If you think all of Kangana Ranaut’s recent tirades are a good launch pad for a successful political career, think again. The Bollywood actor may have played the role of Rani of Jhansi in Manikarnika with a sharp nationalist ferocity, but she forgot one key lesson from the movie – you have to have a Jhalkari Bai by your side if you want to win any battle. But upper caste Kangana Ranaut committed what is widely regarded as a cardinal sin in Indian politics. She spoke against the constitutionally guaranteed policy of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs. Even RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had to take back his statement on the need for a review of reservation policy.
Had Kangana grasped the essence of her movie Manikarnika, she would have acted differently in her real life.
At this crucial juncture, when a part of her office has been demolished by the Uddhav Thackeray government, and Mumbai police is set to probe her alleged drug links, she needs not only widespread political support but also the support of a large Bahujan majority on the ground. It may appear as if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fully backing her now – giving her Y-plus security cover, deploying Sambit Patra to her defence, and have Devendra Fadnavis target the Shiv Sena government over the demolition issue – but her anti-reservation utterances will be the biggest roadblock for a political career.
Kangana might be happy seeing the hashtags in her support trending on social media, but at the end of the day, her office stands broken. The only seemingly significant support she got were from Union minister and Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP Chirag Paswan.
Kangana must only rewatch Manikarnika to know where she went wrong. Especially the five-minute role of one of the commanders of the army of Jhansi, Jhalkari Bai, played by Ankita Lokhande. Incidentally, Kangana has named her Bandra Pali Hill office ‘Manikarnika’.
Also read: Kangana Ranaut’s Twitter timeline is Manorama yearbook, Jhansi ki Rani edition
Who was Jhalkari Bai
Manikarnika, popularly known as the Rani of Jhansi, did not fight her last battle inside Jhansi fort. To save her adopted son Damodar Rao, who was also the heir to the throne of Jhansi, she had to abandon the fort. In the battle of Jhansi, one of the most celebrated of the colonial period, the Jhansi army was led by Jhalkari Bai Kori, her husband Puran Kori, and Gaus Khan.
The Uttar Pradesh government describes Jhalkari Bai and Gaus Khan on its website as the leaders of the battle of Jhansi. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had issued a postage stamp to celebrate the valour of Jhalkari Bai. The citation goes on to narrate her loyalty, courage and fighting prowess. NCERT’s Hindi textbook for Class 6 has an entire chapter depicting the bravery of Jhalkari Bai. In 2017, President Ram Nath Kovind, who belongs to the same Dalit Kori caste, unveiled her statue in Bhopal.
राष्ट्रपति श्री रामनाथ कोविंद ने भोपाल में रानी लक्ष्मी बाई की सहयोगी झलकारी बाई की प्रतिमा का अनावरण किया। इस अवसर पर राज्यपाल श्री ओम प्रकाश कोहली एवं मुख्यमंत्री @ChouhanShivraj एवं अन्य जन प्रतिनिधि उपस्थित थे। pic.twitter.com/cxBIssyruP
— CMO Madhya Pradesh (@CMMadhyaPradesh) November 10, 2017
It tells us that Manikarnika or the Rani of Jhansi built the largest possible coalition of social and religious sections and her commanders were employed from every section of the society. That must have been a revolutionary act on the part of the Rani of Jhansi since, according to the diktats of the Hindu shastras, Dalits were not supposed to carry arms.
Also read: Kangana Ranaut drew attention with her unsolicited tirades. Now the taxpayer will foot security bill
Kangana, Manikarnika by name
Just compare the act of Manikarnika with Kangana’s rant against the constitutional provisions of reservation, and you can easily understand why she is not getting any support from a large section of the society or, for that matter, any prominent BJP leader — except the party’s IT cell.
Her outburst against reservation was uncalled for. Reacting to a tweet on a book by Pulitzer-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, which draws parallels between India’s caste-based discrimination and racism in the US, Kangana wrote a series of tweets rejecting caste and making unsubstantiated claims about the quota system, stirring huge controversy.
