I'd Like My News With A Pinch Of Salt, Please...

Although reading is my passion, I am not really an early-morning-newspaper-and-coffee kind of girl. When I was in school, I was told that it is a good habit to know what's happening around us and it improves our English reading/speaking etc. skills. So began my initial tryst with The Hindu. Every morning I made it a point to read at least the first page. It didn't take too much time to realise that it did nothing but spoil your mood for the rest of the day. Neither was reading about the latest political drama or fire accidents/train collisions informative or uplifting, nor were the spelling and grammatical errors doing anything to improve my English.

Later, in college, I got into the habit of reading the newspaper in the evening. When you have already faced the worst, what can a news about a corrupt politician caught in an IT raid do to make you feel like the whole world's dark? :P Besides, there were quiet a few good articles, both informative and written beautifully, in the inside pages, by guest writers like Sashi Tharoor (too bad he prefers Tweeting now. :P And too bad there aren't more such articles.) etc..

I hope nobody from my office reads this, but the morning of my interview, for some reason I pulled out the paper at the last minute and glanced through the last page. And wonder of wonders, the guy actually asked me 'So, you say you like reading. Have you read the paper today?', and I went 'Why, of course! There was this article about blah blah. I mean, what's that!', and he goes 'I know! Blah blah...' :D

Whether we like reading or not, the minute we hear something juicy or out of the ordinary, we want to know more. Our curiosity is sparked, and even those who do not touch a book lest they scar their fingers, grab the paper to get to the details as quickly as they can. Take the recent Swami Nityananda controversy for example. I have never been a big fan of anybody with the 'Swami' tag (except, of course, for Swami Vivekananda, but he belonged to an entirely different league). I had heard and seen his name on posters once or twice before, but the minute this news got out, I wanted to know who that 'R' female was! :P I am sure there are a lot of people out there like this.

Controversies and scandals have never bored people, and they never will. It's like having masala tea instead of boring plain tea. :P It perks up the otherwise boring collection of political drama, theft, murder, etc. that the paper carries everyday. Not that we do not sympathize with the victims, but seriously, such crime has become so common these days that it only makes us smirk and say 'Oh that. Again', rather than gasp with shock and horror.

In this post, is a list of such world famous controversies, ranked from 10 to 1, according to my priority.

Whether they are true or not, I have only this to say - it would serve us better to have faith in ourselves and just the take the good from the rest. Changing the world is next to impossible. Best would be to do what we feel is right, be true to ourselves and not worry about the rest.

See, I could give a sermon and charge a fee too. :P

Anyway, here goes...

10. The Walt Disney Rescuers Controversy.

On January 8, 1999, three days after the film's second release on home video, the Walt Disney Company announced a recall of about 3.4 million copies of the videotapes because there was an objectionable image in one of The Rescuers background cels.

The image in question is a blurry image of a topless woman that appears in two out of the film's more than 110,000 frames. The image appears twice in nonconsecutive frames during the scene in which Miss Bianca and Bernard are flying on Orville's back through New York City. The two images could not be seen in ordinary viewing because the film runs too fast - at 30 frames per second on video.

One of the frozen frames containing a picture of a topless woman in the window.

A Disney spokeswoman said that the images in The Rescuers were placed in the film during post-production, but she declined to say what they were or who placed them...The company said the aim of the recall was to keep its promise to families that they can trust and rely on the Disney brand to provide the best in family entertainment.

9. Controversies over the remains of Hitler.

The controversy surrounding Adolf Hitler’s skull fragments is a little embarrassing for the Russian secret service. In 2000 they presented a skull fragment and a piece of jawbone that they claimed were the remains of the Nazi leader. It was an attempt to quash outlandish rumors that he had escaped alive at the end of Wold War II.

But in October US researchers presented the results of DNA tests on the skull and said it definitely didn't belong to the dictator because it was from a female. Scientists had already harbored doubts about the authenticity of the piece of bone because it was thinner than a male's usually is.

Whether this is true or not, just imagine how it would be if he were indeed alive in some corner of the world, probably 90 years or so old, laughing his head off at these people. :P

8. Nostradamus' Twin Tower prediction.

Nostradamus has been credited with prophesying dozens of pivotal episodes in recent history, including the rise of Adolf Hitler, the assassination of John F. Kennedy and, most recently, the destruction of the World Trade Center towers.

One anonymous message, widely circulated in the United States, claimed that Nostradamus foretold the destruction in some detail. The message included this quatrain:
In the City of God there will be a great thunder,
Two Brothers torn apart by Chaos,
While the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb.
The third big war will begin when the big city is burning.

In fact, this quatrain is not the work of Nostradamus -- it is a complete fabrication. According to Snopes.com, an urban legend information site, the first three lines were taken from an essay written a few years ago by Neil Marshall, then a student at Brock University in Canada. Supposedly, Marshall included the lines in the essay to demonstrate how Nostradamus pieced together general, vague images that could fit with a wide range of events. Apparently, someone picked up the verses from the Web, added an extra line and distributed the quatrain over the Internet.

