After we moved to Irvine, we subscribed to Z channel on Cox cable. ANd for the first time, we started getting an Indian channel. We thought that this will keep us in touch with India and Indian culture.
One thing that surprised me and I find it unbelievable are the commercials on Z. These commercials are targetted to Indians living in USA because it is on Cox cable. First a good thing and then something that really bothers me. There are some fantastic commercials for NY Life. Based on nostalgic music and simple life emotions, these commercials are truly touching and well made.
It is mind boggling and really depressing to see how many commercials are for astrology and for making a call to a Pandit Maharaj, Ajmeri Baba, or Syed Peer for solving all your problems including love life, drug by children, sickness including cancer, business failures, fights with anybody, and spell of black magic. Judging from the number of commercials on these topics it seems that all of us Indians settled in USA are suffering from many serious problems and that this country has no other solutions but making calls to these sources. And of course they guarantee that all the problems will be solved in less than a week, particularly effective is the cure for black magic that will be solved in less than 72 hours.
Do we really have these problems?
More importantly, does the supposedly most educated and highest per capita earning community — Indians from India — still solves their problem by calling a Pandit Maharaj or by going to some ‘super natural power’ and bribing them using some old established approaches?
I am really intrigued?
May be I should make a call to Baba.