There Is Something…

Posted on December 7, 2006 by Confused

……very sick in India

As a smiling Sidhu walked out of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he was literally mobbed by his supporters and journalists camping outside the court complex since morning. He was greeted with slogans Guru pher ho ja shuru, a phrase often used by Sidhu in a popular TV programme.  

The lawyers and litigants in the court were seen taking positions on balconies to have a glimpse of the popular MP, who seemed to have earned sympathy along with the sentence.

Sympathy? For what? In a case of road rage, Sidhu bashed up a gentleman who subsequently died in the hospital.  After a long 18 year trial he hasfinally been found guilty and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment. If there has to be any sympathy it must be for the victim and his family who had to wait eighteen long years for the criminal justice system to catch up with Sidhu. Eighteen years of suffering while Sidhu’s career continued uninterrupted, he became a M.P and a very successful cricket commentator.

Instead, we have this orgy of people coming out in support of Sidhu as if he has just won an Olympic medal or something! Yeah, it wasn’t a pre-mediated murder, maybe Sidhu is nicest guy in the world and a true gentleman. But all that is immaterial to the case: You commit a crime and you must pay the price. Is that too hard to understand? Of course, Sidhu has the right to appeal to a higher court but till that appeal is upheld, he is a criminal. As simple as that! But who is going to explain it to such dumbwits:

Seventyfive-year-old Swaranjit Singh Butt – who had captained the North Zone team which comprised legends like Nari Contractor and Dattu Phadkar, against West Indies in 1959 – said Sidhu played cricket with a straight bat resulting in forceful drives. “Generaly cricketers who play with a straight bat are considered genuine persons in life,” he said.

Left me speechless.

But wait, Soren’s supporters are already out in full force in support of their leader. And I await a sociological analysis as to why his act was  justified in the name of Dalit angst or some such.

Filed under: Views On News

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15 Responses

  1. Barbarindian, on December 7th, 2006 at 1:22 pm Said:

    I would like to ask Abi if the Sidhu and Soren case need to be analyzed through different lenses.

    The Soren case had nothing to do with Dalit angst. His secy found out some incriminating stuff and was going to blow the whistle. Soren and his cronies quickly off’ed the dude. Also, Soren is not a Dalit, he is technically an adivasi, i.e. ST. There is no evidence that advasis were subjected to the same “treatment” Dalits were. They lived in their own jungles and forests or wherever, in their own self-governed entities.

  2. jyothsnay, on December 7th, 2006 at 10:07 pm Said:

    All of a sudden, the prison erupts into chaos, as if the laughter monsters attacked the “denizens”*inmates within those dreary…the system stands perplexed over this! a deep immersion into this weird development reveals the fact the almost dead denizens are enjoying some superficial humorous blockbuster* a closer look mister..they are listening hard to the humorous quips but laughing lightly at someone’s antics.. ..in unison, exploding into such weird, gasping, grunting noises…the system gets enthused about this humorous hemorrhage, the monkeys’ kind of screeches, thulps n yelps and inanimate chatter and decides to extend this experience to other prisons littered aroud the country…
    The ever-youthful* sorry smiling Sidhu is greeted with extended programme behind the walls…The Great Indian Laughter Challenge behind the walls leads other Reality shows..;-)
    R
    The Septuagenarian Butt understandably lost his essence..hehe! do forgive him boy

  3. Ravindra, on December 8th, 2006 at 12:00 am Said:

    Ok, Sidhu may have committed a “Crime” just like Salman Khan when he ran over a street-sleeper or other such accidents and therefore must pay for it.

    My problem is that since the verdicts of Soren and Sidhu have come one day after another, the two cases tend to get lumped together, particularly by Soren sympathisers. Obviously, they arent in the same bracket. One is a habitual multiple murderer while the other is only a loudmouth!

    Surely, these subtleties ought to get factored in while viewing these cases.

  4. jyothsnay, on December 8th, 2006 at 12:54 am Said:

    my sleepy little head staggered in a drunken reverie (such an alien phenomenon for a
    teetotaller) and I found myself at my wits’ end when I read Politicians’ uproar against “HYPER-ACTIVE Judicial system”… ridiculous!

  5. Jai_Choorakkot, on December 8th, 2006 at 2:38 am Said:

    Sorry. Last try.

    —> his (Soren’s) act was justified in the name of Dalit angst … Think you are over-reaching here. To their eternal credit none of “my guys” is saying that. The only place I found this was in Sawminathan S Aiyar’s column that Abi referred to:

    something like “… not just any old secretary, an upper-caste one at that” and further to say that Soren’s acts would be portrayed as heroic etc.

