Comments on: Disgraceful fans

By: Mohan

Mohan — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 04:54:56 +0000

Absolutely agree with prachi, xytrius and arun’s comments. The violence we saw was nothing but the venting of frustration by the underprivileged class. Rajkumar’s death brought back memories to them of the days when Bangalore was still *their* city, where they were equal citizens. Where there were no swanky malls and luxury cars and high glass buildings. There may have been a have and have-not divide even then, but it was not as wide as it is today and it was something they could understand. This IT-led gold rush is totally incomprehensible to the majority of them and all they can do is to vent their frustration at moments like this. This is not to justify the violence, but this is something I haven’t seen any of the coverage past 4 days.

By: arun

arun — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 09:56:15 +0000

- bangalore burnt because of IT divide — IT employs 3 lakh people who make on an average 30 — 50 K rs

non-IT = 65 lakh people who on an average make less than 3 k rs

there is a fight for ’space’ btn these two sections — both have no meeting point and have to exclude the other to claim that ’space’

IT is establisgment — police, govt, media support it — so routine events and investment it dominates

non-IT are underdogs — they are invisible and silent — they have no place in routine life of bangalore — no part in decision though they are adversely affected by IT industry (real esatate prices, for example)

they can only explode during rare moments — recapture ’space’ and withdraw

this is what we saw

the good or perhaps the bad thing about Dr Raj was that — he tried to make no use of this reservoir of discontent

he presided over it without organising it

wioth him gone there is a vacuum which is an invitation for someone like balasaheb thackeray

By: chandrashines

chandrashines — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:30:48 +0000

I was just writing on this question actually. Both xytrius and Prachi may have a point, and state absolutely had an obligation to make better arrangements. But resorting to violence is not okay under any (well, i might qualify this and so most) circumstance. I don’t say this because such behavior ruins the image of the city in the eyes of the world and business community; it is morally reprehensible and the perpetrators are, regardless of their frustrations , can only be called lumpens. well, more soon.

By: xytrius

xytrius — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:23:05 +0000

I think that prachi is right. In my experience (in Mysore and Bangalore), Dr. Rajkumar’s most adherent fans (those who displayed their affection more publicly and vocally, a large part of whom belonged to Dr. Rajkumar sangas) were [mostly] younger Kannadigas who could feel a real sense of alienation from an English acceptance/new urban Indian society with which they could not identify with (or totally accept). My interaction with Dr. Raj’s fans is over ten years old, but I can imagine the frustration of being in a changing world [like Bangalore] as someone who also thinks to be a representative of Kannadigas as it defined it in my sense.

The death of people is always tragic; perhaps those who died could be classified as being “lumpens”, but it would be wrong to ignore why they [if they] are so. Conclusions from the Drawing Rooms (as in the clichéd metaphor) tend to be distant from realities on the streets.

The press failed to cover the serious inadequacies by the state to facilitate the movement of people who came to pay homage to Dr. Rajkumar, something as simple as a large screen live display of proceedings could have gone a large way in ensuring that the proceedings were peaceful; the biggest frustration amongst the people who came in to be part of the bereavement was the lack of its fulfillment.

By: prachi

prachi — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:13:47 +0000

i agree that stone throwing and beating up strangers should not be an expression of grief. but perhaps this rioting is because it’s not just grief but also anger and frustration within the underclass at a lot of other things happening in karnatkaka, “silicone city” bangalore in particular?

am feeling quite sad at his death, actually. i was listening to his raghavendra swami songs the other day and was surprised at how much i still liked them, even though i haven;t heard them in ages.