From Incredible India to Intolerant India, writes Priyanka Chaturvedi

There can be dearth of water in our taps, dearth of electricity in our homes and dearth of acche din in our lives, but there is certainly no dearth of controversies and outrage in our country. It is amazing how a controversy on a Monday loses its sheen by Tuesday as we have already moved on to something new to outrage over. I sense a new controversy brewing just as I start to write this column on the Sheena Bora murder and the primetime news channels obsessing over it. How can I not have a comment on anything that is making news like every typical argumentative Indian in the country today? 

While women across the world are hailing how the new Canadian PM has a cabinet with 50 per cent women representation, because, in Trudeau’s words, it is 2015, while here we still don’t have the 33 per cent reservation bill passed for our women in the parliament. Even if we do start having a representation, what is to prevent some ministers, like our HRD minister, to say that women in this country are not told what to wear, what to do and who to speak to. Laughable statement really, but saddening too as it comes from a woman in power. Even if we keep aside the argument of electoral representation, how do we explain something as basic as entry to holy temples being barred for menstruating women. So much so that this week the Sabarimala Temple board said they’d want a machine ‘invented’ to be able to “check the purity of women”. Hail women empowerment of the desi kind.

Aamir Khan, the brand ambassador of Incredible India spoke on Intolerant India at an event this week. He didn’t stop there, much to the anger of the ‘Tolerant India’ gang; he went on to say his wife has contemplated moving out of India. Hell and heaven broke loose on social media and how! He is now being subjected to questions that have to do with his hate for India, his history, his geography, his religion, his paternity, his maternity...You get the drift? I am certain as I write this, someone, somewhere is furiously googling away to find out if he has any long ago political connection with the Congress. Some representatives of the tolerant government are already suggesting Pakistan as an alternative country for him to move to, a country they love to promote for some strange reason. I wonder why Pakistan has not thought about making them the brand ambassadors to promote tourism to their nation.

The happiest of the lot right now to have the controversy taken off his back is the Chief Minister of Delhi who was being cornered for his doublespeak when caught enjoying his camaraderie with Laloo Yadav. So relieved was Arvind Kejriwal that he wasted no time in tweeting his support to Aamir Khan.

Meanwhile, I wonder why hasn’t anyone asked my favourite man from Bollywood, Arjun Rampal, his opinion on this debate yet. Actually no, I’d rather it better be left unsaid.