What is it with Maneka Gandhi? Now she has objections over Aamir Khan riding a horse in Rang De Basanti and the three bulls, two dogs and half a cat used in the same film. Good God. Not again!
It is not my contention that these animals were not treated badly. May be they were, may be they weren’t. I do not know. But has Maneka Gandhi noticed how the film industry functions in general? Or the way junior artists and stuntmen are treated in the Indian film industry? Forget junior artists even someone like Amitabh Bachchan shot two years for Kaun Banega Crorepati “with some of my most medically complicated shortcomings”. He shot for Sharaabi with his hand in the pocket because in an earlier accident a bomb went off and turned his hand into a “meatball”. Such is the nature of a shoot and the film industry. It just doesn’t matter who/what you are or how you are feeling that particular day – the work just needs to get done. And if in the process actors get inconvenienced, tough luck. Now is Ms. Maneka Gandhi going to object to all these too? I think not.
This does not mean that I believe that animals should not be treated kindly. Of course they should be. I have seen documentaries where elephants were trapped, stunned with electric rods and the flesh on the foot sawed – yes sawed, to prevent them from attempting any escape. It was a heart rending sight. Such incidents and the rampant poaching that takes place in India show that a vigilant SPCA is absolutely necessary.
But, and here is a big but, there is something like going overboard. And the problem with doing that is the legitimate concerns espoused later get laughed at. Objecting to animals being used in film shooting is to my mind ridiculous.
In my humble opinion it is better to let these minor misdemeanours be and go after the big ones. Why is it that Maneka Gandh does not create a huge ruckus about the rampant poaching of the big cats? The proliferating trade in animal parts and skin? These are issues that need to be dealt with and not cosmetic ones such as supplying “supporting artists” to the film industry.
Incidentally was she not a Central minister not too long ago? What did she do about these issues at that time? It is probably time for her to go after these real issues and stop sensationalising an obviously serious problem.
It is not my contention that these animals were not treated badly. May be they were, may be they weren’t. I do not know. But has Maneka Gandhi noticed how the film industry functions in general? Or the way junior artists and stuntmen are treated in the Indian film industry? Forget junior artists even someone like Amitabh Bachchan shot two years for Kaun Banega Crorepati “with some of my most medically complicated shortcomings”. He shot for Sharaabi with his hand in the pocket because in an earlier accident a bomb went off and turned his hand into a “meatball”. Such is the nature of a shoot and the film industry. It just doesn’t matter who/what you are or how you are feeling that particular day – the work just needs to get done. And if in the process actors get inconvenienced, tough luck. Now is Ms. Maneka Gandhi going to object to all these too? I think not.
This does not mean that I believe that animals should not be treated kindly. Of course they should be. I have seen documentaries where elephants were trapped, stunned with electric rods and the flesh on the foot sawed – yes sawed, to prevent them from attempting any escape. It was a heart rending sight. Such incidents and the rampant poaching that takes place in India show that a vigilant SPCA is absolutely necessary.
But, and here is a big but, there is something like going overboard. And the problem with doing that is the legitimate concerns espoused later get laughed at. Objecting to animals being used in film shooting is to my mind ridiculous.
In my humble opinion it is better to let these minor misdemeanours be and go after the big ones. Why is it that Maneka Gandh does not create a huge ruckus about the rampant poaching of the big cats? The proliferating trade in animal parts and skin? These are issues that need to be dealt with and not cosmetic ones such as supplying “supporting artists” to the film industry.
Incidentally was she not a Central minister not too long ago? What did she do about these issues at that time? It is probably time for her to go after these real issues and stop sensationalising an obviously serious problem.
6 comments:
I dunno about you man...but Maneka Gandhi just scares me. She says the most absurd things with such confidence, that is just leaves me confused. I remember she had started a campaign stating that milk is bad for you(She drinks soya milk) and she brought out some "medical findings" about how it harms the body. That just left me scratching my head, and i still wonder when i drink my morning cup of milk. Also pretty bold, considering she was doing it in a country where AMUL conducted Operation Flood(digressing a little, ain't it cool that AMUL is helping replicate Operation Flood in the African nations.
I have seen the movie and can only laugh at the absurdity of Ms. Gandhi. She is happy that the Aamir Khan horse riding scene has been edited out. But what about the other scenes in the black and white section of the movie (e.g. the Lala Lajpatrai Lathi charge scene where a horseback rider hits Lalaji on the head or the chase through the fields). Does Ms Gandhi believe that those sequences were not filmed by the director and are in fact taken from old documentaries ? Maybe it is possible that she was peeved that her political party BJP is shown in poor light in the movie (the saffron flags are very evident) and this was a stalling tactic to prevent the film's release ? The ignorance and vested interests of our politicians are truly apalling. Most of them deserve the fate meted out to their kind in the movie.
Come on guys whatever her motives atleast there is one politician who speaks about animal rights. Yes I know I am also scoffed at when i talk about ethical treatment of animals. Human beings across the world are in a bad shape does not mean we ignore the animals.
And yes anon sir milk is useless for a human being after he passes the age of 10.
The cruelty behind milk and polutry ...let me not even talk about it. Do you know oxytocin injections...which induces labour pain to make the cow feel she is giving birth and yeild more milk day after day.
yes labour pain everyday... and in few days she would be sent to a slaughter house on foot or tied in atruck where she wont be even able to move an inch without food and water.
I can go on but it hardly makes a difference.
Because until and unless you yourself dont feel like finding the truth people like menka or neone who speaks of animal rights will be a joke to you. just visit peta.org if you are too lazy to google.
Does anybody knows Maneka gandhi's constituency? Its Pilibhit and how many times have you heard her raising the voice for any issue related to her constituency or making the life better for the people who bring her to the Power years after years. The economy and standard of living is in shambles there. You will find Pigs roaming around freely on the streets, no electricity, no proper internet connectivity..But sruprisingly we never hear about all this. Do you guys know of a website which lists the constituency and the work of the top most politicians, so that people can track it and perform their leaders 360 degree appraisal.
well i absolutely agree with sapphire..atleast theres one person (Mrs.Maneka Gandhi)who is standing there for the rights of animal. i dont understand when will people stop looking at the flaws??? i mean look at what she has done, so good and so much for the animals.. all i would like to say is rather than criticising the people, help them in their good endeavour!
when somebody wants to put forth a point some actions are like gestures or symbolic eg burning of imported clothes during our freedom fight one cannot ask what about this that etc asking the racing sceneto be banned was such a gesture & u seem to forget that amitabh does it out of his own choice and for his monetary or whatever benefit i think the matter of choice makes all the difference one cannot compare the horse with humans who choose to do it ....
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