If Medha Patkar was the “box item” girl of the Narmada anti-dam saga, Himanshu Kumar is fast emerging as the poster boy in the Maoism story.
No newspaper, magazine or television article on “the gravest threat to internal security” is complete without a mention of (or quote from) Kumar, whose non-governmental organisation Vanvasi Chetna Ashram in “ground zero” of Maoist activities, Dantewada, was torched in May this year.
In Delhi recently, the “Gandhian human rights activist from Dantewada” was the cynosure of the swish set at the fifth anniversary celebrations of Tarun J. Tejpal‘s e-zine turned magazine, Tehelka*.
After holding forth eloquently for 30 minutes on tribals, poverty, disease, despair, neglect, pro-people this, anti-people that, surely Himanshubhai‘s heart should have skipped a beat, as he slung his jhola over his shoulder, to hear the emcee—Tehelka executive editor Shoma Chaudhury—announce that cocktails would be served on the on the other lawn?
For the record, the scotch maker, Whyte & Mackay, was one of the sponsors of the evening.
Champagne socialism?
Cognac communism?
Perrier proletarianism?
Evian egalitarianism?
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Link via Nikhil Moro in Dallas, Texas
* Disclosures apply
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Watch the first three parts here: One, two, three
Also read: Campaign to free Laxman Choudhury
BBC journalists secure abducted cop’s release
I think it is Fettercairn Fundamentalism!
Seriously, I admire this good man for giving up much in order to live in adivasi areas and help the adivasis’ cause.
Even an independet journal like Tehelka needs the spirit support, oops, sorry…sponsorship of Whyte & Macay; so why crib when other commercial papers ask politicos and businesses to sponsor their own news! Think!!
Nice contradiction! Jai ho!
So? What’s the point? As long as Tehelka doesn’t plug for W&B via advertorials – that W&B is the best that has happened to mankind since sliced bread – it’s fine IMO.
This Tehelka party takes the prize. The person who goes home laughing to the bank is Vijay Mallya. The gods have indeed blessed this upper caste brahminal bourgousiese capitalist with good customers for his daily two hour hindu brahminical puja ceremony.
‘Box item girl of Narmada’ – This is the best description of Medha Pathkar. Can someone come up with a good title for the all sound and fury girl – Ms Arundathi Roy.
A true scotch socialist is someone who believes in scotch for all.
Truly egalitarian.
What a blessing Outlook has no such pretensions…