Especially in professions like Doctors engineers, pilots most deserving people suffer reservations, we as a nation suffer mediocrity and brilliance finds a reluctant escape to The United States.. Shame
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 23, 2020
It is difficult to know what agitated her. It could have been the title of the book — Caste: The Origins of our Discontents — or the common upper caste angst against the quota system or just an opportunity to create another controversy and stay in media glare. The end result is that Kangana alienated herself from the SC/ST/OBCs, who constitute the majority of Indian population.
Cast system has been rejected by modern Indians, in small towns every one knows it’s not acceptable anymore by law and order its nothing more than a sadistic pleasure for few, only our constitution is holding on to it in terms of reservations, Let Go Of It, Lets Talk About It ?
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) August 23, 2020
Also read: Kangana Ranaut isn’t casteless. Her elders passed on an invisible code to her
BJP’s political distancing
Soon after her reservation rant, Kangana started firing salvos against the Shiv Sena and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government. It was bad timing. Just before the beginning of the battle, she had lost the support of ‘Jhalkari Bai’. And then, in her typical, exaggerated style, she compared herself with Kashmiri Pandits, drawing parallels between the partial demolition of her illegal structure in Mumbai with the exodus of Pandits from the Valley, saying she “now understands” their pain. She has been called out by people on social media, including by Kashmiri Pandits.
The BJP might find her tirades against the Thackeray government, and especially against the Shiv Sena, suitable to its scheme, but it knows full well that the reservation issue can subvert all its political calculations. This makes the party wary of going the whole hog in supporting Kangana. The BJP IT cell will support her — the anonymity and vitriol makes it easier for the party to distance itself from the group’s actions — and peripheral members like Sambit Patra will utter soothing statements now and then in her defence. Even offers to join BJP, such as one from the party’s Himachal Pradesh chief to her mother Asha Ranaut, will likely go to family members or those close to her.
But no big leader of any consequence will support Kangana Ranaut, because she has created an anti-reservationist image for herself and will now be forced to do balancing acts like invoking B.R. Ambedkar here and there.
Dear respected honourable @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arn’t you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar?
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020
The BJP certainly won’t throw its full might behind her with the Bihar assembly election just a few weeks away. The party won’t easily forget how a stray statement from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservation had cost it the assembly election in 2015 — at least until it returned to govern the state in coalition with turncoat Nitish Kumar and the Janata Dal (United) two years later.
For Kangana, the question of reservation will keep haunting her at every step of her political journey — if she chooses one. Because this Manikarnika, without the support of India’s millions of Jhalkari Bais, is just an ordinary actress.
Dilip Mandal is the former managing editor of India Today Hindi Magazine, and has authored books on media and sociology. Views are personal.
Its really in bad taste and highly motivated article . Nothing good is expected with such shady media like the print .
I think it’s not the caste but thought process which is shudra and a brahmin or a kshatriya or so called uppar caste may have a shudra mentality . All men are created equals and are equals but some like you have very dirty mindset . Reservation may be good for certain reason but to say it can not be debated or discussed is against the very principles of democracy and free speech . The very idea that it can not be discussed or debated is against the constitution which is used to get the whole system is tweaked and twisted to appease the beneficiaries of reservation .
You are full of venom mr mandal , I don’t care what your caste is as I don’t really believe in any caste system but I care what your thoughts are and how crooked your mind is .
I am certain even baba saheb would have supported and protected the right of people like kangana to share their views without being vilified in a very wrong manner .
By writing Such article you are misusing the power entrusted in you .
Let me tell you ..Kangana is an idea whose time has come ..Wait and watch .
Written by Dilip Mandal – Looks like he wants to get the Print bankrupt by these partisan articles.
Withdrawing my support and payments from the channel – Good bye
Just came to highlight that I stopped my subscriptions to your channel with these biased news articles.
She has become Manikarnika because of her actions and not just because of her movie – Exactly like Prakash Raj and your news channel have come losers because of your actions
Good to see all or almost all comments telling the blogger what a crappy blog it is.
The print media is acting like mouth piece of Maharashtra govt. Shme on you!
