Communicate, Connect

PR is no magic!

2011-11-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

Travesty of being a service provider...

“We in PR are professionals and not magicians” is my trademark dialogue that my colleagues are by now very familiar with. They did not realize how true this caveat can turn unless they were confronted with this self-obsessed academic the other day in a business pitch. On persistence of an old acquaintance in the advertising industry I squeezed in some time on a hectic day, at an hour’s notice, to meet this gentleman, an advisory board member of a management institute, anonymous, and tucked far away in NCR in an area which once took pride in being the farm house of a former Prime Minister.

Running short of time we were first made to wait for 20 minutes and then were taken to a tiny conference room where this gentleman was sitting. Wanting to desperately convey how busy (or big) he was, he kept fiddling with his BlackBerry for another 7-8 minutes and then with a frown glanced at us. “Hmmm, so tell us about yourself,” he asked in a patronizing tone, smacking of hollow arrogance. As is customary, I gave the spiel on my background, trying still my best to impress him. Seemingly unimpressed by my years in journalism, academics, corporate and handling assignments from some of the top national and multinational companies, he stared in my eyes and posed a “candid” question. “How can you ensure I get printed in Times of India and Hindustan Times and Economic Times and Business Standard….” “Sir, but that depends on a variety of factors and our expertise lies in helping you navigate that process which will ensure good media presence,” was my instant reply.

“Ah, everyone says this. How are you different.” “I am like one of these Sir,” I politely submitted. “However, we do have some special qualities by way of better understanding of the DNA of media as well as advising you on events that would ensure good media eyeballs.” I said. “Nothing doing, I want a first page interview in TOI for my chairman, a half-page spread in a business daily, and a quarter page coverage of a Switzerland Prime Minister speaking to our students,” he blurted out leaving me gasping and hugely suspect of his claimed antecedents of “London School of Economics” and knowing “all the top editors and owners of newspapers of the country by their first names.”

“Sir with such good contacts and understanding of media I guess I have to learn a great deal from you,” I politely said. “Ah, I no longer enjoy calling my friends for small favours though there was a time when they would call me 4 times in a day begging for my quotes,” he said with utter disregard to my journalistic understanding.

“I shall soon come back to you with a proposal,” I said wanting to leave soonest. “What proposal. Tell me if you can get these things fixed for me or not,” he almost shouted at me.

“We are professionals and not magicians Sir,” was all I could say before I made a quiet, yet hurried, exit from this suffocating environment.

Oh, this poor, befuddled Indian middle class

2011-10-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

The desperation of the middle class in heralding Anna Hazare as the Second Gandhi is symptomatic of a typical Indian mindset

While it may be flaunted by many as an historic August Uprising, the Anna Hazare movement will be remembered in the history of modern India as one of the most aimless expressions of exasperation by an equally adrift urban Indian middle class.

The surge of enthusiastic support for the Jan Lokpal messiah notwithstanding, the mass exuberance clearly reflects the compelling desire of Indians to create, and worship real-life heroes. Devoid of one -- thanks to the unprecedented degeneration of Indian politics and decline in the level of quality of the political class -- the anxious middle class has desperately clung on to Hazare, a regional social worker sans a pan-India vision, and turned him into a national hero.

What is perplexing, unlike two of the most notable uprisings of modern times -- most notably the Mandal Agitation and the JP movement which had clear targets and demands -- the Anna revolt lacks a clear definition of what the agitators are aiming at. While it is understandable the sentiments are largely directed against rising cases of corruption and lack of firmness of the government in dealing with these, the exhortation of the Jan Lokpal Bill as the panacea of the ills is perplexing.

Corruption in the Indian context is systemic and endemic, and uprooting it requires much more than another piece of legislation -- already there are a dime and a dozen -- and a much sharper debate and collective action by communities. Clinging on to the Bill, and in turn to Anna, does little than expose the Indian middle class's lack of conviction in dealing with corruption.

In fact, the desperation of the middle class in heralding Anna as the Second Gandhi is symptomatic of a typical Indian mindset, which has often been in the habit of looking up to their real-life heroes who have been drawn from politics, religious and social reformers, since time immemorial.

In ancient times, while the Buddha's philosophy provided a new trigger to social and religious awakening of Indian society, Chanakya's magical political powers and supreme wisdom gave Indian society a new vision whereby it embraced the ideals and ideas of nationhood and political solidarity. In medieval period, Akbar's overarching philosophy on governance and diplomacy added a new dimension to social cohesion of Indian society. He was revered for his immense political acumen -- his reforms of land revenue were especially lauded by people. The likes of Chhatrapati Shivaji encouraged the spirit of patriotism and Dara Shikoh's intense intellect -- he translated 50 Upanishads into Persian -- laid the foundation for religious pluralism and dynamism to Indian society.

Modern India is replete with social, religious and political leaders who were all imbued with an unparalleled pan-India vision of reform and welfare of the people, who spent their lives fighting for the right causes and were revered by the masses.

While Raja Rammohan Roy launched a meaningful discourse on purging the ailing Indian society of archaic customs like Sati and discrimination against widows, Vivekananda gave a new meaning to Indian religious plurality. Gandhi's relentless fight helped unite Indians against a visible enemy while Nehru's progressive liberalism and passion for democracy helped define for them a new vision of a modern nation. Jayaprakash Narayan took on the might of the State and waged a fearless, and systematic, campaign against it. Indira Gandhi was known for her sharp political acumen even as Bhimrao Ambedkar's crusade against untouchability earned him the respect of people of all castes and classes. All these real-life heroes were venerated across the country and they made their mark by their relentless pursuit of causes and ideals.

All these leaders were real-life heroes at a time when the mass media massively lacked mass appeal, unlike the present-day 24x7 television which often perpetuates misplaced ideas. All these leaders were also erudite scholars and built their credibility by combining political activism with scholarship. By stretching their imagination and likening Anna with Gandhi and others, the middle class has shown its sheer disconnect with history. It has also exposed itse anxiety to embrace short-cuts to change.

The angst of the middle class is nothing new, much like the prevalence of corruption. It has been a bane of Independent India. But rarely has this class shown any collective penchant to get rid of it -- we have seen them elect the same set of people (read politicians) to our assemblies and Parliament all over again. Tiny experiments such as Bharat Punarnirman Dal -- a political outfit floated by a group of former IITians was met with scorn and apathy by the middle class. A number of elected independents -- many of whom represent a desire to bring about systemic reforms -- have remained abysmally low over the years.

In the 15th Lok Sabha there were a mere eight out of a total of over 2300 who contested! Many of those contesting elections as independents do represent a desire to change. Not only this, the middle class has always been shy of even voting. It is no secret that urban areas comprising middle classes have consistently reported a lower voter turnout than the rural areas. We do not hear anything on the Right to Recall -- there are some experiments that need to spoken about and discussed, but why doesn't the Middle Class take a lead in it?

A powerful tool like the RTI has been reduced to irrelevance by the middle class -- it has remained confined to the hands of a few select activists who make good use of it though. When it was conceived, it was aimed at empowering the middle class and creating an enabling environment for fighting systemic corruption. The preamble to the Act makes it amply clear: 'An Act to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority...' However, it has failed to live up to expectations.

To rinse deep-rooted corruption we require much more than camera-trigger screaming. The vocal Indian middle class has been the forerunners of change in society -- they were the first to embrace technology, exulted at economic liberalisation, propelled the process of globalisation, and fuelled the ideas embedded in the notions of modernisation. But they are poor when it comes to systemic reforms -- they surrender rather than question. They pay bribes rather than challenge those who ask for it. A website, ipaidabribe.com, which captures first-hand accounts of bribe-givers has estimated that since it started about a year ago it has recorded a whopping Rs 321 million payments in bribery.

The Anna embrace is a reflection of the middle class's desperation to clutch at a straw of hope, not knowing that even a small blow can smear it. They don't realise there are more powerful anti-corruption legislations that are relegated to the confines of nothingness and can be made good use of, along with the RTI.

India has built democratic institutions with great diligence and deliberation. While it is absolutely democratic to protest and raise questions on accountability, its momentary exuberance, as reflected now, is antithetical to that spirit. To rinse our country of corruption requires a more structured, sustained and solemn design. Latching on to a social worker, surrounded by power-seeking bureaucrats and lawyers, may not be a great idea.

The momentary exuberance and its tamasha only weaken the social fabric of India and make a mockery of the country in front of the world. The middle class will have to take the blame.

Rediff ran it on August 24, 2011, at the peak of the Anna drama

http://www.rediff.com/news/column/anna-hazare-column-oh-this-poor-befuddled-indian-middle-class/20110824.htm

Ooops!

2011-10-07T06:11:00.001-07:00

I suddenly realised it has been over two months that I have not put up a post here.

Such a shame!

In remorse I am pulling out a column I put on Rediff a while ago, and placing it.

Irrelevance of cacophony by anti-GM pranksters!

2011-07-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

This is a well-written piece and brings out the irrelevance of the reckless brouhaha over safety of biotech seeds. A must read for all concerned.

To Abolish Starvation Africa Needs GM Crops

The Times (UK) / 7/5/2011

By Mark Lynas

I used to trample them in the fields. Now I see anti-science hysteria for what it is

Once again drought is menacing the Horn of Africa. Britain's pledge this week to increase food aid for 1.3 million Ethiopians facing starvation to help them to reach the next harvest can be the only right response.

But how do we ensure that African farmers produce enough food to feed themselves? The solution must be a radical change to agriculture on the continent. It is promising, therefore that a few days ago, on July 1, the Government of Kenya, which is also affected by drought, announced plans to open its borders to genetically modified crops for the first time.

For more than a decade Africa following the lead set by European environmental campaigners has shuttered its windows against GM, fearing terrible damage to its people's health and its ecosystems. Instead, as more of the world's agricultural land now totalling more than a billion hectares is successfully given over to GM crops, African rulers are realising that banning biotech was a costly mistake for which their own people are paying.

As a former anti-GM campaigner, I used to join "decontamination" actions in the middle of the night, trampling and slashing down crop trials in the UK in the late 1990s. Looking back, I realise I was caught up in something more resembling anti-scientific mass hysteria rather than any rational response to a new technology.

We were concerned, perhaps legitimately, that GM could be dangerous. But in the ensuing ten years, the science is pretty conclusive: I am not aware of a single substantiated case of GM foods having had any negative effects on health or the environment anywhere in the world.

Instead, the impact has been almost entirely positive. Importantly for Africa, GM crops have substantially increased yields, meaning more food for the hungry and a greater harvest per acre or gallon of water.

Herbicide-tolerant crops have been designed to work with more benign weedkillers than the toxic brew sprayed on conventional crops. Some biotech crops such as insect-resistant "Bt cotton" and corn have anti-pest traits engineered into the plant itself so they require much less insecticide.

The great tragedy of the biotech revolution has been that Africa has missed out, just as it missed out on the original Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s that allowed India and China vastly to increase agricultural productivity and abolish famine while their populations soared.

One of the most pervasive myths about biotech crops is that they only benefit big corporations and are part of a nefarious plot by multinational seed companies such as Monsanto to dominate the world food chain. Actually Indian and Brazilian farmers were initially so desperate to adopt Monsanto's GM technologies, against the wishes of their governments, that they smuggled the new seeds across borders. Now 90 per cent of the growers of GM crops are small farmers in developing countries such as China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

African farmers desperately need to raise their productivity, to increase their incomes and to better feed their families. GM is no silver bullet affordable fertilisers, land rights and decent irrigation matter greatly but genetically improved African crops could be vital. All over Africa and Asia there are publicly funded efforts to create transgenic varieties of subsistence crops that will be available to poorer farmers and licensed without patent protection. Current initiatives include salt-tolerant rice for use in degraded land where salinisation has reduced yields, a disease-resistant rice being developed in Uganda, so-called "iron beans" in Rwanda to tackle anaemia and an African banana resistant to a devastating wilt disease.

We must move beyond anti-GM prejudice based on pastoral myths and increase assistance for biotechnology for African farmers. To its credit, Oxfam is beginning to recognise the opportunities for what it calls "pro-poor GM organisms" in tackling hunger in Africa. Unfortunately, many environmental groups remain steadfastly opposed to any use of biotechnology. This kind of neo-Luddism is damaging. With 800 million people still constantly malnourished, we must use every tool available to feed the world while also protecting the planet.

Mark Lynas is the author of The God Species: How the Planet Can Survive the Age of Humans (Fourth Estate), to be published on Thursday. It's a pervasive myth that biotech only benefits corporations

When Juhi took that long walk

2011-06-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Capital humiliation serves democracy well

2011-06-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

After a warm welcome, a stern send-off.

The curiously red carpet welcome by the Indian government to Yoga expert Baba Ramdev on June 2 ahead of his agitation at New Delhi’s Ramlila Ground was both perplexing and shocking. It exhibited in no uncertain terms government’s anxiety to ward off any upsurge of mass sentiments, which could lead to uncoordinated and irritating noise on corruption from a vocal middle class, as was evident during the Anna Hazare’s rendezvous at New Delhi’s historic Jantar Mantar not too long ago.

Changing Colours

It was perhaps also an attempt to convey to Baba Ramdev that he should not flirt with what is not his domain – politics – and confine himself within the domain he has excelled in so far – Yoga. By all means the Indian government excelled in their display of humility to cajole and convince the Yoga leader not to put in a different robe of a modern messiah. It also knew the overt political overtures of the Baba were pregnant with unpleasant possibilities, and it was in the interest of the government to foist it even before it erected its monstrous face.

End of Ram-Lila at Ramlila Grounds

Up in Arms!

Two days later, in a curious turnaround of stance the same government took little time in responding with a stern, and effective, action plan when the Baba reportedly started to waver on his commitments – the government says it had acceded to most of the demand of the Baba and there was no reason why he in turn should not have honoured his commitments.

Notwithstanding the tug-of-war on who promised what and who acceded how much ground, the eviction of Baba and his thousands of supporters on solid law and order grounds is welcome move for a variety of reasons.

Even as TV channels cry foul over the “indiscriminate use of force” to evict Baba and his supporters, the act by the Union government will go a long way in reinforcing the credibility of the state - state as the custodian of law and order and guardian of peace. During the Anna Hazare’s fast in April the government had appeared meek, desperate, and clueless on how to handle the sudden surge of emotions, and an inexplicable assertiveness by the civil society. The glittering candle lights emanating from feeble hands of young “activists” wearing a big blankness on their faces seemed to put huge question marks over the locus standi of a democratically elected government.

Thriving protest economy

The Jantar Mantar incident, even though it may not have been designed that way, suddenly became a symbol representing the rot in Indian political system. It led many part-time, globe-trotting activists into indulging in the fanciful idea that the civil society would supplant the large democratic space occupied by the politics and political class. It was a scary flirtation of the civil society fuelled by the mindless display of support by the young, restless and non-conformists.

The government’s early morning clampdown on Ramlila Ground is also lesson to the many fringe agents in society, who in the name of activism, have begun taking government agencies on a ransom. Encouraged by the eroding faith of people in the political agents, social activists have begun to thrive and are out there opposing everything under the sun - from sands to sea and steel, water, river, agriculture, jungles. Often taking the gullible and vulnerable by their side, these activists today run a thriving protest economy, flush with funds from lobbies within the country and other parts of the world.

Message to modern activism

The stern action against Baba also sends a strong message to such agents – do not coat your vested interest with an ideology; do not take the pretense of ‘satyagraha’ to meet overt political and economic gains; do not blackmail and challenge constitutional and democratic institutions at your whims and fancy.

At a time when decay in public morality is at its lowest ebb and many political institutions are faced with unprecedented crisis, allowing Baba Ramdev to run a smear campaign and throw challenges to government under live television from the heart of Indian capital would have meant deepening the mock. It would have made the government look toothless, dumb and spineless.

Days ahead will see countless, and often reckless debates on use of “force” on a “sanyasis” and will give fuel to Baba to capitalize on this capital humiliation, but in the annals of Indian history, I would tick this date as a decisive one, one which was marked to reassert the values and virtues of democracy, and a democratically elected government.

Mamata: Change agent in chappals

2011-06-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

This was taken by Rediff.com in the column section and can also be accessed at:

http://www.rediff.com/news/column/column-mamata-banerjee-the-change-agent-in-chappals/20110602.htm

A pair of slippers does a good a job of saving Mamata Banerjee's soles from thorns, while her Santro runs as efficiently as a siren-blowing Safari. Navneet Anand on the West Bengal chief minister's mystique

Mahatma Gandhi's dhoti and danda had a touch of inspiring sobriety and his words and deeds only complemented it.

Jawaharlal Nehru's long black coat, still known as Nehru coat, continues to acquire an important place in the lexicon of fashion history.

JP's thick black frames and long white kurta remained as imposing as his ideals on Sampoorna Kranti.

Indian politics has had a long tradition of leaders adding a new dimension to their ideas, and personalities, by wearing a particular kind of dress that are typical to them. The dress, for these leaders, in many ways symbolised their values. While for some like Gandhi and JP their outfits intricately exemplified their deeds and political idioms, for some it was a mere matter of habit, while for still others, and especially in recent times, a fashion statement.

In post-liberalisation Indian politics one person who stands out for her dress, and which goes well with her deeds, is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In her over two decades of active political life, one thing that has remained constant has been her penchant for simplicity and this is amply illustrated in her dress, and deeds. Mamta's Sari, Slippers, Santro remained as steadfast all these years through her highs and lows, be it as a sole crusader of the Trinamool Congress or as Union railway minister. While many likened her to a mercurial Mamata indulging in opportunistic politics, the didi from Birbhum, much like her clothes, stood for simplicity and welfare.

At a time when Indian politics is increasingly becoming synonymous with pomp and show Amul babies in Parliament adorned in designer kurtas are a just a mild manifestation of the same Mamata's Sari, Slippers and Santro have brought about a remarkable turnaround in our attention towards politicians' probity in public life.

Mamata and her slippers become important also because we are faced with one of the worst crises of credibility in politics of our times -- when confidence in the political class is at its lowest ebb and civil society actors are desperately trying to occupy this space.

This is also a time when politicians and policy-makers are looked at with utmost scorn given the slew of cases tumbling out, from the 2G spectrum scam and Commonwealth Games saga. It is also for the first time ever in modern India that the political-corporate nexus and corruption have hit the courtrooms. It is no small moment in the history of Indian politics when some of its jails are housing a number of corporate honchos.

The diminutive and simple Mamata becomes significant against this backdrop for she had taken a large corporate group head on and said farmers' emotions were of supreme significance.

At a time when our jails are brimming over with corrupt politicians accused of amassing billions, heartlessly and remorselessly, with a blatant disregard for the same people who elect them to be their destiny drivers, Mamata's minimalism symbolises hope. While many including I had dismissed her Singur stand as nothing less than a political stunt, her continued embrace of the ideology of simplicity and display of political courage hase helped us pin our hopes on this petite lady from West Bengal.

Today Mamata is the role model for a whole generation of aspiring young Indians who place a huge premium on honesty and integrity. Her persistence chase for people's welfare and insistence on keeping the hallowed offices of, first the Union railway minister and now chief minister, under surveillance of sanity is what is remarkable about Mamata the politician. She has stood as an antithesis of what ails the modern Indian political class. She has exhibited a firm resolve to stick to the traditional language of Indian politics.

Noted political analysts WH Morris-Jones had propounded long ago that there are three languages -- modern, traditional and saintly -- in 'which political life in India is conducted'. One wonders if, after the likes of Gandhi and JP, the saintly breed had disappeared while even for the traditional idiom, the takers are not too many. Mamata does!

As we go ahead, Mamata will have huge challenges in front of her and, perhaps then, her simplicity may be brutally overlooked, for the evaluation of one's political success is fashion neutral. Faced with soaring aspirations of turning around the "misdeeds" of 34 years, Mamata will have to flex all her might to bring about all-round development in West Bengal which has had an incessant run by the Left government all these years. Much like in Bihar, Mamata will be confronted with a Herculean task but then she has the mandate to do it.

What helps Mamta's cause is her stupendous focus a pair of slippers does a good a job of saving her soles from the thorns, while her Santro runs as efficiently as a siren-blowing Safari!

While Gandhi may have been the greatest man ever who walked on earth and freed us forever, Mamata may turn out to be independent India's first chappal-clad change agent!

We shall wait and watch.

Navneet Anand, a freelance journalist and blogger, did his PhD in political communication and can be reached at anandnavneet@gmail.com

When a billion hearts of a frenzied nation were ignited

2011-03-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

There was something unique about the landscape Wednesday night, I thought, the moment I peeked out of the descending Spicejet SG 894 Guwahati – Delhi flight at 10 30 pm. From amidst tiny masses of flickering lights came out oodles of sparkles – and before I could figure out what it was, the Captain exulted on the microphone, ‘India have won the match.’ The incessant firecrackers dotting the landscape below me filled my heart with joy, like billion others. We have beat Pakistan and the match had more than mere sporting significance.

