Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Freedom Exploited

Hi

How many you like the Amul ads with the latest updates?? Don't you find them sensible and interesting...I never find one controversial ad from them till date. The founder of Amul India, Padmabushan Varghese Kurien, famously known as father of white revolution has passed away last week who steered the country to be largest milk producer in the world. Salutes to this stalwart and may his soul rest in peace. For the first time Amul baby sheds tears in the ad.

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Above I mentioned that Amul India ads have always been sensible and sometimes satirical illustratives on the current affairs. But do we encourage if they step out of the line and go on a rampage doing negative satirical ads???
If you noticed the cartoons which were done by Aseem Trivedi, in verge of protesting corruption in the country, one thing is evident that they are definitely derogatory to a country's solidarity symbols. I don't see a point in doing such cartoons. If you are an anti-corruption crusader in the country, it means that you are concerned about the country and indeed you are a patriot. No patriot would ever depict his own country's national emblems and monuments in a derogatory way and say that is a way of protest and claims that shouldn't be opposed or stopped. How come they shouldn't be opposed when it is encouraging the rampage of exploiting freedom. If not stopped at this point, will this not be an example for those who are already involved/involving in similar acts. 

I personally detest this sort of so called freedom of speech, there is certainly a limit to exercise freedom be it involving an individual or an emblem.It seems very hypocritical to me. 
When a fatwa was issued on Vandemataram, we protested saying that national songs can't be attributed to a particular religion/caste based allegations. So how come we can attribute current political scenario to it.
During the freedom struggle, when British insulted our national flag, we fought against them. When our own fellow Indian insults our national emblem to criticize the country's political systems, we protest that he should not be charged any sedition charges?? 
I opine he is definitely entitled to charges based what he cartoonized....(he may not be a national threat as the ruling party said, which I think was blown out of proportion statement). While the anti corruption crusaders say when the most corrupt leaders/bureaucrats can escape punishment and use law & order to their advantage, why should a political critic be arrested and be charged on sedition. So this indirectly means...those crusaders are very hypocritical. If you crusaders can exploit the freedom and should still be allowed to, why not those in power who will exercise and exploit their freedom to a larger extent. So where is the difference between the two? And what is meaning of the anti corruption agitation??
Does the national emblem or the parliament building represent only those illegitimate people??? What about  the great history and solidarity of the emblem, what about those great leaders who also were part of this country and what about those current crusaders who are still part of the country fighting against many odds and working for the welfare. So insulting the emblem indirectly insults all those true leaders too. 

 Be it small or big, limitless freedom of speech or writing is a mistake, let it come from a common man or chief minister. We cannot support that sort of activity. 

Cheers

Jyostna


7 comments:

  1. Somehow I'm not with you for this. I have seen his cartoons and I think he has just sketched the mind of common man.

    Actually in my opinion his cartoons are just loud and frank, but not offensive.

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  2. never mind, everyone have their opinions..but as i mentioned,I opine therez a slim line to cross borders, if it wasn't a national emblem, I also wldn't hav had negative impressions!

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  3. Awesome written, I must confess. When I read Shobhaa De's blog on Aseem Triwedi, I couldn't figure out why she wrote "High on anger , Low on Talent". After your blog I googled his cartoon. It is actually shameful.
    Waise I am new to this "blogging" thing. I am taking lessons from you and Shobhaa De and many more. :) :)

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  4. Hello. :-)

    This is my first visit to your blog. And I completely agree with you about the limits to the freedom of speech and expression.

    The other day I came across a blog where the author not only supported this sort of freedom of expression, but is bent on having his right to disrespect national symbols. I tried to reason with him but his comments continued to get as preposterous as can possibly get. And surprisingly, there are people who support him. So I finally gave up trying to put some sense in his head. Do take a look when you get the time.

    http://www.bhagwad.com/blog/2012/rights-and-freedoms/national-symbols-impossible-to-force-someone-to-respect-them.html

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    1. Hi

      Yes I have gone through the page and the argumentative conversations on that page too. The conversations seem to reveal the author's thought process, "he contradicts himself"
      There are some people who think contradicting something and trying make a point out of logic is logical questioning, whereas I think there are somethings in world where u should feel with heart/react emotionally rather than always look for some logics. Such people think emotions are not for the 'grown ups' while their own statements takes birth out of some emotion. We can't argue to convince,it would be a mere waste of time coz they would never want to agree to anything that contradicts their logic. If he/she is logic minded, he would never have had such argumentative discussion, rather he would have ignored as he mentioned.
      As this topic is concerned, I only opine that one need not stoop down to draw/write/mimic nonsense to national symbols/songs which represent the whole country just because they are unhappy with the current scenario.

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