One cannot argue it wasn't news material and warranted media coverage. But front page and prime time...a bit of a stretch I must admit. And after the initial few hours, it simply became tiresome, almost bordering on the ridiculous. It seems SRK takes his self-appointed status as Bollywood badshah a tad too seriously. And from all the frenzied reporting, it would seem, so does the media.
Why must SRK assume that he is immune from international immigration/emigration procedures just because he supposedly reigns the tinsel town in India? Does that equate him to a head of state, or a diplomat, or even a PIP (politically important person). What's really surprising is the media's behaviour - akin to a hysterical wife. Come on guys, get a hold on yourselves. It's not as if he was thrown behind bars or tortured or assaulted or deported. What happened was routine inspection. Why devote reams of newsprint and hours of airtime to his 'ordeal' when there are scores of matters that are much more important for our nation.
Aside from the fact that we Indians take ourselves much too seriously and every little gesture of the western world is seemingly seeped in some conspiracy to undermine our national honour, there is another perspective to this incident. The fact that the Americans have tightened up their security to the point of obsession is perhaps one of the main reasons that they have been spared subsequent attacks post 9/11.
Examine, on the other hand, the way we Indians handle matters of national security and the reasons for 26/7, 26/11, Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore blasts become very evident. People have reacted saying we should also meet them the same treatment. And I say, why not? It is time we stopped being naive and roll over on our backs for the 'connected', the 'VIPs', the 'white skin', the 'haloed' and brush security procedures under the carpet. As a nation, we need to start according national security the importance it derserves. And that includes not wasting our time and breath for the super-pampered Bollywood lot.
Let's do ourselves a favour and question the real issues.