You people are idiots. Go get your facts checked at the ground level first. The only reason why we still have reservations in India is because of the vote bank politics. Politicians don’t care a damn about backward castes. In fact they want the whole country to stay divided so they can play the vote bank politics. I myself who studied at the prestigious tier 1 engineer institute in India saw the reservation issue at first hand. Most students who enrolled for studies under reservation had good enough economic background. Belonged to a well off family. They just used to take a seat at college to earn a degree and keep their options open. While many deserving students from general category used to get left out. They used to feel cheated by the system. But you guys will talk like those stupid half ass intellectuals. Propagandist…
Reservation category students being economically well Off. – This is standard narrative among students. Is it based on actual data ?
How is it possible for general category students to get left out and feel cheated? Is this a narrative or based on actual data.? The cutoff for prestigious IIT JEE Advanced exam is same for both Gen category and OBC. So it is also for the prestigious KVPY exam. For SC ST the cutoffs are lower but mnay general category students are not even able to reach SC ST cutoff! So it is those non meritorious general category students who get affected by reservations?
Also in case enough OBC category students are not available, seats can be filled up with general category. Check up the institution web sites.
Moreover obc quota in central institutes is 27% while their population representation is 55% or more. Forward castes do not form more than 10% of population and even lesser in many states. Also BJP has introduced EWS quota. So general category students are getting more than their fair share of admissions to highest engineering institutions in our country.
Given the tough cutoffs for centrally funded prestigious engg colleges , data clearly shows it is not possible for weak students to get in.Further the 4 year course itself has to be passed through so not easy to get out either. So saying merit is compromised is only a narrative it needs to be backed up with actual data.
Author is so passive aggressive that I could feel the hatred through the page.
Author is so passive aggressive that I could feel the hatred through the page. I am assuming you’re one of the many Marathi butthurts. If you’re writing this blog and want unbiased people to read it, your piece gotta be unbiased at first. It’s one shitty article. I can’t imagine the pain in your ass while writing this disgusting note. You should be ashamed.
BEVDE WRITER…..Which high-on-substance mind crashed and smacked writer wrote this article…… What KANGANA SAID was probably the best thing- trying to take stand against reservation policies which no other politician nor celebrity had any punk in their holes to do so…..
Probably these FROM theprint.in whatever this is throw some garbage over your editor’s face and the writer should eat some of it …. Go relax idiots…..
AND STOP UPLOADING SUCH ARTICLES …..
Who gives a shit to your article the print. The print is a chatukhor media and now public has learnt to identify the chatukhor. I am SC myself and in full support of kanagana. Don’t try to break the fans. It is an age old strategy to break Hindus into general and reserved classes.
When I m n Mumbai shiv Sena candidates creates problems for outsider means (which r not look like that black assholes, ) I know sum bastards r born for #danga , they think they r king ND great matrabhumi protector from others , mother fucker cum Delhi Teri saale ki ,, dog ke pan mein water pilonga ,
Kansans is a just stupid loser and yeah again I say a ” LOSER ” with a capital L . She is her own downfall, thinking she is ” Miss know all ” when in fact she is just a loose cannon whom the BJP is taking good advantage of ? Let her shoot off her mouth and bite more than she can chew and the BJP will drop her like a hot potato. She is not and can never be compared to Rani Laxmibai for a simple reason RANI LAXMIBAI WAS SELFLESS….. kangana is selfish, self centred and an opportunist and a VITRIOLIC DUMBASS. period
fine I love news
Simply Idiot” The Print “… She is not going political that’s why she is straight and fair. Whether she gets support or not she says the fact n logical changes that should take place in the Indian society. Why you got so much mirchi when she against quota… She is facing alone all problems. If u can’t support her even on right issues raised by her than donot pull her too…
This shows her strength that for a correct aspect their is no need for anyone to support you not even jhalkari bai kind of character you mentioned. Ok
Kangana Ranaut is a good and self obsessed personality. It will b wrong to assume that she established herself in industry without any favours and that she is sati Savitri. The political leaning and tone of her utterances was worthy of response and is no surprise. She should not expect that she will not get back things in her own language and should not mind it also. Her political ambitions are clear but public will definitely reject her unless she starts from municipality election. An immature personality who doesn’t care about anybody. All in all an eccentric personality
She is entitled to her free speech. However despite her success and fame, she will be paid back by the powerful people she accuses of , unless the courts protect her.
