Time is late breakfasts every Sunday. Nostalgia is watching recreated hour-long bow-and-arrow matches that took place 7000 years ago. Memories are the excitement of watching these hour-long bow-and-arrow matches with parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins, neighbours, friends, and random strangers trooping into your house every Sunday at 9:30 AM.
Whatever you want to fault Decrepit Doordarshan, you can’t fault it for being a good example of the Law of Unintended Consequences. For the first time since its miserable beginnings as the propaganda machine of the Congress party, it hit pay dirt with what I retrospectively call Breakfast Gold. The 9:30 A.M. Sunday slot. This slot was at one time considered as being an unpopular time slot. However, it took Ramayan to turn this “unpopular” time slot around on it head and suddenly make it the most sought-after time slot. This remained the case for many years till the advent of private channels erased Doordarshan’s monopoly for good. However, almost all TV channels continue to vie for the “breakfast slot.”
Then on May 6 2012, Aamir Khan happened.
The early days saw a marked indifference of reigning Bollywood stars towards television. It was widely considered that the moment a Bollywood star of some standing began to host talk shows and acted in serials, it meant that their big screen fortunes had faded or were fast fading. The converse was equally true—a TV actor who began to be sought by Bollywood had arrived—there’s no bigger or worse example of this than having Shahrukh Khan thrust rudely upon us. He remains the television world’s most unforgivable sin committed upon the nation.
However, the corporatization of TV and Bollywood upset all calculations and changed pretty much everything. Film production houses now also sport mammoth TV arms and successful TV production houses have been equally successful in making significant dents in mainstream Bollywood. In other words: there’s serious money in Indian television.
Hence Satyamev Jayate.
If you think Satyamev Jayate is about doing good to society, raising awareness about social issues and such other good stuff, you’re stupid or naive or both. It is as commercial as Kaun Banega Crorepati. Only that KBC also helped a few people go home with substantial money while Satyamev Jayate helps only Aamir Khan and his team go home rich.
On principle, I refuse to watch it and thereby help contribute to its TRP. I’ve merely watched snippets on YouTube as part of my research, which reaffirms and leads me to conclude that my principle isn’t entirely unfounded. If anything, Satyamev Jayate is a well-thought farce unleashed upon millions of unsuspecting Indian middle class citizens so that Aamir Khan can make money. It gets everything wrong starting right from the title.
satyameva jayate n?n?ta?
satyena panth? vitato devay?na? |
yen?kramanty??ayo hy?ptak?m?
yatra tat satyasya parama? nidh?namTruth alone triumphs; not untruth.
(It is) through truth that the divine path is spread out by which
The sages whose desires have been fulfilled,
Reach the realm where the supreme treasure of Truth resides.(Mundaka Upanishad, 3.1.6)
The aforementioned verse is the complete context of the phrase Satyameva Jayate. Like so many things that have been perverted with regard to Hindu philosophical concepts, this one too, hasn’t been spared. The Truth here is not truth as is commonly understood (don’t tell lies, tell only the truth, etc); instead, it’s the Ultimate Truth or Self-Realization or Brahman.
It’s unlikely Aamir even knows this context let alone the subtleties and the philosophical school it is derived from. Yet that doesn’t prevent him from using it as the title of his show. Like how Patanjali’s original intent and philosophy of Yoga didn’t prevent charlatans like Deepak Chopra to proclaim themselves as Yoga Gurus. Thus, when Aamir Khan titles his show Satyameva Jayate, what Satya or Truth does he mean to say “Brahman alone triumphs?”
But let’s hear it from the man himself:
Aamir was quite adamant about naming his television show ‘Satyameva Jayate’ as it completely gelled with the theme, which clearly indicates that the show is of, for and belongs to people of India.
Of course, every 2-bit TV show maker will make the same claim: this is not for me, it’s for the people of India, I want to understand and identify with their causes, yadda yadda yadda. Even the maker of a porn movie can make that claim: porn is for other people and it does serve a useful purpose. But somewhere amid this lofty claim, Aamir lets out a secret:
Aamir Khan got to know about the fact that the title ‘Satyameva Jayate’ can’t be registered and as soon as the actor got aware of the fact that he can’t have copyrights of the title
Actually thank God for that. One can only imagine the consequences of having Satyameva Jayate copyrighted.
The “issues” Aamir Khan takes up are merely secondary. What’s alarming is the tenor of each show, which is both sinister and dehumanizing. It falls perfectly in the mould of making money out of other people’s misery. The impact of television/cinema compared to the written word is exponential: get a bunch of people in the studio (or on location), get them to narrate their personal tragedy, prod them with questions precisely targeted to get the tear glands working overtime and beam those images from a hundred different angles. The issue itself fades away into the background: the gory tales of a brutal mother-in-law who almost killed her own granddaughter because it was a baby girl, the heartless doctor for whom money is more important than a human life, the irreparably-burned dowry-victim daughter-in-law….the impact on the TV viewers is tremendous while Aamir & Co laugh happily all the way to the bank. Tragedy works. Every time. Ask Oprah Winfrey, the earliest milker of human misery. Aamir Khan has emerged as India’s Mister Oprah Winfrey albeit a few decades late. Or early if you look at the fact that milking-human-misery type talk shows are still in infancy in India. If Slumdog Millionaire was (rightly) termed “Poverty Porn,” Satyamev Jayate is Misery Porn.
I’ve always maintained that the middle class is a huge contributor to the mess India is in today. Which is why nobody has even bothered to ask what exactly are Aamir Khan’s credentials to sit there on the show and lend self-righteous running commentary about issues he doesn’t have the slightest inkling of? More importantly, the choice of issues he has selected so far—except Child Abuse and People with Disabilities—is revealing. Female foeticide, medical malpractices, dowry & love marriages. Really? Why not talk about abortion, which is also foeticide? He won’t because that’ll rile up the chest-beating, “pink panties” feminist brigade. And dowry, whatever its evils, has also another side: it has been grossly misused especially after Sections 495 & their allies came into being. Self-righteous moaning and screaming on TV in the guise of creating social awareness will get you more fans and TRPs but what that also does is tar the issue with a broad brush. That gets people upset.
