[Reader-list] "Salman tells Pak channel, we overreacted to 26/11 because THE ELITE WERE HIT"

[Pheeta Ram]

Dear Inder Salim

Thanks for bringing this to everybody's notice. Very interesting. You seem
to have taken my mention of 'class hatred' far too seriously and literally
deep down to your heart, i think. If it has hurt your sentiments i beg your
pardon. [But, the question banta hai, ki inder bhai ko gussa kyon aaya?]

Unfortunately, this is the problem when we begin talking about 'raw' things
or rawness of things we are so very used to discuss in finer forms.
Mota-moti baat karne mai thoda khatra to hai bhai. Ab resham ki taaron se
haathi to baandha nahi ja sakta. You can't theorize something mota,
something raw, something whose very nature is allergic to the language of
theory. Theory is that damsel who wants to swallow an entire kaddu but
without spoiling her lipstick. Now since that can't be, it will cut that big
kaddu into small pieces and relish them. But whatever happened to that big
kaddu that Ms Theory couldn't eat?

For everybody's sake, here is the bio of the gentle man Inder has so
earnestly dug out:

i want to kill all the elites of the world; and construct a new world on the
basis of love and respect. No one will suffer because of want. I know it is
idealism which many philosophers have talked of, but i believe the time has
come when we can do away with the unjust systems...let us wait for the day,
for transcendence of the ego

The very first line conjures up a 'pyramid upside down' kind of graph and
hence very interesting to me at least.

