Big Brother State Makes Food Choices For Us

Why is the State getting involved with what I eat and drink?

English-speaking middle class vermin

A middle-class, English-speaking Indian decides that the neighbouring country liquor vendor must be shut down. Uses CNN-IBN Citizen Journalist promo to get media coverage.

Feeling very sanctimonious, Pradeep Bhatia pushes a reluctant local police station to shut down a small-time entrepreneur. This tea-stall and selling country liquor, was definitely not the type that is patronized by the rich or even the middle-class. Note, in the entire CNN-IBN report, there is no mention of law & order problem from this tea-and-liquor outlet owner or its patrons.

I wonder if he would have done this against a more powerful bar?

Anyways, who is anyone to decide what I will eat and drink? Should the State regulate my choices of food and drink? Can Pradeep Bhatia and the Police Inspector decide what I will eat and drink?

Not in भारत-तंत्र Bharat-tantra, at least.

Disclaimer: I have no interest in this tea-stall, liquor, country or otherwise. While I am a teetotaler, I see no reason I should impose my preferences on anyone else.

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The dogs that did not bark …

The league of 2ndhanders

This is N Ram of The Hindu, triumphantly using what he thought, was the clinching argument. Speaking about journalistic etiquette of Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi on the Niira Radia Tapes.

N.Ram: One thing I know, Karan. This would not be tolerated in The BBC or The New York Times or The Financial Times …

Karan Thapar: … (interrupts) … I will take that as a hint …

N.Ram: … (continues) … Your career would be over, once that  happened …

Karan Thapar: I will take that as a hint even though you have not said it upfront that if it would not be tolerated by the The BBC or The Financial Times and I  presume you include the Hindu and although you have not named it you are also suggesting that it should not be tolerated by the Hindustan Times and NDTV …

(via The Last Word, broadcast on  27th November 2010 at 7.45 pm with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN; click on the link to get the video; transcript mine.)

A gap-fill PM ... waiting for Rahul-baba to takeover. (Cartoonist - Manjul).

Checkmate?

This was N Ram’s clinching argument! His BIG idea! Is this all he can summon to damn this behaviour. Can he not think beyond BBC, Financial Times, New York Times, as a benchmark?

Ask me.

N Ram stands damned more than Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi. For how long will the owner-editor for India’s oldest English newspaper allow BBC, Financial Times, New York Times, to decide the standards on which The Hindu will be run?

Looking at N Ram’s aesthetic moorings, is it surprising that The Hindu remains unappetizing, like stale rasam!

Holmes …

Importantly, and interestingly, no one else on the panel found this ‘standard’ worthy of objection, laughter, derisive dismissal – anything at all.

Excerpt from the Silver Blaze

Inspector Gregory: “Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”

Sherlock Holmes: “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”

Inspector Gregory: “The dog did nothing in the night-time.”

Sherlock Holmes: “That was the curious incident,”

Related links

Some Telephone Conversations

All Lines Are Busy

The Vir Sanghvi- Niira Radia Tapes