And it did. The medical malpractice episode justifiably got the medical community riled up but Aamir being Aaamir, refused to apologize. But the problem with the episode is not who got upset but, again, credentials. A show that is praised for the “amount of research” didn’t bother to check on the misuse of dowry and domestic harassment laws? Or as this piece dissecting Aamir’s meaningless meanderings on medical malpractice shows, Aamir & Co have thrown logic, reasoning, and facts out of the window because…well, their researching eyes were firmly on the bank. They know the exact extent to which the Indian middle class has been dumbed down. Thus Aamir can afford to thunder about not apologizing to the doctors. Doctors are not Bollywoood stars whose every whim the dumbed down junta will indulge and whose every nonsensical uttering they will cheer as gospel truth.
There’s enough and more proof that shows the exact extent to which the TV-addicted middle class has mortgaged its mental faculties on the anvil of celebrity worship. During the prelaunch promos, the middle class refrain went, “Oh! if Aamir Khan is hosting it, it must be fantastic! Just see, it will have a tremendous impact!” and then, after we were collectively visually assaulted in our drawing rooms when the first episode was aired, this refrain became, “Oh man! Hard hitting! What a guy! He’s the only caring actor! He’s proved it again! We need more such shows! Only Aamir can do this! Now this is called a real TV show compared to the crap other channels give!” and in just over 3 episodes, he was firmly in the league of the Super Social Activists. All this when Aamir himself had said:
Through this show we understand the problem of the people, we are not here to make a change. I am no one to change anything. I don`t think I am in the position to change anything else. I feel understanding a problem and feeling it or holding one`s hand or hugging is also important. I may not have the solution, but at least I can hear and understand.
From such “humble” beginnings, he now writes a (puke) column in the Hindu.
It isn’t as if these issues didn’t exist. There’s voluminous documentation of all kinds on these issues. It isn’t as if nobody knew about them. Did it take an Aamir Khan to somehow descend from the Bollywood Heavens and joust the junta awake? If the answer is yes, it’s yet another proof of the junta’s dumbness. Actually (and sadly) the answer is yes and no. Has he jousted them awake? Yes. But only on Sunday between 11 AM – 12 AM. Then it’s business for the junta as usual. That’s the “no” answer.
The jousting-awake worked simply because of the packaging: the clever and purposeful jerking of tears, plus Brand Aamir that he and his team knew would make it a hit show. Besides, in the overall scheme of things these aren’t real issues as heartless as it may sound. These are symptoms of a deeper malaise, a near-total breakdown of ancient civilizational values, and a crude political debauchery that enables such symptoms to erupt into full blown diseases. But then these real issues don’t evoke tears and therefore don’t generate wads of money. If Aamir really wants to understand people, the way to do it is to actually be with them. To visit their houses. To learn their traditions. To eat their food. To talk/learn their language. He’s done none of that but that doesn’t prevent him from pontificating thusly:
Q: In everyday life, how do we treat disabled persons? What is our attitude towards them? What is our philosophy? In 2007, the World Bank conducted a huge all-India survey. It was revealed that about 50 percent people believe disability is a retribution for sins of past lives.
A: Look, this is about a way of thinking. Polio is a disease that cripples. There has been a government campaign for several years now, to provide medicines.The result of this campaign was the # of polio cases declined year after year.In the past 12 months not a single case of polio was reported anywhere in the country.
What does this mean? If it us retribution for past sins why are cases of polio dwindling? Have the tides of sin ebbed in the last decade? << the audience claps>>
Clearly, it has nothing to do with sins of past lives.Yet some cling to this belief. The outcome of this belief is, society becomes insensitive. Disabled persons are ill-treated.
In a line, he dismisses one of the central tenets of Hindu philosophy: the concept of Karma. What’s your bet that he knows zilch about karma? But the audience laps it up because…well, hey because it’s Aamir Khan. The reaction to this ill-conceived show was instantaneous, spontaneous, overwhelming, and widespread. And it’s alarming. And now it’s reached such sickening proportions that come Sunday 11 AM – 12 PM, the Twitter timeline turns into an ugly pukefest resembling a loathsome neighbourhood of gossipy aunties who feel they’re contributing to society by discussing what Aamir Khan is discussing right now on TV. Unsurprising given the crores he and his team have invested in promoting it by making it appear as if they are not promoting it: the pre-launch secrecy, the claim that it was made straight from the heart and every effort to make it an instant success. What belies these lies is slobbering reviews such as this:
His highly emotional chat show, aims at bringing a change in the society. Real people and real stories form the strength of ‘Satyamev Jayate’. First episode of the show aired today, focused on the issue of female foeticide in India. We come across such reports almost everyday in newspapers and news channels, but hardly pay any attention. Aamir Khan deserves an applause for bringing up such a sensitive issue and presenting it in a hard hitting way. The amount of research Aamir and his team has put into the show was clearly visible with the facts and figures presented. Every aspect of the issue was covered with great diligence. The show began with some shocking stories of mothers who struggled to give birth to their girl child and how they are bringing them up now.
For a talk show host who has now morphed into a columnist, social worker and activist of sorts, Aamir’s record of doing his bit on social issues is pretty illustrative:
- The politically-motivated Narmada Bachao Andolan where he identified himself with Medha Patkar who in turn had turned the movement into a personal fiefdom of sorts currying money and influence and now stands discredited.
- Doing a “protest” to get his film Fanaa released in Gujarat
- Supporting the ill-informed Anna Hazare movement
Aamir Khan is a talented actor (I refuse to buy the rest of the packaging that’s added to the “actor” bit: method, thinking, perfectionist, etc), a shrewd person, and quite a crafty businessman. The little-known thing is that he carefully chooses his causes and keeps his religious and political alignments as low key as possible.
He’s one of the staunchest devotees of Allah, is a proud Muslim who has no qualms in asserting that his wives maybe Hindu but he wants his children to always follow only Islam. This would’ve been perfectly all right except that in the same breath he also says:
I hate the division of religion in itself at the behest of mankind themselves…In my eyes religion is religion. I really hate its classification. Anyways…I would say that as far as I am concerned no I am not a highly religious person at all. I believe more in spirituality.