A frenzied nation could sleep in solace, was my instant reaction.

A frenzy which gaped me across my journey from Shillong to Delhi! After a flurry of meetings in the morning I rushed to Shillong’s bustling Police Bazaar taxi stand to catch a shared taxi to Guwahati in my bid to save Rs 800. I was greeted with grim faces, unlike the routine scramble you see on such stands. A little surprised at not being heckled by the ever-keen drivers, I looked around and chased a man to ask if I could get a taxi to Guwahati. He said it was “impossible” sending chill down my spine. Frenetically I looked around to find a young boy, who had sensed my urgency to head out of the hilly city.

“While the rate is Rs 1600, you pay me Rs 2600 for I would be sacrificing my match,” he said with a straight face. Realising the criticality of time, I agreed.

Barely had we slipped out of the city that he pulled up at a small house, at the tip of the land, overlooking a racing stream below. “What happened,” I nervously asked for I was scared of the jams on way. “Let me figure out the score,” he said rushing inside. I waited.

At Shillong Circuit House, Laban

Through the way, and by now I knew his name in my bid to keep Litton in good humour, he would stop every 15 minutes to check the cricket alerts on his cell phone. My nerves kept swelling at the thought of missing my flight. Half-way through, however, I got an automated call from the airlines saying the flight was delayed by two hours.

Relaxed, I started engaging with Litton, wanting to know more of the Scotland of the East, as Shillong is famously known. “The best thing to happen is the widening of the NH 40 and the work is progressing at amazing speed. Next time you come it would be all four-lane,” Litton gleefully said, adding that would perhaps reduce his run time from 3-4 to 2-3 hours meaning few extra income. I was told at Shillong the current Meghalaya CM Dr Mukul Sangma is a progressive leader and hugely focused on development.

As we approached the end of Meghalaya, I saw a series of liquor shops, most of it crowded with curious spectators. Beer sips and cricket, I slurped at this mouth-watering idea. At one point, I came across over 50 dancing youngsters right there in the middle of the road, sending the traffic into a tizzy. Curious I got down of the car and walked across the crowd to inquire what had happened only to be told that Sachin had just escaped two successive balls – first he was given not out on a LBW appeal and next he managed to save his stumps.

Forty five minutes later, the frenzy subsided and we raced towards the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. I was heaving a sigh of relief my ordeal was coming to an end. The airport was abuzz with noise and people watched with dismay the agonizing difficulty with which MS Dhoni and his teammates attempted to accelerate the score rate towards the end of the innings. Thanks to Suresh Raina some momentum came to the Indian score and amidst loud cheer and jumping enthusiasts the innings came to a decent 260.

Thankfully, one person seemed to be not swayed away by this inflated passion – Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee who was returning after a hectic campaign tour, not even glanced towards the television. Interestingly, CISF men, airlines ground staff, shopkeepers and airlines officials were all converging to the front lobby of the airport and they were soon joined in by passengers from the arrival lounge. Nothing excites, and unites Indians as much as cricket, I thought.

After check-in, the scene on the boarding lounge was no different. Tired when I got into the plane thinking to rest and relax for next two hours, a loud argument a row behind me jolted my attention. The plane has begun the roll on the runway and this gentleman was adamant on getting the latest updates on his phone – simple aviation norms notwithstanding and the pleas of the crew falling on deaf ears.

We took off yet the gentleman continued his barbs against the airlines and rued the fact why airplanes did not telecast lice cricket matches. He fell silent only after the cabin attendant made a passionate plea and said he would request Captain to get us the score at frequent intervals.

For a while, towards the end, the Captain had been quiet for he was negotiating with the ATC on clearing the heavy congestion in the sky. Anxious, we all kept waiting for an update till the plane started to descend.

The unusual brightness of the sky was igniting a billion hearts with joy!

The Google Generation & Depleting Scholarship

2011-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

Just came back after attending an inter-college debate competition At Shaheed Bhagat Singh college. I was one of the three judges -- and went through a captivating experience listening to 59 participants of 30 teams.

The topic was Elimination of corruption is not enough for ensuring inclusive development. The students showed extreme enthusiasm while debating for and against the motion. A slew of arguments were put forth by each participants -- some very powerful, some bordering on trivialities.

What was good was the high energy level showed by the participants. Set in the backdrop of a string of corruption cases, participants were agitated and expressed utmost venom against the system and how it was seeding corruption and nurturing the corrupt. Some said the only way to get rid of the malaise was "revolution." For a moment, one was left thinking, something akin to the recently concluded Jasmine Revolution was in the offing. The energy was compelling.

What was disturbing was the complete disconnect with the grassroots realities as they exist today beyond our cities. For the youngsters, all of India except Delhi and few other metropolitan cities were poor. All of India except big cities were suffering the scourge of lack of development and systemic failures. Fascinating figures were thrown in -- be it on farmers committing suicides, children dying of malnutrition, women suffering domestic violence and exploitation of Dalits and Tribals.

The touch of mainstream media -- and an obsession with its pattern of discourse was clearly visible. This prompted one of my fellow judge to rightly remind the participants that the youngsters should not be so obsessed with the mainstream media feed.

What was disturbing was the dispassionate distance that the youngsters has today with research and perspectives. The Google generation is showing signs of being in a rush to jump on to conclusions, ideas on explorations and gathering facts were miserably absent in their content.

It is indeed disappointing. The Internet, notwithstanding its merits, has seemed to led our younger generation into blindly believing all that they can lay their hands on. For them, the first, and the last word on an issue is the Internet.

The Google generation seems to blindly follow the Internet without taking the pains to explore through the age-old books, which lie unattended in our libraries. Reading habits been on a decline like never before. Books are the last companion of modern students and I say this with my personal experience as a teacher -- as a teacher who goes out and meet students of all hues, drawn from management to communication to arts and science.

Educational institutions should devise some mechanisms to reinforce the reading habits amongst the youth. Else, I suspect, the trend will lead to an irreversible depletion in the future of knowledge and scholarship.

I am anxious!

Young IPS officer uses IT for enhancing efficiency

2011-02-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

The Superintendent of Police of Kullu district in northern Hilly state of Himachal Pradesh Abhishek Dular is a tech-savvy Indian Police Service officer. An IIT Delhi graduate in Electrical Engineering, Dular knows the significance of IT in governance and has begun a campaign to orient his police force to adapt it expeditiously. Dullar realised that many of the administrative as well as law enforcement tasks could be made speedy and transparent with the adoption of simple IT tools. I had the pleasure of meeting him recently.

Dular's IT for Governance

But he knows this is not an easy job. “First I thought it was important to train the policemen to grab the basics of computer and we have begun the process to teach them the initials,” he informed TechGov. The District Police has tied up with a local IT Training firm for this. The district has 7 police stations and 8 police posts. “We have put a computer at each place,” he informed. Being a hilly region, connectivity is a problem but he is working to overcome this. He has visited all stations to tell policemen about the benefits of IT. All staff are encouraged to, for instance, use SMS to apply for leave. “There is one Anni block which is located in a remote area and if a policeman applies for leave through post, it would take at least a week for him to get approvals,” said Dular.

Today, the same is being done within minutes. “The moment I get a request I approve instantly basis merit and the concerned officials are instructed to complete the formalities,” he adds. Little surprise, it has resulted in great morale boost of the police force. Imagine the plight of an officer who has to wait a week to leave his station in case he needs to urgently take care of his ailing mother! Dular’s simple steps have begun yielding substantial results and he is certain in days ahead he will make it more compelling to use IT in lot more administrative as well as law enforcement issues. Dular is showing the way, for sure. He can be contacted at (sp-kul-hp@nic.in)

Why we don't listen to our President's address

2011-01-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

In America and many other countries, a Presidential Speech is nothing less than a mini festival. People listen to their leaders in apt attention, live, and those who get the glimspes on television too remain glued in.

I don't know how many of us listen to our Presidents, when they speak on eve of joyous occasions like today, the Republic Day. I don't remember when I last heard a President. I think many others share the same feeling.

And I am not too happy about it, for I want to. I want to listen to what the President has to say, hear ideals and ideas on issues; on what the government wishes to achieve next, what it has achieved recently; what are the national priorities; her views on ills plaguing the Indian society and so on. I am sure if I had heard her speech, I would have been wiser by so many ideas, but I did not.

One of the reasons for this is the silly convention which has dictated that the Presidents read out a speech sitting in front of cameras of state-run broadcaster Doordarshan. The backdrop has remained the same more or less for ages, and so has the format. Who dares challenge a convention?

I don't know if this is a fanciful idea but how about the President travelling to different regions of the country on the eves of Independence Day and Republic Day, and addressing a live audience. The same must also be televised for the national audience. It would be such a great moment for those who get to see the Presidents live, and meet them. Why confine a President to the hallowed walls of the President House at New Delhi alone. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam successfully eased the institution of the President and took himself amid all strata of society and the trend must continue.

In this age of media proliferation and dynamism, when people's ideas are rapidly changing, sticking to an age-old idea like this seems out of sync. President Secretariat should mull over this.

Journalists beware!

2011-01-14T10:16:00.000-08:00

In a fitting reply to a question by Arnab Goswami on Times Now on Friday on impropriety of politicians, Amar Singh said, journalists should think twice before asking such questions. Aptly citing the example of Vir Sanghvi, Singh reminded Goswami on the many postulates that the flamboyant editor-turned columnist propagated in his celebrated column Counterpoint in Hindustan Times which fell flat after the Nira Radia expose.

The writing on the wall is clear: journalists beware, especially when taking high moral grounds!

Over the past few weeks we have seen with utmost disgrace how some of the top journalists of the country have been found to be shamelessly conniving with players in the power matrix for obvious gains, and not so obvious kicks. They have brazenly compromised with their positions to broker deals. They have gone to great lengths to extract information for what they claim “purely journalistic reasons” and colluded with power centres in gainful enterprise.

In the process, they have put to shame the entire journalists community and paraded them along with dealers and fixers. Of all the expose that we see and read about day in and out, this to me has been the most repelling. Journalism as an institution has thrived on truth and transparency but the ugly facts which have tumbled out of the Radia episode have tarnished the profession beyond repair.

Amar Singh is right when he slams the hypocritical morally superior stance of journalists. For all you know – and journalists should be careful – we may hear many more stories of likes of Sanghvi colluding and conniving with shady agents for kicks and gains.

Time for introspection, and remorse, for journalists.

Santa Claus & circumference of our children's innocence!

2010-12-25T02:52:00.000-08:00

“There is nothing like a Santa Claus,” said my son Appu after returning home yesterday. He had party at school and I could make out the 5-6 year old would have talked among themselves that Santa Clause is a mere idea; the chocolates and cakes he gives are tools used by their elderly to keep them happy. I was disheartened to learn this and despite my insistence, Appu remained stuck with the no-Santa Clause idea.

Then an idea struck me. I told him to ask something from Santa Claus by writing your wish on a piece of paper and keeping it below his pillow. “He would come, take away your slip and send you the gift,” I said. I could see the sparkle of an innocent joy run through his face. “Are you sure,” he asked. I left and told Jyotsna to inform me on what he wrote.

Appu & Juhi: I and Jyotsna try to linger the innocence

Night when I returned I woke him up and gave him VCD of Dabangg, which he had desired. “But where is Santa Clause,” he asked rubbing his eyes. “He had come and you were fast asleep so he asked me to hand it over to you,” I said authoritatively to which he seemed convinced.

Appu’s bout of enlightenment had left me jittery. We are living in tough times. Hugely materialistic, our social circles are getting limited to casual remarks over Facebook and LinkedIn. We have little time for our children for we believe there is no tomorrow to cut a deal or two. Children are growing faster than we did for they are made to fend for themselves – our expectations from our children today is 1000 times more than what used to be our parents’. Modern values and slit-throat competition have made life tough for children whose upbringing remain delicately poised amidst their parents' struggle and aspirations.

I strongly believe as children, our little ones need much more affection and caring than we needed. Because they do not have large, extended kinship to engage with; they are not growing up effortlessly amidst the laps of chacha and chachi and bua and phupha as we did; they may be fluent with laptop and cell phones but they do not have the social and cultural cushion which we had and which helped us shape into balanced personalities – I am talking of middle-town, middle-class generation of the 1970s and 1980s.

I strongly feel the circumference of innocence of our children should be zealously guarded. They should be enlarged as much as possible. I don’t want them to grow older sooner than they should.

They should live with the ideas like Santa Claus much longer. Innocence is a bliss, we should shield it, cherish it.

Bihar beckons

2010-12-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

Two thousand and ten will go down in the annals of history as a watershed year. Just at a moment when India was making rapid strides towards registering a resolute presence on the global landscape through the Common Wealth Games, she was confronted with disgusting revelations of corruptions by those who were entrusted to carry out this humongous task. Just when people had reconciled to the reality of coalition politics and were looking ahead with excitement at the pace of reforms in many sectors, they were splashed with murky details of deals in allotment of 2G spectrum in the telecom sector. Just when the US President visiting us had made numerous mention of the growing prowess of India giving much-needed boost to her global identity, she was at pains to resolve the dilemma of a corrupt bureaucracy driving development!

The year was a tumultuous one, and amid all the grim shades of corruption and scandals, there was one thread which was beginning to weave a new canvas of change. This was the year when a new Bihar was born. The state which had become synonymous with the leader of the so-called Bimaru states, was beginning to take a giant leap forward by declaring caste dead. At a time when politics and politicians were at its lowest ebb in modern Indian history – with even the hallowed office of the Prime Minister of the country pulled into controversies – there was one politician who stood firm in his resolve to rinse politics of corruption, and proudly reclaimed the decades-old lost glory of Bihar.

Nitish Kumar symbolizes much more than making a magical turnaround of the Bihari psyche, which for ages have been stuck with primordial ideas and ideologies. In his first five years of governance Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been able to simultaneously trigger many silent revolutions, many of which becomes comprehensible now, after the resounding mandate for his second term.

For a generation which has grappled with appalling absence of governance, Nitish Kumar has shown there is light. Today governance is visible and it exists, as an institution, as a reality. For a generation which has lived with fear and farce, Nitish Kumar has redeemed self-pride, dignity. For a generation, which has rued the dreadful absence of law, and chaos in name of order, Nitish Kumar has brought back the notion of the State, government. Among women, Nitish Kumar has infused a new sense of identity and empowerment and today they have begun speaking a language of assertion. The lower strata of the society – riddled for ages by the curse of obscurity and oppression – the rule of law has meant historic empowerment. State has begun working for them and development has begun to have a brush at them. For the first time in the history of Bihar, caste has taken a backseat and people have shunned their age-old political loyalties based on this. Development has seemingly ruptured the solid canopy of caste and creed.

For skeptics who would have slammed all these as prolific paeans of sycophancy and arm-chair articulation, the historic 2010 verdict serve as a slap.

The many silent revolutions of Bihar – the true Sampoorna Kranti, for which Jayaprakash Narayan had given a clarion call from Patna’s Gandhi Maidan four decades ago – has meant a new awakening for Bihar.

Time to act!

Thank god I am no longer a journalist!

2010-11-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago, in reaction to the then ongoing CWG mess, I had written how media was getting increasingly biased in its picks for corruption. It had an obsession with politicians, pulling their pants off at the drop of a hat, I had said. The fact was, my arguments went on, there were corruption in all walks of life and it is rare we see media picking these stories. The fact was media blatantly ignored corruption of other forms, by other breed of people.

I am happy a couple of magazines have proved me wrong. In a remarkably bold move Outlook and Open have given us insights into how some of the top journalists, bureaucrats and industrialists are conniving to settle political and corporate deals, in what is clearly a brazen case of corruption.

Everybody is writing and talking about it and I had refrained from commenting on it so far, until a friend prompted, I should. In either case it does make no difference except giving us the satisfaction of venting our anguish out.

While the act of two or three or four journalists may be a glaring manifestation of a creeping malaise that has afflicted the glamour-laden profession of journalism today, it may be worthwhile pondering over what may have caused this.

Globalization, competitive politics and glorification by society of political access as the altar of power are the three most compelling reasons for the new forms of corruption, and even their expose.

Globalization has brought with itself an amazingly high inflow of money into the media industry. Companies need visibility to connect with stakeholders and one of the best ways is advertising – ad spend by corporate sector has grown manifold in last 15 years, look at a Ficci or Ibef report and you would know. This has led to clamour for money – newspapers and TV channels need that desperately to run the show. Greed for profits too have grown manifold. One way this could be had if you wielded enough political clout or compromised – you would have seen how a competition of a news channel which was after CWG had special shows glorifying the Games. Anchors and editors by virtue of their proximity to political power have turned into major source of revenues for their channels and newspapers. You go to any length to achieve this and what we see is also linked to this aspect.

Competitive politics has meant there is a clamour among the political class to be visible – even if it means playing guitar in a music band under a Bacardi sponsored show! Resorting to wooing the influencer journalists is one way to achieve this, other than the age-old stunts like hugging a starving child sans emotions. Other than serving as a conduit for their magnification, most often undeservedly, journalists also turn into politicians’ glorified agents. What we see today is yet another manifestation of the same.

I, you and each one of us, are equally to be blamed for exalting politicians and politics to the level where they seem ahead of, even Gods. We glorify politicians to the extent of altering their DNA – giving them the maker of our destinies. So much so that even if you registered on Facebook as a Rahul Gandhi – and this is a truth – a barrage of followers start adoring you your page without bothering to verify if you are actually Rahul Gandhi! Check one such Rahul Gandhi on the Facebook and follow his followers and you would know.

I am a worried man today. For the corrosion in my past profession – journalism – has a huge implication for my present one – public relations. The current expose has given a bad name to the PR industry, which is itself an offshoot of globalization, and is beginning to get afflicted by the disease of money chasing.

It is a sad moment for many of us. We all suspected journalism, the fourth pillar of democracy, was cracking from within, causing immense strain on sanity. We prayed it was a misplaced suspicion. No longer.

Our worst fears have come true, unfortunately. And even if a minor manifestation, the present expose exposes our consciences to a barrage of disgust.

I take solace in one fact – I am no longer a journalist.

And thus, an idea, a forum is born...

2010-10-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

When a journalist friend recently asked me what was the way out to share with others the many ideas and perspectives she acquires in the course of her reporting -- in newspapers you are not allowed to reproduce everything you learn -- I was left thinking.

For many journalists -- both in print and TV -- it can be suffocating at times to surrender yourself to the limits of rule, and whims of editors. Also, there are some ideas that may not merit a space given the criterion of priority, timeliness, proximity, immediacy and impact that news rooms must deploy. Let's say I may have a compelling notion of how myths on Bt Cotton must be dispelled through a series of articles -- but editors may overrule for a variety of reasons and may say it does not qualify under the parameter of "immediacy". In the end, it may never see the light of the day. What do I do then?

One option is to use Internet as a tool for giving shape to my ideas and put it out through blog or social media broadcast on Facebook or Twitter. This becomes useless if I am not a keen blogger or do not enjoy social media outlets. My other option is to join a forum and express my ideas.

It is some such thoughts that led me into believing that we need a concrete forum -- primarily comprising journalists -- to discuss, share, diagnose and analyze issues which are compelling and close to our hearts.

Issues on environment, health, education and a host of social subjects do not get highlighted in the mainstream press and hence the need to create solid forums for sharing ideas.

After speaking to journalist friends and gauging their responses, I am happy, it is about to fructify. A formidable body of journalists for conducting critical dialogues is on its way.

I shall use this and many other mediums to communicate the name, shape, mission, vision and objectives of this group.

All are welcome to join.

Fallacies of Congress arguments in Bihar

2010-10-21T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Congress may have given it on a platter to Nitish Kumar in Bihar. For some time now, I have curiously noted the continued barbs by top Congress leaders over what they say continued central assistance to Bihar. “We have given so much money” has been the common refrain leaving one wondering if we must tell them the basics of the federal polity. Rather than making any impact with the electorates, this is only making the case of incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stronger.

Here is a gist of what I consider the Congress has been trying to argue – and since this is coming in an election time, it also becomes the key focus of their campaign: UPA Government led by the Congress has been giving away large sums of money to Bihar government and the latter has not been using it judiciously. The utilization of money, especially under UPA’s flagship programmes such as NREGA and NRHM, has been abysmally low. What is implied is that had Bihar CM Nitish Kumar taken care to spend the money the Centre has been “generously” sending past few years, Bihar would have turned into a paradise. Or is it so?

There are many apparent and hidden fallacies in the arguments and their implications being put forth and it may partly reflect Congress’s lack of touch with the compelling realities on the ground.

The most glaring fallacy is one of “giving” money. In a federal system, this is how development is supposed to be driven and the funds that are disbursed is not under the proprietorship of the party in centre.

