Comments on: Seema Chisthi, JUST SHUT UP!

By: Aditya

Aditya — Thu, 29 May 2008 17:02:50 +0000

I suggest that we henceforth use quotes when referring to non-BJP parties as “secular”. Using the word secular without quotes gives legitimacy to their claim, while using quotes would expose them to be the hypocrites that they are.

By: Ot

Ot — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:55:08 +0000

Late MN Srinivas was an original thinker and scholar. He was left of center, but not being cut of the loonie JNU cloth, he never allowed ideology to cloud his academic judgement. Do read his books. Of course, his theory of sanskritization is no longer valid because of the impact of quotas, but there was a time when it held more than a grain of truth.

Chishti’s article is mediocre crap, and is not worth analyzing.

By: Sandeep

Sandeep — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:16:24 +0000

kaangeya,

Well, DVG has written in several places about how the word “sanskritized” and all its variants was usually used to smother debate. Actually, that was the ONLY debating style but perfected with different variants. If a demand was rejected on genuine grounds, the proponents used to simply say, “ah! this is a Brahmin conspiracy that’s why it was rejected.” And the demand usually was met. Read SLB’s autobiography for a fuller treatment of this phenomenon.

I’m surprised you even mention URA in the same breath

By: kaangeya

kaangeya — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:40:54 +0000

Sandeep,

What were the debating styles that DVG and SLB refer to? And could you write up a post on DVG? His essay on liberalism in the Indian context is a masterpiece of learning and intellect. URA is such an odd man in that galaxy of luminaries. How ever could anyone award him a Jnanapith?

By: kaunteya

kaunteya — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:34:40 +0000

@Bibek Chatterjee : Media management is not overrated. You’ll see it in national elections.

@kaangeya : the problem is Ravi Prasad et al are not even rude to them. They at times try to hard to please the anchors.

By: Jiggs

Jiggs — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:55:58 +0000

Hey Sandeep…

Why boil your blood over a “SYCOPHANT” like Seema Chisti???

These page 3 journo’s, only wish their 15 minutes of fame, why ponder our valueable time over these white ass licker’s???

Drop her mate, IE published some other superb article’s on BJP’s spectacular victory in Karnataka.

I read such article’s and let stray’s like Seema Chisti, bark…..

By: Ravindra

Ravindra — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:12:59 +0000

I tend to agree with kaunteya. Other than Arun Jaitley who is priceless when it comes to taking on the likes of Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal, all other BJP talkers have their shortcomings. They are not aggressive enough and do not come up with the right counterpoints in arguments. Of late, Ravi Shankar Prasad is showing a lot of improvement. But Prakash Javdekar, Rudy, Naqvi, etc are quite poor.

In comparison, even a greenhorn like Manish Tiwari of the Congress looks much more in command, even though to us non-Congresswalas he may appear to talk rubbish, but he does that very confidently and gets his point across. Also, it depends upon the anchor on whom he/she allows to complete their point.

By: shadows

shadows — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:57:40 +0000

I wonder who reads Indian Express anymore… I find even the new startup - DNA - better than Indian express in terms of coverage and presentation.

I am waiting for the day when Indian Express will wind up .. the sooner they do so, the better it would be for them… they still seem to be living in the license quota permit raj , Emergency and CITU Laal Jhanda days..

I also suggest them a new tagline - “Journalism of Dhimmitude” rather than “Journalism of courage”

By: Shailendra Mathur

Shailendra Mathur — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:51:18 +0000

Indian media (of the NDTV and CNN-IBN variety) is (to use a cliche) hopelessly out of touch with ground realities in India. Let them root for Kaangress, and Madame Sonia. It won’t make the least bit of difference to BJP’s poll prospects. This is not to say that it won’t feel good to have some articulate BJP chap beat the crap out of venal Kaangressis in a live debate.

My money will be on Arun Jaitley, Arun Shourie and Sushma Swaraj too accomplish the needful. It is on such occasions that we miss the urban suaveness of Pramod Mahajan.

By: Bibek Chatterjee

Bibek Chatterjee — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:01:19 +0000

I agree with kaangeya, most of the congress spokesmen are vacuous windbags.

If BJP can win nine elections with “poor media management” then media management is overrated.