Hobson's Choice

This is a term I learnt during my Intermediate days in Visakhapatnam (for the uninitiated, that means classes 11 and 12). This is the Wiki link.

Look at this article. Can there be a more blatant example of trying to reach out to a votebank? Why did I use the term? Today voters in Bengal face that situation exactly. The CPM has been in power for too long, has taken some unpopular decisions and is not exactly the most popular formation today. The Congress and (especially) the NDA have not been very significant players anyway. So the only option for the voters is the Trinamool Congress. 

Rahul Gandhi was in town recently. The arrangements made would have left one wondering if the PM or the President was visiting. For god's sake, he is a king-in-waiting, save us the inconvenience till he at least becomes king. His impact on the forthcoming state elections remains to be seen.

Elsewhere Telangana supporters are protesting against the use of the word Komaram in Pawan Kalyan's new movie. Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party was against a separate Telangana and the name is apparently someone associated with the Telangana region. There were protestors earlier against Junior NTR's Adhurs as he also did not support a separate Telangana apparently. I am currently reading the White Tiger by Aravind Adiga which I received as a gift. It's quite an interesting book. The term poverty porn comes to mind, but at the same time it is a thought-provoking book about India today, what we have done to our people, what has become of it. Well-to-do (middle class also for that matter) Indians and especially politicians should  ideally read it. Combine my thoughts from the book and what I see happening daily and I cannot but feel a sense of disgust with the cesspool that is the Indian political sphere today. Will I step up and do something instead of just commenting? Let's see.