On his page on the micro-blogging site Twitter, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor was asked, “Tell us minister, next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class?”
His reply: “Absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows.”
Reacting to Sashi’s remaks, Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said -”The party strongly disapproves the statement of the minister. It is unacceptable, not respecting political or any other sensibilities,”
I pity Jayanthi for her acute lack of “sense of humor”. While Sonia’s remarks on bunking politics at Infosys campus drew applause, Sashi sarcasm is being rediculed. The congress saviour’s are more concerned that Sonia and Rahul have been called cows.
The hypocracy in Congress cannot be more blunt. Congress may continue as a heriditary unicentral party, but India as a nation need not be so. Good one Sashi.
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5 Comments
The leaders and ministers have a commitment to people to comment or crack a joke without hurting any section of the society.
Sasi may be a good diplomat in his capacity but he failed to show diplomacy on people with four star, three star, two star, one star and no star status.
Speach can both make and mar and hence
Should be guarded well. ( kural 642)
Speak so that what you say
May never be gainsaid ( kural 645)
‘Cattle Class’ is a term commonly used to refer the way Airlines herd their travelers. I am not offended by this term in any means. Some Indian media have misrepresented the use of this term by Sashi as an insult to the common man. In plain terms, Sashi’s sarcasm is only on the Airliners and the Gandhi clans. At least that is what I interpret from his remarks.
I was surprised that Tharoor, being a voracious boot-licker of “the family” would let his guard down and crack a joke at the “holy cows”. But the way the party (or rather coterie, since calling the Congress a “political party” would be like mistaking a wild buffalo for a milch cow) reacted shows that they aren’t “holy cows” since they behave like shameless brain-dead sheep.
Sashi’s comment is like a double-edged sword. The essence should be taken in positive sense. There is nothing wrong with Sashi’s choice of words for his metaphoric verbalism – an expression of how he feels and sees things around and it’s his very personal. Well experienced as an international civil servant, an Indian who reached the top level of diplomacy at international caliber at young age and currently serving as a minister of Indian foreign affairs Sashi knows his choice of words and is conscious and well aware of what he says about. After all who is this Jayanthi Natarajan? What credibility does she have to level criticism at Sashi? Being a ranking spokeswoman of a political party at township level doesn’t qualify and / or permit her to evaluate and appraise his comments. There should be at least a minimum inherent restraint, if she does have, to preserve one’s self-respect and decency in adulation and sycophancy. Many have seen her boisterous performance raising hand and legs along with thundering voice, like female street fish-vendors, in national TV forums. This shameless Jayanthi Natarajan seems to be immune to public opinion and second to none for exalting idolization and hero- idolatry worship. It would be good service and contribution to the betterment of the nation if she could confine her adulatory of vampirism within the walls of her house.
I love this article! I found the story when released to be the biggest joke I had ever heard. I got a good laugh and moved on. Thanks for showing that I could laugh again at the story.