National Pride
Bullet Train
Get Ready to Zoom
Even as naysayers went to town about how bad an idea the proposed bullet train project is, India went ahead and swiftly signed a deal with the Japanese government to bring the ultimate metro dream to the country. Estimated to cost `1.1 lakh crore, the first-ever high-speed rail corridor will connect Ahmedabad with India’s economic hub, Mumbai. It will cut down the seven-hour journey to a little more than two hours. The construction began on September 14 and the first train is scheduled to leave for its first run on August 15, 2022.
Triple Talaq Verdict
Shattering the Glass Ceiling
From Shah Bano to Shayara Bano, it was a 32-year-long battle by Muslim women demanding their rights. The verdict in August laid to rest the heretical and distorted version of the faith, which finds no place in the holy Quran. Till the verdict came about, a man who uttered the word ‘talaq’ three times was deemed to have declared his marriage to a Muslim woman null and void. But, the five-judge bench of the Supreme Court made sure that the inequality will not persist anymore. This was one sure step towards empowering women.
Badminton Girls
Smashing Success
It was the year of the Badminton Girls. PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Ashwini Ponnappa—the Golden Girls of India—kept the Tricolour flying high. Bagging medals, playing the best of the games, and leaving their mark on the courts in India and abroad—the girls proved time and again that India is more than just cricket and the Men in Blue. One among the top five shuttlers in women’s singles category, Sindhu bagged silver at the World Championships in Glasgow. Sania, a former No. 1, wrested the top slot at the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold. Ashwini secured one of India’s most memorable wins at the Sudirman Cup. These wins have helped motivate an entire generation that till a couple of years ago could not think beyond cricket.
Top of the world
Beauty, Brains, Bravado
Seventeen years after an Indian ruled the world of beauty, another queen claimed the crown. The year neared its end on a high with Haryana girl Manushi Chillar being crowned Miss World 2017. This 20-year-old MBBS student has many feathers in her cap. She is a trained Kuchipudi dancer, who learned the art under the famous Radha and Raja Reddy. Manushi is also an alumnus of the National School of Drama and has campaigned to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene. She became the sixth Indian woman to win the crown.
National Shame
Indian Railways
Losing Track
Even as we go ga-ga over the bullet train, it has been a bad year for the Indian Railways. The year began with one of the major accidents on January 21 and the ill omen has continued with trains derailing with alarming punctuality. More than 35 derailments claimed over a 100 lives and injured as many as 360 people. And no, a change in the Railway Ministry—Suresh Prabhu being replaced by Piyush Goyal—did not appease the gods. And let us not forget the mysterious case of the Maharashtra-bound train that travelled 160 km in the wrong direction and ended up in Madhya Pradesh without anyone realising it.
Attacks on Tourists from abroad
No Country for Foreigners
For a country that follows the tenets of atithi devo bhava, India witnessed shameful attacks on foreign nationals in 2017. From assaults on a Swiss couple in Fatehpur Sikri, a German national in Sonbhadra district, and on a group of French tourists in Mirzapur, to the case of a Japanese tourist who was drugged and robbed of his valuables and passport in Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh—it was time to hang our heads in shame. The country hosts a fair number of foreign travellers every year. Despite this, such unprovoked attacks largely go unpunished while the powers-that-be are busy mouthing bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo.
Shiv Sena MP Beats Air India Staffer
When Arrogance Flew
In March, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad attained overnight celeb status after Air India and other domestic carriers such as IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir imposed a No-Fly ban on him. The MP had assaulted a 60-year-old duty manager after his Air India business class seat was changed to economy. Not just that, this Parliamentarian even proudly boasted his antics: “Yes, I beat him with a sandal 25 times.” Well, Gaikwad may be unruly, arrogant, ill-mannered, and more, but at least the man
is honest!
2G Scam The Scandal That
Did Not Happen
Ok, just for the record: the 2G spectrum scam did not happen. Former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi went scot-free in the `30,000-crore spectrum allocation scam, which put heavy political cost on the Congress and its ally DMK. After six long years of investigation—during which the power at the Centre changed hands and the new government promised judgement—the CBI failed to come up with enough evidence. The Opposition was quick to claim it was a vindication of the honesty of PM Manmohan Singh and the UPA regime. Well, no one killed Aarushi too, remember?