If religion is religion, if you hate classifying it, if you believe only in the Spirit, why do you even mention that your wife is a Hindu but you want your kids to follow only Islam, Mr. Aamir? Who’s doing the dividing now? How he views his wife and kids is his personal business. However, he has now assumed the role of judge and jury and wants only truth to triumph. Which is why it’s necessary to examine where his own life stands in relation to Truth. More importantly, it is snippets like this that give valuable insights into celebrity do-gooders or even ordinary do-gooders who later become celebrities. The innate hypocrisy that in some is evident on the surface hides just beneath it in calculative folks like Aamir Khan. Just like in his show.
Here’s a parting question to Aamir Khan: We always wish you to remain in the pink of health at all times but Allah forbid, if you seek treatment for an illness, where would you go? And if the treatment bill is given to you, would you label it as a medical malpractice? Satyameva Jayate.
I’m glad that you have your opinions about Aamir Khan and Satyamev Jayate and that you are expressing them here openly. Some of your points however could be considered irrational and false since there are no stated facts that back up your allegations.
By stating that disabilities are not a result of the sins of the past lives, Aamir is not dismissing the central tenets of the Hindu philosophy. I really think that he is doing the middle class a favor by explaining to them that such idiotic beliefs lead people to treat others badly. He is also backing his points up by presenting all the data that he does in his shows. Yes, I agree that the newspapers have plenty of stories and that these issues are not new to us but you have to remember that such topics are considered to be extremely taboo in our motherland or let’s just say society. People don’t talk about these issues and sadly we feel ashamed talking about some of these issues even if we are victims because our society considers it to be trashy or taboo.
Aamir Khan is actually helping people speak up. The show is empowering victims to speak out and know that they are not alone and that if they have been a part of any violence or any other social injustices they can be helped. I was a victim of child sexual abuse for 7 years ever since I was three and half years old. I didn’t tell anyone that this was going on till I was 13 years of age. Why didn’t I reach out for help? I had my family with me. I had plenty of other relatives and friends that I could talk to as well but I chose not to tell anyone because I was ashamed. I was scared that people would think I’m dirty and impure. Do you know why I felt this way? It was because these issues were never brought to light in India. No one ever talked to parents let alone children about these issues.
I moved to the US when I was 11 years old and I finally spoke up and told my parents about what had happened for all these years then only because I found out that what had happened was bad and talking about it will not harm me. I had the freedom to talk about it here because we were encouraged to talk about such issues in the US. It was actually the Oprah show that had a huge impact on me and helped me open up.
I don’t know what your background is and what your experiences in life have been but it is very easy to point fingers at other people and just say that they are doing this for the money simply because they are related to Bollywood. I don’t blame you for thinking that way because many Bollywood stars could be categorized as profit seekers because they charge for every appearance they make but in this case I encourage you to do some research Sandeep. I’m sure this show has helped a lot of people and I believe that it will continue to do so.
Lastly, your statement “However, he has now assumed the role of judge and jury and wants only truth to triumph. Which is why it’s necessary to examine where his own life stands in relation to Truth.” doesn’t really make much sense because he really isn’t making a decision on anything and neither is acting as a juror in his show. He is merely bringing light to topics that are not talked about frequently in our country. And even if they are through articles, as you claimed above, most middle class people are addicted to TV’s and what they see on there so his show is the perfect way to reach the public.
Nicky all this khans have double standards,
Now sandeep i have Got to the root of this satyamev jayate, I asked my Guruji about True meaning of both the phrases, We indians esp hindus have always been batterred with sanskrit verses stolen from our glorious past of upnishads and smritis and using in selectively in context.
My questions were :
1. Often people say “satyamev jayate”, I feel this a half phrase which is generally quoted out of context by people, what is the full phrase with vedic meaning, it is in which upnishad, who has written it first.
2. Second quote which is selectively used is “Ahinsa paramo dharmah”. What is the full phrase where /in which upnishad it is used first, what is its meaning in light of veda and aapta purush.
His reply is as under :-
(1)Satyamev Jayate… is the shloka number 3/6 of Mundakopnishad. Complete shloka is- “SATYAMEV JAYATI NAANRITUM SATYEIN PANTHA VITATO DEVYANAHA, YENAKRAMANATYARISHYO HYAPTAKAMA YATRA TATSATYASYA PARMAMAM NIDHANUM”
Meaning-(Satyamev Jayati) Satya ki hee vijay hotee hai (NA ANRITUM) asatya ki nahee (SATYEIN) satya se (PANTHAHA) marg (VITATAHA) vistrit hota hai (YEN) jisse (AKRAMANTI) chalet hain arthat jis marg par chalkar ham moksh paatey hain weh marg satya ke dwara hee sthapit hota hai aur vistrit hota hai. (RISHYAHA) rishi hee (APTAKAMAHA) Apta Rishi (YATRA) jis marg par chalet hain (TAT) weh marg (SATYASYA) satya ka (PARMAMAM) Param (NIDHANUM) dham hai. Bhaav hai ki satya Parmeshwar hai aur satya (dharma –kartavya-karma aadi) Ishwar se utpann vedon se hee utpann hota hai. atah dharma manushya ke dwara nahin banaya jaata. Aur jo satya Ishwar hai, uske dwara jo dharma gyan, karma upasana aadi ka updesh kiya hai, wahi manushya ka dharma hai aur us Ishwar ko sadhna dwara rishi anubhav karte hain aur usee (vedic) marg par chalet hain jo satya ka param dhaam hai. shubh karma karte hue moksha prapti ka dhaam hai.
(2) ahinsa shabda vedon mein prachlit hai. jaise Atharvaveda mantra 9/3/22 mein kaha – (shale) Griha i.e., Ghar, bhaav hai ki hey griha (praticheen) mere samne sthit (ahinsateem) kisi prakar kee hinsa na karti hue (tva) tere liye (praticheenaha) mukha kiye hue aate hue (pra emee) tujhe prapt hota hoon. Arthat ham gharon mein kabhi bhi hinsa ya hinsa wali baat na karein. Isee prakar vedon se hee hinsa shabda nikaal kar rishiyon nein shastron mein likha etc.
Jaise Yog shastra sutra 2/30 mein kaha – ahinsa, satya, asteya, brahamcharya, aparigraha, yeh yam hain. Ismein ahinsa ka bhaav hai, sab prakar se, sab kaal (samay) mein sab pranniyon se chitta mein bhi droha aadi na karna aur mann, karma, vachan se kisi pranni ko kabhi bhi dukh na deina. Ahinsa shabda ved shastron se hee leikar Buddhism aur Jainism mein apnaya gaya aur kaha – ahinsa paramo dharmah.
