When the federal government acquires land with a view to construct an expressway, do they inform folks in villages that their bullock carts is not going to be allowed on the identical expressway? Yes, that’s an extremely silly query. And it makes some extremely insulting assumptions concerning the intelligence in addition to the usual of dwelling of individuals in our villages. And sure, Ravish Kumar requested (see from 5:00) this query out aloud on TV the opposite day, talking apparently to a whole bunch of 1000’s of viewers.
One would think about there was an editorial workforce someplace, and so they should have been semi-conscious on the very least. And they should have written and/or authorized this.
The cult of Ravish Kumar isn’t any laughing matter. Every evening, Ravish takes to tv to handle his viewers. His present is posted not in snippets, however as a single lengthy kind video on YouTube, the information present equal of a telefilm or single act play. Generally talking, there is just one matter per evening, although generally Ravish will spend a couple of minutes acknowledging all the great that his present is doing on the earth. How it’s altering lives, making folks acutely aware; how college students, employees and farmers are reaching out to him with their hopes and goals.
I made a decision to expertise one in all these ‘classes’ myself, sitting by the entire thing from starting to finish. In specific, this one from Sep 23, on the subject of constructing statues and memorials for folks in our nation.
It is usually a monologue, however cleverly engineered to really feel in any other case. Ravish ji speaks in lengthy sentences, with a daze of graphics and newspaper clippings flashing within the background. This offers the viewer the looks that there are info and figures to help no matter is being mentioned. And in the end that the presenter, who’s one thing of a cross between a professor and a preacher, is talking to you from inside your head. Making you nod.
The trick, nonetheless is to remain awake. For occasion, about 12 minutes into the video, Ravish ji says that the BJP had criticized Mayawati for constructing Ambedkar memorials throughout her time period as CM. The declare seems doubtful. It appears very uncertain that the BJP or some other celebration would criticize a memorial for Dr. Ambedkar. Quite tellingly, this declare isn’t accompanied by a reference on the present itself. If there’s a professional reference for this declare, I wish to see one. If I keep in mind appropriately, there was opposition to Mayawati constructing statues of herself and her celebration image, to not a memorial for Dr. Ambedkar.
Later within the present, Ravish ji turns his consideration to one of many favourite targets of PM Modi’s critics — the Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat. Ravish ji proceeds to remind the viewer of Piyush Goyal’s phrases in Jan 2020 that the intention is to have Rs 1 lakh crore of financial output in that space within the subsequent 4 or 5 years. In what appears like a dig, he provides that whereas the annual state price range of Gujarat involves round Rs 2.25 lakh crore, the minister gave us goals of Rs 1 lakh crore from a single spot!
Wait! Why would anybody examine your entire financial output of an space to the state price range? The two are very various things. The GDP of the state of Gujarat is round $230 billion or Rs 16.5 lakh crore. Of this, round $80 billion is generated from Amdavad alone. The GDP of Surat is round $60 billion. In his Jan 2020 speech, Piyush Goyal mentioned the intention was to have Rs 1 lakh crore ($15 billion) of financial output within the space across the Statue of Unity. In different phrases, in 4-5 years, an financial output corresponding to about one quarter of Surat metropolis right this moment. The space is being developed as a giant vacationer attraction with an enormous infrastructure push that ought to deliver in additional enterprise exercise. While formidable, a $15 billion goal, that too after 4-5 years, doesn’t appear fairly so unachievable.
Does Ravish Kumar’s viewers know that the GDP is completely different from the state price range? I can’t say. These feedback are made 19 minutes into the video. Was the viewers imagined to be awake at this level? I additionally can’t say.
But Ravish Kumar goes on with the identical theme. Just a little later, he says that in Jan 2019, Union Tourism Minister Ok G Alphons informed Parliament that Rs 19.47 crore had been earned as income from the statue between Nov 2018 and Jan 2019. I’ve not cross checked this, however I can presume that these are the ticket gross sales from that 3 month interval. And Piyush Goyal was talking about 1 lakh crore, Ravish ji provides…
Huh? Why would anyone examine the GDP to the state price range? And then presumably to ticket gross sales over some 3 month interval? What is the connection?
I noticed that at this level, Ravish Kumar may have continued by saying nearly something, so long as it had numbers in it. Perhaps one thing like saying {that a} pack of biscuits is simply Rs 10. Sachin Tendulkar has scored greater than 100 centuries in worldwide cricket. In the Mahabharata, the king Dhritarashtra has 100 sons, so what Rs 1 lakh crore of enterprise is Piyush Goyal speaking about? When the federal government acquires land for constructing an airport, do the farmers know that bullock carts is not going to be allowed on the runway?
If Ravish ji had really mentioned this, would it not have made a distinction to his viewers? I ponder.
But if you happen to ask such questions, you can miss what seems to be the actual vibe of the present. As but, the video has over 250,000 views on Youtube, 16,000 likes and 800 feedback, nearly all of them dripping with admiration. If there may be collective suspension of disbelief, it seems to be a cooperative act. A bit like sitting down in a circle with mates throughout an influence lower or a storm, with candles, telling one another ghost tales. The sense of group is essential, not whether or not the ghost tales really make sense. Not considering critically is a part of the enjoyable.
Below the video, one commenter, who goes by the username “Farhan Hashmi,” has commented:
“I watch and understand every news and interview of Ravish Kumar. For me Ravish Kumar is also a great man.”
I imagine you, my buddy.