional language channels, and the majority of entertainment channels, foreign channels, news channels, cartoon channels, religious channels, nature channels, travel and food channels, music channels, sports channels, etc. which they used to get earlier were gone from their TV as well.
Was this a petty article? About, of all things, cable channels!!?? When there are so many so very important problems and challenges before our nation, especially in these COVID days!?
No, this article was only about the BJP giving "choices" to us choice-starved Indians. Also, about the BJP following the promised principle of "the best government is that which governs the least". Also about the trustworthiness of promises made by the BJP. Incidentally, the BJP had even promised, during the 2014 elections, that it would reduce the advertisement time on TV channels, since the channels showed more advertisements than programs. When reminded of this promise a year later by some journalist, the IB Minister shrugged it off, saying this was not possible since the channels earned money from advertisements.
In short, I can only repeat, "beware of the BJP when it gives choices".
Shrikant ji, is Aryavarta the same geographical location as Rig Vedic Aryans (Purus). I notice many Hindutva people claiming that of India's name is Aryavarta. But this seems to be false. Even in Bramana texts as well as Dharmasastra, anyone outside this area seems be looked down upon. Whats your take on this?
ReplyDeleteMay I request you not to ask questions totally irrelevant to the subject-matter of the blog in whose comments section you are asking the question?
DeleteFor the matter, Aryavarta is a post-Rigvedic word when the Purus had spread beyond the Rigvedic area. Different texts give slightly differing areas for this word, but it definitely refers only to a part of northern India and not to India as a whole.
Its related to the BJP.
DeleteThe BJP has more less beome like the Congress, it has little for the 'Hindu'community. The BJP has become emotioned with no critical thinking. Living here in South Africa, feel sorry for your country. I seen some improvements by this government, but seems not to go down to the ground level, choices promises were not materialised by them. BJP is nothing but Congress hinding in a Hindu indentify.
ReplyDeleteIt is even worse than the Congress because when the Congress does anything against Hindu interests (or refuses to do anything for Hindu interests, like giving Hindu temples and institutions the same rights and autonomy that Muslim and Christian religious centres and other institutions have) all Hindutva organizations and activists protest, but when the BJP does the same things (with even greater intensity) all these same "Hindu" organizations and activists ignore, defend or even glorify these acts, or pretend to object while at the same time saying that there is no alternative to the BJP.
DeleteBut it is not only against Hindu interests: the BJP is like a bhasmasura when it comes to destroying India's forests, flora and fauna, ecology and environment for mercenary purposes, and promotes cultural westernization and neglects Indian culture with greater zeal than any Congress regime so far. India's land and assets are being sold out as never before, and India is proceeding rapidly towards the kind of state depicted in Orwell's 1984. The list is a long and frightening one.
Well sir, its much better to have them than the Congress, don't you say? I know that there a lot of non-Hindus like Christians and Muslims working for the BJP, and because of this the BJP is forced to look after the demands of minority than the majority. In fact many independent scholars who are trying to correct Indian history have not been utilised by this government to rewrite the wrong. If fact what is really Hindu about Hindutva? Nothing much, only name sake and emotions. My feeling is that many BJP personale are Congress, marxist, Christian evangelist and liberals in disguise. I don't see BJP supporting cultural westernization maybe intances but not in a large scale, only in movies I see it happening.
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Delete"Well sir, its much better to have them than the Congress, don't you say? I know that there a lot of non-Hindus like Christians and Muslims working for the BJP, and because of this the BJP is forced to look after the demands of minority than the majority."
DeleteThis is what I mean. People criticize Sonia Gandhi, whose ancestors are Catholic, for not fighting for Hinduism, and excuse the BJP, which regularly comes to power on Hindutva claims, even when it blatantly attacks Hindu interests. They are excused because "politics mein ye sab karna padta hai". But the same excuse does not apply to Sonia Gandhi. I apply the same rule to both sides, but find treacherous friends worse than open enemies.
There is no hope in India, but is there any hope in the rest of the world anyway? Perhaps you did not read the first paragraph of the above article? I certainly have no wish to discuss dirty politics, but when the politicians increasingly intrude on and control (and spoil) every single aspect of normal life for the common man (and I am a common man or aam aadmi), occasionally it becomes necessary to put one's views in writing .
First read this story and then you could relate to it. In a housing society lived people of various professions with their families. The housing society used to appoint a security guard with whom they used to enter into a five year contract. As per the contract the society could not remove him from service till the end of the period and to help in his duties they used to provide him a dog and extra allowance to take care of the dog. The said security guard once appointed barely showed interest in his duties, did not remained alert during nights, neither screened visitors who visited the society, nor prevented salesmen and fund raisers from disturbing the owners. Also the security guard used to pass lewd remarks on girls and women of the society, snatch money and even assaulted men who questioned his behavior. The people were helpless as the security guard used to threaten that he would let the dog pounce upon them. One could not blame the poor dog which could not understand that out of the money given by the society owners, the security guard used to feed it and hence remained loyal to the security guard. But still the security guard was tolerated as the contract did not allow them to remove him till five years. After five years the contract ended and the society appointed another security guard in his place. The society members beamed with pride for having taught a lesson to the old security guard by removing him. The security guard did not mind it as he had stolen enough money to make a living and moreover he was unpunished for all his acts. The new security guard after a few months followed the footsteps of the old security guard and once again the people tolerated it as the contract prevented them from removing him till the end of five years. The people were also afraid of the said dog which now was loyal to the new security guard as he was now feeding it. After five years the old security guard reappeared and apologized to the people and begged them to give him another chance. The people thought that he had repented and after removing the existing guard replaced him with the old security guard. Soon he began to show his true colours and the same thing continued.
DeleteNow I think we can relate ourselves with this story. We just have to change the words. Instead of housing society, we have to use the word Indian masses, instead of security guard, the Indian politician, instead of dog, the police establishment in our country and instead of the contract, the elections which are held once in five years.
The members of the society had many choices. They could had inserted a clause in the contract by which they could had have removed the guard for dereliction of duties at any time or not allowed the security guard to have the services of the dog. They could even had killed the dog or united thrashed the guard in the name of self defense. All this things did not occur to their mind and they continue to tolerate all abuses silently because their belief system told them that without a security guard they cannot live and also because other housing societies have them. It did not even occur to them that they could draft a new contract agreement favourable to them.
Just because other western countries have given franchise to all adults above certain age does not mean we should imitate them. Moreover these countries gave this right gradually. But in India the political classes want the ignorant majority to participate in the election process as they can win easily by befooling them. If there is limited franchise with matured voters they cannot play their game for long.This is Indian democracy.
Very wrong example. Channels fundamentally do not come in packs. That was the case before the rule to allow picking individual channels came. The channel company offer packs with more channels and less price per channel, so that you pay more to them. But you don't have to take it. Earlier, the broadcaster had specific packs with decoy principle applied, so you had to pay for the much pricer "platinum" pack than the "silver" pack just because your favourite channel isn't in silver and gold.
ReplyDeleteI had brought down the charge by ≈₹100 for my DishTV account after new rules. You have been misinformed by someone who lacked the skills to make it.
I don't think you have read the article properly, or are able to understand the examples I have given, of myself and my cousin. Or else you live in a very special area. In any case, the situation when I wrote this in 2021 was different from what it is now, since we have completely dispensed with cable TV and now watch OTT sites more than TV channels. But I don't think there is any scheme now where we get to watch channels from all Indian languages in 300 rupees
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