Meaning of :”Ahinsa Paramo Dharma” is- Ahinsa ka palan karna hamara param kartavya hai. However, in Vedas it is not applicable for army and police while dealing with enemies and criminals respectively. In their cases (police and army), to kill or to give punishment to culprits becomes their pious deed.
So Total Ahinsa is applicable only for ascetics and sanyasins who desire and work for moksha.
This i wrote for better understanding of all of us.
Lets face it that there are only 3 reasons why you hate this show:
1. You are a doctor involved in malpractice
2. You have taken dowry from you wife’s family
3. You are a male-chauvinist
90% of people who hate this show can be divided into these categories. Mr Sandeep and supporters, which category do you fall into?
I can’t call him stupid, he only reads scrips and his manager/advisers chooses whats good or bad for his corporate image. Its simple he is doing it for money, and doing everything but avoiding real contraversial issues like even indirect comments targetting Chris / Mus communities (One can slap Hindu anytime, no harm). You can, if you can understand what I want say.
But please read this article, http://www.boloji.com/index.cfm?md=Content&sd=Articles&ArticleID=452 you would know, how easy it is to fool INNOCENT people of India. Any how socalled religious hindu Mahatma GANDHI can harm us. Aamit is after all is Khan. They harmed us in past, they are harming us and they will harm us.
sandeep liked it very much,
I Have the same thoughts, this title satyamev jayate is a stolen from our hindu upnishads, i getting to its basics similarly like ahinsa paramo dharama quoted out of context. I too observed the same point of karma when he ridiculed. The one whose life itself has not been impeccable cant talk, his second marriage leaving/divorcing first wife n 2 kids
Well, although this article gives new perceptions about Aamir Khan, the tone in which it says and claims as if the whole thing is business and mere business is somewhat unacceptable. Yes, business is a major part but there might be good intentions. But in a place where everything is idoloised, what a celebrity says has more value and becomes ‘hard-hitting’ than what we see daily around us. One thing is for sure: this is not going to change anything, at the most it can give an ‘emotional high’ for an hour…that’s it!
Amir Khan (AK) is a very clever and shrewd businessman using his image of “thinking” actor to the hilt. Just making the right noises which sound so nice but are infact so hollow. He is so lucky that the middle class doesn’t want to scratch the surface to look deeper.
If he is so sincere about many things then how about asking Mullahs to close Madarasas in favour of Muslim youth going to regular schools, how about speaking against maulvis for branding polio medicine as anti-islamic, how about going against fatwa issuers. How about getting Muslim parties / community leaders to agree on the Uniform Civil Code and do away with Sharia Law.
Hindu society and specially the “secular”middle class one is hell bent on pressing the suicide button. Anti-dowry law as enacted was so draconian in its implementation that the courts had to tone down it a bit. But no our “thinking” actor thinks nothing of it.
Exactly for these reasons, I dont see this show
I came here through a reference in mediacrooks and found your blog amazing. Just another blog I read and found intriguing – this is about where the money from our indigenous Oprah’s SEJ is really going?
http://chatpatechatkhare.blogspot.com/2012/06/blog-post.html
It is quite clear those who watch SMJ are not parting with their money for NGO’s profiled by AK. According to Sucheta Dalal of Money Life
“A show that reached out to a massive 40 crore Indians over just five episodes, has collected a paltry Rs1.7 crore for seven NGOs so far. And half of this, or Rs85.25 lakh has come from Reliance Foundation which offered to match the sum raised through direct donations and text messages sent out by viewers during and after the show.
So in terms of making Indians ‘give’, Satyamev Jayate is a big flop”
Perhaps the TRP ratings are hyped or people consider the show entertainment and are not convinced by the NGO’s profiled.
Oh yeah, I meant to say practically not literally.
PM’s bailout pledge for Europe is shocking
http://newindianexpress.com/editorials/article547013.ece
Atleast one article has shown courage to write about this.
@Rocky: You just referred to some Hindus derogatorily as “pseudo-Hindus” and held them responsible for divisiveness, close-mindedness and of causing disharmony. Are you spreading hate or, in your own way, opposing those who you think are spreading hatred? Surely the latter. You give instances of a kind of expansion and growth of Hindusim in various forms throughout the world. But does that mean there has been no opposition to Hinduism anywhere? The Somnath temple was re-built 16 times, but that does not change the fact it was repeatedly demolished by Muslims each time. Akshardham is the new biggest Hindu temple in the world. That does not erase the fact that scores of innocent Hindu women and children were brutally murdered by Muslims in it. Pakistan was the birth-place of Hindu civlization. What do you think ,Hindus just migrated out of there one fine day singing songs on gaily decorated bullock carts? No, there was a brutal holocaust over a period of 14 centuries, one that culminated just a few decades ago in a bloody partition by Muslims… and from there four separate wars of conquest have been launched against Hindu India and more are sure to come. Even today the Hindus living there eke out a precarious existence, persecuted and oppressed. The same was true for Kashmir until it was ethnically cleansed of Hindus. This has happened in India without one psuedo-Hindu doing anything to antagonize his loving Muslim brothers. And what did your loving Aamir Khan sahib do about his beloved Hindus? The pucca mussalman came up with a movie sympathising with and humanizing the Islamic terrorists! Bangladesh is another hell-hole from which Hindus are being systematically wiped out and the Islamic tide is now flooding over them in West Bengal, facilitated by your secularist brethren. All this is happening now and under your very nose. And you say that Hindus face no threat? I suppose your idea of harmony and “real hinduism” is when Hindus, uncomplaining and unresisting, walk nicely, politely and meekly into the Islamic gas chambers being prepared for them in all the countries of the Indian subcontinent by their loving Muslim brothers. There will always be temples along with the likes of Sri Sri etc. that survive in America and Europe. Sure. There is no threat to Hindus at all, just a gradual migration to the west, at least for the few Hindus who manage to get there, lovingly facilitated by their Islamic brethren.
@Gujarati: And in the same delusional world you inhabit you must be Aamir khan. That’s why you are so annoyed with the truth exposed by Sandeep.