Despite these critics' arguments, Nostradamus is more popular than ever. Immediately following the September 11 attack, Nostradamus books climbed to the top of Amazon.com's sales list, and shot off bookstore shelves all around the country.

People probably just need it to console themselves that such events were predicted and hence, unevitable. :P

7. The Bill Clinton Impeachment.

Widely considered the most investigated President ever, the Clinton administration has been dogged by controversy from the very beginning. But I am only going to highlight what brought him to the end of his term. (You can catch the rest here.)

In July of 1995, a temporary shutdown of the U.S. government occurred when the Republican-controlled Congress refused to appropriate federal funds due to political squabbling over President Clinton's budget. Thus most paid White House staffers stayed home. Lewinsky, still an unpaid intern when the shutdown occurred, showed up for work in Panetta's West Wing office on November 15, 1995. On that day, President Clinton strolled into the office for an informal birthday gathering at which Lewinsky openly flirted with him. Clinton then invited Lewinsky back to his private study, located adjacent to the Oval Office. And that, was when it all began.

On April 5, 1996, Lewinsky was transferred against her will to a public affairs position at the Pentagon, thus removing her from close proximity to the President. At the Pentagon, an unhappy Lewinsky struck up a friendship with Linda Tripp, who had also been transferred out of the White House. Lewinsky proceeded to confide intimate details of her extraordinary relationship with the President, which was still ongoing. Tripp then began secretly tape-recording Lewinsky's often-emotional telephone conversations.

And the rest, as they say, is history...

6. The Indian National Anthem.

Are we still singing for the Empire? This question has been widely asked of late. The reason? The circumstances under which history shows our national anthem was first sung, and how it became popular.

The poem was composed in December 1911, precisely at the time of the Coronation Durbar of George V. The composition was first sung during a convention of the then loyalist Indian National Congress in Calcutta on Dec. 16, 1911. The belief gained ground that the poem had been written in honour of the visiting monarch. Rabindranath Tagore, however, wrote that the song was in praise of 'That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, who could never be George V, George VI, or any other George.'

There is also this petition to remove 'Sindh' from the anthem, as it is no longer in India, but Pakistan. And, there is also the controversy that Tagore omitted all the princely states and mentioned only those under direct British rule in the anthem.

Hmm... Really makes one wonder if such trivial things as a few words penned almost a century ago matter more than what we really feel for our country. I mean, Britain still has their anthem that was written during and about the colonial rule, although it isn't colonial anymore. It's what we truly feel inside that should express itself and not such petty things as geography or literature.

5. The Taj Mahal Controversy.

I sometimes feel that we Indians take everything to the extreme.Whatever the incident, we somehow bring in religion and other dividers and create chaos.

Taj Mahal has been one of the most beautiful monuments history has given us. And somehow, instead of revelling in its beauty and enjoying the peace and calm being there brings us, we choose to dig in and find any dirt possible.

'The True Story of the Taj Mahal', by P.N. Oak (from Pune) raised a lot of questions about the authenticity of its architecture. According to the book, the Taj Mahal was in fact a Shiva temple, known as Tejo Mahalaya which the 5th generation Moghul emperor Shahjahan commandeered from the then Maharaja of Jaipur. He tries to prove this with the results of his research and explanations from ancient documents (check here for more details).

Well, if you ask me, it's like digging a grave for an autopsy. And in the process, separating siblings over inheritance issues. Seriously, even this was proved, it doesn't do much favour, except widen the rift between Hindus and Muslims. Would it be worth it?

4. The King of Pop molestation controversies.

The 1980s brought fame and fortune to the "King of Pop" Michael Jackson, but with stardom came a barrage of tabloid rumors mixed with Jackson’s own bizarre behavior. British tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko" and Jackson began to look the part, in what appeared to be an obsession to alter his face through plastic surgery. Loyal fans stuck by his side until multiple charges of pedophilia were reported and the King of Pop faced with doing real jail time.

In 1993, official allegations were made against Michael for the molestation of a 13-year-old boy. Although Michael went public with his denial of any unlawful relationships with any child, he also decided to settle with the family for close to $20 million. On November 18, 2003 Jackson's Neverland Ranch was searched by 70 investigators in hopes of finding evidence that would corroborate the charges of 13-year-old boy, who told police that Jackson sexually molested him. A warrant for Jackson's arrest was also issued and on November 20, Jackson, who had been out of town during the search, surrendered himself to police.

Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to commit that felony, in February and March 2003, all regarding the same boy under 14.

On June 13, 2005, Michael Jackson was found not guilty of all charges.

Quite a life, I say. He can never tell St. Peter at the Gates that he hasn't seen everything. :P But man, he will always be in our hearts.

3. The Mahatma, and the stir he created.

And here I thought this man was clean as a slate. Well, unlike a lot of people, I admit I haven't been a big fan of his for various reasons. But this news, I came across only recently.

If you haven't heard of Saraladevi Chaudhuri, you're in for a big surprise, just like I was. Rajmohan Gandhi, the Mahatma's grandson, has revealed this in the biography he wrote of the political and spiritual leader. Okay, enough with the suspense.

