The cultural implications of Questiongate (updated)

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As Abhi posted, several Indian members of Parliament were caught taking bribes to ask questions on the Parliament floor. Because some of the journalists involved are also bloggers, one of the questions asked included the name of our blog.

Abhi has the summary of events. What interests me are the cultural implications:

  • Sepia Mutiny is now on the floor record of the Indian Parliament (thanks, Aaj Tak and Cobra Post!) Ahhh, to be a footnote in Indian political history.
  • Sepia Mutiny is now, apparently, British
  • You can now legitimately mention Sepia Mutiny in your poli sci classes
  • Ennis says:

    Often statements are read into the record for constituents and donors, and these are usually not checked over. Causes embarassment when the “freedom fighters” mentioned are later reclassified by the US govt as terrorist groups, but nobody really cares.
    But has there ever been a U.S. political scandal where prima facia nonsensical questions were purchased for the Congressional record?

The sting was called ‘Operation Duryodhana,’ which has some interesting connotations from the Mahabharata. This one is a pun on Cobra Post and ‘sting operation’:

[Duryodhana’s] chariot bore a flag depicting a hooded cobra… [Link]

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p>This one refers to the Achilles’ heel of politicians, getting nailed for corruption:

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p>

Duryodhana is often compared with Achilles of Homer’s Illiad. While it was the heel… for the latter, it was [the] thigh for the former. [Link]

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p>As for me, on my next trip to Madhya Pradesh I’ll be chillin’ with ‘our own’ BJP legislator, Chandra Pratap Singh.

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p>Update: Parag reminds us of Fredoniagate:

A few years ago, Spy magazine sent a guy around asking congresscritters what their position was on the crisis in Fredonia. They all babbled out a bunch of platitudes. Fredonia, in case you forgot, is an imaginary country from a Marx Brothers movie. [Link]

Canadians are chuckling over [George W. Bush’s] on-air answer when a comic posing as a reporter made up a story that Canadian Prime Minister “Jean Poutine” had endorsed him. “I appreciate his strong statement, he understands I believe in free trade,” Bush replied… Canada’s prime minister is Jean Chretien, not Poutine, and he has endorsed no one in U.S. politics. Poutine is a fast food meal of french fries, gravy and cheese curd popular in French-speaking Quebec…

In Arkansas, Mercer got Gov. Mike Huckabee to congratulate Canadians for preserving their “national igloo” -which Mercer had told him was melting because of global warming. And he got American professors to sign a petition urging an end to the “Toronto polar bear hunt.” Toronto is a city of 2.4 million people and no wild polar bears. [Link]

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p>Punk’d!

Related post: The Mutiny claims its first victims

22 thoughts on “The cultural implications of Questiongate (updated)”

  1. But has there ever been a U.S. political scandal where nonsensical questions were asked of other representatives on the floor of Congress?

    Clearly you don’t watch much C-Span. In the US you don’t have to pay legislators to ask each other nonsensical questions, here we do it for free 😉

  2. Damn, this really takes the cake. The level of stupidity displayed by the MPs at every level of this affair is beyond all boundaries; it boggles the mind.

    You should invite Chandra Pratap Singh to be next month’s guest blogger. He will shortly be out of a job, and could probably use some positive publicity.

  3. I think the question related to Sepia didnt make it to the floor. Also how dumb MP and his Staff was that they couldnt detect desiness in the name of GERMAN Investment firm ‘DESIpundit’? Prolly they didnt even look at the question.

  5. Well the other 2-3 are but this is identified as German firm. I havent heard off inverstment firm with ethinic names. Pundit will do but Desi should have rung some buzzers.

  8. they couldnt detect desiness in the name of GERMAN Investment firm ‘DESIpundit’

    people in india do not make the connection: “desi” -> “deshi” -> indian, for some reason. iv had relatives visit from india who’ve asked me why indians here are called “desi”. …..or maybe it’s just my relatives.

  9. Manish – Ok my bad. I got the UP from the photo caption in Abhi’s previous post. Not that it makes any difference.

    So have you guys seen a big jump in visitors to your site?

  10. So have you guys seen a big jump in visitors to your site?

    Yes, we’ve got members of Parliament asking whether we have any questions for them, cash payment up front, no refunds. My nonsensical question to be entered into Parliamentary record involves computer science arcana like red/black trees 😉

  11. ‘Operation Duryodhana.’ COOL.:) Perhaps ‘Operation Dharmaputra’ might have been a more appropriate name, though.

  12. Amardeep: Chandra Pratap Singh

    How do you think blogging equals FREE PUBLICITY? as a PR professional, I can assure you a simpleton blog does not add to one’s reputable contribution.

    SM is not different than a junior high school clique, where preferred members (ahem…friends) get plugged and others get deleted.

  13. SM is not different than a junior high school clique, where preferred members (ahem…friends) get plugged and others get deleted.

    Did we delete your rant? Follow the comment policy and all is well, yo.

  14. Have you guys noticed both of the questions were about Canada? …..

    …. no one cares about Canada…

    JK! Great, now I’m gonna get strangled by by Dippu’s Canadian writer!

  15. Dude, Dari, are you kidding me? Have you seen some of the comments I’ve made here? And I still haven’t been deleted…

    …yet

    dun dun dun

  16. Indian’s will probably not be surprized by this. They know that like themselves, most politicians are corrupt too and so are the news channels. What bothers more is that politicians (and their relatives) get away with such crap.

    As I’ve always thought – India is a land of Law, without enforcement. Its the missing piece that Indian democracy badly needs.

  17. They know that like themselves, most politicians are corrupt too and so are the news channels.

    Wow… I’m that corrupt? Apparently, I didn’t get the memo.

  19. Wow… I’m that corrupt? Apparently, I didn’t get the memo.

    When is the last time you got a traffic violation ticket? When did you last file your taxes?

    In India, corruption is embedded into every aspect of daily life, especially for the poor. Studies show India’s poor shell out illegal payments literally from birth to death. Miranda Kennedy tells us about one family’s experience.[NPR Mareketplace]

  20. I’m certain everyone can recall dishing out whatever rupeeya we had remaining in our pockets to the good people at mumbai int’l airport customs to get our passport back just so we could get the hell out of the motherland..

  21. How do you think blogging equals FREE PUBLICITY? as a PR professional, I can assure you a simpleton blog does not add to one’s reputable contribution.

    you’re some PR genius if you’re discounting this medium. blogging IS free publicity. then again, i’m just someone who’s done PR, not someone who announces that they are a “professional”. that also might explain why i have no idea what you’re talking about when you say “reputable contribution”.

    SM is not different than a junior high school clique, where preferred members (ahem…friends) get plugged and others get deleted.

    bitter, party of one! bwah.