Schemes like NREGA and NRHM are surely some of the finest development initiatives and will go a long way in addressing poverty and health concerns of large parts of rural India. Effective implementation of these schemes requires a robust institutional mechanism – bureaucracy has to be vigilant, people have to be aware, and legislature has to effectively monitor. The success of these programmes also depends on a compliant mindset.

It is no secret that large part of administrative systems in Bihar is in a wretched shape – lower level bureaucracy is loath to working, always sniffing for petty bribes and has inherited a legacy of indolence and indifference. Corruption has seeped in into the systems and nothing moves without passing a buck or two beneath the tables.

Tardy implementation – I have referred to a Planning Commission 2009 note and the progress is not as poor as Congress would want us to believe – is a manifestation of much of these maladies that unfortunately have been ingrained into the DNA of Bihar. In much of the making of this DNA, Congress had played a critical role and today the party is either deliberately skirting over it or has turned hugely myopic.

For much of the formative years of Bihar – 44 years to be precise – Bihar was ruled by the Congress party and these years it gave Bihar 18 Chief Ministers while 2-3 non-Congress Chief Ministers were cronies of the party. This was till 1990 till RJD came into power and Congress’s honeymoon with power continued in Bihar. Many of Congress’s leaders including present Bihar Congress chief Mehboob Ali Kaiser were ministers in RJD government, which lasted good 15 years.

Since 1947 to 2005, for 58 years, Congress party had a direct / indirect role in governance in Bihar. They were also running a Bihar which was undivided – before Jharkhand came into being – and which had huge mineral resources which if exploited judiciously would have turned the face and shape of Bihar’s economy.

Out of blue, if Congress today pretends to be the savior of Bihar by generously granting Central Funds, nothing could be more fallacious and disgraceful than this. Sadly for Congress party, these arguments have failed to cut any ice with people in the streets and on fields barring perhaps some armchair journalists who are in the habit of gloating over figures, however divorced they may be from realities of the day.

I have lot of personal respect for Rahul Gandhi and his style of politics which has a tinge of honesty and freshness about it. But I get disappointed when his advisors prompt him into weaving such fallacious arguments into his election speeches. As a promising leader of the future he should have the wisdom to look at things into totality.

Rahul Gandhi should also know rhetoric don’t win elections – he should take a leaf out of BJP’s India Shining campaign and how the hollow barbs fell flat and caused the party embarrassing defeats.

Rahul Gandhi should address more compelling issues facing aam Biharis. He should be generous enough to claim irrespective of the party which comes to power, Congress would make concerted efforts to work towards development in Bihar. He should stand up and say his job does not end with sending Central Funds – Gandhi should help us make a blueprint for action. He should plan an elaborate skill upgradation plan for Bihari youth, should organize career camps, institute scholarships etc.

Congress comeback to Bihar is a Herculean task and Rahul Gandhi should know he has miles to go. Politics of rhetoric will not work, at least for now.

India’s Got Latent – Time to question judgment of Sonali Bendre, Sajid Khan and Kirron Kher

2010-09-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

This could mark beginning of a new low in TV programming - Paid Talent Hunt

I suspect if they should ever be allowed to “judge” a national-level talent contest.

While human biases have known to inflict us like leech, there are moments and situations when we all rise above narrow personal preferences and give preference to merit over other considerations, driven either by regionalism, religion and even some external influences. Nothing of this sort is happening here, at this popular show on Colour TV India’s Got Talent.

The three judges – Kirron Kher, Sajid Khan and Sonali Bendre – of the popular Colors TV's show India’s Got Talent II have apparently turned hugely myopic and some of their decisions have left viewers like me gasping. Their abilities to “judge” become apparently suspect in the light of some of their latest approvals.

Seen this bunch of enthusiast jokers from Kolkata of the band Underground Authority? If screwing up rhythm, lyrics and beats has become a talent in the new era they would qualify hands down. I suspect so. But look at the reactions of Sonali Bendre and the once non-believer -- His comments on the group when Salman Khan was present on the show was bang on – Sajid Khan’s turnaround leaves one wondering if they are a back-door entrant pulled in by considerations evidently other than talent. The channel, if at all it cares for feedback, has a lot of explanation to do. Or else I shall have a reason to believe we are beginning to see a new trend on TV (read media) of “Paid Talent Hunt” – in times of paid news and paid almost everything (politics, justice, stardom) this won’t be too surprising.

If one reads into the stars’ reactions with a toothcomb there seems to be a clear conspiracy to bring the Underground Authority in reckoning, defying all norms of propriety.

The case of Vir Khalsa group is similar one. I am aghast at the brazen display of favouritism by Kirron Kher who is supposed be rising above partisan considerations in making her decisions. Sajid, the turnaround man, is again seen surprisingly revising his opinion much to our dismay and in a clear indication that there are apparent connivance of the stars.

These artists have taken the television programming to a new low and we should be wary of this.

Saving grace is that there still are many other talent shows on TV that work on the sole criterion of talent. I wonder if we can soon start to see these being also rigged.

Tele-density and bikinis!

2010-09-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

For those who may have missed out on this, it is a good news. A news to feel good about. It’s heartening to see our country’s tele-density cross the 50 percent mark. According to official figures released today, end July we had a total of 688.38 million Indians hooked on to a telephone. I am quoting a Press Information Bureau release (http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=0).

This takes the tele-density of the country to 58.15, which would mean every 59 out of 1000 Indians own a phone. Officially! Sounds interesting, and impressive. There are more interesting figures. Most of the people are preferring a mobile, or wireless, instead of a wireline. Little surprise the wireline tele-density has registered a decline.

I am happy, if this were one indicator of a nation’s progress, we surely are making decent headway. However, the problem is there are problems.

Today, most of the urban dwellers posses two to three handsets – I am a curious exception though! Call it demonstration effect or a compelling fashion statement, I have seen many people carrying two to three handsets – each ringing with equal frequency. This is besides the trend of offering a mobile phone to children of the well off in urban and semi urban India. So even as on paper we may claim to have made substantial progress in empowering ‘people’ by providing access to connectivity, this premise would be loaded with loopholes.

Another issue is one of usage patterns. I suspect, large part of the usage is going to the urban and semi-urban youth who are using a mobile phone more as a tool of entertainment than anything else you may like to call. During my recent visit to Koraput, a remote part of Orissa, I found many youngsters possessing handsets and when I asked them they said it was to keep in touch with friends and family. A tribal poor can’t afford a handset and hence the premise of empowerment too would be suspect. The tariff patterns are

This is a typical case of skewed and lopsided development, a malady that India has faced since independence prompting leaders such as Rahul Gandhi to perennially talk of two Indias – of rich and poor.

I would truly request Rahul Gandhi and his likes to look into such nitty gritty of development. Why doesn’t he ask telecom operators, who are minting money in hordes, to have a conducive tariff plan – a plan which even a poor is tempted to consider. The two Indias will continue to remain if we continue to ignore such minute details.

There is a saying – statistics are like bikinis. It reveals the critical but conceals the vitals.

Time to pull apart the bikinis!

Koraput: The first reaction

2010-08-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

For long, I have heard of only negative things of this place. How people die of hunger, there are no means of sustained livelihood, malaria kills as many people as hunger, and of late of how this place has been become a breeding ground for the ideology of Naxalims and so on.

But the first reaction when I entered Koraput was one of wow. It is one of the most beautiful places I have been to within India. The natural beauty and bounty is amazing -- you have to be here to see what I mean.

In my brief chit chat with some local tribal leaders today I did find that development has eluded this place for ages -- despite being host to numerous hydro power projects, majority of villages in Koraput district don't see a flicker of an electric bulb, the leaders tell me. The leaders also tell me there are over a thousand NGOs (1300 according to one estimate, 800 functional) but all working for the welfare of their own; the tribals continue to live amid the same penury which they lived with decades ago.

Despite being host to two of the most profitable PSUs in the country, the nearby villagers of projects adjacent to NALCO and HAL live in abject poverty and deprivation.

There are special funds for KBK (Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi) region, but where it goes no one knows. There is a special Hill Council but it is managed by upper caste patrons sitting in Bhubaneswar and Puri.

These are all things brought to me notice by the local tribal educated men who seem resigned to fate and say they barely see any hope.

In my brief encounter I have encouraged them to start thinking afresh and make use of tools like education and RTI to bring about a semblance of change.

I shall be meeting them again tomorrow and would write a more informed piece subsequently.

As of now it appeares what I heard all these days about Koraput does not seem too divorced from reality.

I wish it was.

Middle class morality, eyeballs and TV's double standards

2010-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Have you spotted the anguish in the eyes of the anchors of some English TV news channels? And their tone and tenor? They so intensely seem to capture, and reflect, a growing urban middle class angst against corruption. Whenever I get a chance to watch the animated debates – these days on CWG mess – I sit on the edge of my bed. The anchors so well seem to empathise with our emotions. And wow, they almost succeed with flying colours. Day after day. And eyeballs flock in plenty.

That’s what most of the English TV channels are vying for. But I see in this patterned discourse an intense bias against politicians. Politicians are the most sought after, and most vulnerable, to expose of corruption and both English newspapers and channels mob after them like there is no tomorrow.

I see in this pattern an intense bias. Not very long ago a string of news items on corruption in bureaucracy had surfaced. An Indian diplomat in Pakistan was found conniving with a spy; a senior IAS officer O Ravi in Home Ministry was found in possession of disproportionate assets and a case by CBI was files; early this month I read about the Rs 312 futures trading by Bhopal IAS couple Arvind and Tinu Joshi; in July Patna’s Statistical Commissioner K Senthil Kumar, an IAS officer, was found to be conniving with land mafia was booked by Vigilance Investigation Bureau; Mandeep Singh, an IAS officer of Punjab and presently Director Transport has been charge sheeted by CBI in July this year; IAS and MD of Orissa Lift Irrigation Corporation Himansu Sekhar Samantray who owns a house worth Rs 10 million in Bhubaneswar has been placed under suspension by Vigilance department and the list could be as long to cover the full-day’s ticker of TV news channels.

Time We The People Exposed The Double Standards of TV

But we rarely see any intense debate around these except occasional outbursts and lip service. Is it because, as one of my ever-skeptical old colleague at The Indian Express would say, many critical positions at newsrooms today are managed either by the kins of top bureaucrats are those enamoured, and favoured, by their prowess, or something else? Is it because the modern news managers know that for the eye-popping middle class lessons of morality, and preaching around it, begin with politicians and end with them? Is it a silent conspiracy? Or is it a sheer chance and I write this merely to grab eyeballs?

I would refrain from giving a value judgement. But the facts are there for all to see.

By no stretch of imagination I mean to give benefit of doubts to politicians, but my worry is more deep rooted. The media which seem to be the conscience keeper of the society should have equal standards for heroes and villains alike.

I suspect most of the news today are still driven by knee-jerk methodology, whims and loaded with a sense of empathizing with middle class morality. This is a dangerous proposition.

If an IAS in key position indulges in corruption it should be as vehemently exposed and discussed as a politician’s connivance in Commonwealth Games.

An act of murder, whether done with a knife or a sophisticated gun, is a murder. Do not for god’s sake shoot the knife with the gun! If you do that, and English news channels seem to be doing precisely that, we are being hypocrites of the worst variety.

There is a text message that drops in my phone now asking me to be proud to be an Indian this Independence Day. With such hypocrisies flying thick and fast, I am pained rather than proud!

Superbug, superb ploy by West to tarnish India

2010-08-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

If the headlines for this ‘superbug’ story were any indication today we were made to believe that much like the Swine Flu, this was among the deadliest health scares we were living with. Worse still, it was simmering in the middle of us all. Right below our nose! And those who would take solace in tracing the origin of unheard of diseases – Chikungunya, Swine Flu, Bird Flu – to faraway places including in developed countries, this forceful Western theory through the reputed The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal is like a rude awakening. Wake up New Delhi, for you can’t yet relinquish the tag of a developing nation. You live amid filth, dirt and a scourge of a haunting medical system which to say the least can kill you. Silently, ruthlessly.

The study has achieved what its proponents would have wanted it to, in more ways than one.

One, it tarnishes New Delhi (read India) and makes a big dent to its image as among the biggest global destinations for hordes of ill foreigners flocking to avail of its cheap and multi-layered fast emerging destinations for medical tourism. Two, it deflects attention of the world on the many killer diseases that Western nations have been breeding giving rise to despite claiming to be hygienically superior to many developing countries – thanks to their relentless pursuits. Three, and more importantly this and many such studies are strategically aimed at scuttling the flourishing Indian clinical trial industries which means huge amounts of dollars and pounds being pumped into the country.

Many multinational pharmaceutical and biotech companies have been flocking to India and other countries in Asic Pacific for clinical trials. According to one estimate, the Indian clinical trials market in 2009 was worth US$ 320 million and by 2012 it is expected to reach US$630 million. The market has been growing at a CAGR of 34% for the last 5 years (2005-09).The cost of conducting clinical trials in India is 20 to 60 % of the cost in developed countries. Countries including India offer numerous benefits for clinical trials such as huge patient base, low costs of manpower, and an increasingly conducive regulatory environment enabling better results.

Superbug or a Western Conspiracy

Two years ago (August 7, 2008) a story in Time had noted, “The price of bringing a new drug to market is, on average, $1 billion. The bulk of that cost is devoted to human clinical trials — the most crucial and time-consuming phase of drug development. Faced with tight regulations at home and shrinking profits due to expiring drug patents, western drug makers are looking to expedite the process by outsourcing safety and efficacy studies to developing countries, a large proportion of them to India.” It also wrote, “India's vast pool of qualified, English-speaking doctors and lower labor costs make clinical trials up to 50% to 60% cheaper here.”

India offers another advantage in terms of time. A drug patent lasts 20 years out of which first 7-8 years are spent in many rounds of clinical trials leaving companies little time to market and earn from the drug. To speed up trials, companies need to enroll subjects quickly which is not possible in Western countries. Though there are issues of strict monitoring and India’s drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been working hard to ensure transparent protocols.

However, the fact is that trials often bring with them new technologies, diagnostics, and drugs to the country advancing the local standards of medical and clinical research.

The Union Health Ministry has done well today to stoutly refute the propaganda and I quote: “Over the decades, it is known that plasmids are present in gram negative bacteria, they can be transmitted among bacteria and they may also encode for resistance for many drugs. However, this is a phenomenon which occurs in nature – in the environment, may be intestines of humans and animals universally. There might be billions of such happenings at any moment. It should have been highlighted that getting infection by such drug resistant bacteria is a matter of chance, is a global phenomenon and is preventable by sound infection prevention strategies which are followed in any good hospital. A national resistance alert was issued in July 2009 in UK hospitals, and similar alert has been sounded now also. It may be noted that similar plasmids have been reported from Israel, USA, Greece and even in this report from environment of Scotland. While such organisms may be circulating more commonly in the world due to international travel but to link this with the safety of surgery hospitals in India and citing isolated examples to show that due to presence of such organism in Indian environment, India is not a safe place to visit is wrong. It also needs to be highlighted that several of the authors have declared conflict of interest in the publication. The study was funded by European Union & two pharmaceutical company namely Wellcome Trust & Wyeth who produce antibiotics for treatment of such cases. DGHS in consultation with Secretary DHR & DGICMR strongly refute the naming of this enzyme as New Delhi metallo beta lactamase & also refute that hospitals in India are not safe for treatment including medical tourism.”

I wish the journalists were more circumspect before reporting on this study which is apparently a highly motivated and damaging one.

PR Pitch: Lessons

2010-08-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

Pitching for a PR project can be both fun and frustrating. Fun for it gives you a wonderful opportunity to get so close into the minds and hearts of the other person often a successful one, learn from his idiosyncrasies, wealth of experience and so on. Frustrating for despite your best attempts at infusing innovations, they refuse to buy much. You are left gasping and making compelling compromises.

Recently I met a real estate czar. He started small and today boasts of a zero debt over Rs 5000 cr empire. Simple, down-to-earth and well-meaning. What makes him PR-able is his desire to fan out to other parts of the country beyond NCR where his business is largely focused. If things go well, the group would also want to bring out an IPO, another reason for increasing visibility. The Group’s properties, both commercial and residential, are high-quality and about 30% of its buyers are repeat customers. Boasting about it makes sense as well. Of course using PR route.

Since I personally believe in and have been vigorously propagating a Public Affairs model over a traditional Public Relations model, I went out with wide ranging ideas –customized interface with professional groups, round table with journalists, innovative CSR activities – if I have had my way the company could have been distributing stuff at Leh today, visibility on online media including as streaming over YouTube and so on.

I understand he would have had his reasons, but the czar preferred the conventional and clichéd print media route, despite my vigorous reasoning that newspapers have a reduced shelf life in wake of emergence of other media tools, and on its own it may not be as effective. I had to relent.

Push for innovations

I still came out learning a thing or two from this.

One, never stop recommending innovations. My resolve to get such innovations see light of the day gets strengthened every time I get a snub. For I very strongly believe in every innovation I propose.

Two, we must always acknowledge PR customers reside on a continuum – at the one extreme we have those who would do with plain Roti-Dal (they also call it Coke Vanilla) model, at the other we have customers whose appetite are voracious and would take everything from basic to high-end innovations.

Three, social media despite the noise around it, is yet to become acceptable among large number of PR customers.

Subrata Roy Appeal on CWG: A chef d'oeuvre on positioning

2010-08-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is a masterstroke. Mr Subrata Roy through his ‘Emotional Appeal’ today in newspapers asking media to restrain from slamming Commonwealth Games until its completion has done what I would call a terrific attempt at Brand Positioning and Reinforcement. We all know how well we relate Sahara to the biggest sport in the country – cricket – and we also are aware how the company spends a fortune on keeping our cricketers and the sport rich and vibrant.

Those who follow sports would also know Sahara’s penchant for Hockey – it was one of the key sponsor’s in the World Cup this year. Sahara also keenly participates in Hockey management in the country. Mr J B Roy heads the Bengal Hockey Federation and is known to be among the most ardent advocates of reforms and resuscitation of Indian Hockey.

What this ‘Emotional Appeal’ does is to reinforce much of what Sahara stands for. In the cluttered marketplace of Indian Sports which is beset with corruption and chaos, Sahara surely has carved a special place of elegance and commitment for itself. No Indian corporate group is today as distinctly associated with any sport as Sahara is with cricket and hockey. And that’s no mean achievement for a company which has spent relentlessly over the years.

To borrow Al Reis and Jack Trout phrase from their celebrated book of 1981 Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, in the Battle of the Mind game the Sahara Group has made a profound impact using this Emotional Appeal.

While I do not agree with the National Pride argument, which has been done to death, I admire the Bold Position taken by Mr Roy. In the cacophony of all-is-not-well with Commonwealth Games and at a time when every media house is taking extreme delight in Kalmadi-bashing, here is this man who has the unyielding courage to stand up and speak up against it all. Mr Roy makes lot of sense to me when he says “…whether for the wrongs of maybe a hundred people, should the hopes and aspirations of 1.2 billion people be crushed?” and “The immediate need is to create an exceedingly positive environment for the present organizers and genuine workers to make the Games a grand success befitting the great image of our nation.”

Mr Roy takes a dig at the media too when he says “we must accept that Media has already overdone it” and asks them to “postpone its campaign until after the successful staging” of the Games.

Though I too was carried away, like many of my friends, about the frenzy created by media, Mr Roy’s appeal has made me do a re-think.

More importantly, as a student of communication, I see this as an outstanding initiative at Brand Positioning.

Brand Sahara is rocking.

Squandering Common Wealth: Kudos Mr Aiyar

2010-07-30T04:07:00.000-07:00

I compliment Mani Shankar Aiyar for being candid, and making known public, an anxiety that would have surely surfaced in many minds. At least I always thought the way Mr Aiyar did.

Keeping emotions aside, there are two broad ways of looking at the Commonwealth Games.

One, it catapults India into big league. A sporting event of this magnitude gives us an opportunity to tell the world we are capable of doing big things, hosting big events and organizing world-class infrastructure to support this. It raises our pride, leaves us smarter.

Two, it squanders precious resources that would have been invested judiciously in tackling so many problems staring us even despite six decades of independence. Forget all other problems, the amount could have been used for feeding millions of grim, poverty-struck people across the country. We could have shown similar urgency in providing food to those millions as we do today, working day and night, to feed constricted stomachs. We could have pressed the government machinery into ensuring smiles on these hungry faces.

For the second line of reasoning, skeptics may say we have been attempting to do that unsuccessfully all these decades so what’s the big deal. I guess that is where the difference lies: we have been doing it but not with the same urgency with which we are working on something like the Commonwealth Games. If only we could bring in the same enthusiasm and muscle power, we could have resolved so many perennial problems that make us look so meek and tiny whenever there is a global compilation of how countries fare on food, shelter and hygiene. We look pale, crippled and helpless.

The swanky malls, racing metros and crafty flyovers only tell one part of the story. It is no secret and we only have to travel 50 kilometers away from Delhi to confront the Real India, which neither shines nor shrinks. Year after year!