@Ramesh, on this forum::I think these ‘pseudo-Hindus’ who keep imagining the threat to Hinduism and keep spoiling more and more Hindu youth by injecting the poison of dividing Indians against Indians, need to open their minds. Today worldwide there are more number of Hindu temples than the number of number of temples in the world in 1900 or 1950. Today the world has more number of Hindus than what it had in 1900 or 1950. Today Yoga, Hare Krishna movement, meditation and other concepts which have come out from the East are known in more places around the world. There are millions of people of all religions who follow Gurus like Sri Sri and many others. These pseudo-Hindu organisations should do some real service to people without spreading hate and disharmony against other communities and religions.
Sandeep, You must be a con doctor. That’s why you are so annoyed with the truth exposed by Aamir
cebook page he is doing charity for http://www.humanityhospital.org/ this trust not humanity organisation run by muslims
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/India-announces-10-billion-for-debt-wracked-Eurozone/articleshow/14261070.cms
India announces $10 billion for debt-wracked Eurozone.
This is very bad. Look at the comments , plenty of protests. Has Aamir Khan the guts to address this issue. . India whcih has so much poor people is being being unkind to its own people.
vishwa ghosh
Free samples provided given at a cost,
non communication of the problem in clear and understandable terms,
charging on second visit when emergency occurs,
not giving valid reason for the test to conduct,
prescription states only the medicine,it does not state the sympton and why that particular action taken,
when medicines are changed no reason written on the sheet.
data transferred to the patient and not a copy maintained by the doctor,though charging five star rates.
sometimes not taking calls when emergency occurs(how about a saturday and sunday)
when prescribing mnc brand of medicine not giving an alternative of generic medicine available at a lower rate.
not genial and take just five to ten minutes to examine.
show impatience when questioned in layman terms.
may i have your list to compare
one more here -have you checked if the antibiotic prescribed runs the full course.
Finally Amir Khan’s true colors at display..
One of the comments in http://www.satyamevjayate.in/
@Stocks4sale
I received an email saying the charity money this show receives go to Humanity Trust organizations which has all the muslims on the board and they do build Masjids with this money. I have very high regards for Aamir as he proclaims to be Hindustani/Bharatiya and is very intellectual. I expect he donate the money to all other charity organizations as well and not just this muslim charity. We have all the proofs that muslims use the masjids to teach/brain wash Jihad. I hope Aamir verifies the authenticity of these organizations before donationg money to them.
Very good informative article……..read it you will be shockedPLEASE PASS IT ONSubj: THE TRUTH BEHIND……………………….SATYA MEV JAYETE
Be aware!
The truth of Satyamev JayateSince last few days we have seen viral effect across the nation for a television show hosted by Bollywood Star Amir Khan named “Satyamev Jayate” and these days … I’ve come across a large number of people discussing and praising the show and also some of them were considering making donations and sending SMSs to the show in public interest, my purpose for writing this post is to let those people know that how andwhere their donations and revenue generated by SMSs will be used.The foundation where your donations and income via SMSs will go is called “Humanity Trust” and this is the website of this trust:http://www.humanitytrust.com/E… Committee:1. Mr. Jagabar Ali.2. Mr. R. Hakkim Ali.3. Mr. Fazulutheen.Members of the Board of Advisors are as follow:1. Mr. M.L. Raja Mohamed 2. Mr. M.S. NASICK3. Mr. A Ahmed Irzath4. Mr. S.Abdul BasithThis website says that some of the objectives of their foundation are:-Masjid Construction assistance. (Bore/construction helps)Placement assistance for Islamic youngsters (notifications about jobs across various geographiesDO VISIT THIS WEBSITE AND CHECK YOURSELFNow look at the irony here: people from all over the country belonging to different religions and communities are sending SMSs and making donations, and you can see clearly that money is spent on people of just one particular community and religion – the Muslims!!Isn’t it unfair that first you are attracting people from different religions on emotional grounds, and when they fall prey to it and give donation, you are using that money for communal purpose without even informing the people where their money is going to be used?How will building mosques and madrasas helps our nation? And if it doesn’t then why are people of this country being fooled like this and no one is raising questions? Are only Muslims unemployed in this country? If not then why this step-motherly treatment to people of other religions?See the truth at:www.humanitytrust.com There are not too many bad people in India, but the problem is that : There are too many good people in India, who do not speak up about bad deeds, of bad people. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INQUIRE BEYOND THE OBVIOUS
Some more skeletons tumbling. The NGO endorsed by SMJ lists construction of mosques as one of its objectives. All the executives of this NGO as well as the beneficiaries are AK’s co-religionist. Surprising why would a hugely popular and mainstream programme endorse such an NGO. I am sure not a single Hindu middle-class muppet eagerly waiting for tomorrow’s programmes and even more eager to write a cheque to this NGO would have spared even a minute to check what they actually do!!
Wonderful post as usual.. Justifies my decision to not watch this show as i had the same gut feeling. Proven now.
@CC
>Aamir literally was born with a silver spoon and grew up in luxury.
Not literally, I hope
I don’t think he has said he is doing it for social service is he? He hasn’t said anywhere that. Aamir’s problem is he is too opinionated. And if you think people seeing his show don’t discuss the issues then it’s your choice. I was always seriously raising these issues in my internet posts and discussed them with people but no one cared about it. Now they are at least taking interest over something other than meaningless IPL matches and for that I thank IPL. Even my housemaid was talking about how the women in her slums were now going to make a stand and stand up against their families criminal demands vis a vis some of those issues. I think thats a good start and I credit the show if not Aamir for that. I don’t know where the show collects data and like Salman’s Dus ka Dum it cannot be accurate. neither are Govt surveys. I don’t know where people are getting this idea that the show own’t change anything. waking even some people up to these issues where they were indifferent to it is a huge change and that too in a culturally prejudiced narrow India. I won’t get into the Karma theory. Some people believe in it and some don’t. People are asking why he is doing this show and not adopting kids like Jolie or running foundations and then accuse me of personalizing? have the people raising this even adopted anyone themselves? Aaamri has a right to his show, right to make his views known and all I see people doing here is mixing it up with pseudo-Hinudism ideas by refering to Savarkars and Nehrus etc. I am according to my friends a right Wing Hindu due to my extreme views on Congress hypocrisy and dislike for the mis-adventures of the Nehru-Gandhi parivar and Muslim reservations. But there is no significance to refering to the constitution and Savarkars and Nehrus and their ilk where this show is concerned. It is just a bit of senseless rambling and not relevant to the topic at hand. Live and let live folks. For people who care Aamir is a hypocrite and don’t care for his show and that his show can’t achieve anything you guys are discussing a hell lot about him instead of spending that time productively somewhere else. This then is Aamir’s success and your failure. Just ignore him and his show. No one forced you to watch or like it. There is always the whole range of dubious rigged and silly IPL, Reality shows and Soaps to choose from if you don’t like SJ.
