Saturday, August 8, 2009

Be Ashamed .. WTF For?

Indian Athlete turned sex worker freed, gets help

From being lauded on the podium to landing in jail as a call girl in Chhattisgarh, this is a tale of how India treats its non-cricketing sportspersons.

Link

That’s the news story. Sharing a comment put up by a friend of mine:

How humiliating, demeaning, sad and nauseating, can it be? Shame on all of us. Shame on the Sports authorities. Shame….shame….shame.


My views on the matter, as always not the most popular. What can I say, I am not a popular person. Here goes:

The woman in question turns to the oldest profession in the book and we have a media report and people crying for someone to take responsibility. Interesting.

My question: would we be so much interested if the story said that the athlete took up pick-pocketing/running illegal lottery stalls/robbing tourists/stealing shoes from outside the temples?

Sure it would make it into the papers and the media, but I doubt there would be any comments from anyone insisting that the nation or the people of the world should collectively be responsible/ashamed of themselves.

I believe the point I am trying to make is rather obvious.

FORCED into flesh trade - I do agree that the circumstances required her to have a source of income almost immediately. But blaming everyone else for a decision SHE TOOK on her own - I really don’t think that’s fair.

Want to help? Want to set up rehab centres or donate money or contribute to setting up small scale business or whatever - SURE - by all means. I would be more than happy to contribute not just money, but time and ideas as well.

BUT responsibility for one’s actions can’t be transferred so easily. Or at least - IT SHOULDN’T be passed on so easily.

Shame on us.. WTF for?

Every time an authority or the govt. machinery or the people (we happen to share our nationality with - as a result of some cosmic coincidence) mess up - why should we be ashamed??

Arrey! If that was the case we would all have very shameful lives to look forward to. Not all our politicians are characters worth looking up to. Most of the government SERVANTS seem to have forgotten what it means to SERVE (anything other than their own desires). Should we be ashamed of all of them - for everything, even if it’s not in our control? WHAT FOR!! and more importantly, WHY!!

Here we are making noise for someone who refuses to take responsibility for even her own actions and there are people suggesting that we not only should be RESPONSIBLE for other’s actions, but also be ASHAMED.

Dikhaawon pe mat jaao…. apni akal ladao.

If India wins a match - I am HAPPY, GLAD - but I don’t see the reason to be PROUD, given that my only contribution was buying a ticket to the match or switching on the tele around the time that match was being played.

The concept of PRIDE and SHAME really needs to be redefined a bit more clearly for most individuals. Common Sense needs to be injected - URGENTLY.

I would seriously urge people (who I know for a fact, are capable of logical thinking) to choose their words a bit more carefully. It might make good copy but when you sit down to think about it - doesn’t really make much sense.

6 Opinions:

Mathai said...

Forgetting her choice of profession for a minute, its shameful when you look at the amount of money spent on cricket and cricketers while other national level sportsmen are left to fend for themselves when they are no longer in their prime.
Thats the shameful bit IMO.

L o r d R a j said...

Hello Mathai.

Thanks for your comments.

Same thing again - Why is THAT shameful for ME or for YOU!

I am sure you know what an obscene amount of money was spent on erecting statues of Mayawati all over UP. Now.. do you want me to be ashamed for THAT as well?

Don't mean to sound insensitive here, but how about THINKING for a bit and not being swayed by popular opinion or trying to sound politically correct.

IF the noise was being made for lack of equipment / facilities or lack of support for the athlete while she was training. I would understand. I would join in the argument on your side as well (but would never call it 'shameful', I am sure there are more appropriate words).

Now I am sure you WILL agree that many sports are neglected. No proper facilities etc etc. YES.. I will support you on that.

But, just because you represented your state or team 10 odd years ago, what makes you think that the country owes you a living?

You can't ride forever on your past laurels!

The world does NOT owe you a living.. neither does a sports authority. Definitely NOT when you are not performing any more.

Why curse cricket? It's the same as people criticising the Kuwait govt. for wiping out the loans of it's nationals.

Don't give me economic arguments and how this will damage the country's economy etc. Be honest... :)

Wouldn't you like it if your govt. would do the same for your loans? Be honest! Wouldn't you think it was awesome and elect the same govt. again?

Now.. some sports authorities take care of their players, some might not be doing that bang of a job. BUT by no means am I going to feel ASHAMED for their fuck ups.

Why should I?

At the same time, I think it's absolutely pathetic to feel PROUD of anything unless you have actually contributed in SOME way to the achievement.

Your colleague's wife delivers a baby boy. You go to your colleague and say ' I am proud of you ' Arrey!! what fucking nonsense!

I am sure you get my point. ;)

Mathai said...

I do get your point. in fact thats exactly how I feel too but speaking from personal experience many sportsmen in our country don't get the proper support either on the field or off.
Believe me.. I'm not ashamed about her actions or her choice of lifestyle. Its her life :)

L o r d R a j said...

Ahhh... a man with a mind who isn't afraid to use it.

So happy to see that there are people like this :D

BTW, about her choice of career - my sentiments exactly.. if you go through my old posts, you will see that I have (on multiple occasions)voiced out that prostitution should be legalised.

Here are a few links:

http://lordraj.blogspot.com/2007/11/it-just-sex.html

http://lordraj.blogspot.com/2009/06/taiwan-legalises-prostitution.html

Mathai said...

oh you too! haha ! I was once telling a friend of mine that the govt should legalize prostitution and drug use and maybe collect taxes on that. People wont mind paying if they dont have to worry about the cops banging down the door :)

L o r d R a j said...

Great minds think alike.

If you read the comments on 'It's just sex' post - you will notice that I have also advocated legalising drug use.

Getting high should NOT be illegal.

Tax it as much as you want.

People who want to do it, will do it, regardless of it being legal or not.

Just because smoking is legal (for now at least) doesn't mean that everyone smokes, right?

Tax the drug users. That way, when someone wants out.. he can be helped with part of the tax collections and sent to rehab, as well.

Like I said - great minds think alike.. or alternatively - fools seldom differ.

:D

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