People are aware of the hate speech from her sister against a minority community. So you know well what side she is on. She is still young and immature, possibly getting involved in grassroot politics will make her understand that India does not run on Twitter.
What is wrong with Kangana’s comment?
“Kangana might be happy seeing the hashtags in her support trending on social media, but at the end of the day, her office stands broken.”
The above comment on your article clearly shows your epicaricacy, Shame on you..
Dude. In the year 2020, if you are saying that talking against the demolition of reservation policy in India is wrong then you are a problem. It’s high time to give students equal treatment/opportunities out of the hard work they’re putting on. It is okay if you don’t like kangana but supporting the wrong statement and making an article out of it is not acceptable. Kindly write articles with an idea of making India a better country to live. Well, that would be done when the bright minds would be given an opportunity to be a part of our great institutions.
Like Print, The Wire, Quint, Scroll,.. embarrass themselves everyday with such bullshit articles that any sane person would want a total boycott of this publication. I mean high time the present govt looks into these publications that are funded fully or partially by foreign media houses and here they are again with a begging bowl !! I wouldn’t even bother spitting in your bowl. Shameless publication hasn’t even talked about Shiv Sainik gundas has razed her office down with the help of BMC. Go to any Slum and you’ll see 5 floors of illegal shanty which started with 1 floor and now they have made it into a 5 story ghetto scycraper and BMC never bothered taking then down. Print start talking about real issues, I know to stay relevant and to please your masters you write this bullshit buy we are not buying it. Now take your begging bowl somewhere else
“Kangana might be happy seeing the hashtags in her support trending on social media, but at the end of the day, her office stands broken.”
The above comment on your article clearly shows your schadenfreude, Shame on you..
Do you think people can’t see through your vested interest propaganda script writing. This is garbage, not journalism. SHAME
Kangana is an actress. Says things just to grab attention. She is just doing her job nicely. She is very ambitious and perhaps has her eyes set on many things. The importance given to her is highly disproportionate to her contribution in any field.
Article after article on print with clear Kangana bias.
Media has made a joke about the case, yes. But to take on Kangana personally is equally horrible. Infact Rhea may come out in a week and get back to her usual hopefully (with mental scarring ofcourse). Kangana has suffered real financial loss with her home being bought down by same people who has aadarsh and probably hundreds of thousands of illegal occupations in the city including high rises, slums and what not. Notices etc have been given in decades and decades with nothing being done.
I dint think I would say this, but your bias is almost shocking. Sad day to equate print with usual media with their own agendas
Such a worst newspaper and such a bogus news.waste of time n energy reading it.shame on you for your shitty news.
Why is Kangana even relevant for/ in India? She is a mere entertainer, we pay to watch her dance and sing. That’s her status. Why is the media, and the entire nation so besotted with her?
She comes on channels that are not tax payer funded. Any channel can show whatever they want within the law. You take ur intelligence to whichever intelligent source of news that suits ur ego.
For me i freedom of speech, citizen rights, right to property, right to speech is ground zero. High flying super intelligent people dont impress me.
It shows where our nation is heading. It is also good opportunity for media to divert people from Covid and economy.
Young people are not questioning government about jobs and their future.They are busy living off their parents money and watching videos and films and other entertainment on their phones. They are misled by media.
Reservations were supposed to bridge gap between untouchables and royal Brahmins, you guys. Reservations are important if you think you didn’t get the chance because of reservations you are wrong. Most toppers nowadays are from lower castes, reservation just made our society inclusive of backwards and Poors
I come to The Print and straightaway to comment section on any article. It gives me more fun to laugh it off. I rarely see positive comments. Writing on the Print wall.
We are so hypocritical.. and every one knows what harm caste based reservations are doing to this nation. But no one wants to talk about it not even BJP because of the fear of losing its support from those communities.. Its a shame that even in this digital era we have to live with that. She had the guts to talk about truth. For god sake dont write articles like this. R!
