This year eight days of Navratri gone without glamour and Raas, people had to control their thrill cravings and got in a private event zone. COVID threat has faded every festival including this festival of joy. Navratri is not only the event but also a source of income for many. From fashion designers, tattoo makers to struggling models and beauty parlours this was a moneymaking month.
Navratri brings a lot of innovations and inventions like backless cholis, late-night merriment, drugs, alcohol, and a strong hint of sexual intimacy. It is in the air; it is in the music and the attires; it is in the sensuous dance, as the Raas – a form of Garba performed by all ages. From teenage girls who bank on Navratri for escapades with boyfriends to some young girls who make a quick buck out of the mood to middle-aged married women willing to pay a bomb for teenage escorts – the forbidden fruit is ever-present and basks in the glory of the nine festive nights of Navratri.
On the other hand, those strugglers in the film and modelling industry get lured into the flesh trade; they become contractual partners for outsiders who land up in glossy cities to spend their celebration nights. While none of this is new, but this year the Navratri was not much visible. Above all the constant raids by cops and NCB has taken out the sheen of this dance festival.
Lockdown and unemployment in the modelling and film industry guided many strugglers to escorting business. Many middle-aged women get young men to escort them for the night at private parties. While this happens around the year under wraps, during Navratri, this clan gets the gusto to wear their ‘able-bodied’ gains on their sleeve and flaunt them.
These models are paid 500 to 50000 depending on their body, fame, and performance. And unabashed fun is not limited to the elderly. For the young ones, Garbha provides a good excuse to sneak out and have fun. But sadly, they had to struggle this year.
Whereas the glamour industry is concerned, many aspiring actresses, struggling models, and side dances have pushed themselves to flesh trading. Many have joined those friendship clubs where the choices are picked up for one-night stands. Navratri used to be the earning event for these girls and guys because rich celebrities and business tycoons hire them as escorts.
This year even the wedding season was a low-key affair, so the business of attending weddings as paid hosts was also a remote chance. These youngsters walk into Bollywood and its colourful fringes — being clueless. They knock on various doors; some get some work, some get some role and maximum land up doing what they never thought of, because returning becomes a dilemma.
Young boys and girls with starry dreams arrive by the dozens every day. Only 3% of these strugglers ever make it to the glitzy side of the real Bollywood, but this depressing statistic never affects the surge of hopefuls who finally don’t even care if they make it in the film as long as they find some way of earning. In the struggle for perceived stardom and the mirage of megabucks, ethics and so-called societal values have no place. They call themselves aspiring models or aspiring actors as soon as they disembark in Mumbai. Bollywood’s sordid underside is not news anymore and is a matter of great concern.
Those who genuinely want a career in film and those who want to use their looks to make money. Most of the youngsters come here to make more money than a career. The struggle for the ‘strugglers’ begins right at the beginning — finding a roof in Mumbai to feed them and commute three big challenges. Their needs increase as the pockets get stretched, to fill this gap they force themselves to work in all those zones where money can be earned.
Given this parallel industry, for the genuine ones, it is often a struggle to ensure that one is not taken for a ride. Such as routine fake auditions, there are coordinators who come to offer help but with ulterior motives, auditions are sometimes euphemisms for ‘pleasure sessions’. Many moneyed people check out young, good-looking men and women through such auditions. Many strugglers are called often for parties and pleasure by some so-called socialists and film financiers.
With desperate aspirants willing to almost throw themselves at everyone’s mercy. According to insiders, things have only become more rampant of late because of the willingness of starlets to give in. One has to seriously think about this ongoing trend that has lured many youngsters in the flesh trade for the extra perks.
Amid the reports of power crisis due to coal shortage in the country, Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said that the shortage of fossil fuel was triggered due to rains causing an increase in its international prices. He further explained that imported coal power plants were either shut for 15-20 days or were producing very less, putting pressure on domestic coal.
Recently the Haryana government withdrew two orders, issued in 1967 and 1980, which restrained its employees from taking part in the activities of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Jamaat-e-Islam. With this decision, now Haryana government employees can take part in RSS and Jamaat-e-Islam’s respective activities. The order prompted strong reactions from various think tanks of India.
BJP worker, advocate Devendra Sharma said, “I welcome the decision of Khattar Govt to abolish order which restricted participation of Govt employees in RSS activities as it will lead to an integration of Nationalist cultural values in Govt employees it is a much desirable step. At the same time, the government lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islam activities also which is dangerous. I am afraid this will further fuel rabid Islamification of treacherously sensitive Mewat region that is harshly affecting the adjacent areas also. Law and order are not a game of parity, instead of balancing dribbling Govt must initiate serious measures to control the radicalization of the Mewat region.”
Advocate Rohini Salian, a former Special Public Prosecutor of Maharashtra told Afternoon Voice, “All the governments should ban all those members who are affiliated from police to executives Judiciary and also Lawmakers and government employees from associating with all political communal religious organizations. Once a constitutional oath is taken, they are supposed to salute only mother India and the Indian flag. As per the constitution, we elect our representatives who are supposed to govern the nation ably.”
Bharat Dabholkar, Veteran Actor and Director said, “I think whatever rules apply to government employees regarding participating in activities of other organizations, should apply to RSS.”
