Saturday, July 26, 2014

'Tennis' Diplomacy



There was a an accident in Telangana before 2 days.A passenger train rammed into a school bus killing 20 young children.This is an information.This will not bring the much needed sensation to get TRP ratings. So let us ignore this.There is something else related to Telangana.Sania Mirza was appointed 'Brand Ambassador' of Telangana.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao handed over a letter of appointment and also a cheque of Rs. one crore to 27-year-old at an interaction session with industrialists in Hyderabad.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/sania-mirza-is-telanganas-brand-ambassador/article6237149.ece

One BJP leader from Telangana raised objection to this.He called Sania as 'daugher-in-law' of Pakistan.This has created a huge uproar in Times Now.They have gone to the extent of creating a hashtag #RightWingFreeRun and started projecting as if the new central govt is torturing the minorities. Within few hours,Mr.Prakash Javadekar, who is Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting,issued a statement as follows :

"Sania Mirza is a pride of India. Sania Mirza has an international standing on her own... So, we have no objection. I am sure she is pride of India. She is brand ambassador of India," he told reporters here."

Regarding the 'daughter-in-law' of Pakistan comment,he says,"This is not BJP's position".

http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/Sania-Mirza-Is-Indias-Pride-Javadekar/851306

Which clearly means the BJP has distanced itself from the 'Pakistani daughter-in-law' comment. To add more, Union Law Minister Mr.Ravi Shankar Prasad too praised Sania Mirza tweeting, "Sania Mirza is proud daughter of India and has brought great glory to India in the field of sports. @MirzaSania".



'@MirzaSania don't get perturbed by such shameless, irresponsible statements, you are pride of India, keep concentrating on your game. - This is Kirti Azad,a BJP MP.


Only one BJP leader called Sania an outsider,so many people from BJP, who are part of the central govt, supported Sania.We have already exposed the media bias in the force-feeding incident involving a Shiv Sena MP.One more controversial statement - 

"If we all support it and we stand by Narendra Modi systematically, then I feel a Hindu Rashtra will be established," Dhavalikar said.


This Dhavalikar is a Goa MLA.There are 2 ways of interpreting this statement.One is,Mr.Modi will eradicate non-Hindus from India and make India a Hindu nation.This is how media wants the public to interpret for obvious reasons.The other way to interpret,infact the proper interpretations should be as follows.The BJP always believed in a Hindu rashtra(a Hindu nation).Hindu nation doesn't mean a nation with only Hindus.No govt can make India a 'Hindu-only' nation.According to the BJP,Hindutva is a way of living.Once, former Prime Minister,Mr.Vajpayee said,Hindutva means Bharatiyata.The honorable Supreme court of India too upheld this.

"The apex court's three-judge bench in 1995 had held that "Hindutva/Hinduism is a way of life of the people in the sub-continent" and "is a state of mind." 

The judgement was delivered in the case of Manohar Joshi versus N B Patil which was authored by Justice J S Verma who found that statement by Joshi that "First Hindu State will be established in Maharashtra did not amount to appeal on ground of religion." 


The above link also says Supreme Court's seven judge bench all set to revisit this judgement.Let it revisit.But the point which I try to establish here is,the BJP leader's statement of building Hindu rashtra should be interpreted as building a nation with Indian culture and without western culture.Some may not agree with the use of the word 'Hindutva/Hindu rashtra' and the Supreme court may or may not upheld their earlier judgement.But what is clear is,this statement has nothing against minorities.

The use of hash tag #RightWingFreeRun only shows the desperation of the channel to malign the image of BJP and make money by disturbing the existing communal harmony in the nation.

Now,back to 'Tennis' Diplomacy.The stand of TRS Chief and Telangana CM can be found above.I have also quoted the official stand of BJP.But, this 'Tennis' Diplomacy needs more analysis.Alright, Sania Mirza is an Indian/Indian daughter.But what makes her so special to be the brand ambassador of the new state?  She has not won any individual grandslam titles.She has 2 grandslams in mixed doubles(Mahesh Bhupathi was her partner).Apart from that she didn't win any major tournaments.Ofcourse she has won some medals in Afro-Asian games,Asian games and Commonwealth Games.

Let it be.Recently Sania broke down during a television interview and asked 'I don’t know how many times I will have to justify my Indianess, prove my patriotism'.



She showed her patriotism by refusing to hold the Indian national flag during the 2012 Olympics ceremony.

She did not follow the dress-code during the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony.

While all the male members of the Indian team were dressed in off-white sherwanis at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the tennis duo of Sania Mirza and Sunitha Rao were attired in black trousers and practice jackets. Not only did the two not follow the dress code, the contrast was even more jarring to the eyes when they walked with Delhi paddler Neha Aggarwal who chose a greenish saree for the occasion.


Mirza disrespected the national tricolour by sitting in a manner so that her feet pointed at the flag, which he felt was derogatory and had hurt him.


Still Sania asks how many times should she justify her Indianess and she breaks down too even after so many people supporting her. I am reminded of an English phrase - 'drama queen'.

On the other hand,there is another star from Telangana.She has won some major titles.She made India proud by winning the first Olympic medal for India in badminton.None has done this before.She is none other than She is none other than Saina Nehwal.The Telangana CM could have very well made Saina Nehwal as the new state's brand ambassador.What is more painful is,she has come out in open that she has not received the cash award from her state for her Olympic medal.It has been 2 years since she won the medal.

"I am happy to know that sania mirza has become the brand ambassador of telangana and I am proud of telangana but I am very hurt and sad that I have still not received the cash award from my state for the Olympic bronze medal that I won for my country," tweeted the Hyderabadi.


It seems our politicians cheat sportsperson too.Instead of creating a hash tag to disturb the communal harmony,the media can come out in support for Saina.In India,it is very difficult for a non-cricketing sportsperson to shine as the govts doesn't provide adequate funds.But a govt not paying the cash award to a sportsperson is a serious issue.Its alarming.

There is more to this 'Tennis' Diplomacy.

“both Telangana and Kashmir were not part of India before 1947. They were separate nations. But we were forcibly annexed to the Indian Union after 1947. Our troubles have started since then.” She went on to add, “we do come out clean, few parts of Kashmir are not ours and we need to draw international borders.”


The above intelligent statement was issued by none other than the honorable Telangana CM's daughter K Kavitha.She is an elected MP.

With the Telangana CM's daughter issuing statements like this,with the CM appointing a Pakistani's wife(who is an Indian) as the state's brand ambassador,there is nothing wrong in raising doubts over this appointment. What Mr.KCR is trying to achieve?

"The tennis star avoided answering a question whether she was being targeted because of her religion. "I do not know about that," she said."


Did Mr.Chandrasekhara Rao appoint Sania because of her religion thinking that the minorities will support him?Does he thinks this new 'Tennis' Diplomacy will bring minority votes?Well, "WE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THAT".

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