Wednesday Titbits

On this last Wednesday of April 2018, few news briefs which might interest you :

1.  Casting Couch- Saroj Khan, the noted Bollywood Choreographer, made brazen comments about the casting couch syndrome in Hindi film industry. She sparked outrage on the social media and unknowingly blew the lid off sexual exploitation in the film industry. What she said was “This has been happening for generations. It’s nothing new. Someone or the other tries to paw every girl. Even this happens in govt. Why everyone is after film industry? At least it gives you food. Does not rape and then abandon you”.                                         On reacting to her statement and supporting her Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary said ” It’s the  bitter truth. The whole film industry may get up in arms against Saroj Khan. It’s not just film industry, this happens to women everywhere in work spaces. Don’t imagine that Parliament is immune or some other work space will be immune to it. If you look at the western world, established top actresses have taken this long to come out and say ‘me too’. Time has come that women in  India should come out and proclaim ‘me too’ “. She further added that for her casting couch means that privileges of women are taken away and used for personal benefit or in lieu of other compensation.                In the mean while Bollywood stars alternated between justifications and denials over Saroj Khan’s remarks. You read so many cases of  sexual harassment of women in Bollywood  by  males, who are in position to offer some thing to the women, may be  acting role or some assignment in technical area etc. Every week in the Mumbai Newspapers one see this type of news. In the Bollywood no one will dare to speak against top stars, producers, directors, casting director etc, because these are the people who control the industry, and by speaking against them no one can survive. Saroj Khan dared to speak now because her career as choreographer is at the fag end, and people might believe her because she was  at the top in her profession for so long and had started her career from the young age of 13, and  she has come up from the ranks, she must have observed the Bollywood inside out during her long career of  56 years. Presently most of the top guns of the industry are denying the fact and are showing their resentment against Saroj Khan, who indirectly has appologised to the film fraternity.                                                                                                                  Recently , a small time actress of Telugu films also spoke against the sexual exploitation , when the association of Telugu film artists refused to give her  membership card. She openly sat on dharna in semi nude state in front the office. In the end top people of Telugu Film industry and govt intervened and issue was hushed up and she was given membership card.
2. Senior Congress Leader and former law minister   Salman Khurshid created a controversy by saying that Congress’s hands ‘ are stained with the blood of Muslims’. During a talk in Aligarh  Muslim University, when he has asked about the communal riots when his party was in power , he said that ” I am part of Congress, let me accept that we have the blood of Muslims on our hands” Explaining  his stand Salman Khurshid said    that ” I could have simple not answered the question but did so to drive home a point that even if we (Congress) have some blood stains on  our hand or clothes, or we have committed some mistakes, we still have right to stand up for the minorities.” Embarrassed  by Khurshid’s statement, Congress Party spoke person PL Punia said ” Party disagree completely with the statement. Party leaders should remember that such unfounded statements only  help the cause of  those in power today.” BJP reacting on Salman’s statement said that at least some one in Congress is accepting the truth, which is their role in engineering communal riots. Congress has a history of blood shed  and it has not spared any community Hindu, Muslim or Sikhs.
3. Asaram case-  So self styled Guru Asaram has been sentenced to life imprisonment for rape of minor girl in 2013.  Jodhpur court today awarded him life sentence. Asaram complained of uneasiness during the hearing on the quantum of punishment inside Jodhpur jail, where court was set up. His spoke person said that this verdict will be challenged in the higher court. So it was a bitter end   for the self styled Guru who had amassed huge wealth and properties during  his  Guru days and had millions of followers across the world. So in this case it was once again proved that crime always catches up with you  in the end.                                                                                                                          So  waiting for your views/comments/feed back.