Prof. Dr Sunil Baliram Gaikwad, Former MP from Latur said, “The Haryana government welcomes the revocation of the ban on participation of government employees in the RSS as the RSS is a social organization and no one has any objection to its participation. Should not be. I think it is a good decision in the public interest.”
Suresh Nakhua, BJP Mumbai Unit Spokesperson said, “RSS is the World’s largest volunteer and social organization. If government employees can take part in other organized programs of Institutes and Clubs for social service; then why can’t they take part in RSS? It’s the most Nationalistic organization I have ever seen. They firstly respond to any crisis and calamity. So this decision is well appreciated and should be followed by all states in the country that work with the central government.”
Nishant Varma, a veteran political analyst said, “The purpose of the Ban was to not let Govt employees be brainwashed with religious, Fascist ideology, which is definitely against the basic essence of ‘Constitution of India’. Such abolition as a balancing act by lifting the ban on RSS and Jamaat e Islami together is completely unacceptable in a Nation where Govt employees are restricted from voicing dissent towards the Ruling Dispensation and any Govt criticism lands them into Suspension from Service and/or Criminal cases filed against such employees.”
A day after five army personnel were killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday said revenge must be exacted five times the fatality of soldiers in the face-off with terrorists. An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ claimed that after the nullification of special provisions of Article 370, which took away the special rights given to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan sympathizers have been emboldened.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at five locations in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) linked to the seizure of 2,998 kg drugs at Gujarat’s Mundra Port. This was the second in a series of raids carried out by the NIA on October 9 in connection with the case.
Bangladesh T20I skipper Mahmudullah will miss his team’s first warm-up match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday due to “slight back pain”. Bangladesh selector Habibul Bashar said the team doesn’t want to take any “risks” now ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Amid the state-wide Bandh called by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Monday in protest against the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that claimed the lives of eight people including four farmers, the opposition calls it an ‘unconstitutional’ move and terms it a political gimmick.
When we asked Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut about the motive and purpose of the Bandh and also who would compensate the small-time vendors and employees those who lost their one-day wages, Raut said, “This bandh is not for any political or personal motive. We wanted to give a strong message that our Anna data (farmer) is not alone and we stand by them in their solidarity.”
BJP MLA Ram Kadam said, “This government is confused. They have outraged the constitution of India. Don’t they know that a ruling government cannot call out a state-wide Bandh? This is happening for the first time in the history of independent India. Keeping their own offices open they are shutting other businesses. Who will pay for their loss? Are they suggesting unemployment? Why the Maha Vikas Aghadi is not telling what have they done about the Nirbhaya incidents in Maharashtra? What about the Palghar mob lynching? In Kashmir, 7 Hindus are brutally murdered in 5 days. Is this not the double standard of this government?”
BJP General Secretary MLA Atul Bhatkalkar said, “This is state-sponsored terrorism. It is a political gimmick by ‘Maha Bighadi Sarkar’. They are calling Bandh in Maharashtra for the farmers of UP and what about the suicides of the farmers in Maharashtra? In the Marathwada division, 22-lakh hectare cultivation land has gone in water destroying the crop yield. CM has no time to visit there. In districts like Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Konkan farmers are yet to get disaster relief compensation. The ruling aide Raju Shetty has himself said that the relief helps is not reached as yet. This Bandh is nothing but Pawar and Thackeray dramatics. Commons are facing hardships. Best Buses are vandalized badly. Police and Shiv Sena walk hand in hand.”
Chief spokesperson of BJP Madhav Bhandari said, “This is scamming and an act of state-sponsored fanaticism. Thousands of farmers have committed suicide within the state and they are concerned about UP farmers. Not even a courtesy call was done to the deceased farmer’s family members. The flood-hit farmers of Konkan and Western ghat are still without a single penny aid. Destroying public property, threatening businessmen for their lives retelling them of Mansukh Hiren issue and terrorizing traders is pure terrorism.”
BJP MP Gopal Shetty told Afternoon Voice, “The time from which this Maha Vikas Aghadi government has come into power the Bandh began, so there is no Bandh today. I condemn this fake Bandh and this phoney of the three party’s decision. NCP and Congress killed many farmers in police firings when their coalition government was ruling. Why wasn’t a Bandh called at that time? BJP stands for those who lost their dear ones.”
Dhananjay Shinde of the Aam Aadmi Party said, “Announcement of Bandh by Government is a controversial decision. Most of the time it is just the politics of the ruling parties. Today MVA government has called for Bandh. But even BJP state governments had done the same during the UPA regime. Aam Aadmi Party always supports peaceful Bandh within the constitutional framework. We are always against forceful Bandh. The violence of political parties in power doing Bandh is absolutely cowardly act and not appreciated. Common men always suffer because of Bandh. There is an urgent need to brainstorm and find out the solution on how to compensate the commoner suffering because of Bandh.”
Maharashtra BJP leader Nitesh Rane warned, “If shopkeepers are forced to close shops tomorrow by any of the MVA karyakartas, they will have to face BJP karyakartas. Police should ensure no one is forced or else there will be a law-and-order situation, which is not our responsibility.”
A Special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) court in Mumbai on Monday said that it would hear on Wednesday the bail plea of Aryan Khan, accused in the Mumbai cruise drug bust case.