The Great Disconnect
This blogpost by Hindol Sengupta on the IBN website is objectionable on so many levels. Not only for its lack of understanding of things like democracy, citizenship, nation-building, but also its lack of respect for spelling and syntax. Here’s a sample:
This is a country that prides on it English-speaking, entrepreneurial youth (sic). We who represent India to the world. But we don’t vote do we? And why don’t we? Because there’s no one to vote for! Where is my leader? The truth is, I don’t have one. And that, as sophistication deserts our politics, means perhaps one day I will have to leave.
I’m tempted to comment on that last line but it speaks for itself.
Read the whole thing to find out why, among other things, “the middle-class, educated, metro-bred, Christian-education raised, young” writer couldn’t have “an great conversation” (sic) with his cameraperson.
Thanks for commenting about this. I thought of ranting about it on my blog, but was so disgusted I didn’t know what to say. Some of the comments below the article are quite disturbing to say the least.
Comment by Antara — May 19, 2007 @ 3:28 pm
I can’t understand this: why an “educated, metro bred, christian-education raised” person can’t spell properly. No comments on the rest, it’s his opinion.
Comment by Vishnu — May 19, 2007 @ 5:18 pm
So the man says that from his urban background and cosmopolitan sensibilities, he finds it difficult to accept that people vote for candidates based on criteria that are driven more by communal, religious and other similar factors than based purely on policy or ethics.
What’s so offensive about that? He doesn’t think Mayawati is going to do anything different than in her previous tenures as CM of UP. He doesn’t think that Manmohan Singh would be PM if not for his blind loyalty to the Gandhi/Nehru clan. He finds it shameful that a religion as deep-rooted and supposedly secular and inclusive is turning into something ugly and hyper-sensitive, restricting the way the common man expresses himself.
There are a good number of people who feel the way he does. These people also think that it makes more sense for them to walk away from the current situation because the odds of changing the status quo into something that is more tolerable to them are insurmountable.
What on earth is so offensive about that? And if there are a few typos along the way, that’s unfortunate, but they don’t quite dilute the matter in question - which is that our democracy is ruled by all the wrong factors, and is fast turning into a farce.
Comment by Sumant — May 21, 2007 @ 9:31 am
Forgive me, forgive me, I HAVE to rant:
1. “We who have no voice”. Umm, you laryngitis infected whiner, have you checked the statistics on voter turnout among your voiceless, Christian educated, metro-living, middle class abrethren? If you drove a few more of them into booths on voting day perhaps you would miraculously find your voice.
2. “The Gandhis speak our language”. Translation: They look kinda cool. Like those Hollywood Presidents. Why should we be the only ones to suffer with a bad looking prime minister? Oh the shame!
3. “Mayawati is the quintessential behenji”. And someone here actually thought he was non-prejudiced? I rest my case.
4. And he keeps talking about his “background”. Like he’s a Monet watercolour or something.
5. “This is a country that prides itself on its English-speaking youth”. Yes and on its complete apathy to even try and educate the “non-English speaking” youth.
6. “As sophistication deserts our politics”. I give up.
7. “Then perhaps one day I’ll have to leave”. oooh, threats! I have a question: if a threat is voiceless, is it still a threat?
n!
Comment by n! — May 24, 2007 @ 6:14 am
English apart, not everything that Hindol said lacked sense even if a few things did. He might not have put it across well, but his fear, palpable as it is, is not totally unfounded either.
Comment by Anil — May 24, 2007 @ 10:12 pm
yikes! i telling him that he are needing to get a splle-chekcer even if tehy are english-spanking, christian-educated metro breed [check the pidegree] youths lost in the wildreness.
mayawati cannever [experlative of cannot] be his leader because she is not one of them. like for example, she is not chrsitan-educated, english-speaking youth.
therefore he wantsing to ‘push’ the country to ‘great heights’ - himalaya perhaps?
but all other commentsers are allso not being very fairy to him. he is only proud of english-specking and not english-writing. what mistake otherwise if he making soem small-small mistakes? even big-big englsih gurus are making one time or the antoher.
there lies the point which most of you missed by a mile. please read more in my forthcoming book: ‘101 common-msitakes in english made by our first generation of comupter guys’. only 50-ruppes.
Comment by tolkien — June 5, 2007 @ 7:51 am