Even in this era if we could not come out of caste prejudices and discriminations, what is wrong in continuing with Reservations. We should strive for removal of caste system from our society, caste Reservations automatically becomes redundant.
We are so hypocritical.. and every one knows what harm caste based reservations are doing to this nation. But no one wants to talk about it not even BJP because of the fear of losing its support from those communities.. Its a shame that even in this digital era we have to live with that. She had the guts to talk about truth. For god sake dont write articles like this. R!
When you are being honest you are bound to make enemies. Instead of writing articles like these just to win over mafias who pay you, you can live as an honest life like kangana. Truth eventually prevails only thing is its takes time and have to keep fighting until then
She is already a worrier in this new generation who fights for rights
The aim of .Shekhar . Gupta jee in life is to mint money .No moral ,no principles and ethical . practice in. Life . Only availing opportunity for .his. Own benefits
The aim of .Shekhar . Gupta jee in life is to mint money .No moral ,no principles and ethical . practice in. Life . Only availing opportunity for .his. Own benefits
The best model to earn money in today’s political environment is the path followed by Arnab and gang. Why SG will choose this path if money making is his only motive..?
Just because Print gives a platform for various writers to write means does not mean SG backs their views. He is open minded, liberal by allowing free speech.
In fact you can sometimes see opposing views on Print. Not one sided like Republic TV.
No wonder the Print is ahead of right wing platforms like OpIndia.
The aim of .Shekhar . Gupta jee in life is to mint money .No moral ,no principles and ethical . practice in. Life . Only availing opportunity for .his. Own benefits
Quality Journalism? What The Print want to prove? Why no comment on SS act to demolish her office?
Why The Print want to stand behind those Bollywood Actors who are tight-lipped with all the past week incidents and your journalism is not saying anything about it?
We know, The Print will not answer it. But you all guys including SS will get the first answer from The People in BMC Elections. One more during State Elections.
Be Remember… This is Democracy…. It will show everyone’s place.
This writer is obsessed with caste and hatred of the BJP. He uses every opportunity to contrive a connection between whatever the BJP supports and its supposed “anti reservation” mindset. Kangana Ranaut is merely a convenient prop to continue his anti BJP tirade. And he is upset that pro BJP dalit politicians like Ramdas Athavale defend Kangana. He finds it hard to digest the fact that the BJP has won over the majority of dalits across India with its development projects primarily benefiting them.
Print.in , wake up before you loose credebility like others. Shop publishing such stupid blogs.
Whose chamcha r u who is writing this article. People have wisdom along with eyes & ears. They know whom to support or not. Ur article won’t attract as we all know how hypocrite this paid media from pseudo liberals side is. #Kanganaspeakstruthwhetherulijeitornot
#ArnabgoswamiisprideofIndia
The Print is loosing its charm with such biased articles. Before writing , step-out and get the public feedback.
Let’s wait and watch, what support Kangna has in next 2-4 weeks and will clarify the hollow article
100% bissed article. Real shame.
Prejudiced propaganda by shekar the khandi stooge
Wow..!! Another magnificent disaster by the print..! You write such horrendous articles and then say we value good, independent journalism. Plz spread your anti – BJP, anti-Hindu agenda somewhere else. You never fail to evoke feelings of disgust
The same way you are USING KANGANA RANAUT to rank higher on web pages.
Why support reservations, and deny hard working middle class their rights to a decent college. Makes no sense keeping reservation
Dilip Mandal is an ordinary journalist. With such people in journalism, it is no surprise that media is going through an existential crisis.
Bullshit
Propaganda machinery this
Did Shiv Sena pay for this article?
What a dumb ass article.. she’s got the support of 100’s of millions of us who know EXACTLY what she is doing and we also know EXACTLY what u r trying to do.. and please someone show me one article from the print which is pro Govt or pro anything good. I see an article from “the print” and I just know it’s going to be full of shit. Why do I read? To read the comments sections and the bashing which you all get everytime. It’s fun!!!
The Print,How much money you from your political master?