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FLIPSIDE
Anti-national
Nationals By Dilip
Bobb
 Rajiv
Gandhi called V.P. Singh one, though he did put it somewhat crudely. Of
course, the latter did have the last laugh, as did all those
anti-nationals responsible for the destruction of the Babri Masjid in
Ayodhya. They are now ministers in the Government. Like fashion, the
definition of who qualifies as anti-national changes with time and
circumstance. Here is today's version.
Cricket's Match-Fixers: With
everybody running for the covers and allegations flying as thick and fast
as Shoaib Akhtar, it is clear that anti-nationals have taken over the
national game. Feelings are fixed. Fans are relieved that all the matches
India should have won and didn't were fixed, while others are upset that
some players were paid so much for playing badly, when they do that
anyway, without inducement. And to top it all, comes the revelation that
the Reserve Bank of India shelled out a huge chuck of foreign exchange to
fix the elevation of Jagmohan Dalmiya as cricket's top dog. It's got
everyone trans-fixed.
Enrico Piperno: Though little known, he's been branded as
anti-national after Leander Paes charged him at the net with being
responsible for the break-up of his partnership with Mahesh Bhupathi. As
the only Indians with any hope of being crowned the best in the world
(apart from match-fixers), it means Piperno is at double fault. The
Leander-Mahesh duo may kiss and make up for the Olympics, but their chance
of providing national pride has been Pipped at the post.
Jairam Ramesh: Politics and economics make estranged bedfellows.
After having earned everyone's respect for his economic thinking and
incisive columns, Jairam Ramesh has learned another lesson: that some of
the party isn't equal to the whole. By taking a swipe at Sonia Gandhi, he
has been branded anti-national by the Congress and forced to apologise. In
a party where criticism of the leader, whether true or not, is equated
with treason, his future is on par with the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Jagmohan: By ordering that all unauthorised constructions in Delhi,
which account for about half the city, be demolished, Jagmohan has laid
himself open to charges of being anti-national. Never mind that most of
the illegal construction has been done with official grace, or the
greasing of officials, in Delhi, anybody opposing such popular actions is
akin to committing a capital crime.
Photographers in Kashmir: The Dal Lake is fine, or all those
houseboats, specially when L.K. Advani comes visiting. But you could be
shot for shooting pictures of Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah playing golf
while the Valley burns. He might see it as occupational therapy,
photographers see it as an occupational hazard when his posse of security
guards come waving machine guns and accusations of anti-national
activities. Nero would have approved.
Karan Thapar: It's enough to make grown men cry. TV host Karan
Thapar's now infamous interview of Kapil Dev was a real tear-jerker.
Except that Kapil's supporters see it as anti-national. Sadly, there will
be no sequel. The BCCI has ruled that Kapil da jawab nahin. |
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