And those who argue that only because of Commonwealth Games Delhi deserves to get a better deal in terms of infrastructure – our Union Minister of State for Home said this yesterday – should deploy some reason before putting forth such pernicious logic. People of Delhi pay their taxes and deserve the roads and flyovers and streetlights, Commonwealth Games or not.

Mr Aiyar is a lone ranger, I am sure and people may likely attribute his diatribe to be a result of his isolation in Congress party and so on. I am not privy to the reasons for his political desolation, but the fact is he has shown the courage to make public an idea that I am sure even many of his party colleagues would swear by.

This idea would soon get relegated to the cacophony of Games preparations, but what this highlights is that we as a nation are naïve at setting our priorities alright. Else we would not have been struggling to keep pace with tiny nations who have surged ahead with providing basic amenities to its people without clamoring for the hollow glory of national pride through a multi-nation Games extravaganza.

It is a shame on our Common Wealth that all so zealously help government create!

All the best Anurag Prateek, rock IIT

2010-07-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

A little less than two decades ago ChamCham, my nephew, had begun his first ever journey of life, in a train, from Guwahati. We were travelling to Patna and the 15-hour journey had been full of fun for all of us. He was a bubbly, cheerful and hyperactive child and all in our compartment had a great time.

Today, incidentally, ChamCham begins another critical journey of his life from Guwahati. Today he formally enters IIT, setting off for a challenging sojourn in his academic life.

All of us elated members of the family and wellwishers wish Anurag Prateek a wonderful time ahead.

Anurag's mother and my sister Simmi Kumar (right) shares a laugh with a friend even as his Mausi Nishi and Sis Doodlie look on.

My extra marital affairs

2010-07-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

This year too I missed it. Bulli, my sweetheart, grows by another year today, and what a tragedy: I have not been able to attend any of her birthdays including this one today. She hates me for this, and she makes no bones about it.

She has been very close to my heart and this is much to the chagrin of many of my other girl friends. Somehow I have nurtured an amazing affection for Bulli which is enviable and unmatchable. All these years I have fancied being with her on her birthday but look at the cruel face of destiny: it has always denied me this golden opportunity. This year, I had thought, I would sneak out giving a slip to my official girl friend Gulli, my wife, but she sensed and censored me! Kind of.

But there have been deeper reasons for my treacherous act. I have found a new fascination – pardon me I am a women’s man – and she is too tempting for me to settle for anything less than her. Juhi is the new sweetheart I found 110 odd days ago and wow she is a gorgeous young one, tempting and sweeeet.

Pardon me Bulli, but this new young one I guess, was the biggest hurdle between me and you. Next time, I shall come with her to you, in case you don’t mind.

For now wish you a very happy birthday.

Next year when you complete a decade, and your li’l sis Juhi turns few months older than a year, we shall celebrate, and rejoice.

Women refuse to go away from my life. Love you Bulli and Juhi.

Doing business in India...good, bad or ugly!

2010-07-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

I had barely, and with great difficulty, slurped few fork-full of the ultra slim- ultra bland noodles that Café Coffee Day so proudly claims to make for “institutional sales” when this burly gentleman woke up from his slumber. Without losing a moment after fastening his seat belt in his awaken avatar, he threw a question at me, leaving me gasping if he was dreaming about it, past 30 minutes. His snores suggested otherwise though!

“How is it to do business in India? Tough, easy or very easy?” The Canadian gentleman made it seem like I had to choose between an IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor) or a Single Malt Scotch. Having gone through the ordeal of Mumbai, as well as organizing a press meet the previous day, I was least interested to preach this anxious CEO of an automobile company, who among other had to steer an industry forum, taking many tricky issues to a host of stakeholders, notably in the government. Sniffing business opportunity though, I thought I must offer an elaborate overview to enable him form an informed opinion about the great Indian legislature and bureaucracy.

For next 40 minutes, the sociologist and journalist in me prevailed…

I began from the 1990. “1990s can be called the most momentous decade post Independence – the numerous events of the period is sure to shape the face and future of India, in fact it has already begun surfacing,” I uttered as if I was writing a caption as a senior copy editor of The Times of India.

Ahan! Would you suggest how?

“In very many ways. The shape of Indian politics changed – Congress which ruled, and trampled, like a lonely lion was facing eroding base by an emerging yet tiny set of satraps, especially in the northern states of Bihar and UP. The rise of these satraps, notably Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav, was in itself a result of another significant social engineering policy of providing 27% reservations to OBCs in central government jobs. This was more of a vote bank policy thrust upon by the then weak Prime Minister VP Singh who was heading a coalition of political parties, a rarity in the Indian context then. So there was political churning and the complexion of Indian politics was all set for a huge makeover there on.”

What else?

“Soon the experiment of coalition seemed to dissipate and Congress bounced back to power with PV Narasimha Rao at the helm of affairs. This tiny southerner with protruding lips and scholarly prowess whom many called a sour-puss would go on to become one of the most progressive Prime Ministers in Modern India. Through the mid 1990s he brought about a slew of economic reforms and sociologists and economists across the country were getting ebullient with theorizing on globalization and liberalization. In simple terms, he simplified global business and access to India and Indian markets became universal and equal to a Dutch and Greek alike. The crying red hoardings of McDonalds and Yo!China that you see savouring swanky Indian metropolitan malls is courtesy Mr Rao. There was economic churning as well and the complexion of Indian economy was all set for a huge makeover then on.”

Sounds interesting!

“The swanky malls would not have come up but for the meteoric rise of a spendthrift Indian middle class. Globalisation meant some Indian cities soon became the backyard of global MNC and especially in the technology domain. Outpouring of outsourcing opportunities gave rise to a new breed of English speaking aspirational Indian class, drawn from big and small towns from all over the country. Effect of liberalisation was trickling down to small towns and modest parents were rejoicing. There was a rise of a new breed of aspirational roaring to get into politics and bureaucracy as well. By the close of the decade the effects of the reservations were beginning to show and academies offering training to elite IAS and IPS officers were abuzz with stories of rags to riches. In politics there were stories of penury to political heavyweights and the complexion of Indian Parliament and Assemblies too were changing. People of lower class and castes were making the ranks and the communities they represented were elated – siren-blowing Boleros and Kurta-Pyajama-Nike clad youngsters in small Indian towns said the story of the new found empowerment. There was social churning as well and the complexion of Indian society was all set for a metamorphosis there on.”

“The 1990s was the decade of most momentous events and processes in the life of Young India.”

Hmmmm.

“There was more. Before the decade closed, it also brought to fore another revolution. The Indian media was in for sweeping reforms and it leapfrogged from 2-channel-BW-newspapers to multiple-channel-multicolor-newspapers, for instance. Largely result of the globalization and rapid politicalisation of Indian masses, media industry acquired a new hue and journalism became one of the most sought after career choice for large number of Indian middle class youngsters meandering so far in a limited career landscape. There was churning in the media space as well and this had deep linkages with the way we did business in India. The social-political-cultural-economic discourse and its direction was all set to change thereafter.”

But what it means for doing business today?

“I have no intent of scaring you but I suspect all these processes and their complex interplay have made doing business in India so much more challenging. Money is intricately linked to politics and this has implications for bureaucracy. Rise of a new class of politicians and bureaucrats, keenly eager to alter the predominant paradigms that have prevailed the preceding era, has led to a discomforting brazenness in politics and bureaucracy. I am not sure if you can win your arguments with logic and reason. Pulls, pressures and money thrive as success tools. There is a silver lining however. The formula of business success is not too complicated. If you can manage paisa, pull and pressure tactics, you have the mantra of success. Do not be under any illusion that logic and propriety alone will matter. They can take you this far. For that far, you need much more. The Weberian model of a steel-frame bureaucracy thrive in India like nowhere else and doesn’t matter how liberal his/her background has been, a bureaucrat takes huge delight in preaching you through the rule books. Pretense of being the mai-baap of the giant wheel of governance reigns supreme and you are made to meekly toe the line even after you have pressed other tools of negotiations.”

“But having said this, I still can advise, sooner you master the mantra and muster the courage, better it is. For despite its handicaps, the fact is businesses are happening in India.”

Aren’t you making a sweeping generalization?

“I wish I was. I have closely seen it in my new role as a Public Affairs consultant and can vouch for the stubbornness of the rule. It fails to change – from Delhi to Dehradun, Kashmir to Kerala. But yes, if you are lucky, like I was once to get a direct mandate for a Public Relations campaign from none less than the Chief Minister, you may come across occasional rescuers. There are some progressive politicians open to new ideas and fair deals but the mighty bureaucracy may never allow you to reach there. My best wishes.”

“Do hire me, if you still want to try an external party to carry your mandate.”

Ah. Will see!

The Boeing 320 of GoAir fleet had come to a halt and cell phones had started to beep and it was time to leave.

Don’t know what impression I made, but I surely, and I rue it, missed to hand over my business card to this gentleman….just in case.

Next time, I shall hopefully begin by first passing on my card.

2010-07-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

On July 1, I anchored a show on Medical Ethics. This is as part of Principal Consultant of Heal Foundation, a healthcare advocacy platform. For the first time I read from a prepared script. Here it is, how it was. It is a critical issue and needs the attention of all.

Script.....

My fellow learned men and women from medical fraternity, pharma industry and media .

Good afternoon and a very warm welcome to what is going to be a very hot afternoon!

On behalf of Batra Hospital, Heal Foundation & Foxmandal Little I thank each one of you for participating in this very compelling and critical discussion. I am convinced, as much as you are, that at the end of the day and the engaging discussions we shall all go back with loads of learning, lessons and leafs of wisdom, which we shall all follow, swallow, and practice.

At the outset I wish to acknowledge the inspiring guidance of Shri AL Batra President of Batra Hospital and Medical Research Centre who has generously allowed us to use the hallowed premises of his hospital to host this discussion. The tireless efforts of Dr Sanjeev Bagai, CEO of Batra Hospital, Shri Sudhir Mishra of law firm Foxmandal Little and Shri Swadeep Srivastava, Principal Consultant HEAL Foundation and CEO of Via Media & Communication have resulted in this very timely event which will go a long long way in clarifying doubts and building consensus on medical ethics issue.

Despite the demeanour of some of our friends among the medical fraternity which has brought bad reputation, the fact remains that doctors are regarded with utmost respect, dignity and a distinctive sanctity drives your identity and reputation.

In recent past, in the wake of amendments to Medical Ethics regulations, we have seen an unrelenting diatribe against doctors – as if they are the most prone to corruption and connivance. This is strange given the fact that the onset of 21st Century has seen some of the worst manifestations of institutional decays and degradation – be it in realm of politics, bureaucracy or even parts of judiciary. I do not imply that since others are corrupt, doctors too become. What is disturbing is the continued clouds of suspicion and mistrust over doctors leading to huge perception deficit about what I call human chariots of life on the earth.

A host of reasons are cited for this malady of the medical profession including influence of the industry, lack of trust by patients, intense commercialisation, and a lack of desire of the doctors to be healers – a joke goes, You may know the intractability of a disease by its long list of remedies!

What’s good, under continued pressure, today the medical practitioners have begun to discuss this issue like never in the past. Presence of all of you learned and distinguished men and women today prove this.

What’s worse, even as we sit down and debate, it is disturbing to note that only one side of the coin is being looked at in this saga. Are doctors only to blame, if they have to be, for the malady? If doctors conspire and connive, do they do it alone or on their own? Aren’t there other who are party to it and if it is so, and it is actually so, putting the onus only on the doctors amounts to treating a patient only for the fever caused by the cancer and not the cancer?

One of my doctors friend, enraged over what she called an intensely biased medical ethics prescription, fancied by a man desperate to turn a messiah, reeks of an intent which is sure to destroy the credibility of this enduring institution. She told me, and we shall discuss many such issue today, that why is it that the pharmaceutical industry is not brought under the purview. You can tame the hapless doctors, why not cane the mighty industry, she fumed. Fever may yet be a very mild manifestation of the cancer. Look for other, more painful symptoms and you realise pharma industry is not beyond suspicion.

Thankfully that friend is not here, for that would have led to a furious war of words, but her sentiments are very much with all of us. We must discuss her concerns. We must look at the prescription with prudence – are they realistic, practical, and implementable?

We must attempt to deliberate on the many intricate issues on this subject and try and put forth a definitive view for the MCI to mull over. We must tell the world, doctors, if at all, are only part of the problem. Cure the cancer, if you must, cosmetic medication won’t do.

I am happy ladies and gentleman that other than all of you learned men and women from medical, media and pharma industry, we have amongst us some of the finest minds to tell us, educate us, enlighten us and guide us on the many intricate questions that despicably ogle at the pious profession of medicine today.

We at Heal Foundation in association with Batra Hospital and Foxmandal Little have often believed that as an advocacy group it is imperative that we be at the forefront of spearheading debates, guiding policies and drawing action blue print with active support of all those who matter in the healthcare domain. Keeping this value, we made a humble beginning early this year and our conviction gained muscle after we very successfully organised the first round of discussions in New Delhi on February 16.

The December 10, 2009 amendment notification on Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquettes and Ethics) Regulations of the then MCI had created a flutter among the medical community. It had raised more doubts than questions and we soon found ourselves in the midst of a raging yet directionless debate. We took the lead and organised an all-stakeholders meet to comprehend and analyse the many issues pertaining to Medical Ethics.

The response was extremely encouraging and ever since we have made committed efforts to help comprehend and construct many dilemmas and their solutions. Today is yet another step in that direction.

And it would not have come at a better day than today – on Doctors’ Day. Most of us present here and friends across believe the malady needs a cure but we have different take on how to do it. It is certain a sweeping reforms in regulations without the consent of those for whom they are meant is akin to beating a band party on a rainy, occasion less day!

We have felt, and many of you concur, there is a crying need for a consensus; making the regulations practical and more doable. Half a year has passed and we have not come across a case where a doctor has been found guilty under the new set of regulations – the regulations seem like a lip service with no serious intent.

We are honoured and humbled by the kind presence of Dr SK Sarin, governing body chairman of MCI, who has taken out time from his extremely hectic schedule to participate in this discussion today. We are sure, we are moving in the right direction and we look forward to you Sir for your guidance on this vexed issue. It is also our privilege today to have with us on the dais Shri AL Batra President of Batra Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Dr Sanjeev Bagai CEO & Senior Consultant Pediatrician, Batra Hospital & Medical Research Centre; and Shri Sudhir Mishra, senior consultant Foxmandal Little, and Shri Swadeep Srivastava, Principal consultant, HEAL and CEO of Via Media & Communications.

We have an illustrious presence in the auditorium and though it may not be possible to acknowledge all of you learned men and women, we are happy to have with us Dr Ashok Seth, President Cardiology Society of India – Delhi Branch, and chairman Cardiovascular dept Fortis Escorts Heart Institue; Dr Sanjay Anant Gupte Pune, National President, FOGSI; Dr Purvish M Parikh, MD, Americare India.

Minister of state for Health & Welfare Shri Dinesh Trivedi was to be here with us today but some pressing party work took him to Kolkata late last evening. However, he has been kind to send his message and we shall soon listen to him.

Time BJP turned stern with allies

2010-06-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends frown and fret when they read my tirade against BJP. But I can’t help rue over the state of the main opposition party in the country, which at best seems to be in tatters. And it’s worsening every day.

We have seen how Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been belligerent in his disdain for the unsolicited display of affection and camaraderie of the BJP ahead of the party’s crucial meet in Patna recently. He has been scornful and merciless in exhibiting his distaste for the BJP’s embraces. He has proved, yet again, that he holds the upper hand and has conveyed clearly that he depends very little for the BJP’s crutches to sail through the upcoming elections. Kumar has no compunction if he has to go it solo the next time has been the message loud and clear.

And how has the BJP reacted. It has bent backwards and there have been many rounds of confabulations with different groups within the party beating different trumpets. One senses a sense of extreme haziness in the minds of the party, the main Opposition party of the country. One senses, BJP is desperate to continue the discordant matrimony even at the cost of humiliation. One senses, the desperation to cling on to power is making the BJP too meek and submissive to give it any sense of a respectable party. In the era of coalition politics, the big brother has to kneel down to save the alliance, some face-savers claim.

Not too long ago, another Eastern satrap, the Chief Minister of Orissa Naveen Patnaik had given similar jerks to the BJP but it does not seem to learn from its mistakes.

BJP can take a leaf out of the Congress Party’s approach which has smartly shown some of its key allies notably RJD’s Lalu Prasad who should call the shots. I don’t deny the party has not been accommodative and complacent at times, but by and large it has hold its aura intact, prestige undamaged, however shrill the critics may sound.

Those who have sympathies for the party, including my dear friends, would feel much better if the BJP takes a storng position. Else they have to defend the indefensible.

We are all king of Good Times

2010-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

The murmurs of the many families at the tiny Goa departure lounge at the airport last Saturday, galloping into mild chaos left me thinking about the huge leap we have taken in recent years in the aviation sector.

Flying has become common, and the bulging Indian middle class today is not hesitating to spend that tiny extra buck to enjoy this luxury, since yesterday preserve of the rich and powerful.

Hats off to Naresh Goyal, Subrat Roy, Capt Gopinath, King of Good Times Vijay Mallaya.

Sitting at the Dabolim airport in Goa, smarting under the tipsy influence of feni, my mind went back 18 years ago when I first travelled on an air plane.

I was travelling to Silchar, the sleepy town in Assam, which fortunately was connected by air. As a student I had obtained a 25% concession – I had to make 3-4 rounds of the Indian Airlines booking counter at New Delhi’s Rajiv Bhawan near Safdurganj Airport – and took a flight to then Calcutta.

The takeoff, like for any first-time flier, was an experience of a lifetime -- fearful, anxious and full of thrill. After about a couple of hours when I was about to land in Calcutta there was a sudden flutter in the cabin of the Boeing 707. I overheard someone whispering his co-passenger the view of the Howrah bridge. I tried desperately to locate it but in vain.

But the thrill soon gave way to a torturous night – I did not have enough money to spend on first a taxi to the hotel, and then the tariff for the hotel. I had to stay back at the airport, as the flight to Silchar was scheduled the next morning at 7.15 am, another Indian Airlines flight. From 9 pm to the next morning, I had no other option but to stay put at the airport. It was painful, but perhaps the kick of taking a flight helped me fight the yawn and lethargy.

Cut to the present. It has become so convenient today to fly. There are options in plenty and gone are the days of bureaucratic procedures when you had to travel long distances in your city to buy a ticket.

Not only we buy ticket at the click of a button today, we are also informed on our mobile handsets if the flight is late. Check in and boarding have become smoother and other than grabbing a bite of your choice many thousand feet above the sea levels you can also shop, listen to music or even watch a movie.

Compared to the past, this is a huge leap forward. And this surely is one of the finest stories of modern times. Of India that is changing, galloping.

Government surely deserves the big credit for this catapult but then few visionary individuals who foresaw the opportunities and took big plunge to invest in the aviation sector deserve handful of kudos.

Naresh Goyal, Subrat Roy, Capt Gopinath and Vijay Mallaya are our heroes. For they have made life, and travel, so easy for us.

They have taken us to new highs, have made us all king and queens of good times.

Media, BJP in severe grip of a dysentery!

2010-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

It’s akin to dysentery. The bowel of Indian media, and BJP, has been running riot and we have seen splatter of Anderson coming out furiously from all over. It has begun to stink now.

Twenty six years ago and even before that, one God damn American fellow, thriving on India’s decades old legacy of corruption and bribery would have gone about bending rules. In connivance with his Indian counterparts, this guy bent rules so vagrantly that it eventually led to a catastrophe. Innocent lives were snuffed out in no time. India’s nascent rush for industrialization had a horrific brush with disaster.

Twenty six years later we are witness to an unusual bunch of mourners crying hoarse over the sin committed by one God damn Anderson, an American. Thank god for had he been an Italian the croaking of these mourners could have known no limits.

We have seen stories of all hues – anyone and everyone who was someone at that time is popping their mouth out and, taking a high moral pedestal, slamming all those who mattered including the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In days ahead, I am certain, many more dead woods including retired secretary, chaparasi, commissioner, commander, clerk and chaiwallahs would find this opportunity to gain their share of glory, and camera bytes. The great Indian media refuses to learn from past mistakes. This time, unfortunately, print media seems to have got infected by the churning bowels of the television media. The dysentery is omnipresent.

I have few simple points to make. Even if we get Anderson today, or even if we would have tied him around the burnt chimneys of Union Carbide in Bhopal, what may have happened? For lack of adequate laws, evidence and clauses, he would have been freed or at the most fined. For it would have made no difference to the families of the dead – I wonder how any amount of money can ‘compensate’ for the loss of human lives. The only loss, had Anderson been around, would have been Indian media’s, BJP’s and the insignificant toads whose tittle-tattle, much to their delight, are making headlines.

