I frowned down at the India Today in my hands; the cover story was about the Richard Gere-Shilpa Shetty kiss that's sparked off a huge controversy and has created a lot more ruckus than sanity allows. I mean, come on! It's just one little kiss! Why do the ego-maniacal, self-appointed moral police of our country have to split hair over an issue as trivial as this one? If anyone has the right to complain, it's Shetty herself. Why then, as the cliche goes, are we making a mountain out of a mole hill?
I've often wondered why kissing in public places, or anywhere, for that matter, is condemned with such relish. Aladdin was handed an 'A' certificate by the Censor board. Why? Because of the passionate kiss that Aladdin and Jasmine share on the balcony, right at the end of the movie. Apparently, Indian women don't kiss!!! Saying the word 'sex' aloud is often accompanied by titters and nervous giggles, and even more often, met with throat-clearing and 'Chi!'s and 'Ssshh!'s. Why, people are even against sex education (I'll be airing my opinions on that issue soon)! One teacher wanted condom ads to be banned, as they were instilling 'wrong ideas in the youth'. Talking about sex is a no-no. Because it's just not 'Indian' to do so, you see!
Kamasutra was written right here in India, by an Indian. I haven't read it myself, but if public opinion is to be trusted, it's the most comprehensive sex manual ever. It's here, in India, that we have a temple whose walls are carved with orgies and depictions of the umpteen positions in sex. Yet, when it comes to discussing safe sex, AIDS or even kissing, we're terribly prude. If this isn't hypocrisy, what is?
I always thought the right to express oneself, feelings and emotions included, was universal. It's sad to learn that our 'culture' (the same culture that created the Kamasutra and Khajuraho) represses our freedom of expression.
What kind of an image would Gere have of India now, after being quagmired in our royal cultural mess? What is the world going to think of India, a nation progressing fast on the path to development and modernization, if we continue to adhere to rather medieval values?
If we don't learn to draw a line between being morally right and being ridiculously conservative, we might as well kiss the picture of a 'modern' India goodbye.
15 comments:
I don't know what to comment.. but every one should think about this (just like this.. n just like you..).. not just you and me
@anonymous
glad you agree, and don't think i'm a maniac of sorts.
Tell me about it!! But sad as it is, thats just how it is in this country.. I think there are bigger issues to tackle, like being No.1 in Diabetes, Hypertension.. Its easy to raise hell about one kiss, but ask these guys how to spread AIDS awareness, and they'll be dumb founded!
@ranjini
that, exactly, is our problem. we seem to LIKE harping awn and awn and awn about issues which, in reality, aren't issues at all.
Well,there isn't much left to say here.. is it? Saw in the news today that the Supreme Court of India has stayed the arrest warrant against them. So it isn't just the people here.. the laws are just like them!
is desh ka, koooch nahi ho sakta...
hi lassys,
you should not say like that.. in this country everything will happen just wait and see..
@lassys
remember that dialogue from RDB? 'koi desh perfect nahin hota, use perfect banana padtha hain'. but then, it's gonna take one HELLUVA lot of time and effort to change our country.
@anonymous
i like your spirit. but we need a lot more than optimism to get along, don't we?
Sab log sirf baatain karte hai... kuch karte nahi... Jab main chota tha tab mere dadaji ne kuch kaha tha jo bilkul sahi tha...
"Batain karne se bachhe paida nahi hote"... Tab mujhe samaj main nahi aaya:)...
So kuch Karo!
@anonymous
My prev comment was a dialogue from a very old ad which used to be aired quite frequently on Doordarshan (what's that,u ask?)
It showed Satish Kaushik portraying a fat,old,corrupt worker in a govt job, sitting and bossing about his subordinates to bring him some tea while he sits and gossips and pretends to be too tired/busy to work.And as he sticks his little finger in his right ear and waggles it about,he says, "is desh ka,kuch nahi ho sakta...kooooooch nahi!"
I assume u r all too young to have remembered watching this anyway.
@neha
What we can do is ignore such nonsense and maybe educate the future generations to be sensible. (coz u cant teach on old dog,new tricks)
good neha.. you are right.. but still i strongly believe that if our youth come up we can do everything i ment to say "sab kuch ho sakta hai"
As I'd commented on this post by Shiny Butter Knife...
Sex is an evil thing, a horror brought here by the villainous Westerners to corrupt and pollute the minds of our innocent, pure people. And I have proof of this - the great ancient civilization of Harappa and Mohenjodaro (which, some experts claim, was established by settlers who migrated from the Middle East), after establishing itself in India, and taken up "Indian culture" in a big way - suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. People wonder why, but the reason is staring us all right in the face - they took up Indian culture so seriously and devoutly, they stopped having sex. Completely. And hence, disappeared. And yeah, India is the second most populous country in the world, but that happened AFTER the colonial powers invaded India.
To bharath: Your comment contains a fact that contradicts what you're trying to say. The Supreme Court stayed the arrest warrant - which means that the law does indeed find no fault with the incident. I mean, there's no higher authority on the law than the Supreme Court. And just to clarify, 'to stay' an order does not mean that the order is endorsed or approved, but rather the contrary. A stayed order is an order struck down until further judicial review.
Know what? The fact that one has to blog on such trivial issues speaks volumes. Little things. Great publicity out there.
And you are left to mull over topics which hardly deserve this much thought.
I really appreciate the stance you have taken Neha and the others over here.
Bharatiya naari and her corruption? eh? Whatever happened to that concept when the same naari was burnt to death in the name of dowry?
And now they are fighting in the name of moral n social ethos?
Whom are we kidding? Is this a case one has to be fighting for in a court of justice? The Supreme Court? When there are umpteen issues which are beckoning to us ; issues which may mar us to an extent that we may never be able to rise again.
And add to it the specualtion that Shilpa had it all planned just to stay in the headlines!!
When people have this power of introspection , will they ever learn to use it on a more constructive purpose?
Maybe that is where we come into the picture.
Post a Comment