Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Salman Khan Verdict

The media, social or otherwise is hell bent on judging the judgment delivered by the lower court on Salman Khan's drunk driving case. Scandals involving celebrities make headlines and it's a global phenomena. Reminds me of the  O J Simpson's case in 1994. It's trial was at it's peak,around the same time the World Cup soccer was hosted by USA. More Americans were aware about the OJ case, than the maga soccer event going on in their own nation. The American media made a huge coverage of it, it's public clearly divided among racial lines regarding it's verdict.

I have asked many Whites as well as Blacks about  OJ's case. All whites were anguished that OJ killed his wife, should have been punished but escaped. Blacks feel, though OJ possibly killed his wife, he did so in a spurt of rage as he caught his wife red handed cheating on him, inside his own house. It was an involuntary manslaughter, so if he escaped conviction, the rule of law has to be respected. I have not heard a single cross-racial difference of opinion on that subject as of yet.

In Salman's case the sympathy towards him hardly extends beyond some of his hardcore fans and CHAMCHAs (obsequious fellas who survive due to doles from the big screen guy). Justice delayed in justice denied. The lower court decision came after a decade of the incident. Some say he escaped with minimal punishment, 5 year being too few. A joke is going around that Madhuri's both SAAJANs (beloveds) are now convicted. It took Sanjay Dutt more than 2 decades to get the final conviction in a TADA case. It could take at least the same, if not more for Salman, who would be 60+ then, having lived most of his life.

A stay in jail is often termed in Odia as GHANA PELA or in Hindi CHAKKI PISNA, both meaning churning the wheel. As part of their daily chore during British days, which continued years post independence, jail inmates were kept busy churn mammoth wheels inside the prison to produce oil out of the sebaceous oilseeds. Now a days the wheels of fortune has turned full circle for the convicts. I doubt anybody is churning wheels inside the prisons in India, but the terms GHANA PELA or in Hindi CHAKKI PISNA have stuck around. I am sure Salman, if finally convicted in 2025, his wife (if he marries, I bet that will be another mega media event) or someone close could fall sick, enabling to "to and fro" from the jail like a pendulum on regular basis, emulating the co-SAAJAN Sanjay Dutt.

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