There is no denying the fact the tragedy was grim, could have been avoided, and agencies should have been more careful. However, 26 years later, I make little sense of glossing over something we have heard, read, seen all over the places all these years. All these 26 years, and shall continue to do son.

It would have made more sense had we taken this occasion to sit down and mull over a few critical things to ensure that, one, chances of such industrial disasters are minimized; and two, there are enough in-built safeguards in the system, and laws that in case such tragedies do occur, guilty are punished and there are coded mechanism for expeditious compensation so that families of victims get faster succor. That’s about it.

The raging debates, diabolical condemnations, camera-savvy candle-light protests and frenetic hunt for Madhya Pradesh’s babus of yesteryear all seem so devoid of any meaning. They are all so reckless, useless.

It has become fashionable for BJP to do politics over the dead and forgotten, and the party does not seem to be learning from its past mistakes. It should know, digging the dead does not get you votes as Ayodhya has taught them time and again. Bhopal will not get you any brownie points either. You are only doing a disgrace to the honour of the dead by howling over them.

Stop the dysentery for the stink is contaminating.

Amitabh Bachchan & The Art of Time Management

2010-06-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

It is heartening to read Amitabh Bachchan’s blog that he just posted from Bhuj, available at http://bigb.bigadda.com/?p=5655. I follow him on Twitter and hence the privilege of tracking him.

If one’s writing was a window to someone’s mind, I would look at him as someone with amazing penchant for details, compassion, human values and care for the nature.

What’s more thrilling is his ability to take time out from a packed schedule to pen down his thoughts – we tiny fellow struggle with the trivial everyday and can barely apply ourselves, or think, forget about writing. I learn from Amitabh Bachchan how to manage time, be disciplined.

Shun Intellectual Terrorism

2010-05-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

He spoke in a nonchalant mannerism, devoid of remorse, unbecoming of an editor of such high stature. On a platform to discuss participatory democracy, he exuded unparalleled enthusiasm to justify the act of violence by the Naxalites. Perpetual inequity has led to mindless violence, he believed, and he said he was aghast at some section of “mainstream” media seeking measures including air strikes to deal with the Naxalites.

I have held you in great esteem Mr Sumit Chakravartty since my student days but I bow my head with shame today on your disparaging discourse on democracy!

Saturday evening we had gathered in typical JNU tradition of dialogue to release a book by Justice Rajinder Sachar. The book titled Quest for Participatory Democracy (Rawat, Jaipur, 2010), has been edited by Prof Anand Kumar – my teacher for two decades – and Dr Manish Tiwari, my very dear friend for many years, and I have contributed two chapters in it. The audience comprised elderly, children, intellectuals, bureaucrats, journalists and academics. At the end of the very healthy discourse, Mr Chakravartty was to deliver his address as he was in the Chair for the session.

Much to the shock of many, Mr Chakravartty went on to justify the act of violence by Naxalites, his reasoning ranging from myopic to foolish. Following a clichéd India vs Bharat dichotomy, he said inequity has led the poor and deprived to take to guns. There has been no attempt to cajole Naxalites into a dialogue, he argued, unlike a practice prevalent with Kashmiri militants. Had Gandhi or JP lived today, they would have gone and stayed with the Maoists.

By the reasoning of the very respected editor of Mainstream journal, we may not be surprised tomorrow if those living in Bharat come and stab us on a Delhi or Mumbai traffic light. There are equally glaring inequalities in urban India and if mindless violence is what the solution is, as reasoned by him, we may see sporadic killings in India by those living in Bharat. And we don’t have dialogues? Come on Mr Chakravartty! We have a terrible obsession with dialogue – else you would not have been lauding Naxalism so dispassionately on a day when we were mourning snuffing out of so many innocent lives in Jhargram in West Bengal. Had we not have a culture of dialogue, we would not have seen some myopic reason Naxalites as Gandhians with Guns. Mr Chakravartty you know the notion of democracy much better than I do and you would also know the Indian state has a huge appetite for dialogue and discourse. There is ample space for this but how far one can go. And what would have Gandhi done Mr Chakravartty? Gandhi never approved of violence of any form and if, according to your logic, this is a precursor to a dialogue, one is intrigued at its rationale! Give us a break Mr Chakravartty.

I am aghast at the apathy. I am afraid we should guard against such intellectual terrorism else this would perpetuate a culture of callous neglect, disparaging denial, and damaging disregard for democracy. It would devour our delicate social fabric. Discuss, we shall Mr Chakravartty, by all means but not before you end up abjuring violence.

My life's two moments of great personal triumphs

2010-05-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

There have been two thrilling moments of very personal triumphs in my life.

The second came early this morning when my very bright nephew – Anurag Prateek alias ChamCham son of proud Simmi and Anil Kumar, my sister and brother-in-law – stood up to his family’s expectations and cleared IIT in his first attempt. Through the day as the feeling sunk in, my excitement and sense of pride soared faster than Delhi’s unbearable temperature. A profusely sweating day preceded a calmer evening and as the day settled for an end, my thoughts oscillated between euphoria, happiness and a deep sense of contentment.

ChamCham entry into IIT marks my family’s first foray into the hallowed ring of prestige. It also brings to an end – and I am naturally the most relieved – a long spell of failures that personally I, and by logical extension my family suffered for long years. Out of the four siblings – Simmi, Nishi, Rajneesh and myself – my parents invested the most on me, financially and emotionally. While all of us stood first in our Plus Two examinations and did reasonably well subsequently, I was the premium boy. Not only was sent to the then Madras to do an in-house coaching of the Brilliant Tutorials for IIT, my parents also fulfilled my dreams of going to a premier higher education centre by getting me admitted in Hindu College of Delhi University. Later, I joined JNU, another premier institutions and the premium of hope on me grew further. Everyone thought I would clear the prestigious Civil Services examination. Destiny willed it otherwise.

Then on, it has been over 13 agonising years since “success” as dictated by our feudal obsession of power and prestige has been eluding us. No longer!

ChamCham has killed the jinx, at last. He is the first boy of our new generation and we had burdened him with Humongous expectations. Unlike me, he has lived up to these. With this he has also turned into a classic trendsetter for his nine siblings – Vanya, Abhinav, Rishabh, Ritwik, Sundu, Anoushka, Akshat and the newly-arrived Juhi.

GenNext looks poised to set a new set of benchmarks for themselves.

The first moment of triumph had come over 13 years ago, on an equally scorching June afternoon when my friend Manoj Singh had telephoned me in Hajipur that one of our good friends had cleared the elite Civil Services examination and ranked among top 20. I had made huge emotional investment in the process, and on her, and it was surely a moment that I still savour.

Incidentally the same friend had given Anurag his first name – ChamCham – soon after he was born on August 2, 1992. We were calling Didi from a rickety telephone booth from outside JNU and came to know of his birth. The name had popped out of my friend’s mouth almost instantaneously.

As destiny would have it, she would go on to become an IAS, and he an IITian! She is today a district collector; ChamCham still has some steps to reach there. He would, for sure.

Jharkhand: Exemplifying derision of democracy

2010-05-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

Events in Jharkhand are perplexing and painful at the same time. News reports say after its initial hiccups and subsequent subservience to JMM’s Shibu Soren, BJP is mulling withdrawing support Monday.

It could have done well to be more circumspect in the first instance, before committing itself to tie the knot with JMM, in what is seen as an incessant craving for power.

We all know how in the past the state has bled owing to apathy and disdain of the political class. A stable government has eluded the state and so has development. My friends across party lines – in politics and outside of it – have spoken brazenly of how the state offers wonderful opportunity for all those looking for some quick bucks. I was told we could do some quick business, earn a booty and make merry. There are many who have done this, some are still doing, few contemplating.

The otherwise rich state continues to perish under this agonizing derision of people, institutions.

As we celebrate six decades of independence, I continue to wonder if this is for real! Democracy, an ideal that we are all so gung-ho about, continues to get mocked at, bullied, and raped.

Time we did something.

Death of Print or birth of In-Print!

2010-05-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

I watched no television today. I feel like I missed little. I did go through the newspapers, but only fleetingly and it was more for the habit sake. However, by late evening I felt I was missing something. Because of meetings, I did not check my mail and surf the net for my varying needs, and this was surely leaving me jittery. On an average, I spend 2 hours per day on the Internet, 30 minutes in newspapers, 15 minutes on text messages using my mobile handset, and 10 minutes on television.

Traditional media has given way to new-age media. Technology has invaded our consciousnesses like never before. It has altered the way we construct and decode information. In addition to print, we have the option of getting news in our cell phone or get aggregated news on out computer screen, as a result of what we may call package journalism – Google aggregates news from various sources and packages these for us.

In less than a decade, new media has metamorphosed the pattern of information dissemination and display. The age-old print media – newspaper, magazines, books – are faced with unprecedented threats from new-media vehicles especially the Internet, a whirlpool of information, tornado of ideas. In his book The Vanishing Newspaper Philip Meyer calculates that the first quarter of 2043 will be the moment when newsprint dies in America as the last exhausted reader tosses aside the last crumpled edition.

Delivering a lecture few years ago at Columbia University’s Journalism School the then Editor-at-Large of Time Inc Daniel Okrent had professed, “Twenty, thirty, at the outside forty years from now, we will look back on the print media the way we look back on travel by horse and carriage, or by wind-powered ship.” He advanced numerous arguments to support this dictum.

First, technology evolves – we have fast moved from mainframe computers to laptops – which for Okrent was his professional life’s “locus, library and liver”. The speed is enthralling and captivating, making us all subservient to it – our crave for processors’ speed today is as pressing as nomads hunt for leafs! The hurried prose of the daily newspapers, what many called, “the first rough drafts of history” is giving way to ever-modifiable contents of the web.

The rhetoric is backed by empirical evidence as well. Newspaper Association of America had found that number of people employed in the print industry fell by 18% between 1990 and 2004. Tumbling shares of listed newspaper firms have attracted ire of investors. In 2005 a group of shareholders in Knight Ridder, the owner of several big American dailies, got the firm to sell its papers and thus end a 114-year history. In 2006, investment bank Morgan Stanley attacked the New York Times Company, the most august journalistic institution of all, because its share price had fallen by nearly half in four years.

More recently the World Press Institute had found that barring in India and China newspaper circulation in most developed countries were on a decline. The instant cause of beneficiary of this has been the Internet. The Businessweek in an April 2010 article ‘The Print Media Are Doomed’ has captured the marketing logic for the continued demise of newspapers: “It’s not that print is bad. It’s that digital is better. It has too many advantages (and there’ll only be more): ubiquity, speed, permanence, searchability, the ability to update, the ability to remix, targeting, interaction, marketing via links, data feedback. Digital transcends the limitations of—and incorporates the best of—individual media.”

Little surprise marketers are drooling over the dynamic new medium, which offers huge advantages over its predecessor static print medium.

Do we jump on to conclude that the print is dead, or it is the beginning of the end of print? I shall be circumspect, yet.

I shall not call it death of print but instead birth of in-print or print on the Internet – which shall still pull together the print media for some time to come. Meyer’s 2043 prophecy may still border on the realm of fragile possibility, at least in the Indian context.

Even as we join the cacophony of the speed and dynamism of the Internet, we can’t overlook certain crises that the medium is likely to expose us to. Given its fluid character – and negligent barriers of who can or can’t take the reins of news dissemination – Internet will become a collage of chaos in future. It shall bubble with weird and absurd – it still does to a great extent – and cause us to consume limitless nonsense. It shall bombard us with inanities and abundance. We shall be forced to spend hours filtering the relevant from the irrelevant – it still does to some extent. We shall be forced to constantly struggle with news and information which would be relevant to us. The abyss-like character of the Internet, I am afraid, may turn us into blind crawlers, meandering endlessly, constantly exposed to the vulnerability of information overload. Internet will confuse us, constrict our thinking, corrupt our senses. We may resort back to print, for all you know. Okrent may take a leaf out the new-found obsession of modern civilization with ancient practices such as Yoga and Ayurveda.

Only the form of the print may change in the context of the rise of the Internet.

It shall not be the death of print yet, but birth of in-print.

PS: The topic is vast and worthy of more discussions like these. I shall continue my endevour.

Some recommended links:

www.businessweek.com/debateroom/.../the_print_media.html

digitaljournalist.org/issue0002/okrent.htm

www.newspaperdeathwatch.com

20:20 in 2010: Globalisation of the Indian Brand

2010-05-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

The three cheerleaders dancing to the mighty smashes of Mike Hussey and Kevin Pieterson Sunday night – which I am sure did not catch many eyeballs – had me in a sense of déjà vu! Adoring Reliance Communications colour and logo, the nimble footsteps of the girls meant giant leap for us, our industry. Amid the plethora of giant multinational brands splashed all around the beautiful and breezy Barbados ground, our indigenous Reliance Communication was making its presence felt, and in a big way.

The match was telecast across the globe and the visuals would have hit millions of minds all over. Even as the English men drooled over their first world title ever, I was quietly celebrating the victory of the Indian brand. To me it was a reassertion of the true globalization of Indian brand, a process we embraced over a decade ago.

Over the years we have diligently been part of this globalization process – a process which blurs boundaries, works on time zones, ensures seamless connectivity, encourages cultural and social heterogeneity, magnifies identities, diminishes perceptual barriers and so on – but the influences have been largely uni linear.

Ask a sociologist and he would not mince words in slamming what the MTVs and Nikes have done and how they may be corrupting young minds with their objectionable visuals and aggressive marketing. That’s one view. We have also been inundated with Western ideas and goods, thanks again toe globalization, and we are not complaining.

I am mighty happy today succumbing to my son’s demands for a Happy Meal at McDonald's – he gets a toy, I buy my joy! There is more. I wear a Gas jeans today – my father though fumed at the wretched connotations it has! Globalisation means cheers for many of us.

But the cheerleaders at Barbados have taken us at a new high. It has cemented a process of select group of Indian companies spreading their tentacles – going global – Tatas and ArcelorMittal notably and brought to fore our economic muscles. My friend sitting here tells me S Kumars too has been acquiring global brands and not many are aware.

Reliance Communications' flags at Barbados finally herald the globalization of Indianness. It conveys to the world that we no longer remain in the consciousness of KPMG’s associates ever trying to “project” what BRIC would be like in 2050 and so on, but on ground, in field, in people’s consciousness. It tells that brands like Reliance Communications today have acquired the financial muscle to buy huge advertising rights.

The result of the T20 was of little consequence to me. Reliance Communications’ arrival in global mind share is!

Verify before you glorify!

2010-04-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

The grand television bites of IPL Chief Commissioner Lalit Modi from the middle of the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai are by all means the last such exhortations that he would give. Tomorrow his fate would be sealed and as things stand, Modi would make a disgraced exit from IPL.

Modi, who has emerged as an iconic individual, has been a creation of media. Who can forget endless stories about Lalit Modi all over, in print and television? How can we forget the innumerable stories about the commercial and entertainment prowess of a powerful tournament called IPL? We were bombarded with stories of how this cricket enthusiast from Rajasthan has catapulted India into the super league of sports world over. Media went gaga over this tiny genius.

It has almost become a habit of the Indian media to glorify individuals and institutions at the drop of a hat. So much has been the struggle to grab eyeballs that probity and ponderings have been the biggest casualties. Reason and rationality have been big victims.

The same media which has glorified the tiny fellow from Rajasthan so gloriously is after his skin and we have been flooded with stories of his ill-doings and deals. The same media which took Modi to the level of a sporting God is today after his skin, and if given a chance would not mind sucking from his eyebrow. The same media which had hours of interviews of this “sport marketing legend” is today frenetically planting spies to hunt from stories of his escapades, economic and otherwise.

Whatever happens to Modi seems like destined now but do we to infer that media will learn a lesson. I suspect.

Indian media has been one of the most flamboyant yet irresponsible. Reporting on Aarushi murder case, the brouhaha over Rakhi Sawant kissing, and its drooling over the Pay for Question scam are some pointers to this argument. The media mostly react like a wildly beast, sans a soul and reason.

I only hope and pray that incidents like these make them wiser and compel them to ponder over their ways of reporting. Else we are resigned to fate, of a media which is reckless and reprehensible!

What’s worse? Politics of cricket or its crooked commercialisation

2010-04-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

Shashi Tharoor and Lalit Modi have one more thing in common other than their passion for Twitter. They both have first made huge commercial benefits of their position and then went on to make it messy. The media, which recently got over its obsession with Sania Mirza, is not complaining. We are getting heavy dosage of Tharoor-Pushkar-Modi packages.

A question has been haunting me since this controversy erupted. Which is a bigger evil: politics in cricket or crooked commercialisation of cricket?

I have quite liked Shashi Tharoor whereas the appearance of Lalit Modi and his articulation has failed to impress me over the years for I am entitled to have a personal view. However, the Pushkar episode has compelled me to revisit my personal predispositions.

Today I am as disappointed over the alleged influence of Tharoor in manipulating the Kochi consortium as millions of fellow Indians. Modi despite his brazen banters, alleged favouritism and manipulation in bringing up consortiums for teams turns out to be a lesser evil. But just about that!

I guess my views echo a very routine, yet funny, view that we Indians have when it comes to propriety in public life. Despite being aware of the fact that politics is among the most corrupt institutions that we have nurtured in last six decades, we react rather aggressively when any “corruption” of a politician tumbles out in the open. Our reactions are not so voluminous when it comes to other forms of corruption, including those in the media, judiciary or bureaucracy.

Reactions over Tharoor, mine included, reflect this amply well. Since we still place high premium on politics and strive hard to retain its sanctity for it is linked to the fate of our nation, slamming of Tharoor is justified and I join millions in this.

But should we not also create flutter about other forms of corruption? The media, which is taking a high moral ground on this issue, is itself reeling under incredulous allegations of commercialising news. Probity in bureaucracy has reached an all-time low. Instances of corruption in judiciary have begun to reflect the ugly influence of money and power. We should ponder over these as well.

Modi, despite being a lesser evil, should not go scot-free. Cricket in India is more than a game and by encouraging shady deals – some of his own and some under influences – Modi has denigrated the institution of this sport which has brought us numerous accolades. He has labelled infamy to a game which is a religion to millions in this country. Success of IPL turns a pale shadow under this disgrace.

I don’t know what will happen to Modi, but Tharoor has gone down with lot of ignominy. A man whom we all once thought could adore the top position of the UN today remains a mute spectator to drooling cameramen and gossip-mongers.

He could have done better!

Blessed with a sweet li'l doll, Juhi!

2010-03-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, she came to us, late in night, and said....

... You look like my Pa and I just saw my Mom...My name is Juhi.

Amitabh Bachchan elevates television

2010-02-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

For a change I sat down to watch television today. For a change, I did not regret the 20 odd minutes I spent frenetically surfing the channels. For a change, I was inspired.

Not by television, but the generosity of Mr Amitabh Bachchan. In a show, Lift Kara De on Sony TV hosted by Karan Johar, AB Contributed Rs 1.25 lakh to a extremely poor family of his home state of Uttar Pradesh. This was in addition to the Rs 9 lakh plus that the family had been donated by the show -- I missed the details of the show. In another programme, Mr Bachchan donated Rs 3 lakhs to a very old lady pensioner who had been suffering because of the lackadaisical bureaucracy. This during the Citizen Journalists awards show on CNN-IBN.

It was heartening and I am sure there are many like me who would have felt inspired, and perhaps cried, witnessing the plight of the first family on Sony TV.

By magnifying the plight of the family as well as the humane act of Mr Bachchan, television for a moment discovered a new meaning for itself -- that of a humble stage which has the power to enact a show powerful enough to move a million hearts. It sends a message of compassion, encourages empathy, and enables an atmosphere of camaraderie and affection.

This one single act, and some such incidents, are what that keep the significance of television alive, its relevance reinforced.

Amid the cacophony on television, Lift Kara De came as a pleasant peep.

For a change I wish to commend, and not criticise, idiot boooo......oooops, I mean television.

A birthday reminding burden of living with expectations!

2010-02-14T00:45:00.000-08:00

Growing old is painful, I wrote back to a friend this morning, in a spontaneous rejoinder to his text message saying he would not ask my age this Birthday! What I did not write was that growing old with the burden of expectation is even worse. As I sit and ruminate today over the years gone by I feel a sense of mild agony.

Born in a middle class family with soaring aspirational values, I spent my childhood weaving dreams for the future. I lived with the burden of my social circle. The youth, which came sooner that I expected, kept yearning for success and security. Those were elusive. Burden of my own expectations prevailed. Further years down the line as I settled in a vocation, the burden of delivery was too overwhelming. Subsequent years, I had to straddle between personal, professional and social responsibilities. The burden was Humongous.

Reflecting back, I feel, all these years my inner self had been at a perpetual conflict with a social self, and painfully, has lost every time. The perennial conflict of id, ego and superego has often left me gasping with an agonizing clash among my own identities.

