OK, Rang de Basanti and Munnabhai may help us bullshit a bit, but does anybody have any idea how (and why) “candle lit vigils” have become a part of our culture?
OK, the phenomenon keeps poor candle makers (like Dimple Kapadia, maybe?) in business, and it helps starving (starving of TRPs, that is) TV stations houses get a few good images.
But how exactly does lighting a candle (or a million) help us relate to (or “connect with”) with the victims of terror or whatever victims we are trying to relate to (or “connect with”). And how exactly do these silly rays of light help us scare off terrorists or whatever it is we are trying to scare off?
All of which just gives us a nice pretext to sneak in Dimple’s name and plug our lovely pal Divya Spandana alias Ramya‘s touching tribute to victims of 26/11 siege of Bombay at the Cubbon Park in Bangalore on Thursday.
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
Also read: One more example of commodification of women
churumuri 
Everyone wants to blindly mimic Westerners. Just because US coined the terrorist attacks on September 11 as “9/11”, out media didn’t think twice to call Mumbai attacks as “11/26”. When did we start using US date formats? Shouldn’t that be “26/11”? Don’t even get me started on the “Valentine’s day”.
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I agree with you, its all set up by the trp hungry media. I am ashamed of Indian media more than that of politicians..
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Though a recent import, I’d much rather read about a candle light vigil (a common denominator the world over to mourn and remember) than read about a Ramya or a Dimple.
Why take umbrage to something innocuous like a vigil when there are a million other things western, more pronounced, that are seeping into our culture faster than Vrishabhavathi is to our drinking waters ?
You could do better than to come up with a half-hearted filler post on 26/11 churumuri !
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This is an excellent piece. Infact it is the only worthwhile post 26/11 piece
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Truly true…I can never understand how lighting candles or painting on Mumbai’s walls will us ward of the evils
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these idiots lighting candles will never learn..i dont put it beyond these brainless dolts to do the same for a “fair trial” for kasab or peace and tranquility in our western neighbour…makes my blood boil seeing these childish half brained media scripted attempts at gaining mileage out of tragedy.
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Again Churumuri – commoditisation (sic) of the event!!
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What a wonderful photograph.
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I think this must have been thought of by the candle makers as relatively lesser power cuts in cities had dried out their business and they had to figure a way to restart their business. Also never understood how the other ways to show solidarity – like “running a public marathon” (albeit 1 km only) or walking on MG Road and assembling under Gandhi statue near the KSCA ever sent out a message to the terrorists that we mean business. Not as long as our politicians and journos continue to mouth inane statements such as “Mumbai city is not cowed down by terrorists”, “mumbai city is back with a vengeance” from behind multiple rings of NSG commandos or from the safety of the television studio.
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Yes I agree with this post. I dont know how lighting up some candles would change the system or is it a way of communication and if “yes” then to whom are we communicating to and conveying what by just lighing up some candles? Its completely illogical.
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Lovely bombshell guru, hope it falls on poli’s like me!
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Dear Indian Mainstream Broadcasting Media:
* You have packaged, commoditised, bundled and promoted “specials” and “exclusives by leveraging not just our sympathy but mongering fear and anger.
* A gentle reminder – The collective memory of this nation is good enough to remember every major disaster in Modern History from Bhopal to the Karnataka floods. A few of us might forget but we will be reminded without having to walk through a vulgar promotional event.
Do not profiteer from our collective tragedies, it borders on the insensitive.
We do not need media to send out sponsored reminders.
Anand Bala
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Vigils are a way to express sorrow & show solidarity in crisis, you cynic.. You needed a vigil for 26/11 as a reason to write about Dimple???? You are freakin’ crazy man.. Get your shrink to bloody treat you properly..
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Candle burning bage yen-yeno baribedi, illandhre bejar maadkundbidthare paapa nam guru Ramya.
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namma mandyada huDugi yenu chennage idhaaLe.noDokke eradu kaNNu saldhu.
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Do you have to apply make-up on this day also?
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Most of the protests,rallies etc. etc. are always hijacked by the political party and their supporters . These people always carry the party flags to not only register a protest but also to score a point over other parties.
The candle has turned out to be the symbolic “flag” of the apolitical, students , civil society etc. While it may mock a western style of protest; one can’t question its associated silence , dignity & brightness. Neither do we stop to ask how mobile phones, televisions ..(all western products) have become part of our culture
The candle possibly helps the silent apolitical majority to join in any vigil he/she chooses without having to kowtow to the wishes of one poilitical party or another.
Its a nice contemporary post from Churumuri. I am sure as a society, we will have to accomodate lots of other cultural changes that reflect the aspirations of the youth, who incidentally form the majority.
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Ramya is simply looking gorgeous!
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