Sudheendra Kulkarni remembers Solzhenitsyn’s call for adherence to truth at all times, especially in public life.
In my last week’s column I had mentioned that I was an eyewitness and facilitator in the whistle-blowing operation, conducted by three BJP MPs in collaboration with a reputed TV channel, to expose the “cash-for-votes” scam. The channel stands accused of having double-crossed the whistle-blowers by not telecasting the scam-busting tape. The allegations against senior Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders, which they claim are a lie, are now being probed by a committee constituted by the Lok Sabha Speaker, who received the tape from the channel after a mysterious delay of over 24 hours. I happen to have watched the tape and affirm with full responsibility that it has been tampered with, insofar as it does not include everything of what was recorded during the whistle-blowing operation. A crucial interview with the three MPs, which the channel’s reporter conducted, is missing. Thus, far from the fulfillment of responsibility to “defeat the lie”, here is a case of an attempt to derail the truth!
It looks like Turdesai did the bidding of his political masters before retiring to the Mountain Weed retreat
. But I’m on a different point. It is a little disappointing that Kulkarni chose not to mention CNN-IBN by name. Or did the editorial scissors of the Indian Express cut it out? As a rule, I take any article from Kulkarni with a severe dose of skepticism. An ex-Communist can never really be trusted. Time will tell whether L.K. Advani used proper judgement before welcoming Kulkarni into the BJP’s folds.
However, let that not deter us from the merits of what Kulkarni says.
Sandeep,
Please use the full name ‘Rajdeep Sardesai’ and ‘TURDesai’ together many times as possible. And make other bloggers also use it. These TURDs have a real ego of searching for their names on google. Enough number of links and colors on their faces will change.
PS: please do a wiki Rajdeep Sardesai. I hope Gaurav also is listening.
Amar,
Good suggestion but that man doesn’t deserve this kind of attention. Bad publicity is also publicity. Hence Turdesai goes by Turdesai.
I don’t understand. Does that mean that you view Arun Shourie’s work with equal degree of scepticism just because he was once an anti-religious leftist? I had argued long time ago about a post of yours regarding U. R. Ananthamurthy and I had said then that isn’t Ananthmurthy’s changing of his existential views a reflection of the fact that he isn’t beholden to an ideology but looks at matters on their individual merits.
I find that you adopt a similar attitude towards Ashis Nandy. For all your self-righteous condemnation of leftist academia in your latest post ( justifiable in my opinion), how many of Nandy’s books have you read before you have condemned him?
I have derived a lot of pleasure over the years reading a very different perspective from this blog but lately the blog seems to have become a mirror image of offstumped blog, where there is a hypocritical attitude when it comes to BJP’s wrongdoings vis a vis Congress’ and instead of an ideological stance, a political stance is being taken. (For instance going all gung ho about this horse trading stuff when BJP has shed its own inhibitions about horse trading when Mayawati pulled the rug from under Kalyan Singh government and its latest adventure, not so long ago, in your own state in Karnatka)
Not that I am saying that there is anything wrong with a political approach or that you should not be doing so but somehow I thought of this blog as being more inclined towards ideological bent than just political/polemical.
Chetan,
Thanks but I beg you to read my posts in full. When I said I can never fully trust an ex-Communist, I also said that
>>let that not deter us from the merits of what Kulkarni says.
As for Shourie, the reason I see no issue to be skeptical about him is based on my reading of all his subsequent works and writings and speeches. I don’t really care about a person’s ideology as long as the person isn’t dishonest. Whatever your (or anybody’s) objection towards Shourie, you can’t accuse him of intellectual dishonesty.
I have observed, read and heard to URA at pretty close quarters, and he is just a plain opportunist. Existentialism, change in stance, etc are mere garbs to couch his opportunism. Please go through this blog’s archives where I have substantiated how and why I conclude thus about URA.
I haven’t read any of Nandy’s books. Neither have I claimed that I’ve read his books anywhere on this blog. I have dissected what he has written about Indian politics/society/people/issues in mainstream publications, not his books. I have also argued in those blog posts that he might be an expert in his field but that doesn’t automatically mean we need to take everything he says at face value. Your objection that I have “condemned” him is invalid given this context.
I’m honoured you think highly about my blog. However, I have no ideology other than a deep sense of reverence for India as it was conceived by our ancient seers. We’re clearly on the verge of losing sight of that vision. And the Congress party and the Lefits coetrie, post-independence has done its best to try and destroy it, and continues to do so. Which is why I single it out. Today, this party and its fellow travellers pose a potential security threat to the nation. And like I said, India is all I care about.
One of these days, I promise to include an “About this blog” page which will explain what this blog is about.
An ex-Communist can never really be trusted.
How about Sita Ram Goel?
(though he won’t be writing any more columns)
kaafir!
Thanks for reminding me of the original commie
This blog owes a lot to him.