[Reader-list] A Modest Appeal to Election Propagandists
Shuddhabrata Sengupta
shuddha at sarai.net
Thu Apr 16 11:17:07 IST 2009
Dear all,
Opinions are one thing. Advertisement is another. Atal Bihari
Vajpayee's 'letter' is not an opinion, or even an argument. It is an
advertisement. It says nothing in substance other than the fact that
'Advani is Good for India'. It does not really tell us why, except
for the fact that Vajpayee knows and has worked with Advani and
thinks that he is good for India.It does not even spell out an idea
of a programme or a vision that Vajpayee, Advani and their party
stand for. All it offers us are the usual platitudes that every
political party, at every election offers. It is as meaningful, and
about as enlightening, as a Pepsi ad trying to tell us how different
it is from Coke.
This list has always had room for all kinds of opinions and
viewpoints. I do not know of any forum that takes its ethic of
tolerance as seriously as this list. Which is why people like Pawan
Durani and me, who happen to occupy completely antagonistic
positions, can still share the same space.
I do not recall anyone on this list ever posting or forwarding
election propaganda for any political party before Durani's forward
of Atal Behari Vajpayee's 'appeal'. So the question of likening this
'ad' to any other posts, which have carried does not arise. We have
simply not had to deal with party political propaganda like this before.
If someone had peddled Prakash Karat's plug for the CPI (M) or Rahul
Gandhi's endorsement for the Congress, my response would not have
been one bit different. I would have said exactly what I am saying
about Durani's forward of Vajpayee's campaign message.
If this becomes acceptable, then next, we will have people peddling
the Nano Car, advertising Mouth Freshners and endorsing products of
all descriptions including the washing machines, the Congress Party,
teflon coated household products, the Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty, potato
crisps, the BSP, Microsoft software, sedatives and the CPI(M).
Our media space is saturated as it is with advertisements. Please let
us try and protect a small space for discussion and reflection from
the encroachments of political advertisements and election marketing
exercises. I would appeal to everyone to restrain themselves from
putting out this kind of endorsement of electoral platforms. There
are many other forums for these exercises on the internet, please
take all public-relations material there. And spare us,
Oddly, advertising pundits often fail to take into account the fact
that some campaigns backfire on the products that they are supposed
to endorse.
regards
Shuddha
On 16-Apr-09, at 8:43 AM, Pawan Durani wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> What may be serious for 'x' may be non serious for 'y'. Who defines
> the limits ? Unless the group is meant to support a particular
> ideology leaning towards my weaker hand side.
>
> This group has been forwarded mails from pathetic writers and
> Kashmir expert like 'Aran Dhat Teri Ki Roy ' and we had to bear
> that .
>
> It is understandable that someone may not understand poetry of Mr
> Vajpayee as I do not understand Marx either.
>
> However the time is ripe that communal right wing party like
> Communists , who have an election with radical Muslim party like
> PDP of Madhani in Kerela should be returned without any seat across
> the country.
>
> The dual standards of pathetic and hazardous party needs to be
> exposed . At least we may be saving the future generation of
> innocent youths who undergo a brain wash by the followers of
> foreign ideology.
>
> Regards
>
> pawan
>
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 12:39 AM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> <shuddha at sarai.net> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I never thought the day would come when the reader list, after all
> the nonsense it has had to swallow over the last few years, would
> also have to bear with the indignity of being subject to missives
> sent on behalf of the person, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who having
> hobbled along past his sell by date, continues to peddle the tripe
> that goes by the name of his pathetic party.
>
> This was meant to be a list for serious discussion, and has instead
> become a forum for the less than mediocre propaganda, mainly of the
> seemingly inexhaustible far right. Not just jibes (of course,
> unsubstantiated) against activists, but now, much worse, the
> pompous serenade of someone who was not just the worst prime
> minister (A B Vajpayee( but also probably the worst poet that this
> country has had the misfortune to have been subject to.
>
> I hope that you will all (irrespective of political affiliation and
> loyalties) join me in requesting everyone concerned not to burden
> us with this kind of puerile election propaganda in the future. It
> is bad enough that I have to take calls from the BJP and the
> Congress and the Third, Fourth, Left, Right and my phone an in my
> mailbox, it is worse to see this space that we have tried to
> nurture for autonomous discussion being slowly crept on by
> electioneering. In this election, where no party and no candidate
> has any vision worth discussing, the last thing we need is to have
> the space between our ears being filled with election spam on the
> reader list.
>
> Please try and keep election garbage out of here.
>
> thanks
>
> Shuddha
>
>
> On 15-Apr-09, at 11:20 PM, Pawan Durani wrote:
>
>> My Dear Fellow Citizens,
>>
>> The decisive hour for electing the 15th Lok Sabha is upon us.
>> Today, our
>> nation is confronted by serious challenges of every kind. To
>> successfully
>> meet these challenges the nation needs a strong government and a
>> determined
>> leader. A government that by means of good governance, can ensure
>> security
>> for and rapid development of our country – a promise that has been
>> made and
>> will be delivered by Shri LK Advani.
>>
>> I am unable to meet all of you due to poor health. However, I am
>> grateful to
>> you for the belongingness and affection that you have showered
>> upon me. What
>> perturbs me much more than my own health is the health of my
>> India. The cure
>> for that lies in your firm resolve.
>>
>> Shri Lal Krishna Advani and I have been working together since
>> 1952. His
>> unblemished character and resolute personality have shown like a
>> light torch
>> in Indian politics. He is skilful in the art of taking up
>> challenges and
>> overcoming them. He is a compassionate human being and an
>> exceptional leader
>> whose best is yet to come. I firmly believe becoming the Prime
>> Minister of
>> India will bring out the best in him.
>>
>> I appeal to all of you, especially to the youth of our country, to
>> extend
>> your wholehearted support, assistance and mandate to the BJP and
>> its allied
>> parties. Only Advaniji is capable of fulfilling the dream that
>> both of us
>> have seen together. Adavaniji can provide a new direction to the
>> governance
>> of this country so that we create an India that is devoid of poverty,
>> hunger, despair and injustice.
>>
>> I invite you to join me in taking a firm resolve to create a strong
>> government under the determined leadership of Shree Advani for a
>> strong and
>> prosperous India. This will only happen when you make the
>> candidates of BJP
>> and its allies from your region victorious.
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Atal Behari Vajpayee
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.lkadvani.in/eng/content/view/865/427/
>> _________________________________________
>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>> Critiques & Collaborations
>> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
>> subscribe in the subject header.
>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
>> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
> Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> The Sarai Programme at CSDS
> Raqs Media Collective
> shuddha at sarai.net
> www.sarai.net
> www.raqsmediacollective.net
>
>
>
Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net
More information about the reader-list
mailing list