Indigo incidents
Not Service
with a Smile
November saw one of the leading private domestic carriers—IndiGo—embroiled in controversy. From a common man to an ace shuttler, the airlines managed to rub all the wrong way. A 53-year-old passenger was restrained and manhandled by the airline’s ground staff at the Delhi airport. The video went viral, resulting in suspension of the staffer. A day after the infamous incident, Indian badminton sensation PV Sindhu tweeted that the staff was ‘rude’ to her—a claim that was shot down by the management.
Row over Padmavati
Off with their Heads
Unless you have been living under a rock, you would know by now the circus that is the Padmavati row. Fringe groups from the land of the chivalrous—Rajasthan—have issued threats galore to the Padmavati crew and cast. From threatening to cut off Deepika Padukone’s pretty nose, to announcing a bounty (`5 crore to `15 crore, depending on whose version you take) on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s head, it’s the story of the Red Queen and her fascination for chopped heads once more!
Lingua Franca
Merriam Webster’s Word of the Year Feminism
The year 2017 saw ‘feminism’ as the most searched word on Merriam Webster’s online dictionary. It started in January with thousands of women all over the US taking to the streets against the appointment of President Donald Trump. Also, the ‘#MeToo’ campaign across social media platforms proved feminism was here to stay.
Oxford dictionary’s New Word of the Year
Youthquake
The noun, youthquake, is defined as ‘a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people’. There was a fivefold increase in usage of youthquake in 2017 compared to 2016, the word having first struck in a big way in June with the UK’s general election at its epicentre.
16.59 mn
Migrants India sent abroad, topping all the countries in the world, according to the UN’s 2017 International Migration Report. More than half of them live in the Gulf region. During this century's period of rapid globalisation, the number of Indian migrants doubled from 7.98 million in 2000.
Promising Pageturners
PC Sorcar: The Maharaja of Magic
by PC Sorcar (Jr), Niyogi
PC Sorcar is one of the greatest magicians of the 20th century. He single-handedly revived a languishing Indian art. Written by his son, this is a personal view of the life and times of a towering figure.
To the Moon: How I Blogged My Way to Bollywood
by Malini Agarwal, Harper Collins
The author pioneered Indian lifestyle blogging with MissMalini.com in 2008. The website reaches over four million. Her story began much like any Bollywood movie.
Small Acts of Freedom
by Gurmehar Kaur, Penguin Random House
In February 2017, Gurmehar Kaur suddenly became a focal point of a nationalism debate. Facing a trial by social media, this is her story.
Raavan: Orphan of Aryavarta
by Amish, Westland
3,400 BCE, India. The mighty Lord of Lanka, Raavan, sets out to avenge the insult of his sister, Shurpanakha, at the hands of the younger prince of Ayodhya, Lakshman. This is Amish’s third book of the five-book Ram Chandra Series.
