As DNA reports here, there are three plans that the Sena-BJP coalition (the party that rules the civic body in Aurangabad) wishes to execute:
- rename Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar
- rename the local Chikalthana airport as Raje Sambhaji Bhosale airport
- shift the controversial statue of Dadoji Konddev from Pune to a place near the Shivaji museum in Aurangabad.
Bombay to Mumbai, VT to CST, Madras to Chennai, Bangalore to Bengaluru and so on. Yeah meanwhile, we keep calling our Abhishek > Abby, Manish > Monty et al, very dotingly. (For other nicknames, please check the amazing birthday flex billboards that are displayed by the local politicians and 'Youth parties'.) Politics hasn't sunk to grass roots where it should have. Well, you may say that I do have high hopes.
Overall, I am not sure what we should exactly feel about the whole issue. Since it is repeated so much, so often, the initial utter disgust gave way to anger that has fizzed out over time and left us totally apathetic. That's the state we live in.
Faithless.
Moving on.
Heard of Huckleberry Finn? Yeah the misunderstood but lovable little boy who is Tom Sawyer's friend. One of the finest characters created by the immensely talented and one of my all time favourite writers Mark Twain. Huck's character makes us smile with painful tears at times. Simple, yet reaching the depths of emotion.
Just today I read that the latest copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is modified to remove all instances of the 'N' word. (Here is the NYT link and the USA Today link.) Here is an extract from USA Today that i really liked:
The word (which this newspaper does not print) appears 219 times. In its place, Twain scholar Alan Gribben of Auburn University is substituting "slave."
In the book, the word is not at all used as a derogatory word. It was a colloquial custom back then that was overridden and now it is no longer in use. These days only N's are allowed to call other N's as N's. Look at all the rap songs!
What I feel is, if the country that proclaims itself to be an epitome of democracy censors classical literature so, a hard-lined Indian would surely feel that the censorship in India is right. Well, it is not. It won't stop people from using words / phrases in the open or in the closet or in the universe of their minds! You can't stop people from thinking (Unless you talking about The Matrix, maybe).
That also reminds me of the horrendously funny censoring that is done in the movie subtitles on the English Movie channels over here. I am sure you must have experienced it and laughed about it too! So, if I call you stupid next time, it is up to you to know what I really mean!
On that note, let me sign off this post with a heave of sigh knowing that I have already procured my unadulterated copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn! Oh wait, but there is Internet that can also fetch me a copy of the banned Satanic Verses!
As we say on Twitter: #Facepalm.
Update: A nice article on Pune's political games Pune’s endless identity wars.