Also he might warn to discuss topics for Muslims such as Sharia, child marriage, polygamy and the death sentence when one departs from their faith, also how they treat other religious minorities when they become the majority, yet how they demand Sharia and the following of their own civil laws when they are in the minority, let’s see if Aamir truly understands the meaning of the Sanskrit term Satyam Jayate, if he brings controversial topics concerning Muslims as well on his show, then his intentions will be clear……..
After watching his “atidhi devo bhava” promos, I was expected a quality show. But what is put on air is just dribble. The root cause of any problem in india is population due to people of certain faith breeding like minks. Can he do a show on that topic? Will he do a show in illiteracy, corruption etc. The least he could do is interview guests who have dedicated their entire life for the upliftment of society and have not profited from their notoriety. AK has plummeted several depths in my book. The middle class is to be blamed for this mess.
Being a muslim, I would ask Aamir Khan to take up topics affecting the muslims at large, especially the females. topics like talaaq, etc. can be debated
@Ramesh,
” Only 5 percent doctors are not mercenary and cruel”
Where did you get this info? from AK show? Show some evidence to back your claim.
@Vikas,
“How many celebrities have adopted in India for that matter? Amitabh? SRK? Akshay”
None of them are acting as if they are gods gift to India. Nor do they misrepresent Hinduism, take pot shots at it while hiding skeletons of his(AK) faith(Islam) in the closet.
@Vikas,
You clearly did not bother to read the article critically. No one has a problem with AK entertaining people. However, now he has donned the mantle of do good-er and then he mis represents basic Hindu philosophy like Karma to the detriment of Hindu community which made him what he is. That way he is an ingrate.
It is you who is personalizing. Several Bloggers here are questioning quality of his show, its efficacy and his one sided portrayal of issues.
B.t.W not one girl child’s life is going to be saved by AK show. That’s just reality. What actually is making a difference on ground is Ladli Laxmi Yogna of MP, equal property share for women(against Sharia) enacted in AP by late NTR and so on. If anyone thinks a show by a celebrity is going make a difference is delusional. If you did not hear of these programs and similar programs like girl child program of Akshayapatra it is your fault. Perhaps, you info is limited to what is stated by a celebrity.
to vikas bhatt
what is the meaning of satyameva jayate ?
@Shalini Gupta – How many celebrities have adopted in India for that matter? Amitabh? SRK? Akshay? Barring Sushmita Sen who has? even the Zillionaire Ambanis? have the Ambanis even done a single act of charity? Opened a poor children shelter or school or anything with all their money. Do you have a problem with Aamir of his show? Don’t personalize.
good that you have dissected this piece of turd, which middle class india loves, as they feel that someone is tackling the ‘REAL ISSUE’, though middle class indians don’t have an iota of what exactly is the problem which our nation is grappling in..they just listen to some quack and think that whatever these so called modern dharmik guru preach is the ultimate reality..and on this show, i had always maintained this stance that he was promoting ISLAM..you missed one episode of his, where he preached an islamic marriage, TANZEEM KHUDAM E MILLET, to all hindus..this is how islamizaiton of india is going on..through bollywood movies and these tv serials..now days, there was one advertisement also, where an young kid was shown to remember shah jahan’s complete name..islamization..but problem is with hindus only..why did they never refute marxists historians stance on islam
I agree hundred percent to what’s been written.We all can set examples in our own way, and we should but celebrities need to set bigger examples.
Look at Anjalena Jolie the Hollywood actress, she runs 20 foundations and has adopted 4 children, from all over the world, apart from having her own. SHe shows the way, and follows too. Need I write anything more!
All we do is make shows, show statistics, do lot of blah blah on National T.V. THat”s it.
And if we are successful, the damage is even worse, because we get carried away.
By your standard everything can be criticized in this word. At least what he has shown about medical practitioner is correct. Only 5 percent doctors are not mercenary and cruel.You appears to have some relative of yours from medical field and therefore you are having so much resentment against Amir Khan.Even if does not bring about cataclysmic change in the society what hare does it cause if it entertains people and it is much better than other reality shows. Did you ever criticise any other reality show.You seem to be biased against Amir that is why you choose not to see assuming it be of poor quality even before watching it.
If you dig more, all the money from sms is going to muslim foundation which wants to promote the cause of muslim youths. i would have loved to watch aamir talk on LOVEJIHAD,MUSLIM POLYGAMY, SHARIA FOR NON MUSLIMS etc. but,that is too much to ask for. there is a subtle wave going on intellectually,socially and financially to break this country of ours into bits and pieces & then digest it into christianity, islam,western secularism, modernism,globalism, etc.
Who is that enlightened member who had the guts to call the constitution (which our “great freedom fighters” so shamelessly photocopied from the British constitution) “an instrument of slavery of the Hindus.” Hats off to that man.