Farewell…
Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.—Ernest Hemingway
Shashi Kapoor
Bollywood actor
(Mar 18, 1938-Dec 4, 2017)
Girija Devi
Indian classical singer
(May 8, 1929-Oct 24, 2017)
Liliane Bettencourt
World’s richest woman
(Oct 21, 1922-Sep 21, 2017)
Arjan Singh
Marshal of the Indian Air Force
(Apr 16, 1919-Sep 16, 2017)
Edith Windsor
American LGBT rights activist
(Jun 20, 1929-Sep 12, 2017)
Pushpa Mittra Bhargava
Indian scientist
(Feb 22, 1928-Aug 1, 2017)
Yash Pal
Indian scientist
(Nov 26, 1926-Jul 24, 2017)
UR Rao
Space scientist
(Mar 10, 1932-Jul 24, 2017)
Maryam Mirzakhani
Only woman to be awarded Fields Medal
(May 3, 1977-Jul 14, 2017)
Carla Fendi
Italian fashion executive
(Jul 12, 1937-Jun 19, 2017)
Helmut Kohl
Architect of Germany’s
re-unification
(Apr 3, 1930-Jun 16, 2017)
PN Bhagwati
17th Chief Justice of India
(Dec 21, 1921-Jun 15, 2017)
C Narayana Reddy
Telugu poet and writer
(Jul 29, 1931-Jun 12, 2017)
Parvathamma Rajkumar
Only woman Kannada film producer
(Dec 6, 1939-May 31, 2017)
Sir Roger Moore
English actor
(Oct 14, 1927-May 23, 2017)
Anil Madhav Dave
Indian politician
(Jul 6, 1956-May 18, 2017)
Reema Lagoo
Bollywood actress
(Jun 21, 1958-May 18, 2017)
Leila Seth
First woman judge on the Delhi High Court
(Oct 20, 1930-May 5, 2017)
Ueli Steck
Swiss rock climber
(Oct 4, 1976-Apr 30, 2017)
Vinod Khanna
Bollywood actor
(Oct 6, 1946-Apr 27, 2017)
Jonathan Demme
American director
(Feb 22, 1944-Apr 26, 2017)
Emma Martina Luigia Morano
World’s oldest person
(Nov 29, 1899-Apr 15, 2017)
Kishori Amonkar
Indian classical singer
(Apr 10, 1931-Apr 3, 2017)
Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada
Anti-apartheid activist
(Aug 21, 1929-Mar 28, 2017)
Dev Raj Sikka
Father of Indian meteorology
(Mar 1, 1932-Mar 18, 2017)
Thomas Earl Starzl
Expert on organ transplants
(Mar 11, 1926-Mar 4, 2017)
Taarak Mehta
Noted humorist
(Dec 26, 1929-Mar 1, 2017)
Om Puri
Bollywood actor
(Oct 18, 1950-Jan 6, 2017)
John Peter Berger
English art critic
(Nov 5, 1926-Jan 2, 2017)
Sir Anthony Barnes Atkinson
British economist
(Sep 4, 1944-Jan 1, 2017)
Big Falls
Lalu Yadav
Bundled Out
Banned from contesting polls for life, Lalu Yadav got a new lease of life when he allied with Nitish Kumar for Bihar Assembly polls in 2015. The year also saw the political debut of his sons: Tej Pratap and Tejashwi. But corruption followed the Yadav clan. Confident of his position, Lalu held on, forcing Nitish to show his hand. Result: The RJD supremo is out in the cold once again. Not just that, the end of the year saw him convicted for an eighth time in the fodder scam case.
Justice CS Karnan
Law Catches Up
Defiance was allegedly the hallmark of his brand of jurisprudence during his mostly controversial stay in higher judiciary. But in 2017, as a judge of the Calcutta High Court, he refused to stay out of the national headlines with corruption allegations and tit-for-tat orders against Supreme Court judges. This delivered him a contempt of court notice from the apex court in February. The former judge—he retired on June 12—unsuccessfully evaded arrest till 20th of the same month, after the Supreme Court sentenced him to six months imprisonment. This month, Karnan was released from a jail in Kolkata after serving his prison term. The former judge learnt it the hard way.
Vishal Sikka
Exit Programme
After a long-drawn battle between the Infosys board and founder-shareholders, led by company patriarch NR Narayana Murthy, Vishal Sikka quit in August as the CEO and MD of the IT behemoth. Issues of governance led to the unending acrimony, finally making the Stanford-educated Indian-American exit after three years at the $10-billion company’s helm. The rift made headlines as promoters started expressing concerns over “deteriorating governance and values of the company”. A sharp hike in Sikka’s compensation in 2016 was reported to be the biggest flash-point added by an ex-CFO’s large severance package, appointment of Punita Sinha, wife of Union minister Jayant Sinha, as an independent director, acquisition-based business model, and investigations into several decisions.
Arundhati Roy
20-year-wait Gone Waste
The God of Small Things was many things to many people. It got author and activist Arundhati Roy the Man Booker Prize in 1997. Since then the wait for her next book began. And, it was a long wait indeed—20 years. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness hit markets in mid-June. For a reading population waiting this long in anticipation of Arundhati’s ‘brilliant’ next, the book failed to satiate the hunger. Yes, it did make it to the Booker Longlist, but that was probably the only claim to fame the book had.
