Need of the hour

 Disappointed with Newshour's flawed debate (not really an avid watcher of this 'who shouts the loudest' program) yesterday night. Why does a leading news channel feel the compulsion to call a bunch of non entities on primetime to debate the reasons why the Pakistani artists working in India have not criticised the terrorist attacks at Pathankot and Uri army bases ?

Why do we expect them to? Why do we need them to? Why do we crave support from them for upholding our national honour? Unlike Orlando shootings, Paris attacks or Peshawar blasts (where civilian lives were lost and Pak artists vocally lent their support and sympathy), the Uri attacks involved the loss of Indian soldiers. Are we so naive that we expect Pakistani citizens to express any sympathy for Indian soldiers or army at any level, forget on a public platform??

Flawed debates and fallacious arguments mark this raging non-issue. Ban them, boycott them, unfriend them, do whatever it takes to appease your fired up patriotism but do it as a measure of solidarity with the country's current positioning vis-a-vis its perennial 'pain in the neck' of a neighbour. Certainly not as a matter of self pride or the country's pride which is too precious and sacred to hinge on the petty matter of testing the loyalty or the lack of it, of a bunch of artists (nationality notwithstanding) partaking in our pluralistic and accomodating entertainment industry.

Graver issues and more relevant matters need our concern. The upbeat mood in the country is comprehensible but there's a lot more at stake here than merely the euphoria felt at defeating Pak in a world cup cricket match. Time to stop equating art and cricket and the frivolity attached therein, with the pertinent, larger scheme of things and the imminent dangers looming large.

Let the Men in Control (army and government) take the call. Let's not expect a potboiler out of them. We are not inside a 70 mm theatre waiting for a blockbuster to unfold. This is real and the stakes are higher too.

Being realistic, and not theatrical, is therefore the need of the hour.

Arnab Goswami, that should rightly be the 'news of the hour'.

PINK-- Colour Me Not!

I got splashed with a potent colour spray, watching the spectrum of 'Pink' because belying its name, there was nothing soft, sweet or tender about it. It infact made me see red at the obvious gender prejudices and prevalent stereotypes which brand women into labels and categories.

For 2 hours I got infused with the myriad hues of our kaleidoscopic society; a society in which women are either portrayed as red harlots or as symbols of pristine white virtuosity. Where the jaundiced yellow perspective of masses eclipse the lush green vivacity of young women. Where the skewed brown heads cast dubious grey shadows over a woman's character.

There's no fiery feminism in Pink, just a solid, bold splash of No-nonsense. No wimpish or cowed-down, muted exposition of the anamolies in gender biases existing in society.Only a clear mirror reflecting the ugliness marking the false celebration of Feminism.

The message that comes out pronounced and perfectly pitched is loud and clear,

COLOUR ME NOT,

For Am no shrinking violet, or a wilting rose,

Pretty as Pink,Or,

Strong as Steely grey,

Dewy Daisy or Crazy Crimson;

No epithet does me justice,

No labels do me credit,

Will not defend myself to a Purplish hoarse,

For my life isn't yours to rule.
I'm the artist of my life's canvas,

And I paint what i wish it to be!