New Delhi: Twitter saw several heavy duty catfights today. Keep the popcorn ready!
Historian Ramachandra Guha stirred up a massive controversy after his tweet quoting British writer Philip Spratt on Gujarat and Bengal’s `culture’. But he also achieved quite a feat: Left and Right, Twitter ganged up on him.
"Gujarat, though economically advanced, is culturally a backward province… . Bengal in contrast is economically backward but culturally advanced".
Philip Spratt, writing in 1939.— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) June 11, 2020
Obviously, his comments didn’t go down well with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who became very patriotic about it all.
Earlier it was the British who tried to divide and rule. Now it is a group of elites who want to divide Indians.
Indians won’t fall for such tricks.
Gujarat is great, Bengal is great…India is united.
Our cultural foundations are strong, our economic aspirations are high. https://t.co/9mCuqCt7d1
— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) June 11, 2020
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clapped back at Guha with some facts. Which set off a back and forth between the minister and the historian.
In 1939, when Philip Spratt, from Britain, belonging to the Communist International wrote, (who @Ram_Guha quotes) this was what was happening in Gujarat: Jamnagar…Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Jadeja…saved 1000 Polish children #Culture https://t.co/5XsY2cL1WZ
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) June 11, 2020
I thought it was only the Gujarat CM, but now it seems even the FM is obsessing about a humdrum historian's tweets. The economy is surely in safe hands. https://t.co/bBpcK85Hel
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) June 11, 2020
The economy is very much in safe hands; worry not, Mr. Guha. Taking cognisance of thoughts in current national discourse+responsibly doing my job aren’t mutually exclusive. Either way, an interest in history is a plus. Surely an intellectual such as yourself should know that ??. https://t.co/speBC2bggv
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) June 11, 2020
Journalist Vir Singhvi intervened to try and put an end to the childish debate.
I am a Gujarati who has lived in Bengal so I know that this is nonsense.
But have we got to the stage where a random quote from a now forgotten person is enough for a CM to react & for bhakts to trend it on Twitter ?
Grow up every one!? https://t.co/Xas0cBjrhx— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) June 11, 2020
In the meantime, Bollywood was going through its own drama:
Actor Kamaal Rashid Khan or KRK dissed director Shoojit Sircar’s latest release Gulabo Sitabo starring actors Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushman Khurana, now streaming online. Sircar’s response is equally sarcastic.
https://twitter.com/ShoojitSircar/status/1271280532022685697
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, on the contrary, loved the film. Anyone spoiling for a fight with him?
“Gulaabo Sitaabo” is just so much fun .. loved the old Lucknow , Juhi -Shoojit-Ronnie-Avik is the best team ..
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) June 12, 2020
Moving on from cat fights to some catty tweets:
Jamia Millia Islamia found a place in the list of top 10 universities in India, despite a difficult year full of protests, police brutality, shootings, etc.
Here, BSP President Mayawati, most unusually, took up for Jamia, alongside Banaras Hindu University which also made it to the list.
1. भारत सरकार की रैंकिग में जेएनयू लगातार चैथी बार देश की दूसरी सर्वोत्तम यूनिवर्सिटी घोषित हुई है जबकि दिल्ली के ही जामिया मिल्लिया ने दो रैंक बेहतर करके 10वाँ स्थान प्राप्त किया है। इससे वे लोग जरूर सीख लें जो इन प्रतिष्ठित संस्थानों को बदनाम करने में कभी कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ते।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) June 12, 2020
Former Vice Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University is also delighted with Jamia Millia Islamia’s ranking.
#JamiaMilliaIslamia has been ranked amongst the top 10 Universities of the country by the @HRDMinistry ! Congratulations ? to @jamiamillia_ and all #Jamians ! This is the best reply and slap ? to all detractors! Keep doing the good work!
— zafar sareshwala (@zafarsareshwala) June 11, 2020
Back on the political front, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra points at selective outrage while outraging selectively.
इतना सन्नाटा क्यों है भाई??
“जय मीम,जय भीम” का नारा लगाने वाले कहाँ है? pic.twitter.com/STb36pWk9Q— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) June 12, 2020
Here’s an international update on the `Black Lives Matter’ protests in the US.
The reignited rage against racism has now been directed at historical figures with alleged racist views/actions. Former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and explorer Christopher Columbus, who founded the US, find themselves under attack
Churchill has been boarded up overnight and barricades are being erected around Parliament ahead of protests this weekend pic.twitter.com/U0Dc1TZ2Ta
— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) June 12, 2020
Members of AIM sing the AIM song over the fallen Columbus statue in St Paul pic.twitter.com/0wrvvw0ey6
— Max Nesterak (@maxnesterak) June 10, 2020
US Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez puts things in perspective.
People really need to ask themselves why their communities chose to erect statues to slaveholders instead of abolitionists.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 11, 2020
And to end this week on a happier note, West Indies cricketer Darren Sammy, who called out a racism by his IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates, reinstates the belief that cricket is perhaps a ‘gentleman’s game’ after all.
I’m please to say that I’ve had a really interesting conversation with one of the guys and we are looking at ways to educate rather than focusing on the negatives. My brother reassured me that he operated from a place of love ? and I believe him. ??????
— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) June 11, 2020