Shah Rukh khan
Khan Market Plunges
Is the reign of the Baadshah of Bollywood over? Shah Rukh Khan’s When Harry Met Sejal tanked at the box office without a trace. The SRK-Anushka version 2 failed to charm film-goers. Despite being the biggest brand in Bollywood after Amitabh Bachchan, the last few years have shown that SRK’s popularity is on the wane. With the Indian film industry giving cine-goers better films that they can relate to, watching an ageing former superstar trying desperately to look cool and happening, and romancing heroines half his age, is definitely not winning SRK any brownie points, or fans for that matter. Will he face the mirror and do more content-driven films now?
Big Fights
Karan Johar vs Kangana Ranaut
The ‘Queen’ and Her Bitter Coffee
The year was full of off-screen dramas playing out loud in public domain between Bollywood biggies Karan Johar and Kangana Ranaut. When Karan invited Kangana on his show Koffee with Karan, little did he know the daring Queen wouldn’t spare the super-host by calling him the “flag-bearer of nepotism and movie mafia”. And how could the “mafia” let it go easily? He unleashed a volley of vitriol in filmy style: Kangana is “playing victim card”, “leave Bollywood if it’s so bad”, and from Kangana came the “badass card” salvo. Not ready to bow down, the Karan gang—with Saif Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan—added more fire by taking a dig at Kangy’s “nepotism” remark. The free-for-all kept on adding grist to the gossip mill that tinsel town is known for.
Arvind Kejriwal vs Anil Baijal
Whose Government is it Anyway?
Whoever thought Najeeb Jung’s exit would end the inveterate jung between Delhi’s Chief Minister and Lieutenant-Governor ate crow. Anil Baijal’s appointment as the new L-G was initially peaceful; he entered the Raj Bhavan with a promise to “work together with the elected government”.
However, with the gravity of governance, the turf war came back to haunt the government, and lived up to the adage that two swords can’t be contained in one sheath. CM Arvind Kejriwal wouldn’t leave the ground being the elected executive of the city-state. He took exception to Baijal’s objection that the government did not consult the law department before introducing a Bill to regularise guest teachers. The CM’s broadside against the L-G and the bureaucracy in the Assembly—“A country is run on democracy, not bureaucracy… people did not elect the law secretary, they elected us. We are Delhi’s masters”—triggered a fresh debate over supremacy. The matter reached the High Court, which declared L-G as the boss. Kejriwal challenged the order in the Supreme Court, which observed that the AAP government needed the L-G’s nod to govern.
Yashwant Sinha vs Arun Jaitley
The Ex Files
The verbal fight between former finance minister Yashwant Sinha and current finance minister Arun Jaitley following a newspaper opinion piece by the former was the most high-profile public spat of the year. Sinha had written a scathing opinion in a national daily and gave TV interviews castigating the government’s economic policies. Not to be outdone, the government got his son Jayant Sinha, minister of state for civil aviation, write a rebuttal disputing his father. Jaitley referred to his party senior as ‘a job applicant at 80’, and the other shot back saying: ‘...below my dignity to respond to it’. It went on to prove how Sinha had rattled the Centre.
Siddaramaiah vs BS Yeddyurappa
Taking the Fight Down South
The two Karnataka political biggies— famous for their rivalry—go back a long way. Their verbal duels plunged to a new depth this month when CM Siddaramaiah said there was no need for him to learn from those who were jailed over corruption charges, reacting to Yeddyurappa’s jibe, equating him to a bachcha (child) in politics. 2017 also saw the CM file corruption cases against BJP’s CM hopeful. Yeddyurappa gave it back in his own style by raking up the government’s coal scam. This perhaps sets the tone for the next year’s Assembly election. While for Yeddyurappa, the election is yet another opportunity to showcase the dominance of the Lingayat community, with full backing from the central leadership, Siddaramaiah is Congress’ only White Horse.