There are points I agree with and disagree as well. Points I agree that it is a cleverly made show that tugs the tear glands and designed to make money. That Aamir is laughing all the way to bank. So has Karan Johar done the same with Sooraj Barjatya, tugging at women’s tear centers in their films and laughing all the way to bank. Thats entertainment world. But lets face it, if they couldn’t hope to recover the money invested, they wouldn’t make it. Nor the movies, nor the TV shows. Don’t docu-dramas like Crime Patrol also do the same – make money off gruesome macabre crimes at the cost of their victims. Most reality shows shamelessly exploit tears of it’s participants and their emotions. Shows like Sach Ka Saamna and it’s cheap clones hosted by Rakhi Sawant crossed all limits of decency in their bid to ‘expose’ the truth of human beings’s dark side. But thats television for you. By that same yardstick, even films fall in the same category – biopics like Bandit Queen and Paan Singh Tomar. Should we then also despise the brilliant cult film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, for making fun out of serious issues as civic corruption at mercy of builder lobby and for not treating it with seriousness it would have gotten otherwise if Satyajit Ray had made the same? Or should it be derided for making a mockery of Mahabharata in the name of comedy or abusing the Hindu epic? I don’t know. If you have a problem with Aamir choosing this show, then it’s amazing that he didn’t realize that given his serious image, he would have chosen only such a show. If he can be accused of protecting his image by acting in front of the camera in this show, he is still doing what was always expected to do in the first place. And it is maybe good that some heads in society are at least turning and talking. At least there is a distraction from the usual useless’reality’ shows on dance, singing, vulgar standup or unrealistic family soaps. Is SJ worse than crap like UTV Bindass and their ilk where kids are expected to play as bad people as possible? I’d rather my kid watched this show than seeing losing participants on other reality shows bawl like losers and making a pathetic case seeking sympathy instead of taking the loss in spirit with will learn from this attitude. I’d rather my kids asked me tough relevant questions of the innate hypocriticies of our society than waste time over silly IPL matches. By decrying Aamir his right to choose his show and his right to be stubborn about something aren’t we attacking his right to choose and his freedom of views. It’s his risk and his choice. A recent ad of cadbury uses ragging as a means of selling their chocolate and yet it is a serious issues and one that has been banned from halls of academy. People are going to tread on things we don’t find acceptable sometimes to sell. We live in a commercial world and so it happens. If people don’t like it they can just switch off. The media would rather discuss Sunny Leonne and Poonam Panday’s nudity than issues like these on SJ. Aamir could have done any reality show and made as much money as he wanted. At least he chose one where people would think about issues that really burn us. By provoking people in his show he may make money now but risks isolating a hell lot of his fans with radical views on the issues he raises up. He is surely aware of this risk. Would you have forgiven him if had turned TV producer and played safe by launching another mindless soap? Does he not have the choice of making a show the way he wants that others can? Or is he a child of a lesser God? I would have liked SJ’s makers to have kept this show free of the tear jerking crap and then this would have been maybe different. But thats just me. I don’t know if the show title is bad for Hinduism or if having Sanjay Dutt gunning down his rivals as an underworld don in the backdrop of Bhagwad Geeta chants is more debasing? You bash Aamir for raising his kids Muslim. But then thats what most religions do including Hinduism. Wives and kids follow the man’s religion and this would be same with whichever girl married a guy of whichever caste. A friend of mine knew a girl once many years back, a great close friend. She was a Muslim. He once shared with her his hatred for non-veg food and eggs and why he loathed them as a Brahmin. She gave up eating the stuff and he thought he had made her see the light feeling proud. Years later he found out from a mutual best friend she did it because she loved him and hoped that her gesture would make him accept her as she was afraid of proposing him first fearing rejection. He never knew that all that time and has never gotten over feeling like crap over reading her sacrifice wrongly either ever since. And she did that despite knowing any chances of a match were nil from his side. Women can sure be crazy. I do know that as a Hindu if my kid didn’t follow my footsteps, I would be pissed. On one hand we expect wives and kids to follow their husband’s faith and take his name and then Aamir can’t do the same because his wife is a Muslim. Last I checked in Hindu society, people still took their father’s name or surnames behind their names and not their mother’s. Not everyone is an exception like Sanjay Leela Bhansali. We are all hypocrites that way. You as a bloggist has not seen the show self-confessedly and and yet you have passed your mighty judgement based on a few clips you saw on internet. Perhaps you are a closet viewer who watches the show but is ashamed to admit it given your views about them and so you need to say you haven’t seen it. Commenting on anything without seeing it isn’t the smartest thing to do in this world especially for someone who loves to write and has some kind of a fan following. You says Aamir’s team has cleverly crafted the show to succeed. If that were so simple, all TV shows and all channels would be super hits. But alas its not so easy to get people’s attention on TV these days. I don’t like SRK either and he has been horrible for a while now, but even he gave the people a movie like Swades fully aware that it wouldn’t be a commercial hit. It’s a social movie even Aamir declined when approached first though it was right up his street. I have loved KBC too especially for Big B and yet these days it is a biased show that gives a clear edge to people calling from particular sponsoring telephone networks. In the end all TV shows these days are humanity porns aimed at cheapening peoples talents and lives through rigged shows and TRP induced falsehood. Back in good old DD days where entertainment was still good, balanced, social and profitable there was a show Rajni starring the late Priya Tendulkar who was absolutely brilliant as a righteous housewife who changed people around to from their bad habits and practices we take as chalta hai mostly. We applauded them and she became a sensation, so much that she was stuck with her Kiran Bedi like reformist image till her death. People don’t do shows like that anymore where a character can reach out and remind us of our moral duties and perhaps if this SJ can be seen as a re-invention of that missing and long buried social genre now missing from our idiotbox, then the more the better. Perhaps it needs a more balanced look and also presents the coin’s other side like how many doctors do social service in villages or the hazards of article 495 and it’s abuse. Maybe it isn’t really as perfect as Mr. Perfectionist would like to. Hell it still beats having to bear the likes Poonam Panday, Ekta Kapurs and Rakhi Swants on TV anyday. And I say this despite not watching this show either and despite having also watched snippets on youtube and not really hooked to it as well, just as you claim. But whatever one thinks, it has stirred the imagination of many, got those dull grey cells of many to start whizzing and for this one must credit Aamir. If you ask me in a nutshell, I am glad people are at least talking about these more serious issues than discussing stupid, irrelevant, rigged and for corporate greed designed IPL matches that is neither played for the country nor for the sake of improving cricket. Getting people to think and discuss instead of ignoring as another news item is half a job done. he has gotten people to think and talk about it. If it saves the life of even one girl child or one married girl from being killed from dowry of one couple whose parents finally think beyond their narrow Khaps, he will have done his job and succeeded. While you will have done nothing on that front except write essays full of self righteous poison and shooting the messenger instead of appreciating the message.
I have different opinion here. Being born in wealth was not in his hands. So i think we can very well avoid the comparison of background. Rich man making money on misery is not criminal or immoral. It is immoral if he is siphoning off wealth from somewhere. People make more money displacing farmers for life, leaving the soil infertile, stealing water and render a generation in turmoil. He makes money from the hour you spend watching the show which to me is thoroughly crafted to the highly sensitive issues. Fair enough!!