Thanks

Pheeta Ram
On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 4:12 PM, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000927217088&ref=ts#!/profile.php?id=100000137477571
>
> plz read the bio of this gentle man on FB
>
> interesting
> thanks Mr. Peetha ji
>
>
>
> On 9/14/10, Pheeta Ram <pheeta.ram at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Dear Tapas
> >
> > As far as i know, 'majma' is a hindustani word for a gathering of people.
> I
> > was using it more in the colloquial sense of 'tamashbeen' which, i think,
> > means bunch of people who gather to watch some curious spectacle or event
> or
> > for the audience of a performance of 'tamasha' [a Marathi folk art form].
> > Some such scene prevailed in the vicinity of the Taj on that evening of
> 20th
> > November. You could easily read the horror on the faces of Mumbai elites
> > some of whom were visiting in their imported cars. You could contrast it
> > with the jubilation on the faces of street vendors. This jubilation was
> > cathartic, i believe.
> >
> > Dear Bipin
> >
> > After having read your response,i believe its 'either'-'or'-'both'
> situation
> > with respect to you: either, you are an elite yourself (self-imagined or
> > otherwise) or, you have fallen in the very trap that the Delhi times has
> > laid out for innocent souls to fall in; or both are applicable in your
> case.
> > That is the very reason i had underscored the word "overreacted" in my
> post
> > particularly. The editor at the TOI office, who gave such a clever turn
> to
> > the headline by inserting this word [though 'reacted' is there in
> Salman's
> > statement] should be specially awarded the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in
> > Journalism award for being a pastmaster in propaganda. Also, let us not
> > overlook the fact that the word "overreacted" has overbearing family
> > resemblances with "over-hyped." There is no comparing  the loss of human
> > life. The idea is to hammer a point to the home of elites: "heads must
> begin
> > to roll" [to use a phrase much in currency during that time in the News
> > Channel studios] because the pleasure palaces of the elites had come
> under
> > attack for the first time. Those who have a taste for headlines will
> > remember this international post 9/11 headline: TERROR COMES HOME. This
> is
> > one of the best headlines i have ever come across. Just imagine its
> impact
> > in the hearts of the residents of the first-world who consume 250 times
> more
> > energy than their third-world counterparts and pollute the earth 250
> times
> > more. In their heart of hearts they knew that all their pleasures were
> being
> > paid for with the blood of the third-world poor. That was the moment of
> > reckoning: that cold touch of the 'real'.
> >
> > The question of "Why now?" is no question at all. We are quite used to
> such
> > gimmicks by now and needn't trouble binaries uselessly. I am just trying
> to
> > look at the entire issue through the lens of class and trying to refuse
> the
> > temptation of hairsplitting (may be, such fineries are beyond my
> > constitution). The people who do our share of thinking for us are fully
> > justified when they fail to raise such issues; can you lift yourself by
> your
> > shoelaces? No, we know. The entire struggle of the elite ruling class is
> > against getting eaten up by itself, such is the nature of its parasitism.
> > Don't forget: our stomach begins consuming itself when it doesn't get any
> > supply of food. The entire effort of the popular entertainment run by the
> > elites is to sublimate, channelise and diffuse the 'class hatred'
> simmering
> > in the hearts of the poor and the dispossessed because it is this class
> > hatred which constitutes the stuff revolutions are made of!
> >
> > Best
> >
> > Pheeta
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 10:43 PM, Bipin Trivedi <aliens at dataone.in>
> wrote:
> >
> > > Just read Salman's statement given in the Delhi Times itself: " Just
> > > because this time the Taj, the Oberoi were under attack, everybody
> stood up.
> > > We've had bomb blasts in trains, in small towns, but no one reacted, no
> one
> > > stood up.... Why now? The people who suddenly woke up were speaking up
> > > because they were scared for their own lives."
> > >
> > > Why Salman suddenly giving such statement now after about 2 years and
> that
> > > also to Pak journalist and this also before he want to release his
> picture
> > > Dabang in the Pak? He just want the publicity for his movie nothing
> else and
> > > there is no any honest intention towards any earlier terrorist victim
> not
> > > getting hype compared to this attack.
> > >
> > > It is absolutely wrong to say that 26/11 attack was hyped much more
> since
> > > the Taj/Oberoi hotel attacked. It was hyped much more since terrorist
> attack
> > > was of high impact. It was lasted for more than 48 hours, much more
> people
> > > were died/injured compared to other attacks like simple bomb blasts of
> > > towns/cities where casualties was negligible or rather nil. Earlier
> Mumbai
> > > train bomb blasts also was hyped much more due to their more casualties
> > > where lower class people where victim. Similarly, parliament attack and
> red
> > > fort attack, where casualties were not there but got hyped due to their
> > > stature. During the 26/11 attack media covered CST station news also
> and
> > > showing repeatedly. One should not forget that CST station coverage of
> CCTV
> > > was the key evidence in the court and this was shown by all the media
> > > regularly.
> > >
> > > Any unknown place and not 5 star hotels where 26/11 like attack took
> place
> > > lasted for this much time and impact would have got this much hype
> only. So,
> > > the analysis itself is wrong that it got hyped due to 5 star hotel were
> > > attacked.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > Bipin Trivedi
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: reader-list-bounces at sarai.net [mailto:
> reader-list-bounces at sarai.net]
> > > On Behalf Of Pheeta Ram
> > > Sent: Monday, September 13, 2010 8:34 AM
> > > To: sarai list
> > > Subject: [Reader-list] "Salman tells Pak channel, we overreacted to
> 26/11
> > > because THE ELITE WERE HIT"
> > >
> > > It made for an interesting headline on the front-page of the Delhi
> Times,
> > > but spot-on! I happened to be in front of the Taj hotel in Mumbai on
> the
> > > 29th of November, marveling at the majma that had assembled in front of
> the
> > > hotel that had been under attack two days before. Though the insides of
> the
> > > hotel had been put off limits for the general public, during the day, i
> > > came
> > > to know of the next day, a filmmaker and Deshmukh and co. had visited
> it on
> > > a broad daylight jaunt. Terminally allergic to khandani elites and
> > > elites-in-the-making, i decided to find out what the street hawkers had
> to
> > > say about the Taj and all the tamasha around it: "Pehli baar amir log
> mare
> > > hain. Tabhi itna halla ho raha hai. CST wallon ko koi nahin pooch raha
> hai.
> > > Sab photo waale yahin par aaye hain.... Jo bhai Commando sab Taj walon
> ko
> > > bacha kar gaye hain, wo kabhi yahan ki chaye [tea] bhi nahi kharid
> > > sakenge."
> > > I was surprised to hear from a fellow brother what i was feeling then
> but
> > > unable to articulate. Very surprisingly, despite being an elite
> himself,
> > > Salman Khan voiced similar sentiments yesterday which have made
> headlines
> > > today in many newspapers.
> > >
> > > My making the Delhi Times headline the subject of this mail has one
> another
> > > purpose: to highlight an observation regarding the 'politics' of the
> Times
> > > of India. Everybody knows that TOI is the front organ of the ruling
> > > establishment, so my observation shouldn't strike as a surprise to
> anybody.
> > > Just read Salman's statement given in the Delhi Times itself: " Just
> > > because
> > > this time the Taj, the Oberoi were under attack, everybody stood up.
> We've
> > > had bomb blasts in trains, in small towns, but no one reacted, no one
> stood
> > > up.... Why now? The people who suddenly woke up were speaking up
> because
> > > they were scared for their own lives." Now compare this with the text
> of
> > > the
> > > headline; i would like to underscore the word "overreacted"
> particularly,
> > > which to my mind, makes all the difference. I don't think i need to
> labour
> > > more to make my point.
> > >
> > > After the Mumbai attacks, suddenly a hotel was made up as the 'national
> > > icon'. I won't be surprised if the coming generations would identify
> the
> > > Taj
> > > hotel as one of the wonders of the world instead of the Taj at Agra.
> Some
> > > time back a young aspiring researcher, with the alacrity and politeness
> so
> > > characteristic of her tribe, had reacted to my untimely suggestion
> (that
> > > the
> > > issue of "Dilli vs Delhi" was primarily a class issue and that there
> was
> > > curious politics behind the demise of the concept of 'class' ) saying
> that
> > > it was impossible to class-ify society in neat categories any longer as
> > > things had become very complicated and hence uselessness of the concept
> of
> > > 'class'. I believe, it is the 'intent' and not the 'nature' of things
> > > around
> > > us that makes the difference. Is there something that is goading us to
> > > reach
> > > the conclusion? Which class do we belong to now? Which class we used to
> > > belong to before? Which class my parents and their parents before them
> > > belonged to? Which class do i identify with? Which class do i aspire to
> > > identify with? These are some of the questions which strike me when i
> begin
> > > to rethink about the issue of class-ification of contemporary society
> and
> > > of
> > > the people who overly stress of its very impossibility.  (My guru used
> to
> > > tell me: "ki bhayya pheeta, do hi class hoti hain, ek jo roti ke waaste
> > > kamaati hai aur doosri wo jo majaa marne ke liye munaafe ki roti
> chakhti
> > > hai.")
> > >
> > > People who are intent on reaching a conclusion, on making a 'just'
> point
> > > (which the maze of contemporary category confusions render impossible)
> > > would
> > > strategically deploy these categories rather than treating them as junk
> > > from
> > > a forgettable past. Surprisingly, the concept of 'strategic
> essentialism'
> > > comes from one of the elites of the academia itself, the tribe i intend
> to
> > > criti-size ( and not critique). It is a point not very uncommonly
> > > observable, that people who run their shop in the academia, must always
> > > employ themselves in the business of deferring just conclusions.
> Anything,
> > > any interpretation, that would defer the 'judgement day' is welcome. It
> is
> > > the 'aesthetics of deferral' that distinguishes the world of an
> academic
> > > from the world of an activist  which is solely defined by the 'ethics
> of
> > > arrival'. It also explains the phenomenon of a sudden proliferation in
> new
> > > scintillating categories in prodigious numbers in the later half of the
> > > 20th
> > > century. So one fine evening, if you, by your god's grace, find
> yourself in
> > > a seminar hall full of creatures from academia, just try to grab their
> > > 'conclusions' and the points that drive them to them. Savour each and
> every
> > > turn of phrase, every other word that at once remind you of your sumo
> > > dictionary, every other sentence that slips from your grasp like a
> jelly
> > > fish. The fun would not be in discovering the Emperor naked but in
> finding
> > > that "is hamaam main to tamaam nange hain!"
> > >
> > > My sincere apologies for hastening the con-clusion.
> > >
> > > Pheeta Ram
> > > _________________________________________
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> > >
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>
> --
>
> http://indersalim.livejournal.com
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