Kiran Bedi vs V Narayanasamy
Game of Thrones
Top cop-turned-activist-turned-politician-turned-Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and his Congress party continued to engage in a bitter turf war through the year, with the Centre acting as a mute spectator. Bedi took it on herself to set things right in the former French Colony, which was seen as overstepping of authority by the elected government. After three BJP members were nominated as legislators in July without the government’s recommendation, the ruling Congress and Opposition DMK accused Bedi of functioning like “an agent of the BJP”. While the issue is pending with the Madras High Court, Puducherry saw an unprecedented low in statecraft where the CM threatened to take legal action against the L-G. Even an official resolution was adopted unanimously by the House against Bedi’s “style of functioning”.
Mamata Banerjee vs BJP
Didi Dares Budding Lotus
For Mamata Banerjee, the BJP was the root cause of all things bad in Bengal, while for the saffron party, the chief minister’s “divisive politics” needed course correction. But despite Didi’s politics of minority appeasement and poor execution of tackling the Darjeeling unrest, BJP failed to capitalise on it. The recent local polls showed that the BJP was still a runner-up—and from a far distance at that. Mamata’s ‘ma, mati, manush’ cry was still winning over BJP boss Amit Shah’s desperate acts of trying to make the lotus bloom. Never mind that he did manage to steal the CM’s former trusted aide, Mukul Roy.
Baba Black Sheep
Icon Moment
Much Khichdi About Nothing
‘What about biryani?’, ‘Do we now have to stand and sing the National Anthem every time we have khichdi?’—were some of the common concerns after rumours that khichdi would be declared the National Dish began making the rounds on social media. Union Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal had to step in to dispel the rumours and foodies across the country heaved a sigh of relief. For a country that boasts an array of flavours, restraining the tongue to khichdi seemed a tad too much.
Feeding on Power
He is 70 years old, has devoted his life to God, and lives only on fruits to maintain a pure soul. None of this stopped Kaushlendra Prapannacharya Falahari Maharaj, a self-styled godman, from raping a 21-year-old woman from Chhattisgarh, whose parents were his followers. He was arrested and a virility test conducted.
Shameful Blessings
This Jain monk, who proclaims to abstain from hurting any living being, is no different when it comes to rape allegations. Digambar Acharya Shantisagar, a 45-year-old godman, was arrested from Surat, Gujarat, for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl. The incident happened on October 1 when he called her to perform some puja and give his ‘blessings’. She had gone to the Digambar Jain Temple in Napura with her family on the alleged date. So much for devotion!
Unholy Actions
A self-proclaimed godman was arrested for allegedly raping a Dalit woman in Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh. Baba Siyaram Das, who has an ‘ashram’ in Misrikh and also runs a law college, allegedly raped the 19-year-old for over eight months. The woman was rescued by police when she dialled 100 and narrated her story to the police. Police also booked the godman’s devotee.
Bobbitised at Last
A law student in Kerala was forced to take the law into her hands to end an eight-year-old cycle of rape and abuse. The 23-year-old woman chopped off the private part of a 54-year-old self-styled godman—Swamy Gangeshananda, a member of the Kollam-based Panmana Ashram—who had allegedly been raping her since she was in Class 12. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the woman’s “brave step”.
End of Love Charger
End-August saw self-proclaimed godman Ram Rahim Singh Insaan reduced to tears after being sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for rape. No divine intervention, political muscle power, or for that matter, rioting by followers, could save this rapist baba. As if the sentencing was not enough, police cracked down on Dera Sirsa headquarters to reveal the dirty secrets of the ‘sex addict’ godman. From his lavish and bullet-proof ‘Playboy-kind mansion’ named ‘Tera Vaas’, Ram Rahim’s new address has been moved to the Rohtak jail.
Court Rap
The Supreme Court asked the Ramanagara Sessions Court in Karnataka to frame charges against Swamy Nithyananda as soon as possible. One of the most infamous self-styled godmen, the ever-smiling Nithyananda is accused of sexual assault, rape, cheating and criminal intimidation. A former follower had filed a complaint against him in 2010. Nithyananda has been arrested twice, got successful bails and delayed the trial for seven years.