Apparently, at the age of 50, Gandhi, a married father of four, came perilously close to succumbing to a temptation that threatened both his family, and his life's work, after falling passionately in love with the beautiful Saraladevi Chaudhuri, three years his junior.

Gifted, well-informed and driven, Saraladevi was 29 when Gandhi first saw her, in 1901, conducting an orchestra as it played a song she had written for Congress, the party that eventually led India to independence (Despite her accomplishments and wit, the Telegraph refers to her as 'the beauty who bewitched Gandhi, the most dangerous temptress ever faced by Mahatma Gandhi.' I mean, what is it with you guys? Can't you just admit that the biggest of saints can have a slip?? Why degrade the poor woman?). But it was not until she was 47, and married to a newspaper editor, Rambhuj Dutt Chaudhuri, that Gandhi fell for her, while staying at the couple's house in Lahore.
Chaudhuri was in jail for his part in the struggle against the British, and soon after he arrived, Gandhi - by now dedicated to personal celibacy - wrote in a letter: "Saraladevi's company is very endearing… She looks after me very well." Within months he was thinking of their relationship in terms of a "spiritual marriage", according to his grandson – who admits he is unsure what his grandfather meant by this.

Gandhi had been married at 12 to another child, Kastur Kapadia. Their marriage was troubled since, as a young man, Gandhi wanted an intellectual equal, yet Kastur was not only illiterate, but resisted his attempts to educate her.

Clever and cultivated, Saraladevi seemed to provide Gandhi with the companionship he craved. Over the next few months his followers expressed unease at the time he spent talking to her.

"Gandhi was clearly dazzled by her personality and seemed to fantasize that providence desired them to shape India to a new design," writes his grandson in Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, his People and an Empire.

In letters, Gandhi told Saraladevi that he often dreamt of her, and he echoed her husband's compliment that she was a "great shakti", or goddess.

Not everyone appreciated the spiritual benefits of Gandhi's entanglement with a woman who was not his wife. His son Devadas – Rajmohan's father – urged him to pull back.

In the summer of 1920, Gandhi told the heartbroken Saraladevi that their relationship must end because the solely "spiritual marriage" he had imagined for them had become impossible. Gandhi and Saraladevi did not break off all communication, but neither mentioned the other in their autobiographies.

Rajmohan remembers as a child overhearing conversations between his parents about Gandhi's infatuation. "It was referred to as an old man being saved from disaster," he said.

But today, he takes a rather different view of the affair. "Looking back, it was rather a wonderful episode. He was looking for alternative ways of living his life, as we all do from time to time, and struggling, and finding his way. I think this story helps us know him a little better."

Phew! Quite a stir did the man create!

2. Woody Woods, Tiger Woods!

This one needs absolutely no introduction or even details. There couldn't be one living being who doesn't know about this. What's alarming is that, the numbers are continuously rising! The last I saw, it was 15! (In case you are wondering what numbers, I am referring to the women who are coming out of their caves claiming to be his mistress at some point or the other)

The sports star’s career and clean-cut image were rocked last year when news of his numerous affairs behind wife Elin Nordegren’s back hit the headlines.

Last November 27, Woods figured in an early morning vehicular accident near his home in Florida where he suffered minor injuries after his Cadillac SUV hit a fire hydrant. It was reported that a domestic quarrel with his wife regarding Woods affair with other women may have something to do with the accident. The incident triggered a media firestorm surrounding the golfer's personal life. Tabloid pages and the Internet were later filled with speculations about Tiger Woods elicit affair with other women. At least nine women were identified by media who have been in a relationship with the top golfer, and more in line...

As a consequence, Woods is losing out on a lot of endorsements and a congressman from California has decided to drop his proposal to honor Tiger Woods for promoting sportsmanship and breaking down barriers in sports.

He entered a rehab facility before apologising to his family, friends and colleagues in a statement last month.

Whatever it is, I feel it is his personal problem. There is no need for him to explain himself to anybody, especially to gossip mongers, and especially if his athleticism is unaffected. C'mon, it's not like everyone is perfect! Why make a big deal out of it just because he is famous and the tabloids can make money selling the news?!

And, the number one controversy is...

1. THE MOON LANDING CONTROVERSY!

Probably one of the oldest, most talked about and most researched about controversies. It is still debated whether man really landed on moon or not. They say NASA made it up to ensure continued government funding after a series of failed space missions. There are a lot of scientific reasons pointed out as to why that mission could be a hoax.

NASA, on its part, has tried refuting this, but it's kinda hard to believe when the unmanned landings are more in number than the manned landings and the fact that there have been no recent manned landings.

For more technical details as to why it could be fake, well just Google it. There are endless reports.

But, just think about it if it were fake. One of humanity's greatest accomplishments, a historical event, would go right in the bin, questioning man's belief in just about everything.

Hmm... So that was my list of top controversies. Anybody got anything bigger and better, fell free to add!

Happy reading, everyone! The newspaper, I mean. :P