Everything's in a name

What’s in a name, one might think! Sadly everything’s in a name.

What’s it with Hyderabad and the rest of India to christen everything after Rajiv and Indira and sometimes after her father too. How many of Indira structures are we going to have, much more than Rajiv, I suppose. It might be their personal joke in hell (They just couldn’t have gone to heaven, such narcissists and demons they were) to see who gets one up, mother or son. Poor father, he is not even in the picture. To digress, he gave them their surname that they hang on to. Everything has to be named after these two nuts. The Lalita Kala Thoranam in the city is going to be re-christened as (Yes, you are right!) Rajiv Lalita Kala Thoranam. Incredible! What has this man done for kala? Even Sarojini Naidu couldn’t have convinced me.

We have a Rajiv Gandhi International airport in the state and I wonder where else. Aren’t there anyone else worthy enough? Please not YSR... another conman. Maybe the Nizams, after all they gave Hyderabad its famous biriyani (No, it’s not as great they make it out to be). If not the Nizams, what about the kings or the scientists or academicians or artistes. Aren’t there enough people to choose from? I can name a few — Sarojini Naidu, S. Radhakrishnan, Kancha Illiah, Fawad Tamakanat, SPB (yes, he is a Telugu fellow). Each one good in his or her field. Why not them?

What is with the Nehru clan and their names? It doesn’t even sound exotic enough to replicate it everywhere. How can one forget Indira is the reason for the bleakest portion of Indian history — the emergency, the Sikh riots, press blackout and god knows what else. Her son Rajiv is not far behind. Bofors — has one forgotten this. I suppose so! With Congress in power, they make sure it’s conveniently forgotten. The rapes in Sri Lanka when the Indian Army was there ‘helping’ was during Rajiv’s time. Wouldn’t you want to murder the man who molested your child? But no!! When it’s the Nehru clan, everyone else is wrong. I’m not sure it has happened, but I can’t be sure it didn’t happen either. LTTE must have had a reason then at least.

We say we are a democracy, then how is it that Rajiv becomes the PM after his mom’s death and not my father? Isn’t this monarchy wrapped and dolled up as democracy and served to us in a shop? Rajiv, who had no experience in politics. Rajiv, who was a techie when the rest of us didn’t have a computer. Rajiv, who just wanted a quiet life with his Italian doll. What was so visionary about him?

Charisma, I suppose got them this far and will get them on more name boards I suppose. I plead for my sake and everyone’s sake, give credit to the real architects who shaped the thoughts, the skyline and the palate of the city. Give them their due when they are alive. After I’m dead, I don’t care. Neither does Indira or Rajiv. If you insist on crowing the dead, there are more choices, I assure you than the mother-son duo.