The burden of expectation of preceding decades have snuffed life out of my passion – as a child I wanted to be a pilot; migrating to the melee of Delhi from the quiet milieu of Hajipur, a tiny sleepy town in Bihar, I developed a fancy for photography; growing up amid a conflict of culture of my past and future at the hip Hindu College at Delhi University, I thought I could cultivate as a good singer and a guitar player; the liberal
façade at JNU, country’s elite centre of higher education, germinated me ideas of becoming a writer and a reformer; as a journalist I fancied changing the world.

The constant struggle for survival and basics ensured I could do little more than salivate over my passions. Today they all seem like frivolous, fragile sand castles swept away meekly by the cruel sea of circumstances. Like a scarecrow, they all seem to mock at my predicament of life and my crippled instincts to bring them to fruition. Even one!

The burden of expectation mock at me with repugnant ridicule.

This Birthday I wish when I grow up further I get time to play guitar, gaze stars from a hill-top, enjoy weekend getaways at Landsdowne with Jyotsna, Appu and about-to-arrive baby, click portraits and birds at Ranthambore, sip beer with élan over extended hours at Jim Corbette, begin writing my first novel in the cool climes of Mussorie, live a day or two without my ringing BlackBerry and its queer messages…the list seems endless.

This Birthday I wish when I grow up further I would not live with burden of expectation.

I wish!

Bihar, The Enigma: Resolve or It Reduces To A Rubble

2010-01-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

It’s ironical, six decades past independence we proudly claim we can govern, rather than hard sell the average Bihari

What ails Bihar the most is an archaic and indolent mindset.

A sample of this is the pride expressed by our turnaround Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently. At a meet of India’s top industry leaders at the Economic Times Awards, Kumar proudly claimed how governance was visible in Bihar now, unlike in past. To me that was a colossal waste of opportunity, and a dim-witted reiteration of a typical mindset that all of us Biharis are alleged to be cursed with.

Six decades after independence, it is unfortunate, we stand up in front of the world and boast of ensuring governance to its people. A privilege that should have been given is shown to be bestowed upon, as if generously. Meet Biharis at any social gathering today and endlessly you hear about how Hema Malini’s cheeks-like-roads are finally visible in Patna. The proverbial Calcutta means entire West Bengal seems so true for an average Bihari today. “Patna looks so wonderful; the roads have become wide,” said a friend once, the glitter in his eyes conveying as if Patna has turned into Paris. Talk to an IAS or IPS and he will speak in a parrot-like tone on how “work is happening now”, unlike in past. “Law and order has improved,” is the common refrain, as if Bihar was world’s crime Even if one were to buy that castle-in-the-air theory, I suspect, where is the rub-off? I see none.

Mindset! We Biharis often get caught in trivial and fail to take note of the tangible.

At an opportune moment like once faced by our CM, he should have spoken about how there were yawning gaps – and by implications opportunities – in every sector one can think of, and should have announced a slew of tax concessions for those willing to come and invest. Assurances of safety, and governance should have been left for public relations agencies, or ass-licking bureaucrats and their pet journalists.

Roads are crying for attention, power generation needs stepping up, agriculture produce requires cold storage, agriculture marketing needs private impetus, education needs the boost of the private sector, land and labour are in plenty for manufacturing units – were the stuff Kumar should have spoken about. He should have reiterated the inherent, and unheard qualities of an average Bihari – put him in a competitive environment and he excels like no one else, his command of English is impeccable, his articulation impeccable, his leadership skills are remarkable, he is largely hard-working, his moorings are strong, he inherits a culture which places premium on respect and integrity, he inherits the legacies of Buddha-Ashoka-Mahavira, his forefather fought bravely for the freedom of the country and he knows the values of national pride, he reveres institutions like family and marriage, he is tolerant and visionary but for want of opportunities, he is industrious and enterprising but for a push.

The only problem – he is stuck in a time warp and he is victim of a typical mindset. He grabs the trivial, ignores the tangible. Nitish Kumar stood like a symbol of this aphorism that day.

I guess sense of Bihari pride is glaringly missing from amongst us all and that is the first thing we need to restore. By talking about the obvious – such as governance and law and order, we are adding to the ebb that our pride has nosedived into. The resurrection of Bihar will have to happen with a sound reengineering of bottoms-up and top-down approach. It will have to simultaneously address and take into account attitudinal, social, psychological, economic, political and cultural dimensions of people.

I am no political analyst but strongly feel – rise of regional parties and emergence of sectarian political values which have thrived on caste and religious sentiments have led to humongous degradation in our social consciousnesses. The two preceding decades, which catapulted many Indian states onto the path of progress, incidentally saw rapid decline in Bihar’s institution. One reason for this surely has been the rise of caste and regressive politics which thrived on ignorance, illiteracy and ignobility of people. The marginalization of mainstream political parties, and especially Congress from the national mainstream partly and Bihar in totality contributed to this erosion. A simultaneous rise of coalition politics on the national level meant Bihar’s slide to anonymity, and anarchy, continued.

The State remained cursed for it never got a leader, who was a visionary, and who could look beyond his immediate nose, and caste configurations. I see some hope now with the Congress, and notably Rahul Gandhi, shifting focus on igniting young minds and harnessing their prowess to infuse some sanity in the "often berated" state.

Bihar is an enigma, I guess, for which time is running out fast. Either we resolve it or reduce it to rubble.

Ah Bihar! The Enigma Continues

2010-01-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

I remember how I had become a hit amongst my many Bihari friends and acquaintances when I wrote that story in The Times of India, talking about the idiosyncrasies, nuances and sing-song accent of typical Biharis. That was in 2005 and there are still people who tell me they remember that special feature on Page 2, which among other analyzed the growing predominance of Biharis in Delhi.

This reflection too is on Bihar but has a different context.

Percy Fernandez is a dear friend and one of the best minds with clarity in thought and writing. His inimitable style is contagious I miserably fail trying to copy it. Recently one of his journalist friends wanted to do a special feature on Bihar and while introducing her to me, he wrote: “…Who else but you can show the light when it comes to a complex, complicated, often berated and sometimes funny phenomenon called Bihar.”

Mark his words. Complex, complicated, often berated and sometimes funny phenomenon!

It is indeed complex and complicated. Despite many credible legacies and contributions to the national mainstream, it continues to be “often berated” and there are things that make the place and its people appear “funny” to people outside it.

I have struggled hard to comprehend the many complexities – caste is still so pervasive you would find it dripping down people’s faces; attitudes are still primordial; politics is still bereft of a credible, secular and democratic agenda; abhorrence for norms is a norm; police, politicians and powerful flaunt their clout in vulgar proportions; education still follows the old glorious ways.

Bihar continues to be berated for the many ills that plague it – poverty, illiteracy, mediavalism, lethargy and complacency. It’s funny for it sends a large number of youngsters to IITs, IIMs, IASs, IPSs and yet it is known only for the rickshawallahs of Delhi, for the inability of its people to turn entrepreneurs, for the alleged anarchy that prevails on Bihar bylanes, for the primordial loyalties that still pervades its communities and so on.

What could be the way out? I suspect it is as complex a question as the complexities of Bihar.

I have been a little intrigued by the current surge in interest about Bihar’s growth rate. I wonder if it is going to achieve much except some fancy and flaunt of journalists who get too gung-ho over figures and especially when it comes from credible agencies like Central Statistical Organisation.

I suspect that is a subject I shall dwell on in my next post, which I can’t afford to delay much.

Wait for the sequel.

Chequebook and Facebook journalism

2009-12-29T23:37:00.000-08:00

An American news channel faces flak for chequebook journalism. In India, we find Facebook fixation

The Associated Press ran a story on December 29 on how an American news channel NBC which has hired a plane to carry an American man from Brazil where he fought a custody battle for his son has been criticized for 'chequebook journalism'.

Excerpts from the story...

A professional journalists' group is condemning NBC News for chartering a plane that carried a New Jersey man involved in a custody battle home from Brazil with his son. The New York-based Society of Professional Journalists is calling it "chequebook journalism" and said the arrangement damages the network's credibility.
David Goldman, who successfully fought the Brazilian family of his now-deceased ex-wife for custody of nine-year-old Sean, granted an interview to Meredith Vieira of NBC's Today show that aired Monday. NBC said Goldman was booked for Today before the network invited him on the plane. The network had already arranged for the plane to bring its own employees back to the U.S. for Christmas, NBC News spokeswoman Lauren Kapp said. If NBC hadn't brought the Goldmans home, one of its rivals would have, she said. "We've covered this story exceptionally well," she said. "Their going on the plane did not affect our coverage of the story or getting them booked at all.

The journalists' group said NBC was paying for access, even if it was only covering the cost of a trip by plane. "Paying for access taints the credibility and neutrality of what you are doing," said Andy Schotz, chairman of the SPJ ethics committee. "There is now a motive for people to be helping you, to be telling you what you want to hear."

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2009/12/29/chequebook-journalism.html

While I would hesitate to agree with the criticism, the global crisis of credibility that news channels face is what worries me more. There is a scramble for eyeballs and channels are going to any lengths to ensure they do it.

The recent embracing of Ruchika case by some news channels and notably Times Now is equally perplexing. I just wrote to a friend how we tend to get myopic and inebriated under the influence of media and tend to ignore larger picture. If Times Now could take plight of urban women for instance -- I don't expect its reporters to dig out stories from the hinterland -- such as daily harassment while commuting, domestic violence, abuse and violence, so many stories would tumble out. I have my sympathies for Ruchika and her family. But I suspect media is so gung-ho over the story because it has spicy ingredients -- a former DGP, former CM, budding Lawn Tennis star, and so on.

You would be compelled to think -- Jessica and Nitish Katara too had similar ingredients and the stories became heartthrobs of a direction-less Indian media. They make news becasue they find support on Facebook and where not.

While American media grapples with chequebook syndrome, in India we increasingly see a Facebook fixation.

When do you last remember story of a Ruchika who has not been molested by a high-profile person grabbing so much attention? Mostly you do not see such stories, and even if you do, you find them tucked inside the hurly-burly of politics and glamour.

Security at Shirdi needs beefing up

2009-12-28T00:07:00.000-08:00

Visit to Shirdi, for believers like me, is always a delightful experience. Communion with Baba is personal, and pious. Very personal. The fervour and frenzy there is both enthralling and captivating. It gives you a kick, and as a student of sociology, I can’t ignore the compelling social bonding that such religious activities trigger, in turn creating harmony and elevating individuals to think in group and community terms.

I was scared given the stories I came across about Shirdi – how owing to holidays and a special period for Baba, the crowd there is boisterous and how Darshan through a normal route was seemingly impossible. Like a typical Indian my instinct too was to pull a few strings here and there and try to get a VIP Pass (like last time) and avoid the long queue and endless wait. I did try, but it was a half-hearted attempt.

I joined the serpentine line and was told would take me ages to reach in front of Baba. I said be it. Soon people started to move, jostle, frown, cry, shout – but the queue kept on moving. Thanks to my belief in myself, I got Baba’s darshan in sharp two hours and that to me seemed like minutes. I also felt proud in thinking, and behaving like a commoner and thought, ended up saving my grace by begging for a VIP Pass and taking unnecessary obligations.

There is a luxury in thinking, and behaving, like a commoner.

There is a risk as well and it was glaring at Shirdi.

Disappointingly I did not find an iota of administration there – and mind you this is one of the most crowded times in the year of Shirdi, when people from across the country throng in millions. From the moment I joined the queue till the time I came out, I spotted just two policemen, and that too inside the temple, right next to Baba. As a law-abiding citizen I did leave my mobile handset but at end of two hours I realized I might as well have taken it inside.

There was not even iota of administration, and I mean it. At a time when innocent devotees from across the country are thronging to this pious city, I am shocked to see the city administration sleeping. At a time when the government is spending sleepless nights to ensure innocent lives are not snuffed out by the heinous designs of terrorists and separatists, isn’t it the duty of the local administration to ensure basic security measures are put in place? But alas, in the name of security I could only spot yawning and haggard private security guard, who by 2 pm had hardly any stamina left for frisking and ensuring no dangerous items are taken inside the temple.

I would be naïve to ignore the passionate Indian devotee and his unstinted faith, for which he can go any miles – we have witnessed some horrific religious stampedes in recent past. Over 150 people were killed in Chamunda Devi temple near Jodhpur in September 2008. A month ago in the same year, almost equal number of people died in a stampede at Naina Devi shrine in Himachal Pradesh. The list goes on.

The lethargy by Shirdi administration, I suspect is a gross negligence, and unpardonable. As a conscious and alert citizen I shall be writing in to the district administration to ensure the sanctity of Baba’s abode is maintained and bare minimum security ensured.

Om Sai Ram.

Read my earlier blog on this topic:

http://navneet-anand.blogspot.com/search?q=naina+devi+stampede

Paa is par excellence

2009-12-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

It’s a mere coincidence – on my father’s birthday today I got to see a beautiful movie depicting father-son relationship. What’s better, I watched it with my son.

Paa is exemplary in many ways. The subtleties of human relationships and emotions are depicted best. Travails of a single mother with an irreversibly diseased son too is portrayed amazingly. Concerns of a doting, and experienced father, who doesn’t want his son to tread a new path in politics has been beautifully filmed. Anxiety of an innocent son wanting to get the warmth of his father has been screened with intense emotion, and with very high impact.

Not only Paa’s dialogues, screenplay and cinematography excellent – and reams have been written on it already -- it has also succeeded in capturing some of the big ills plaguing our society today. A politician is looked at with myopic prisms and if he tries to break the conventional wisdom, is hounded and harassed. The lunacy of modern journalism too is shown with utmost beauty. I suspect if journalists will get any message out of it but the film would have surely accentuated the growing disenchantment of Indian audience with its media, especially news television.

The film entertains and engages almost instantly. Humour too is weaved smartly.

Vidya Balan, Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan do wonders to the roles they have played.

It is a film one comes across once in a while.

Flipside: My son Akshat insists on calling his mom, a bum!

My blogger identity gets a boost

2009-12-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

It was a joy of a different hue, and a mixed one.

After a prolonged gap, this past Saturday (December 12) I managed to steal time for my own self and did something that I like doing. The sunny and leisurely Saturday forenoon gave way to an exciting, and eventful afternoon.

An afternoon when Jacaranda Hall at the sprawling India Habitat Centre in New Delhi’s Lodhi Road stood witness to a quiet, small yet historic event. An assortment of men, women and young enthusiasts had gathered together for Bloggers’ Symposium. I had accidentally come across this pop-up announcement a few days ago and had registered myself for the symposium as well as for a blog reading competition. I could have possibly escaped this interesting meet but for the twin reminders from the organizers.

Just when I had settled down I realized I had made no mistake by compromising with many other pending personal errands that Saturday. I was told noted poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar was the chief guest for the function, which was organised by www.scratchmysoul.com, a unique endevour for building communities online and then bringing them together offline. Panelists included impressive names – Ayaz Memon, noted sports journalist; Hindi poet Ashok Chakradhar; senior IAS officer Raghav Chandra; One-Laptop-Per-Child (OLPC) CEO Satish Jha; and IT department official and one of the architects of IT Act Gulshan Rai.

Ayaz, whom I have personally held in very high esteem as one of the finest journalists, set the tone for the day with his sharp observations on blogging as a tool of social expression. From a non-conformist, he had turned into a total convert and was today competing with his daughters to keep pace with changes in technologies, and its idioms. Blogging empowers and enlightens, he said, adding that one simultaneously needed to be alert to its perils.

Akhtar said blogging was a powerful tool which perpetuated democratic values by giving people the space to voice their views, ideas and opinions. “For decades the voice of common people like me and you did not matter – it was counted, and considered relevant only once in five years, during elections. Our voices were muted and captured in our votes. Tools like blogging gives us new pair of wings, they extricate us out of the suffocating curbs on our expressions,” said Akhtar even as he warned against the abuse of this powerful medium.

Scratchmysoul.com provides unique opportunity for all who wish to engage in serious and meaningful dialogues either as a citizen journalist, blogger or diaryist, responsive citizen or even a money spinner. “It places each and every entity -- company, governments, organisations, human beings, products -- at the crossroads of ‘public’ life. Each entity is assigned an exclusive ‘public’ ledger. While they can use it as their personal portal for highlighting themselves, society can use it to review their social connectedness and to describe them for posterity,” said Shlok Chandra, the brain behind the concept, while capturing the features of the website.

The event also saw unveiling of a monthly magazine, first of its kind in the world, exclusively for bloggers. “This is a rare initiative and aims to give a fresh impetus to the blogging movement. The magazine also creates a new paradigm by filtering, and capturing the best from the web and providing an offline medium to connect and communicate. For a large audience who wish to know on the many facets of blogging, this magazine will be very attractive. Also it will help convert the fence-sitters and help them get initiated into the act of blogging,” said Raghav Chandra, an MP cadre IAS officer, adding that Blogger’s Park was a average man’s blog forum, unlike others which cater to celebrities or individuals.

As a keen blogger and someone who has by default been at the fulcrum of the dot com revolution of the early 2000 (I was editor of PC World), I was mighty kicked to be part of this tiny yet big event. For I sincerely believe blogging will eventually have to create strong on-ground linkages to be able to sustain and create impacts. It will also bring in elements of moderation and regulation in the otherwise chaotic blogosphere.

It was also pleasing, for I read out my blog post of November 29 titled ‘Gatecrashing or idiotic exuberance of modern journalism.’ All including Akhtar saheb said they liked it “very much” and this pleased me no ends. Organisers were kind they gave me a prize as well.

The event was momentous also because I felt my quest for blogging finally got an identity, and a bulwark for motivation. For my felicity knew no limits!

Subrat Sinha: A new star is born

2009-12-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

Life is like a Radio!

If you did not believe, hear this melodious song from the film Radio, the lyrics for which has been done by Subrat Sinha. Other than being my junior from Hindu College in Delhi University, Subrat has many aspects to his personality, and what better occasion than today, a day after his film has opened in Indian theatres, to write about these.

Subrat has been focused like Arjun in his task. Soon after he completed his Diploma in Film and Television Production from Xaviers’ Institute of Mass Communication, Mumbai in 1996 Subrat hit Bollywood and started to work on his mission.

His impressive profile reveals he has excelled in more than one field: lyrics, scripts for films, dialogues, lyrics for TV title tracks and theme songs, and film and TV direction.

Some Subrat’s notable films and TV serials include Maruti Mera Dost (2009), Ankahee (2006), Aamras (2009), Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi (Sony, serial), Kahin to Milenge (Sahara, serial), Ayushman (Sony, serial), Dekho Magar Pyar Se (Star Plus, title song), Astitva (Zee TV, title song), and the list goes on.

Radio is surely a very bright feather in Subrat’s cap. The lyrics is fabulous and its music melodious, and compelling. I guess I have a fairly decent sense of music and would rate all the songs of Radio as fresh as dew and sweet as honey. My son, who will turn 5 next month, too, I am glad, has a fairly good musical sense and he forced me to buy the audio DVD soon after the promos for the film had begun about a month ago. I must compliment Himesh Reshamiya – his new voice sans nasal effect is doing wonders.

I was not in touch with Subrat till I bought the album but his beautiful and poignant words had cast a magic spell on me, thanks to Akshat, my son. When I came across Subrat accidentally through a common friend Sanjay Singh, my joy had no limits.

I take pride in his glory, reckon it my own, and wish and pray, that he becomes a super star in Mumbai film industry one day. A star whose thoughts, ideas, words and themes would mesmerize us, entertain us.

I could not have agreed more with Subrat when he writes:

Jindagi jaise ek radio – ajab ajab dhun sunati hai
Kabhi happy kar de, kabhi sad bana de
Kabhi senti kar de, kabhi mad bana de

Life truly is akin to a radio. Strangely, we have funny ad breaks too!

Three Cheers for Subrat!

Gatecrashing, or idiotic exuberance of modern journalism

2009-11-29T00:25:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I mentioned how appalled I was to find grim statistics on the number of hungry in India, and across the globe. My concern grows everyday. It grows bigger when I look at the current issue The Economist (November 21-27), which has done a cover Leader on ‘How to feed the world’. The penetrating analysis reveals food security and huger is complex global problems – covering aspects of global trade, urbanization, subsidies, governance, agricultural practices, innovations and participatory democracy. India, which remains among the worst affected due to this food insecurity, I guess, should be spending sleepless nights on debating means and ways of overcoming this. Its media, considered one of the most dynamic and free, should have been generating the right buzz on how to feed a billion. But alas!

Indian media is busy unraveling the many stories around the White House Gatecrashers – Michaele and Tareq Salahi. What a shame, and how disgraceful. I am pained and perplexed at the idiotic exuberance of our journalists – and they include some big names like Jug Surayia – on an American couple who do not have tiniest of relevance for us. We have seen stories on the front page of both The Times of India and Hindustan Times and other top dailies. To top it, The Times has devoted a full page this Sunday (November 29, 2009) to this “issue” exposing the huge moral and ideas bankruptcy of its editorial policy.

