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The Wire
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
The Story of Bholistan
The Feku regime has found an ingenious way of 'disappearing' people whose loyalties are uncertain, eerily reminding one of George Orwell's dystopian novel '1984'. 'Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonourable graves… The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings.' – From the play Julius Caesar, by Shakespeare My story is about Bholistan, a dystopian country eerily like ours, brimming with injustice and oppression. For a whole decade and more, that benighted land has been ruled by a Feku – cruel, mendacious, boorish and wrapped up in himself. He has wielded untrammelled power that he has used to tyrannise and bamboozle his people who have meekly submitted to his every command as he wrecks their world – values, kinship, institutions – for his own gain and that of his cohorts. The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maghda is the latest atrocity that the Feku has inflicted on his people. From being a vocal critic of the universal Uphaar identity card scheme before coming to power in 2014, calling it a 'political gimmick', he pushed the Uphaar Act through the legislature in 2016 and since then had made it mandatory for all kinds of purposes including filing of income tax returns, availing of government welfare schemes, getting a passport, opening a bank account, as identity for voting and what have you. But now the Feku and his factotums in the National Electoral Commission (NEC) have decided to pull the rug from under the people's feet. The long-suffering citizens, whose lives are being disrupted repeatedly on account of the Feku's hare-brained or mischievous schemes have been told that the Uphaar card is no longer proof of citizenship or date of birth. With the upcoming Maghda election in mind and with the obvious but unstated intent of excluding dadi-topiwalas and the marginalised from the electoral process, the NEC has completed the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maghda, but not before shockingly deciding that the Uphaar, voter ID and ration cards are not valid indicative documents for voter registration. Consequently, a huge swathe of the electorate has been disenfranchised. Out of 7.40 crore electors as many as 80 lakh have been denied the vote. A cute Labrador, though, was issued a residence certificate, thereby demonstrating the unbridled power of the NEC to cull and hand-pick the electorate. The Feku regime has indeed found an ingenious way of 'disappearing' people whose loyalties are uncertain, which reminds one of George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, that described the Party's practice of making individuals who were inconvenient to disappear from society, history and memory, effectively turning them into 'unpersons'. It's surreal, the way the Feku has been trampling all over his country's constitution and the values that underpin it, even as the guardians of the constitution – the judiciary – hems and haws but then does his bidding. And his people are mute. Given the Feku's dodgy educational credentials, the rumour that he keeps a copy of Mein Kamph by his bedside is probably apocryphal. What is indubitable, though, is that he has somehow imbibed the Fuhrer's tips on how to propagate the Big Lie: 'The receptivity of the masses is very limited, their intelligence is small but their power of forgetting enormous…all effective propaganda must be limited to a few points and must harp on these in slogans.' The Great Dictator also commended the art of lying: 'Great liars are also great magicians.' The Feku has acted decisively on this advice. He is a past master at catchy sloganeering, simplistic and misleading. His theme song of solidarity, trust and cohesive progress is expressed in the slogan: sabka saath sabka vikas sabka vishwas! It is perhaps the Feku's most outrageous falsehood of all because the same individual has spearheaded the campaign of hate against the dadi-topiwalas. His sneering rhetoric of " humare paanch unke pachees", "kabristhan-shamshanghat", et al has been lethally effective in creating a deeply polarised society and reduced the minorities to second-class citizens. The media, the institutions of governance and even the citizenry have been doormats submitting to his every dangerous whim and fancy. Political observers still can't get over how he imperiously orchestrated the country-wide banging of thalis and lighting of candles to ward off the coronavirus. Never in human history have a satya, blind worship and rank stupidity been so all-pervasive and public! The Feku's flow of falsehoods is steady and endless. Sanguine in the belief that they will fall for anything he says, he has been lying to his teeth on matters big and small. In 2020, he declared Bholisthan open-defecation-free although even today, bare bottoms line the