Television began in US in 1928 and in 1959 in India. It is natural that the maturity might find similar pattern of evolution. Even if he copied the concept, the content is very Indian. And that matters… Better than the concept-content war of the Iphones and the galaxies of the tech world…
@ava,
“So you mean child marriages are allowed for Muslims in India by law or what? ”
Soon the pighead multi-millionaire Owaisi and Khurshid will demand 5% reservations of Hindu underage girls for themselves. Pseudo secular Hindus will hail the demand saying that it will lead to an integrated and inclusive society.
@ava,
“So you mean child marriages are allowed for Muslims in India by law or what? ”
“Why are there different civil laws for Muslims in a democracy, what makes them a special category?”
Ava, we have to thank woolly headed Hindus led by Gandhi and Nehru for that — these constitution makers developed a guilt complex and short-changed the Hindus. One enlightened member of the constituent assembly actually threw the constitution book on the table, calling it “an instrument of slavery of the Hindus.”
The day Hindus chose Gandhi and Nehru over Savarkar and Aurobindo Ghosh to lead them in the freedom struggle, the fate of their future generations was sealed. What is happening is the natural result of the leadership choices they made in the 1940s. Hindus have lost the ability to think (which is necessary for self-preservation) — even today they vote for Congress party who does not even pretend to represent their interests.
No wonder why the comments on SJ website appear to be fawning. Only those comments are published which praise the show. Even AK shows only one side of all the issues in his show. One can easily see the edit points and the plotted clap points.
Dear Sandeep,
I don’t even know where to place you – a conservative Indian or a conservative Hindu with Republican leanings (as in Sarah Palin / Michele Bachmann cast) – except that you are a good writer with a very powerful English language to boast. However, it doesn’t matter who you are, what your caste, creed, nationality, color is, if what you say is sensible it shall always be sensible. If not, let us debate the point you make rather than indulge in ad hominem arguments.
In the entire piece above, you have been vitriolic against Aamir Khan the person. Not an iota of evidence or data to counter the issues that he has raised – female feticide, bride burning and torture, “son preference” in India (across almost all dharmas / religions – except perhaps the Parsis), lack of support or ill-treatment of physically handicapped, medical malpractice, etc.
Even in your denial mode, you should at least provide some evidence and data to show that none of this is happening or that they exceptions and not the rule. As erudite a personality as you refrain from doing that but claim that Aamir Khan doesn’t know about Karma or about Satyamev Jayate and its origin.
You refer to “Brahman” in your snippet (above). Let me ask you do you know the origin and original meaning of Brahma? Prove to me that you do. If you don’t, then you have no business claiming to feel hurt and/or represent the hurt feelings / sentiments from the perspective of so-called Hindu philosophy and indulge in ad hominem arguments against Aamir Khan.
To top it all, you end with an extremely “foolish” question: whether Aamir would also consider paying a doctor’s bills as malpractice! Do you understand the word “malpractice”? Do you even realize what it means to lose close relatives as a result of such “malpractices”?
Don’t just let lose your sentiments in public if you are not adding an iota to improving the social health of our country. Then there is no difference between you and any of our politicians who are today the biggest shame for our Indian civilization and state.
Brilliant article. If you are not an emotional fool and a critical thinker then it doesn’t take much for one to discover how fool MISTER Oprah is. I happen to watch the Hilary Clinton and Amir’s discussion when she was in India a couple of years ago. It was I believe after his 3-idiot’s hype. The questions he asked and solutions he had made me think is our country really in such abysmal state that we have to put such dumb iditos to represent us in international forums. Just the way he talks about issues shows his shallow and superficial understanding of things.
As of his his great research… if you understand Stats the first thing you want to know is the sample size and how random it is.. I have never seen that in his shows. He only shows percentages. A true research will include stats of both sides of the story. Selectively picking what you want to sell and showing that as a great research is simply fraud.
As far as him denegrating Hindu culture, it is not the first time in his show. In the “Indian Wedding” episodes he potrays Hindus as immoral and miserable people killing girls for money and on the other hand he shows the musilm communites are so great to be bringing reforms. Then that Mullaha also praises Amir on what a great Job he is doing and indirectly suggesting that here the true beliver of Islam has come to save the country of Kafirs.
Please watch the show more carefully: it is neither about hindu/muslim nor about proving superiority of one person. Amir showed true courage to come up with questions that other TV shows or media let alone Indian so called superstars dare to raise. It’s about asking the questions. Let’s face it, how many times it happened in the past that a program was so daring to raise questions about topics like female infanticide, child sexual abuse, dowry, inter-cast marriages?
Sandeep, walking against the tide is difficult to do but sometimes necessary in life. What Amir is doing right now, is he is walking against the tide to question ourselves. It’s not a revolution in itself that it is making people question what is right and what is wrong. Amir is popular enough to host any TV shows like any other big celebrities. Unfortunately, you did not understand the true message from the program. It is out of question that he is doing this just to become popular and make money. If that was the sole intension he could do so many other things, right? If you ask me, I would say, by writing a negative article about a great show, you are trying to buy some cheap popularity for yourselves.
Walking against the tide is not necessary in this case Sandeep, because the fact the show is presenting are true to life. For argument sake, even Amir makes additional money or fame from this show, does that mean the message that they are sending is untrue, not trust worthy or pointless? Come on, even you can’t say that.
Sad but true fact is in this society we challenge people to do something good and when someone does that, we question their intention. This society will not change until we all are thinking from the same level. Good news is people like you were always there and will remain there, still society changes in a better direction because you are minority. I would suggest Sandeep, for a second forget about your personal fame, name; forget about how much money Amir will make from this program: think about the questions he is raising and question yourself: are these worth asking or not. I am sure you will agree with me!
Another great post from Sandeep. I encourage readers to post their comments here as well as on the SJ show website at:
http://www.satyamevjayate.in/
Currently, most comments on the show website appear to be fawning, complimentary drivel. Would be good to see some critical remarks there, so that AK understands that many consider his show to be “misery porn” and makes necessary changes.
Oprah grew up in poverty, she was raped as a teen and she had been through numerous hardships that many black people in America suffered. She pulled herself through all of this, worked hard to get a career and build her network and wealth. This is what helped her relate to people on her show.
Aamir literally was born with a silver spoon and grew up in luxury. What moral standing does he have to profit from the misery and the sufferings of the common man.
He is NOT India’s Mr. Oprah.