The Supreme Court on November 17 expressed shock that no FIR has been registered against Asaram Bapu in the case of attempted murder of main eyewitness in the Narayan Sai case (Sai was accused of committing repeated sexual assaults between 2002 and 2005 on a woman). The apex court issued notice to the states asking them to file the replies within six weeks. Narayan, son of Asaram Bapu, was booked under various sections of the IPC, including rape, unnatural sex, molestation, etc.
Comeback Kids
Yo Yo Honey Singh
Back with a Bang
After belting out timeless classics such as High Heels, Blue Eyes, Dope Shope, creator Yo Yo Honey Singh vanished. The Punjabi pop sensation is back with a Bhangra version of ‘Dil Chori’ by Hans Raj Hans for the upcoming film, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.
Suresh Raina
Yo-Yoing His Way Back
Suresh Raina, who last wore an Indian cap during a home T20 series against England in February, successfully completed the Yo-Yo test. The out-of-favour batsman has now cleared the big hurdle that was coming his way.
Missing in Action
Shankersinh Vaghela
All Alone
Whatever happened to Shankersinh Veghela? After his much-publicised ‘break-up’ with the Congress, pundits were waiting for him to either join the BJP or form another party. Shankersinh chose to be silent even during the high-voltage Gujarat polls.
Kapil Sharma
The Great Happiness Challenge
India’s most famous stand-up comic Kapil Sharma had a rough year. From his show being pulled off air, to his film sinking without a trace, nothing seemed to be making the man, who wants to keep India smiling, happy.
Villains of the Year
Delhi Turns into Gas Chamber
November greeted Delhi-NCR with an air quality index of over 400 in many places. In no time one could see masked citizens around the city giving the impression that there had been a nuclear attack. Under the Centre-notified Graded Response Action Plan, pollution was considered severe plus or emergency when readings of ultrafine particulates PM2.5 or PM10 were above 300 and 500 ug/m3 respectively. CM Arvind Kejriwal lost no time in blaming it on crop burning from the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. Medical experts were soon on every media platform telling the urban populace how few days they had to live. But Delhi threw caution to the wind carrying the toxic gases, and went back to business as usual with the result that the situation was repeated again in December.
Killer Hospitals
The writing is on the wall: Our hospitals are no longer safe for our children. More than 2,000 infants lost their lives in hospitals across the country this year. A total of 1,250 children died at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur since January this year allegedly due to lack of oxygen. As many as 90 infant deaths were recorded at Kolar’s Sri Narasimha Raja Hospital between January and August. The Nashik Civil Hospital attracted national attention after it reported the death of 55 newborns in August. The year ended with a boy, who was born prematurely in Max Hospital, Delhi, being wrongly declared dead and handed over to the parents in a plastic bag. Unfortunately, the list goes on.
Fashion Statements
Detachable Glasses
What do Shashi Tharoor and Manohar Parrikar have in common? Now, before you get ideas, let us tell you—their glasses, or rather, the frames. These break-it-fix-it frames are all the rage now—in fact, Tharoor’s frames also sent Twitter in a tizzy. A handy accessory, the moment you are done with these frames, all you need to do is detach them from the centre, which is held together with a magnet. Sure saves time and money—especially if you are one of those who are in a constant habit of losing your specs.
Flying in Style
Australian airlines Qantas is known for slaying it in style. Since 1938, names such as Pucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Newson have designed and redesigned uniforms for its crew members. Recently, Qantas cabin crew sported new uniform designed by Paris-based Australian designer, Martin Grant, with navy, a pop of red and fuchsia pink. The uniform, according to the airline’s chief executive Alan Joyce, ‘speaks Australian style on the global scale’. Well, we sure are impressed.
Rahul’s Rucksack
Rahul Gandhi goes around mostly in neta attire—pristine white kurta pyjama, at times a sleeveless jacket, and sports shoes to aid walking. But this year saw the Nehru-Gandhi family scion add another element to his fashion statement—the rucksack. Known mostly as a college kid’s hold-all, or a nerd’s treasure trove, or at best an IT professional’s survival kit, the rucksack was suddenly a fashion forward accessory, thanks to RaGa. Will the backpack catch on with other politicos, or his party yes-men?