Having worked in The Times I know the management and editors would justify this by glorifying the universe of its readers – far and wide, and culturally diverse and hence the need for an array of subjects including trivial such as this. Bull…t! What is the difference between you and India TV, if you were to follow the same logic?

I guess, and I have argued this endlessly, this has to do with a colossal decline in principles and practice of journalism. Journalists have turned hugely myopic. Neither the editors nor reporters can today look beyond the immediate: The 3S-P formula seems all pervading and there is an obsession with sensationalism, sex, silly and politics. Serious issues including poverty, agriculture, urbanization, migration, illiteracy, maternal and child mortality, hunger, health and hygiene are quietly relegated to the edit pages, and there too they jostle with fashionable trends like Copenhagen Cacophony and Religious Terrorism!

There is also a self-made belief among media marketers, and editors meekly toe the line, that readers are looking for a platter which would include the trivial and the tantalizing. This is erroneous and breach of trust. Readers blindly following what is given to them do not mean they like it – their taste buds would equally savour the serious and soul-searching.

Modern journalists are trained in schools whose priorities are to fill the classrooms, and their coffers, than the wisdom of those joining for the training. I have had personal experience of this and you argue for incorporation of such serious subjects as development journalism only to attract harrowing frowns by pounchy directors, who after having worked in B grade newspapers and channels would reckon themselves next only to Rupert Murdoch! Tell the budding journalists on how they need to train, they would say they have great “instinct” of making it to the level of Rajdeep Sardesai in no time. You argue only to your embarrassment. The same breed rules the roost in modern newsrooms and little surprise, the decline seems inevitable.

Then there are influences of the market. Growing consumerism has led to a massive redrawing and dilution in our values and priorities. What else would describe the fancy, even if of a small audience, to the weird act of an American couple.

There are a host of other complex cultural issues around this.

We shall leave that for some other day.

I, Internet & Journalism

2009-11-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Internet has redefined journalism, the way journalists carry out their daily tasks. While metropolitan cities have seen definite shift in integration of technology in journalism, much is desired in rural areas. A personal account of a journalist who has been in the midst of this transition

This was 12 years ago. On a personal trip to Mussoorie’s Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, I had my first brush with the Internet. Sitting in that tiny hostel room, I anxiously gaped at the now ubiquitous blue e, smartly tucked at the corner of the desktop. Soon my joy had no limits. The e was traversing me places and in no time my first virtual identity in anandnavneet@hotmail.com was created. That dull October afternoon of 1997 remains etched in my memory as the great day of my initiation into the abyss of World Wide Web.

How much has changed in a short span of time. Twelve years prior to my first brush – in 1985 – life was so slow. As a student staying in a sleepy Bihar town I would trudge along the days. I would walk down the school, spend hours playing with peers. Barring school and friends there was nothing to grab our attention; there was no premium on time and we had it in plenty. Migrating to Delhi a few years later in pursuit of higher education, things didn’t change much. Information would move at a snail’s pace; I would connect with my parents writing Inland letters and they would similarly reciprocate, one circle completing in close to three weeks. We did not expect exchange of information to be faster than that – at least till then.

Few years on, situation did not change much and this was true till 1996 when I had joined The Indian Express. Journalism had a distinct dynamics – I recall in retrospect – worked with conventional principles, old technologies and journalists whose worldview did not comprise the World Wide Web. Till the time I had my first virtual identity and first journalism job, Internet stayed beyond our work domain, even though it had begun squeezing into our consciousness.

Internet begins to make a mark

By 1999, when I began editing Indian edition of a technology magazine, the prestigious PC World by IDG Group of the USA, things had changed dramatically. In no time, the two words – dot / com – pervaded our consciousness with a flu-like speed. The blue e turned more visible and Internet started to permeate into our professional lives, more than our personal. Being in a technology magazine, I felt privileged to be part of what was touted as an age of information revolution. Being in the midst of a revolution can be a wonderful experience, and especially when you are recalling it a few years later!

Even as I rejoiced the enormity of information that lay at my disposal – Google had still not made its appearance and Yahoo search and Hotmail prevailed then – I thought it a wonderful opportunity to enhance my research. All, at the click of a button. Being from a research background certainly helped. A few months ago I had submitted my PhD thesis and there was not even a sentence picked from the Internet. I had painfully extracted every bit of my research combing libraries and newspaper clippings. That training came in handy when I sat down writing my pieces on a range of issues in the Information Technology sector for the PC World. Thanks to diverse inputs, my writing improved drastically.

I was sniffing the great opportunity that the medium promised to offer to journalism. Soon internet became a habit and we meticulously ploughed interesting information to feed our readers with the best. My young team religiously followed.

It’s Google all the way

That was the beginning of the revolution. By the time I reached The Times of India in 2004, much more had changed. The Internet domain was agog with new and fascinating developments. Information had begun to flow thick and fast. My second, and this time an enduring, virtual identity in gmail was born here, at the third floor of The Times building on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg at New Delhi, seven years after Hotmail had caught my imagination. Google had made a quiet entry and we were all immediately hooked on to it. The miracle baby of Sergey Brin and Larry Page permeated our conscious and in no time Google became a Bible for us in the newsrooms. Founded in 1998, Google made its first Initial Public Offering in August that year and sooner than one had imagined its fortune had soared to a staggering $ 23 billion in 2004.

The riches spilled down to us as well, albeit in a different form, but leaving us much more prudent and pricey. Google ballooned our orientation, metamorphosed us into global citizens, feeling connected seamlessly. Soon it became a habit for us to scour Google whenever we needed certain quick information. If there was an air crash, references to similar air crashes in other parts of the world were made using Internet. Google also bloated readers’ appetite which in turn compelled print journalists to make their stories as encompassing as possible. It also came in handy for cross references and extracting new sources or getting contact information. Spontaneity, speed, and specificity became the hallmark of Internet (read Google search), and journalism, I felt, was surely an instant beneficiary of this marvelous invention of mankind.

In later years as I moved to The Pioneer (2006) and then to the field of corporate and strategic communication, it went on to become a compelling companion for me, and now a day without a glimpse of the Google seems opaque and curtailed. There were other concomitant developments in interpersonal and professional communication domains that had a bearing on the way we connected. Mobile phones became omnipresent and new tools for journalism such as QuarkXpress and GettyImages meant quality of news delivery improved dramatically. It was around the same time that news agencies realized the potential of the web medium and all news organizations ensured their online presence.

When the history of Indian media is written, the first decade of the 21st Century would be considered one of the most momentous – a period when news gathering, its articulation, presentation and packaging went in for a smart makeover. The advent and rapid growth of television medium too contributed to this trend.

Digital divide in journalism?

I would be naïve however if I were to hold the above true for all of the Indian media. I suspect what I described above – and I may be myopic given my exposure in Delhi’s media -- is largely true of media agencies in metropolitan areas. In large parts of India, this trend is far from visible and one senses a definite sense of digital divide manifesting itself in journalism as well.

In my interactions with journalists from the hinterland and rural areas, I find shocking lack of Google enthusiasts, though with sparing exceptions. Partly this is because of training – new breed of journalists in metropolitan areas today are drawn from swanky, wi-fi communication schools – and partly because of lack of facilities. While emails have certainly become popular, other prudent usage of Internet are seldom made.

A top-notch IT journalist and a dear friend Rahul Neel Mani has spent tireless hours on the Internet identifying and writing mails to all those who matter in the IT domain. Using this art of tact and perseverance, he has delivered certain wonderful stories and interviews of stalwarts including Vincent Cerf, who is often called the father of Internet. I know of journalists who have befriended celebrity film and cricket stars using tools like Facebook and Orkut and churned out their interviews. I have known journalists who have spent hours studying government policies and loopholes therein. I have personally churned out at least 10 good stories by careful filtering of a mass of information on government agencies available on the Internetnet. In my blogs, I have made unique references to facts and analyses using the same tool.

Future shock

I suspect if many of my talented friends in regional media use such alacrity and initiative. I have argued that while journalists preach the whole world they are never open to learnings themselves. There has been a criminal neglect of their skills upgradation. Use of the Internet is certainly one area they would do well to galvanise their thoughts.

In times ahead, the form of journalism itself will undergo rapid changes. Journalists will be required to do multi-tasking in the age of convergence and they would be required to embrace technologies of different hues with equal ease. The speed of news delivery would become faster – as it is television is giving a tough time to print journalists – and usage of technology even in print delivery would be enormous. The mindsets and predilections would need to be refurbished to accommodate more compelling realities of the day. Internet and its variants including Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot would become part of our daily lexicon, integral to our professional existence.

Media baron Rupert Murdoch urged to newspaper editors as early as in 2005 to embrace the Internet saying print news executives have “sat by and watched” as a new generation of digital consumers has turned away from newspapers. In December last year (2008) a prestigious Pew study revealed that in US online media overtook print media. The 2008 US presidential elections was yet another example of how journalism will take a leapfrog.

Time for all stakeholders to mull on ways and means to make the most out of the new technologies, notably the Internet, and equip journalists in different corners of the country to wake up to the challenge. Future beckons.

This has been published in latest Vidura, quarterly journal of the Press Institute of India.

Our tragic achievement of modern times

2009-11-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

It’s 9 30 pm. In just over 12 hours I shall be in a lecture room of the elite IIM Lucknow talking about the nuances of print media management. I am running short of time as I am yet to give a finishing touch to my presentation. I will have to leave home by 5 30 am tomorrow morning to be able to be at the airport in time. I am frenetically trying to wrap up the presentation, but the compelling blogger in me has taken precedence over everything else, and I am not complaining. It is important to note I shall be talking to a group of agricultural scientists for whom IIM is conducting an MDP, and during the course of my research I am appalled to confront some glaring statistics, and the compelling urge to pen down my thoughts in a jiffy. There is a whopping 1.02 billion undernourished people in the world today, according to UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). UN agencies want to sound positive and hence the use of the word undernourished instead of a more crude hungry. A huge chunk, 642 million, reside in Asia and the Pacific while in India the number of undernourished person is pegged at a staggering 251.1 million people which stands at 22 percent. In simpler terms, think of it like this, when you have gobbled up that sumptuous dinner tonight – 22 person out of 100 don’t have their dinner and even if they have it’s barely enough to satiate their hunger. Hunger is a major cause of concern and it is so intricately linked to food security. That’s the least civilized nations and civil societies could do for their fellow beings. That’s the least we could do, for each other, but alas, are we excited about this. Are we bothered. I suspect no. And I have a personal example to share. Buoyed by the power of network, I had, about 7 weeks ago, floated an idea about ‘Feed the Hungry’ group that I have been contemplating for many years now. I do my bit in my own ways but I thought I would give it a shape, bloat it, feed it with more punch. I sent it to many, but where is the time to think about the empty stomachs. We are struggling against time to meet our deadlines, meet our bottomlines, meet our numerous social commitments. I don’t blame none! I get hopeful reading this bit of information on FAO home page saying how world leaders are worried about shrinking yields, climate change and accompanying challenges to food security. On how they are worried that when the world population grows to 9.1 billion in 2050 from 6.7 billion now, we shall need to increase our farm production by 70 percent. I get glimpse of hope when FAO director general Jacques Diouf says that we shall need to invest heavily -- $ US 44 billion official development assistance per year – in technology, infrastructure and modern inputs. I see hope when UN Secretary General gives a clarion call and says that the current food crisis is a “wake up call for tomorrow.” I could not have agreed with more with Diouf when he said, a billion hungry people as “our tragic achievement of modern time.” Only if we could care!

Media on high moral grounds? And why!

2009-11-15T09:16:00.001-08:00

I was appalled to hear this from someone I reckon one of the finest minds in Indian journalism. Dileep Padgaonkar said on an animated discussion on Times Now Weekend Discussion that media’s role was to “focus on individuals and events” only and it was the job of academics to look at trends and perspectives, citing rather dispassionately the example of newborns’ health in India. By his logic, even as young children die in hordes across the country media can continue to zoom in on Kodas and Hedleys of the world, for they qualify as “individuals” and “events” whereas former is the domain of academics.

How blasé is that argument from a very respected journalist of the country. Shameful! That to me conveys the compelling anxiety of old school of journalism to adapt to the new. Modern journalism, which unfortunately thrives on trivial and sensational, will surely adopt such converts with open arms, but what a pity that is.

Times Now has been taking a high moral ground in view of the incidents involving two political creatures – Manu Sharma and Madhu Koda – and much of what it stands for appeals to the common sense of common people like me. But why it does not talk of corruption in other spheres of our lives, including the media, with the same zeal? A question I find difficult to fathom. This point was passionately raised by Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi and smartly evaded by Arnab Goswami, the anchor of this show titled “Who is getting nervous about the news”.

I am surely. I get nervous every time I see a bizarre news and the blatant twists that are given to these by the innumerable vested interests that live and breathe in the news rooms. You try and sell any news based on its merit and chances are it will get spiked by some or the other interests. Instead we see the media mills churning out trash, day in and day out.

I am certainly not trying to defend the two Ms. But as someone who has some stake in the way media in India is shaping, I am pained to see the highhandedness shown by media in recent times. The Times Now discussion this Sunday was one manifestation of the same.

Politicians and politics have got enough brickbats; we in civil society leave no chance to slam them. It certainly is time for media to introspect and audit about its conduct.

Else we shall slip into unprecedented crisis. Media is a vital tool of public discourse, and if it is reduced to just picking individuals and events, and that too with a vengeance and often a purpose, there is reasons to get worried about.

I am, for sure.

Conventional PR is passe

2009-11-04T05:43:00.000-08:00

Public relations can be fascinating for the sheer scope it offers. It’s been a while I moved to this genre of strategic communication, and I must confess I quite enjoy it. I feel happy to be at the fulcrum of what I prefer to call image engineering.

What is distressing is the obsession of many of us with the conventional ways of doing PR. I come across many who still believe getting few column centimeters is the end all of PR. I suspect. With the rise in media platforms and subsequent bombarding of information available to us, we need to look beyond. We need to activate and innovate other tools of image engineering. Media, certainly remains, one of the important tools though.

I have begun, if I may call it, my campaign for making PR more encompassing. I call it Public Affairs Management. The way businesses run today requires that all possible vehicles of image realignment are activated. Hence I would propagate tools like online media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs), public engagements (forums, discussion groups), community outreach, customised social networking and personal rapport for the same. In many cases, effective in-house tools too can be highly effective.

For instance, recently while pitching for a Hospital, I proposed an perception audit using Mystery Customer methodology for finding out gaps and customizing image engineering tools. I also proposed, for instance, that the hospital gives out a rose to family of every woman who delivers a baby. I also proposed Grievance Redressal Window for patient hearing of complaints.

In fact, we can go on innovating as per the need and the nature of business, and it would differ. But the challenge is to change mindsets.

We in India have strong likings and inclinations. Changing habits and hence mindsets require a Herculean effort. PR is no different. But I am sure with passage of time as the irrelevance of sticking to conventional tools becomes apparent, we shall start moving to innovations, and start embracing these.

Political? Nah, A Corpol Scam

2009-11-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

The other day when Arun Bakshi, my old friend from JNU days, suggested I write on political corruption, I snapped if it wasn’t too clichéd an idea. He said he did not think so. Days later, I thought he was right. Political corruption in India is one giant insect that refuses to die. And what’s worse, it’s worse than Swine Flu. Reading about A Raja, the now controversial Union Telecom Minister of India, I feel, and know for sure, there are more to it than meets the eyes. Spectrum allocation is too tricky an issue for a novice like me to comprehend, but it is common sense now there has been hanky panky in allocating this precious national resource to cash-rich telecom giants. It is getting murkier everyday with common men and women like me and you unable to infer the nuances of telecom business and a lexicon which goes far beyond common sense – allocation-auction, Universal Access Services Licence, no-caps policy blah blah. What is common sense is that few corporate giants have gained out of this “deal”. Those miffed over missing out the booty are rankled and are trying to keep the issue alive as long as it can – the key allegation is that spectrum was allocated to select telecom players (Swan and Unitech) on a first-come-first-serve basis, and at the 2001 prices of Rs 1651 cr, and not “auctioned”. So if you would believe me, more than political, this is a “corpol” scam or corporate-political swindle that we hapless citizens are meekly witnessing. For the government in power, this surely is akin to a nagging headache. Little surprise, a battered opposition led by bruised BJP is finding some solace, and possibly, gearing up to create a cacophony in the Parliament which convenes few days from today for the Winter Session. Interestingly, the BJP – which has by some strange calculation termed this a scam worth Rs 60,000 crore -- may find it difficult to answer some questions that are being raised over its own conduct when in power in 1999 and 2003. The same guys who are asking for the auction route instead of the allocation – and by this I am in no way justifying the present act of Spectrum Raja – smartly sneaked out by engineering a National Telecom Policy (NTP) in 1999 (BJP-led NDA ruled then). The government waived duties of an estimated Rs 50,000 cr across 15 years in licence fees and moved to an easy revenue sharing model. The telecom license also entitles a player for only 4.4 MHz but between 2001 and 2003 – under NDA regime – operators were granted additional 2.2 MHz without any clearance, which has now snowballed into another controversy of “pricing the additional spectrum”. It is also curious to note that NDA regime, between 2003-04 also doled out 24 telecom licenses to telecom giants, at 2001 prices, and hence the BJP drumming the Rs 60,000 cr scam may not be more than a theatrical rhetoric. I am too naïve to throw enticing lights on this byzantine corpol scam. What I am concerned about is that such controversies reinforces people’s loss of faith in the politics of modern India; their contempt for the politicians of our times.

TITs....If only they were

2009-10-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

Ah. I know what you all thought. Perverts! For me, TITs means Typical Indian Traits. And they are in plenty. Some I mulled over this past few weeks, triggered by certain experiences.

If you live in Delhi and if you are driving down the Ashram flyover towards DND Flyway, you can’t miss out two imposing billboards with neon lights. The first one is of Samsung, and few foot away is Tata Indicom’s ‘End of counting minutes’ advertisement. “Call any local network, no matter how long at Re 1” claim is tucked in the right bottom corner, further beneath which lies the now ubiquitous star insert ( means “conditions apply.”

We love to be ambiguous and this advertisement is one sure shot example of this. I wonder why can’t we design ads which are sans this now hated “conditions apply” tag. I think largely because it goes with the spirit of Indianness – hiding the vital from the real, camouflaging, exaggerating. I am afraid it spreads across our personal, professional and cultural domains.

Just when I had crawled past the flyover that evening I saw a car nearly kissing mine and the driver remaining nonchalant. I preferred slowing down than to invite scratches and just when the Indigo had inched its way forward I could not avoid the sight of another brazen Indian trait – a huge board with a Single Star sitting atop the number plate of the car. Ah we love so much to flaunt and as and when possible. Perhaps this is reflected best on our roads.

The Maruti 800 car of a secretary of the youth wing of Delhi unit of Rashtriya Janata Dal flaunts a 3 ft by 2 ft board at the front proclaiming, assumingly, his foray into the power structure. I asked him if it really works and pat came the reply, “Ah it does, and with miraculous effects.” I really suspect his claims, but so much for Indianness. I must confess I have also done this – as a tiny journalist in The Times of India I often thought that sticker atop my windscreen had given me a license to jump traffic lights, if not more. Despite being modest, I did flaunt it on occasions. For I am an Indian too.

Sycophancy too is integral to our culture. Though popularly the political system is notorious for breeding sycophants, it is predominantly found in corporate and bureaucratic domains as well. I have heard numerous stories of how some of the finest professionals and bureaucrats have not been able to escape the trap of this Indian anatomy. One President of an Indian Fortune 500 company in fact has made it a religion to work only with people who would indulge in his exaltation.

Bargaining is another fascinating trait of Indians. You just have to walk into one of the happening market places of Delhi – Sarojini Nagar or Lajpat Nagar – to get a glimpse of what I mean. Women from middle and high income families, with their drivers in tow, would relentlessly haggle with roadside retailers for a Rupee or two. An anecdote has it that an engineer from Bihar on his way to Paris had a brush with Lajpat Nagar market and on reaching Eiffel Tower he argued, and bargained vigorously on the pretext that getting inside the premises of another tall world heritage Qutub Minar was much cheaper!

Tributes to Indira Gandhi

2009-10-31T06:40:00.001-07:00

This day 25 years ago...

