As millions of TV viewers watched yesterday Rahul Mahajan’s Swayamvar on NDTV Imagine, they were subjected to watch with total disbelief and shame. Three girls were shown undergoing one of the Hindu rituals where the prospective bride is given a final farewell before she gets into wedlock. It tantamounts to nothing more than a cruel murder of Indian traditions and ethos.
Ever since the show began, it gripped the Indian ladies attention simply because they could relate with the pre-nuptial hangovers. There were few issues which defies the very edifice of the program.
Firstly, it has been known from ages that a woman can share everything but not her Man. Here were three girls trying to woo Mahajan just to ensure he falls into the booby-trap and weds the lucky one. They ran riot with demeaning the other contestant just to make sure that she has the upper hand. And worse still, all these were unfolding at full public glare of TV cameras. Mudslinging, calling names, bitching, branding the opponent by a term which in other words is short of calling ‘Call Girl’, and what not.
Rahul Mahajan on his part showed how simple and down-to-earth he is in real life. He rightly choose to talk about those issues which the general public wasn’t aware. After knowing his side of the story, many of us came to know the misconceptions that prevailed in our mind.
So far so good ( Bryan Adams, are you listening?)
But what was shown yesterday was the heights of making a mockery of the customs of Indian Society.
Two questions are lingering in my mind.
Firstly, where are those Women Organizations who seem to make a hue n cry in the name of ‘obscene gesture’ when an actress smooches a actor in a movie? Isn’t it a breach of the million year old Indian culture? Or is it that this time around the feminist brigade wants to view it with more ‘open’ eyes?
Secondly, all the contestants were Hindu. Do you think a Muslim girl would have undergone through a ritual like ‘Nikaah’, when she isn’t still sure of the existence of the bridegroom? The answer is a big NO. They are very pious when it comes to their religion and customs. If that version is correct, don’t u think the three girls have de-graded our own Hindu culture? Where is the saffron culture police who are opposed to something like celebrating valentine’s day?
And the funny thing is we public get glued to watch a show which isn’t worth watching. More so, it’s a very very private affair. Of course, the constitution of India does give the three girls and Rahul the right to exercise their wish. We aren’t against it. But, at the cost of murdering the rich and worldwide respected culture which India has been proud of all the while?
So, the bottom-line is , this is India Meri Jaan ! Yahan Sab Chalta Hai !