RaGa Remix
The year 2017 saw the political evolution of Rahul Gandhi. After 13 long years, RaGa finally managed to carve a niche for himself at the age of 47. From making inane statements during public rallies to his now-famous coming-of-age interview at the University of California, Berkley, Rahul has been there and done it all in these last 365 days. Let’s take a look at his year.
Foolish Frames
Cities of Bengaluru
Gung-ho at the inauguration of Indira Canteens in Bengaluru, Rahul made one blooper after another. From referring to Indira Canteens as Amma Canteens, to committing to opening more canteens in ‘every single city of Bengaluru’, Rahul Gandhi gave the masses much to laugh at.
Era of linking women
While talking about how terrorism was getting curbed in J&K, he famously said: “By 2013, we had broken the back of terrorism by linking women to banks.” Errr, we don’t ‘link women to banks’ Rahul baba, we open accounts for women.
No mathematical genius
In one-question-a-day series during Gujarat polls, Rahul raised the issue of inflation and price rise on Twitter. He said: “For example, dal prices have risen to `80 a kilo from `45 a kilo.” That’s a percentage rise of 77 per cent. But the table tweeted showed a rise of 177 per cent.
Smart Shots
Whose garbage is it anyway?
At a road show in Hardwar, Rahul took a dig at BJP scooping up former tainted Congress leaders. “Uttarakhand’s corrupt former Congress leaders now hug PM Modi in BJP rallies. Humne kachra bahar fenka. Modiji ne utha ke apni party mein rakh liya (we threw the trash out of the party and Modi is storing them in his party.)”
Slaying it on Twitter
“Modiji quick; looks like President Trump needs another hug,” posted his Twitter handle. The tweet carried a screenshot of US President Donald Trump’s post about mending relations with Pakistan—a country he had criticised after Modi met and hugged him this summer in Washington.
Rain of swag
Even before Modi reached Gandhinagar to mark conclusion of Gaurav Rally, Rahul tweeted: “Mausam ka haal: Chunav se pehle aaj Gujarat mein hogi jumlo ki baarish (Weather report: Ahead of elections, Gujarat will today have rain of rhetoric).”
the Pidi secret
In 2017, perhaps the smartest move by RaGa was getting his Terrier—Pidi—to debut on Twitter. Pidi showed that his human sure has that one unique quality that most politicians lack—ability to laugh at himself. The official tweet read: “Ppl been asking who tweets for this guy..I’m coming clean..it’s me..Pidi..I’m way than him. Look what I can do with a tweet..oops..treat!”
Global Recall
Donald Trump
Hail Covfefe
He has insulted brown and black people, Muslims and the Jewish people, women, the grieving parents of a dead soldier. He has mocked a disabled person, has hammed to an extent unimaginable on social media. He has openly talked about the possibility of the assassination of his opponent. Also, thanks to him Jerusalem suddenly finds itself in the line of fire. And we are not even talking about post-truths here! Despite all this, and some more, US President Donald Trump seems set to complete his tenure. And if some reports are to be believed, America can start preparing for Trump Version 2.0 in 2020.
Sexual harassment
The Weinstein Effect
Who’s afraid of Harvey Weinstein? Well, just about every woman in a 500-m radius of Hollywood. In October, the film producer had his big fall from grace. His years of sexual assault caught up with him with more than a dozen women levelling allegations. Even as his lawyers tried to negotiate deals out of the courtroom, the list grew. Everyone who was anyone had something to say about Weinstein, and it was definitely not nice. The event also sparked off the #MeToo campaign on social media worldwide.
The Flop List
Rajiv Pratap rudy Dropped
Former Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy has the unenviable distinction of having created only 1,35,000 jobs in 2015, the lowest total in seven years. On being asked about his resignation from the Union Cabinet—he was the only minister to be dropped—he famously said: “How can I create employment? It was not my brief.”
