But what of people who gets famous with little merit to the attention that they get? They live their rest, with fear of losing them, for they know they lack the power to retain it, nor the skills to attain them.
I remember long back being proud to find an Indian author hog the literary limelight with the Booker prize. Immersed in the world of literature, I rushed to the stores to get a copy of the "masterpiece". My excitement lasted not longer than the first few chapters. My mind could no longer endure the search for at least a line worth literary applause in the work. Slowly I relegated the work and the author to the archives of my memory that is not worth revisiting.
But fate would have it that I would be punished, day after day, for my reading habits. I would be forced to revisit the "famous" name once in a while. Nowadays the name is printed in bigger font sizes in the front pages of all newspapers. Sadly, for a cause not worth more than the booker prize.
Through a never ending drama staged by a never ending appetite for fame and attention, the figure tries desperately to relive those ill deserved moments of fame that seems to have deserted her. Here starts the story of her fight for justice, appearing at every nook and corner of the country, where unrest catches the headline, she lifts the curtains of her drama. With a script that lacks the depth to catch anyone's imagination, she lets the inherent qualities of the prevailing situation to add flavor to her drama. If her novel could get the booker, this drama can possible book her the Nobel. What greater prize can one ever hope for?
Initial diagnosis from a common man can identify two symptoms associated with the "Attention Seeking Syndrome" of the dramatist:
One, Verbal Diarrhea, a condition often stimulated by the lethal combination of a never ending tolerance to the limits of "Freedom of speech" afforded in no other parts of the world other than this great nation and the dramatists' insight that the tongue is one organ in their body without a bone, that affords them to twist and twirl, to make any noise of their wish, with minimum effort from another organ that they seldom use, the brain.
Two, Intellectual Poverty, often decorated by the lack of depth in the arguments that they voice, and the glaring contradictions fed by their lack of mastery on the topics around which their plays are often scripted.
Since the conduct of the dramatist over the last few years, trying to squeeze through (over hot issues ranging from topic to topic hardly interconnected, and from region to region of the nation) to get a piece of the attention when the topic catches the headlines (and then conveniently add a bit of disappearing act from the "Cause", when they no longer remain the talk of the nation) sheds enough light on the first symptom, I would not press hard to diagnose further.
To help with the diagnosis of Intellectual Poverty, lets analyse her latest statements on the last two sets of drama that she staged.
On the set of the "Maoists of India", a story on a group of wannabe terrorists, the dramatist unleashes her power (or rather lack of it) of imagination to coin the words "Gandhians with Guns". Using the virtue of Gandhian principles to describe the purpose of the Guns, exposes the authors lack of appreciation and understanding on the Gandhian principles. The Gandhian principles hinges critically on the principle of non-violence.
Then came her drama on "Geelani the warrior of justice". The story of a man who asks the Kashmiri youth to come on streets with stones, sacrificing their lifes, while his own children and grand children are safely guarded away in luxury, away from the streets of Kashmir, some in Universities abroad, in capacity as a citizen of India. She describes India as a colonizing power, another example of her inability to grasp the meaning of colonialism and imperialism. Strange would be the colonies like that of Kashmir, whose people have the same rights as a Maharashtrian, or a Bengali, or a Tamilian. This form of Imperialism is called "Democracy", and the struggle against such imperialism is called "Religious Extremism", the same logic for the formation of the biggest terror states on the planet now.
The author goes on to describe the differences between Kashmir and India, often not realizing that India is not about cultural identities or similarities, but it is a grand institution that allows barriers to break down, that erases differences to create an integration of multiple races, creeds, and religions, a living example of the supreme thought of integration beyond differences. A nation that teaches humanity that it is easier to build barriers on differences in race, creed, and religion, but challenging to forget the differences and identify the commonalities and come together as equals in an integrated society. And the author goes on an adventure to identify the "differences".
The author claims that historically Kashmir was not a part of India, but shy away from the details of what history is she referring to. With due respect to Winston Churchill, I have to admit that her speeches remind me of one of his qualities "On the spur talking", but unfortunately they lack the more important qualities of logic of thought or depth of truth. Her speech are phrases that lack backing of verifiable facts, and are often cut short to create an illusion, to misguide and misinform. She touches upon statements like the Sophian incident, but fails to touch upon the fact that investigations have proved that the "Rape" identified in initial medical reports were forged to flame rumors. Things that the author shy away from to misinform the public. Information or viewpoints that she intentionally suppresses to give her statements a feel of truth.
Now finally to debate on whether or not such people with ASS (Attention Seeking Syndrome) should be charged with sedition in the courts of the country. The answer is a resounding "No", not because she does not deserve the trial, but because the Indian judiciary does not deserve to waste their time on such non issues. A trail by law could add a beautiful (and often necessary) chapter on her next project: "My journey to the Nobel Peace". By denying such an opportunity, the nation has responded admirably to the situation. Now it would be prudent, if our journalist also quit wasting time and paper space on such irritating but harmless pests in the society. And probably I too should spend my time on activities worth better attention, which forces me to draw this debate to conclusion.
But before I can rest my mind on these thoughts, my mind cannot but help think about the right remedy for the situation. Not a trial by court, but a good sound "Spank" on the "ASS" by some wise old Indian gentleman who has lived long enough to understand "Gandhianism" and "Indianism".
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