    This stuff was in bad taste. The rest of Swami’s column was pretty much spot on.

    regards,
    Jai

  6. shadows, on December 8th, 2006 at 2:42 am Said:

    I think the only reason Sidhu got out lightly is that it wasnt a pre-meditated murder.
    While I dont sympathise.. I sure will miss his commentary and laughter shows.

    While Salman is a habitual offender and gets into drunken brawls every other month, and Soren is a typical Bihar criminal-politician.

    Hey I too bat with a straight bat. Am I a genuine person :) .. Nyet. hehe..

  7. rishi, on December 8th, 2006 at 2:47 am Said:

    When somebody is convicted by a court they should go to jail pending appeal. What is the justification of granting bail to a convicted offender, just so he can appeal.

    Bail should be granted only when guilt is not proven. However when the lower court convicts a person, bail should not be granted.

    This applies equally to Siddhu, Salman, Sajnay, Shibbu and many many others.

  8. jyothsnay, on December 8th, 2006 at 3:07 am Said:

    @Dear ripper
    I bat my eyelids from far straight an angle….would the world consider me Genuine too ? well of course I have this heavy tag of being “NAIVE”….

  9. shadows, on December 8th, 2006 at 9:17 am Said:

    Jyothsna,

    :) Well,, you are in a better position to know that. I cannot say anything about this :)

    Naive and genuine are two different things. One can be both genuine and naive at the same time. One might be the reason for another.

  10. Confused, on December 9th, 2006 at 12:03 am Said:

    Barb,

    I know, but people like Swaminathan Aiyar are already attempting the sociological analysis.

    Jyo,

    heh. But have you seen the grat laughter challenge? It sucks!

    Ravindra,

    Point noted! There is a certainly a difference but surely, Sidhu is not a hero.

    Jai,

    Why do you always feel I am attacking your guys? :) Yes, that comment in the end was very much inspired by the Swami column, but seriously, this post was about Sidhu. The Soren angle was a minor point.

    And seriously, if you say it is to their eternal credit, then surely you don’t think too high of them! I am sure you do but I think no one sane would praise/defend a convicted murderer.

    Shadows,

    I kinda dislike his commentary. Its way over the top.

    Rishi,

    Yup. One is surely non-guilty till convicted, but once one is, I have no hesitation in calling them a criminal.

  11. jyothsnay, on December 9th, 2006 at 12:45 am Said:

    yes R
    I did watch the first leg of “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge”…it’s a beautiful concept where I did enjoy a few comedians who belted out nice digs…initially it was brilliant with those simple yet humurous observations about humans, which degenerated*strictly my opinion* into “Plastic Humor” where one is expected to stretch his/her facial muscles- a huge potential for humorous hemorrhage*again my term* …n Mr Sidhu (except for a few episodes) became too predictable just as a scarecrow & his bag of pathetic tools.
    Humor is intelligent, spotaneous and effusive effusive lyrical description of a conversation.
    dnot know I always felt the so-called Indian comedians/humorists make mammoth an effort to create humor.
    real life humor that tickles & strikes a chord with and flirts with the audience- sitcoms like Seinfeld, Friends,The Simpsons,Will & Grace
    ….n can we afford to ignore “British humor”….closer home, i like Paresh Rawal,Om Puri (versatile an actor),Brahmanandam (Telugu star) for their ability to create effortless a mirth
    i do agree with u,S’s commentary is a punishment one has to go through

  12. jyothsnay, on December 9th, 2006 at 12:58 am Said:

    talking about humor, I enjoy your kind of humor too! it is fresh.. oh the brat is coming! :-P
    :-) n let’s not forget a few intelligent commentators over here…they whip-n-lash!

  13. jyothsnay, on December 9th, 2006 at 1:10 am Said:

    N
    RK Laxman, his whimsical wry humor brings a smile to all of us anywhere anytime…..we run back to the days of Malgudi, of hamlets throb with innocence…
    a brilliant mind that created an ICON ..THE COMMON MAN
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._K._Laxman

  14. shadows, on December 11th, 2006 at 4:22 am Said:

    I kinda dislike his commentary. Its way over the top.

    ========

    Confused,
    Thats exactly why :) .. something to entertain when the Indian team is getting f***ed as usual :D

  15. Something to Say, on December 15th, 2006 at 3:58 pm Said:

    you’re right – this probably happens only in india. 18 yrs later – there is a judgement delivered – there is man dead – and yet the accused has the balls to come out smiling.
    And all of them Sindhu, Soren, Salman Khan, manu Sharma – they might be able to fool judges, media, people – but how do they live with their own conscience? With the blood of another man – on your soul??

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