Prem Kumar Dhumal Retired Hurt
BJP did its best to oust the incumbent Congress government from Himachal Pradesh headed by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. And they did manage to do so admirably. The only chink in the armour was that their own chief ministerial face, Prem Kumar Dhumal, had a shameful loss. As conspiracy theories fly thick and large about how the saffron party itself scuttled Dhumal’s chances, one thing is for sure—this is definitely the end of the road for the septuagenarian who had twice served as chief minister of the hill state.
Anant Kumar Hegde ‘Sick’ular Argument
“We are here to change the Constitution,” boasted Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde. He further said, “Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don’t have their own identity. They don’t know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals.” Not to be outdone, a former Kalaburagi zilla panchayat member of Karnataka has announced `1 crore “bounty” on Hegde’s tongue.
Justin Bieber Beliebers Betrayed
Pitched as possibly the biggest live performance ever by an international artiste in India after Michael Jackson, the Justin Bieber concert in Mumbai on May 10 was nothing but a damp squib. Around 45,000 fans waited in the sweltering heat since 3 pm for Bieber’s shameful lip-synced
performance. Parents were probably wondering why they had ever agreed to shell out `75,000 per ticket just to see a decidedly bored boy-man lip-sync to his songs.
Pahlaj Nihalani Beeped Out
The controversial ‘sanskaari’
chief of the Central Board of Film Certification was unceremoniously dropped by the powers-that-be. Known for wielding the moral axe, he often ran into skirmishes with film producers over cuts, beeps and disclaimers that he insisted on. Ironically, his ouster saw him get back to what he is known for best—presenting an erotic thriller called Julie 2. So much for proudly claiming to be a ‘sanskaari’!
Golden Pumpkins
Shatrughan Sinha Motoring Ahead
Shatrughan Sinha, the original Mr Motor Mouth, has proved again this year that with age, wisdom definitely does not come. From creating faux pas galore on his Twitter account to criticising his own party at the fall of a hat, this BJP man seems to have been an embarrassment to himself. Once known as a stalwart politician and the only superstar from Bihar, Sinha has become such a caricature of his old self that even stand-up artistes don’t bother caricaturing him.
Sangeet Som
Taj Tales
Who is Sangeet Som? He is a two-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh’s Sardhana constituency and an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case. But he is more popularly known as the man who famously tried to ‘disown’ the heritage value of the Taj—one of the wonders of the world. His party was quick to distance itself from the remarks. CM Adityanath, the first from the BJP, picked up a broom and visited the White Wonder to clean the mess that was created by Som and others.
Mani Shankar Aiyar
The Conspirator
The BJP owes Congress’s Mani Shankar Aiyar an apology. Or, at least a box of the best sweets available. Aiyar provided enough ammunition to PM Modi to use against the Congress. From comparing Rahul’s ascendency in the party ranks with the Mughal dynasty, to calling the PM a ‘neech aadmi’, to hosting Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri for dinner, Aiyar provided all the help required.
Cases of Contention
Article 370
Autonomy Albatross
The azadi (rather additional) advocates of J&K can take a break for now. The Centre maintained status quo on arguably the most contentious provision of the Constitution of India. There was no proposal to withdraw the special status of the state under Article 370 and Article 35A, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir told Parliament this month. But the clarification was preceded by a series of political war of words and appointment of a special interlocutor for the state.
GST The Disruptor
The master of political punchlines, PM Modi promised smooth start to the Goods and Services Tax when he famously called it “good and simple tax” at its midnight launch in Parliament. But the glitch-ridden rollout of the biggest tax reform in 70 years soon sparked concerns—from its structure to operational details, including the ease of paying the tax and filing returns. It disrupted businesses and triggered widespread resentment and protests, prompting the authorities to frequently tweak the structure and operational details.
Aadhaar Identity Crisis
Is March 31 the last day to safeguard your identity? From banks to credit cards, to phones, to even your Amazon account—will all this vanish into thin air and you will cease to be if you fail to link them with your Aadhaar number? Even as the country awaits the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court to resolve the issue, one cannot but wonder when and how did a human being get reduced to a 12-digit number. Does this mean that we will soon have no use of our names and would be a Mr or Ms 584129736272?