horizon at dawn and dusk in parts of the country's capital city, Indrahastha. He promised that by 2022, every family will have a pucca house despite knowing that it would take decades to fulfil this fanciful commitment. The gullible janta are duped into believing his chimerical Viksit Bholistan pipe dream centred around Yuva, Garib, Mahilayen and Anadatta! His mendacity, bad intent, complete absence of vision and monumental incompetence have left the country in a hole. Who can forget the suicidal demonetisation disaster that shaved a good 3% off the GDP and rendered millions unemployed; the enactment of the CAA and anti-conversion laws with the intent of to reducing the minority community to second class citizens; the catastrophic handling of the pandemic that killed more than 4 million of his people and yet had the Feku unblushingly claim credit for successfully handling the crisis; the flagrant falsification of statistical indicators of performance; the rigging of history; the mealy-mouthed obfuscation with regard to the Chinese illegal occupation of huge tracts of his country's land; the diminution in ethical standing of every institution, including the judiciary and the armed forces; the calamitous leadership during the recent three-day war codenamed Operation Vermilion against Dukhisthan that seriously compromised the safety and effectiveness of his armed forces and diminished the international standing of Bholistan; and to top it all, all elections are rigged, ensuring the Feku's reign in perpetuity! Thomas Jefferson, among others, had observed that people get the governments they deserve. The nature of a government depends on the civic engagement, values and political awareness of the citizens. Sadly, the most powerful segment of civil society, the key opinion makers of Bholisthan – the self-serving middle class and the corporates – have sold their souls to the regime, and along with their political benefactors, are fattening off the land. The rest, mainly the poor and the working class who have in the past unseated tyrants using the power of their vote, are now crippled by the machinations of the Feku and his minions. What's clear as day is that so long as Feku is around, Bholisthan can never recover its democratic essence or its humanity. But hope can spring from the most unexpected quarter. There are confirmed reports of a fierce internecine battle for power within the Feku's cabal that could bring him down. Amen to that! Mathew John is a former civil servant. 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India.com
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
From Trial by Fire to Ray, watch these 5 underrated series that will leave you speechless, streaming on...
In the vast expanse of streaming content, certain Hindi web series on Netflix have quietly garnered critical acclaim, boasting impressive IMDb ratings, yet remain under the radar for many viewers. These hidden gems offer compelling narratives, powerful performances, and thought-provoking themes that deserve a spotlight. Trial By Fire This poignant series delves into the aftermath of the tragic Uphaar cinema fire in Delhi during the premiere of Border. It follows the relentless pursuit of justice by a grieving couple, portrayed by Rajshri Deshpande and Abhay Deol, highlighting systemic challenges and the human spirit's resilience, which has IMDb rating of 7.7. Taj Mahal 1989 Set against the backdrop of 1989 Lucknow, this romantic drama explores various shades of love through interconnected stories. With performances by Neeraj Kabi and Geetanjali Kulkarni, it offers a nostalgic journey into the complexities of relationships, which has managed to hold its IMDb rating at 7.5. Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega This crime drama sheds light on phishing scams in a small town in Jharkhand. It portrays how a group of young men exploit technology for fraudulent activities, leading to a gripping tale of ambition and consequences, which has IMDb rating of 7.3 Aranyak Starring Raveena Tandon, this mystery thriller is set in a small Himalayan town. The series unravels a complex web of secrets as two police officers investigate a missing person's case amidst political and personal turmoil, which holds its IMDb rating of 7.7. She Created by Imtiaz Ali, this crime drama follows a female constable who goes undercover to dismantle a drug cartel. The series explores themes of empowerment and identity as she navigates the criminal underworld, which has IMDb rating of 6.4. This series is considered one of the most different approach from Imtiaz's poetic filmography. Ray This anthology series, inspired by the works of legendary filmmaker, Late Satyajit Ray, presents four unique stories blending genres like drama, thriller, and satire. Featuring stalwarts like Manoj Bajpayee, Kay Kay Menon, Ali Fazal and Harshvardhan Kapoor, it offers a modern take on classic tales, which has IMDb rating of 7.1.
