Shame on

Shame on Media : After seeing two qualification matches of Champions trophy in SET MAX, I started to wonder why channels like SET MAX and ZEE sports are competing with STAR and ESPN for telecasting rights if they don't know to organize and telecast the matches in professional manner. A true sports lover will hate to see a moron like Mandira Bedi sitting next to Charu Sharma, with skimpy attire, and asking some futile questions to an established players who have proved so much both as a cricketer and media person. Adding to this you have all the nonsense like fortune teller who jabbers something using crystal balls and some cards. Another worst thing about this SET MAX fiasco is it's studio. Generally one will find a studio in 'U' shape or in '[' shape, with maximum of four persons (3 expert commentators and one conductor like Harsha Bhogle), so that the conductor can ask questions just by looking at the expert's eye without twisting his body. Even DD follows this to some extent, though the number of persons in the panel will be more. But in SET MAX, all the panelists are sitting in a straight line and number of panelists is 5 to 6. When Charu wants to put a question to the extreme left person in the panel, he needs to move his head back a little with Mandira in the way of their eye line. Also, just like DD, you have lot of Hinglish being spoken amidst Englishmen. I wonder whether cricket needs to be promoted in this way? Even if this method is successful, will it contribute to the growth of cricket? A cheap way to promote a sport.

Shame on Classical Musicians : I can bring a clear analogy between this one and the above mentioned one. During 1960s and before that, whenever there was a 'Katchery' (Music concert), audience will ask two questions to each other. Who is today's artist? and what is the specialty? Answer will be like 'Madurai Mani Iyer. He is going to sing his famous Note' or 'MS Subhalakshmi is going to sing Maithreem Bhajatha'. But now the answer has changed. Most of the concerts are free now as the audiences are not turning up. And the answer for the 2 question will be "I came to hear Nithyashree's and today's special is Sarkarai Pongal" or "I am going to Naradagaana sabha. Sudha is singing today and Akkaravadisal will be very good there and we need to reach there by 5 PM to get hot Akkaravadisal". Few youngsters, when allowed to ask questions related to music to Nithyashree, asked the price of her saree and she replied with a smile "50 thousand rupees". When audiences were asked to fill feedback form, one of them wrote something like this "They must serve it hot". I got all this informations from my 'Carnatic music maniac' Aunt. Though some part of the mistake lies in the knowledge and the passion of the audiences, lion's share of it is with the sabhas and the musician for wrongly promoting and attracting wrong audiences through food. I am sure that MS or MLV or DKP won't do this even if they were offered many crores. Also the adherents of them won't exchange their honey dipped voice for Akkaravadisal. Today's musicians must depend their skill and melody than sarees and sweets. Trying to entice audiences through short cuts will never help the cause. Instead that art can vanish.

Shame on TN Government : By giving entertainment tax exemption for all the Tamil movies which has Tamil title, State Government may feel very proud that it has encouraged the film producers to name their movies in Tamil. They may feel that they have contributed to Tamil language in a big way. Mind you these producers save a lot of money because of this exemption. May be around 1.5 to 2 crores. But the ticket rates in all the theaters are unchanged. Many questions will dawn in the mind of a common citizen. Whether they will give tax exemption for all the YYY movies which are released with Tamil name? Whether movies with the name 'Gandhiji' or 'Ten Commandments' or "My Experiment With Truth" or "Panchavati" won't get this tax exemption? Just 'cause of this whether Tamil or penchant for Tamil will grow? A great language like Tamil requires these kind of gimmicks? Or movies with Tamil name are free of English dialogues, vulgarities and violences?

Also there is a judicial problem in this. Giving tax exemption to Tamil titled movies can be viewed as a penalty imposed on a particular language which is strictly against our fundamental rights. In a country like India, anyone can name their belongings in their desired languages. Government should not be biased against them. If someone file a case against this, State Government will be defeated easily. No one will do this as they will be framed as Anti-Tamil.

Best way to strive for Tamil is by providing good Tamil syllabus which should contain the collections of Bharatiyar, Kambar, Thiruvalluvar, Appar, Sundarar, Naavukarasar and works of famous writers like Jayakaandan and by providing good teachers (They can be paid more than other staffs). They must not pressurize the children to learn that language and should not put any thrust on them. But one cannot expect a good move from our politicians. Only one song of MJ comes to my mind whenever I think about our government(s) "All I wanna say is that They don't really care about us"

Again I repeat "Trying to entice audiences through short cuts will never help the cause. Instead that art or sport or language can vanish. "

What do you say???