[Reader-list] A Modest Appeal to Election Propagandists

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

Fortunately enough Reader's List at Sarai does not work according to the
wishes of one Shuddhabrata Sengupta. After many attacks, it has survived and
still holds to be a free flowing interactive forum.

Wonder what mess it would have been if 'jhollahwallahs' had their acts &
wishes implemented here on this forum too?

We would have been 'in exile' yet again from this forum too. Can you beat
that ?

God Bless!!

On Thu, Apr 16, 2009 at 11:17 AM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta
<shuddha at sarai.net>wrote:

>  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/
> >> _________________________________________
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> >
> > 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
>
>
> _________________________________________
> 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
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>



-- 
Aditya Raj Kaul