Indian Express
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When Amitabh Bachchan called Jaya Bachchan ‘embarrassingly straight', said he was ‘fortunate' to marry her: ‘Never tried to disturb that quality of hers'
Veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan have been married for 52 years. Jaya and Big B first met on the sets of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Guddi, and while Jaya was immediately in awe of Big B, the Don star fell in love with Jaya on the sets of Ek Nazar (1972). They tied the knot in 1973. In an old interview, Jaya had said, 'I was introduced to him on the sets of Guddi. I was impressed by him and somewhat in awe as he was Harivanshrai Bachchan's son. I fell in love with him very soon.' Speaking to Stardust magazine in an old interview, Amitabh Bachchan talked about his marriage with Jaya Bachchan and how, because both of them belonged to the film fraternity and were actors, it helped them understand each other better. He called himself 'fortunate' for being married to Jaya. The actor said, 'Jaya is a very spontaneous person. Not at all like me. And it's just very fortunate for me that she's from the same profession as me and so she understands. She was always familiar with the environment I was in. She knows what the film industry is all about, so in fact, it's a boon to have her.' Amitabh said that, contrary to the belief that marriages in the film industry don't last, his marriage with Jaya was for life. 'I don't know of course what the situation would have been had I married a lady outside my profession. You say that marriages in this industry don't last. But with all due apologies and all due respect to others, how do you put me in the same category?' he said. Amitabh Bachchan called Jaya Bachchan 'embarrassingly straight' and shared how he has never asked her to be anything else but that. 'In any marriage, there are ups and downs and areas where disagreements take place, but that's all part of it. Jaya is extremely open and very straight. Sometimes embarrassingly straight but that's how her nature is. I've never tried to disturb that quality of hers and she's not disturbed my quality of being to myself. When I want to be left alone, she leaves me alone. It's very similar to the relationship between my parents.' When Amitabh and Jaya tied the knot, the Uphaar actor was already a well-known name in the industry, while Amitabh was still finding his footing. During the interaction, Big B emphasised that he doesn't like the exchange of expensive gifts and extravagant outings — and Jaya Bachchan shares the same outlook towards life. 'I'm sure that had I not been married to her and had I still had the kind of success that came my way, I would have still not encouraged a situation where expensive gifts, expensive outings were going to be the criterion for my association with a woman. I appreciate a more normal and simple relationship. That is what attracted me to Jaya. She's very simple and very down-to-earth. Away from all this,' he said.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Rohini fire brings back memories of similar incidents that claimed innocent lives
New Delhi, With scant regard for fire safety norms, illegal factories functioning without proper approvals have led to loss of innocent lives in fire tragedies in Delhi, with Rohini being the latest. Rohini fire brings back memories of similar incidents that claimed innocent lives Four people died and three were injured in a fire that broke out at a four-storey building housing multiple manufacturing units in Rithala area of Delhi's Rohini, police said on Wednesday. Before the Rithala incident, the national capital has witnessed many such incidents. Last year in February, a massive fire ripped through a paint factory in outer Delhi's Alipur area, claiming the lives of 11 people. The fire was preceded by a blast and soon it spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi had said that the building where the fire broke out was being used illegally for the purpose of mixing chemical paint. On May 13, 2022 at least 27 people were killed after a massive blaze engulfed a commercial building, comprising basement and four floors, in the Mundka area of west Delhi. The incident had stirred memories of another inferno the 2019 Anaj Mandi blaze that claimed 44 lives, making it the most severe fire incident in the national capital after the Uphaar Cinema tragedy. The Uphaar theatre in the posh Green Park area was screening Bollywood film "Border" and several families were there to catch the movie featuring Sunny Deol on its release day June 13, 1997. But the movie outing turned into a mayhem as a massive blaze broke out during the 3 pm show claiming 59 lives and leaving over 100 injured. In January 2020, a firefighter was killed and 14 others injured when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peera Garhi following an explosion due to a fire. As many as 18 people were rescued from the building, including two caretakers and a security guard. In November 2019, a massive fire gutted a footwear factory at Narela, killing a security guard and a labourer. The body of the security guard was found after the fire was brought under control, but the charred body of the second victim was recovered four days after the blaze. In 2018, another massive fire ripped through a firecracker storage unit at Bawana that left 17 persons, including 10 women, dead. The same year in November, four people were killed and one was injured after a fire broke out at a factory in central Delhi's Karol Bagh. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