Igniting authorities: OIC Fire

2009-10-31T04:52:00.001-07:00

As a former journalist, I am on the group mail of many people including some well-meaning activists. On Friday I received this email from Lt Col (Retd) Anil Heble, sent to all those who matter including President, Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson et al, and I feel it prudent to put it here. Dear Sir, As I write this mail a huge fire of indeterminate proportions continues to rage with the usual band of experts making sweeping statements. Mr. Murli Deora has gallantly says on TV "Nothing can be done until the fire dies down on its own". Rather comforting words for those around. Apparently, the cause has for the moment a leaking oil pipe, attempts to repair the leak, an untimely earthquake and heaven knows what else. If there is a human error or callousness its first been buried under the hurriedly mentioned reasons. Not withstanding the Rail Ministry's reaction in West Bengal someone very sensible in the Railways has cancelled many trains on the Jaipur - Kota Rail section. Many statements tendering excuses and the blame game will soon follow in a style that is quite unparallelled. Traditionally, in India no one is to be blamed ever. Traditionally also, besides the "AAM AADMI" everyone else is infallible. LESSON TO LEARN & POINT TO MAKE 1. For the support of commercial air operations in Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport, both domestic and International, two (2) major oil depots are located at Village Shahabad Mohamadpur and Village Bijwasan. 2. Reportedly, the two major ATF oil depot's at Village Shahabad Mohamadpur and Village Bijwasan hold Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) in the region of 600,000 litres each. 3. Photography in close proximity of these depot's is "Strictly Forbidden", yet these two depot's are loud and clear on Google Earth and all other maps freely available accross counters in appropriate shops. They are openely visible from all roads passing by. 4. Situated in geometric centre between these two depot's and not more than 500 metres away from either of the two ATF depots, DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S MASTER PLAN 2021 has reportedly located the Metro Rail Terminus, three metro rail stations, at least two Indian Railway stations besides the broad gauge lines themselves, land space reserved for a Railway Terminus, an ISBT, a 5-Star Hotel, an international convention centre and rather thoughtlessly a host of other infrastructure projects. 5. In the event of an unfortunate event at any one of these two oil depots, sympathatic involvement of the other is inevitable due to its close proximity. 6. In Delhi and with IGI Airport very very close the National Capital of Delhi will is apt to grind to a complete halt, if not its Southern part. Almost all the neighbourhood stands to be exterminated because of this amazing planning to locate ATF Depots not only so close to each other but also in one of the most densely populated area. 7. Besides, in extremely close proximity around these two depots include the rich and high profile Pushpanjali Enclave, parts of high profile sub-city of Dwarka Sectors 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 23, many Villages such as Bijwasan, Bagdola, Shahabad Mohamadpur, Palam and other sattelite colonies. 8. The ongoing Sitapur fire has made life impossible within a radius of 5 kilometres all alround with half of tonnage of oil. 9. As a conservative guess, population in the Bijwasan and Shahabad Mohamadpur area exceeds 5 Lakhs and in terms of infrastructure valued more than a few thousand crores. 10. As a gentle reminder its appropriate to mention of Delhi being prone to earthquakes and placed in a high zone for that reason. 11. The present levels of security, most unprofessional chappal-clad security staff and questionable adequacy, state of existing fire-fighting equipment and generally lax state of minds are perfect ingredients to a lethal brew. 12. For a start will someone in authority please visit the two sites and assess preventive measures immediately, please.

Lt Col (Retd) Anil Heble

Mobile: 9899629598

A published paper on metamorphosis in journalism

2009-10-19T11:03:00.001-07:00

A paper published by RIND Survey in its October Issue (2009), a publication of Research Institute for Newspaper Development (Chennai)

The pen rules, but ... The effect of editorial competition on newspaper circulation – a journalist point of view Dr Navneet Anand Former journalist and media commenter

For decades good stories and the hunt for these were the only worries for journalists, who were paid like peanuts, pamperedlike pygmies. Hassle-free, journalists of the 1970s and 1980s thought only of their sources and stories, and were accountable only for thelatter. Things took a turn by the late 1990s when newspapers went in for a metamorphosis – their DNA changed owing to a variety of extraneous factors including liberalization and opening up of markets; which meant marketers needed to reach out to consumers through advertising.There was also a paradigm shift in the way journalists thought about their roles. More compelling realities including commerce and competition got entwined with the practice of journalism. Journalists soon began to empathise with owners – or were rather indoctrinated to do so – what sold more became more important than what was a good story.

It became imperative for print journalists to mull on how to ensure that advertisements, and hence circulation, remained on the upswing.All this surely had a bearing on what made news, the way they were treated, and in many cases their display as well. There was an undercurrent of competition, and editors and journalists began constructing and comprehending news with a new dynamism, so long missing from the newsrooms. While it would be difficult to confirm if these changes had an effect on newspaper circulation, it certainly brought in a new sense of news engagement.

Before we go on to list some examples to illustrate the above, it would not be out of context to mull a bit on an academic perspective to unravel the changes that have surfaced in Indian newsrooms beginning late 1990s. As an academic, who has also dabbled in mainstream media, it becomes inevitable for me to blend the academic with the professional perspective.

One Jacqui Ewart, in his academic paper on ‘How regional media define a community’ in Transformations (No 1, September 2000) contends that studies in journalists’ construction of readership have revealed that journalists “know very little about their readers or publics.” “The dominant factor influencing journalist’s perceptions of the public is the ‘presumed’ readership. That is, journalists make a number of presumptions, based on their own experience and that of their friends and colleagues, about the readership, and by extension, the public.” Certainly, there is an element of truth in this proposition and as someone who has spent considerable time in newsrooms; I have little hesitation in endorsing this view. As journalists, we do have a presumed notion of our readership, of their predilection, and priorities. This in turn has a bearing on the filtering, selection, construction and display of news and this is especially true of events which are either sensitive, sensational or affect the daily lives of our readers, as the following three illustrations depict.

It was a dull Saturday of October 29, 2005 and we were in a jiffy to wrap the city edition as Sunday Times of India team was different and we merely had two pages to contribute. Saturdays used to be a light day for us in the City Bureau, but that was a different day. By about 7 pm we were shaken by news of a “powerful” bomb blast in Sarojini Nagar market, a bustling shopping hub in South Delhi. For next many minutes a volley of news – of multiple blasts, mayhem, chaos, and tragedy – continued to overwhelm us all. Being human, our throats choked, minds numbed, but then we had to move on.We had to construct news.

The news that were displayed that day was pretty much predicted – even though I had argued vigorously for considering treatment of our stories which went beyond what TV would already have shown whole of night. Subsequent days we saw churning out of stories, which subscribed to the theoretical line posed above – we imagined our readers to be carrying a certain set of ideas which in turn determined our sense of what made news. There were stories which spoke of human tragedies, colossal security lapses, how families were shattered, economic and livelihood losses, terrorist groups’ fascination with Delhi, intelligence gaffe, interagency coordination blues and so on. As initial euphoria subsided, newsroom meetings started to focus on the stories in other contending publications, notably Hindustan Times and The Indian Express. One thing was clear – and this was the feedback that I hauled out on my own – our stories were good and equally good was their treatment. Some however rued, and I would not dispute these, that despite the humongous tragedies that the incident spilled out, newspapers including The Times of India left little to sensationalise the content. But we as journalists knew, or imagined, at the core of our hearts, that sensationalism was after all at the core of human psyche and predilection and however contradictory the stated posturing, readers eventually wanted to sniff sensationalism.

A gruesome case that surfaced a year later, and its portrayal in media, proves this further. Within cycling distance of New Delhi is a tiny village Nithari. Large migrant daily-wage earning labour class of this village, lying within whispering distance of one of Noida’s elite residential localities, work in this and other colonies and, live by the day. On December 29, 2006, 15 human skulls, skeletal remains and fragments of clothes stuffed in gunny bags were found in a drain behind bungalow number D-5 in Noida’s Sector 31, adjacent to Nithari village. Noida police arrested businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his domestic help Surender Koli on charges of rape and murder. What followed was a mindless brouhaha, followed by reckless strings of reportage, and all this with a clear effort to gain eyeballs, or as marketers would have us believe spice to spike competitor’s circulation.

As a Chief Reporter of a newspaper which was not into circulation frenzy, I did manage to retain some sense of sanity in my stories, but individual reporters did fall prey to the compelling trends of the day. Among other, like it is fashionable in media to grab the big by their collars, a young and humble IPS Officer Piyush Mordia was pulled and maligned in the ensuing controversy. It was alleged he had conspired with the accused and a series of stories attributed to grave-resting “sources” surfaced all over. TV channels, which thrive on everything, scandalous and scary,made Mordia a villain of sorts, along with some other officials. Upon requests of some common friends when I met Mordia and put the pieces of the puzzle together, I realized, more than anything else he was a victim of immature and slipshod journalism, of journalists who thought by demonizing an IPS officer in their constructions, they could get the admiration, and attention, of readers and possibly in turn help impact the circulation. If not the circulation,the journalists were certainly guided by the principle that readers would like stories around this demonization of a senior police officer. We at The Pioneer bucked the trend and carried a series contradicting the popular view, which was upheld subsequently, and the officer was exonerated of all charges.

While journalists are certainly alert to the presumed likings of their readers, I would be hesitant in believing that there has been an equal alacrity about increasing the circulation figures. Very recently, however, in my interaction with journalists at Hindustan Times at New Delhi, I have come to realize that eventually they are also thinking about circulation numbers and how news could affect a desirable change in these. In its new incarnation, the Delhi edition of Hindustan Times has been vigorously trying to create emphatic connects with small communities – there has been a series on how civic woes or crime rates have affected different neighbourhoods across the city. I am not aware if the feature centric news treatment has been able to impact the circulation, but what is important from my perspective is that journalists are predisposed to an idea like this.

As we come close to the century, we seem to have come a full circle – journalists who till early 1990s only cared for good news, subsequently started to empathise with management’s notion of newsworthiness and how it was linked with commerce. The trend continued through this whole decade, and now we have what we may call a metamorphosis of role of journalists.

Other than factoring in what will sell, today he is also bothered about how this in turn will translate into circulation. And why not for unlike his predecessor, he is today paid like a prince. I would refrain from commenting good or bad – but journalism that we knew or subscribed to certainly no longer remains.

Blow the bluff of anti-cracker campaign

2009-10-16T01:16:00.000-07:00

The brouhaha over crackers around this time of the year proves one thing for sure, yet again – we in India love to be pretentious. Also, a tiny group of opinion makers determines what we can and can't do. Till date we have seen numerous advertising splashes all over asking us to desist from burning fire crackers. Reason: it causes pollution. TV and newspapers are agog with stories on Diwali Sans Crackers. My about-to-turn-5-year son Akshat is adamant, he doesn’t want to crack crackers for his Mam has asked him not to do so. People have been sermoning each other with unmatched élan – don’t pollute, don’t burn crackers. Government agencies, I am certain, have spent crores issuing advisories. We in India love to be pretentious. Diwali is one of the most elegant and delightful festivals in India. It cuts across regional, religious and cultural diversities, age, sex and triggers an amazing aura of joy and love. Families spend weeks preparing for Diwali; corporates are busy reinforcing their relationships; for small artisans like potters and candle makers this is time to earn a fortune which helps them feed their constricted tummies for many weeks; friends find time to get-together; there is a sense of thrill and fervour all around, all over. Remove crackers from all of these and much of the fun is lost. For there is a logical connect among the various rituals associated with this festival of lights; there is a strong mythological connect as well. I remember as a child we were informed, using worldly wisdom, how after Diwali due to the smoke all the insects including deadly and whining mosquitoes born in abundance during preceding Monsoon season. And there are so many other apparent and obnoxious reasons of pollution we conveniently ignore: we just have to look around us and we find almost each and every comfort goods around us are causing pollution -- each day, every minute – the enormity of which we often don’t assess. Why don’t we shun these small luxuries of life, beginning with our refrigerators, cars, air conditioners and even television sets. Why doesn’t the government launch a campaign to save electricity in its sprawling office complexes; why can’t it make it mandatory for babus to travel a-day-a-week in a public transport; why can’t ministers set examples; why can’t members of environmental advocacy groups, available in a dime a dozen in Delhi’s dubious institutional areas, stop cooling their heels and hips in swanky air conditioners. How can they, or for that matter all of us, for we love to be pretentious. Shun-a-cracker is a fashion statement that got intensified in the late 1990s when some funky, westernized NGO-wallahs suddenly realized the perils of pollution. They had to, for they had to find a reason to be in the business. Soon the fashion caught on and in no time grabbed the fancy of us all. Today it has reached an idiotic proportion and concocted data of all kinds are flashed to support their cavernous clamour. Guys, Diwali is a wonderful festival. It lights our souls, purges us of all darkness and rekindles joy, love and affection all over. Crackers are very integral to this festival of human bonding and love. Let not some jokers hijack it and rid this beautiful festival of its sparkle. We shall be morons if we allowed that to happen.

Stop getting pretentious and burn crackers to the hilt. I shall, you too.

Happy Diwali.

Sex, television, and poor us!

2009-10-08T03:57:00.000-07:00

Generous that he is, my friend Dr Md Firoz tells me, I reflect well on media issues and to top it, he forwards all my “reflections” on my blogs to his journalism students at Manipal University in Dubai. Thanks Dr Firoz but let me admit I am still learning. You continue to inspire and this post is for you only. Of late Indian entertainment channels have done well for themselves. I wish I could follow TRPs – one of the biggest frauds – but they do suggest some programmes on Colours, NDTV Imagine, Sony and Star Plus have done exceedingly done well. I go by my personal assessment instead of the farcical TRPs – they have done well indeed. The programme content, presentation, editing, dialogues and cast they have all improved. Packaging has become smarter as well. Sex is being integrated in television programmes really well these days – and marketers would say why not for they have to sell. No arguments. Pick some of the recent hits – Khatron Ke Khiladi, Rakhi Ka Swyamvar, Pati Patni aur Who, Sach Ka Saamna, Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao and of course Bigg Boss. You find smart integration, or shall I say packaging, of sexual tones in all of these. Be it the costumes of the cast or the explicit language and even the body language, there are clear lacing of sex in all these. If I were to empathise with the brand managers of these channels, I would have little hesitation in realizing that much of this new-found obsession with voyeurism and titillation has been triggered by competition for eyeballs. Television domain has grown exponentially over the recent years and there are huge ad spends – according to one report in The Economic Times, it is a whopping Rs 22,000 cr out of which print and television alone account for lion’s share of Rs 18,500 cr – in reckoning. Is that reason enough to defy all logic of sobriety? Perhaps not. For television content can’t possibly dissociate itself with the moorings and traditional ethos of the society in which it is originating. Television, as a mass medium, also has an inherent responsibility as it is a major source of articulation, association, creation of self, reinforcing of values, interpretations and so on. Theories abound on how persistent exposure to a television content can influence and alter behaviours. One of the most talked about is George Gabner’s Cultivation Theory, which propounded that consistent exposure to television has measurable effects on the perceptual worlds of audience. It also argues that heavy TV viewing creates an exaggerated belief in a “mean and scary world”. Talking of American culture, and this is a significant one for us, the theory argued that TV had surpassed religion as a key storyteller. The Social Action theory too argued that content acted as a silver bullet penetrating a hapless audience. Friends in media academics including Dr Firoz may argue that there are also what is called a Uses & Gratifications Model by noted media researcher Denis McQuail, which suggested that people “filter” the content as per their predilections and values. My apprehension is that while it would be fine for an audience which is mature, but for children this is not true. In a society where television is becoming an active socializing agent – parents are working and families are turning nuclear not only in metropolitan societies but also in large parts of urban India – the current trend of sexualizing the television content could be detrimental. I have always argued, we as audience of media have always been very passive. While technology has fast surpassed our expectations and is reflected in all communication tools around us, we have failed to respond with equal alacrity. We have turned into soaking foams, absorbing with a benign ease. Poor us. I suspect, it’s a big fat problem. Time we upped the ante. Ideas to do so are welcome at anandnavneet@gmail.com

Only if I have an idea...

2009-09-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

FACEBOOKERS, AT TIMES VISIT MY BLOGSITE TOO

navneet-anand.blogspot.com

Of late I have been toying with the idea of writing a book, a book which will sell like hot cakes. Some of the favourite topics that come to mind are – motivational, philosophical, spiritual, poverty, digital divide, development communication, social marketing, online media and changing patterns of social engagements, sex, urbanisation and so on. I wonder if I am capable of doing justice with these topics. But I continue thinking what will sell like hot cake or Nathu’s chat! I have always relied heavily on the out-of-the-box thinking of some of my friends and surely Amar Nath Sinha, Ashish Sinha Nitesh Mishra and Vijay Singh. I shall confabulate with them and then may be get some leads. One guy, my friend and online freak, Bikram too, I guess is a good bet for this. I shall ask him if he can suggest something that sells like Goa’s port wine! After all what makes a good book. I guess, I have no answers. Recently I read Outliers by Malcom Gladwell and what a fab (they call it instead of fabulous these days) that was; long ago I had read Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson and it was a wow book too; A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini I had to read because I was writing a piece on Afghanistan for a South Asia journal and that too was a good narration; long ago Erich Segal’s Love Story I am sure many of us have read and liked. Huh! I am beginning to believe after the above para, there may not be a single formula for a book which sells like Ghante Wale ka Halwa – those who missed out on it should go to Delhi’s Chandni Chowk and savour the delicacy of this mouth-watering sweet. Ah, how can I forget Tanmay Nanda, my US-returned friend, by far the best writer I have known personally. Will seek his ideas too on what to write on.

Meanwhile, if you have an idea, shoot it to me at anandnavneet at gmail.com.

Success sucks sanity!

2009-09-21T11:33:00.001-07:00

Success has a strange side-effect – and I have witnessed this with amazing regularity – it sucks sanity out of many. And I am sure many who know me, and would read this, and often misconstrue me including some good friends, will call this a pinnacle of my frustration! While visiting an old friend recently I was mighty glad to see him occupying one of the topmost bureaucratic posts in the capital of a mighty state. We have spent some wonderful moments together and I couldn’t help bloating over his new glory – this present assignment is perhaps the best of his career. We spent a good 45-minute ruminating over a host of past stories, and when it was time to say good bye, out of courtesy I asked him if we could meet late that evening for few drinks. I made it amply clear that the choice was entirely his – whether to join, and if he did, the venue as he could not go to many public places because of his position. He promised he would call. I knew he would not, and he did not. I was not surprised nor disappointed for he is a very busy man, and perhaps in that position, I would have reacted in a similar fashion. What was strange – and I know I read human psychology pretty well – he was not sure if I had an agenda in mind. I have witnessed this as well with an amazing regularity – if you grow big you think everyone who comes to you has a hidden agenda. Out of blue a common friend called up and wanted to know how I was and where I was, indication enough for me to sniff, this mighty friend suspected I had an agenda and wanted to extract this through some channel. Since he could not, he was not sure, and he did not call. Success also makes you suspect every fkcung intent! Another friend is roaring in politics. His has been like a Bollywood roller coaster ride and I can’t stop boasting about it at every possible occasion inviting the ire of many of my good friends who perennially hate politics and politicians. This fellow too has turned uncanny of late. He would call you only when he wants some fkcung inputs on something. Rest of the time you keep calling or texting, he would consider it his birthright to ignore all these. He too suspects my intent – even though at times would mean just as benign a request as meeting up with some old common friends. If you are a success you expect all and sundry to suck up to yourself, else you don’t give a damn. Not too long ago another friend got into the most elite service of the country naturally leaving me elated, enthralled. Even before the sense of joy could sink into the heart of that friend, she became circumspect, suspicious. The legacy of past seemed like a baggage, and within days years of memories melted like a glacier being gulped by a sea. My intent came under excruciating scrutinies and overnight I turned into a veritable foe. Success made her shun her virtues in minutes. Success has a bizarre tendency to derail wisdom. Yet another friend is yet another success story. From selling newspapers he is selling bigger stuffs and has turned into a big man. And the ease with which he speaks lies will make even a crocodile cry! But he does so, often, and with amazing penchant. Success has made him succumb to resorting to tricks of worst forms. Many, including my friends who often misconstrue me, would call this philosophical masturbation of sorts. But trust me I would not have reached this conclusion – success sucks sanity – without reasons. Thank god, I continue to be called a perennial case study in struggle and toil, for who knows, the day I became successful, I would lose whatever little reason I still hold. Thank god!

Rahul Gandhi: What he speaks, and how

2009-09-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Political communication can be tricky, and challenging, and especially so if you happen to be someone like Rahul Gandhi. Especially when the only way you choose to connect with media is by addressing a press conference – no exclusive interviews or informal conversations. Today I was glad to discover a much more evolved Rahul Gandhi, read communicator. In a very short span, he has come a long long way. Rahul Gandhi was addressing a packed journalists’ house today at Chennai, and thanks to incessant rains this morning, I could watch large parts of his address. What makes Rahul Gandhi different, and unique? [Read my earlier note on Rahul Gandhi and his political idioms on http://navneet-anand.blogspot.com/2008/06/rahul-gandhi-his-political-idioms.html ] More than one factor, I guess, and this is my personal observation. For a generation which has grown up watching highly diplomatic and convoluted statements of politicians, to me Rahul Gandhi brings in a new dynamism in political articulation. He is honest and defies common sense perception of what to expect of a political statement. He would not mince words and would say things rather nonchalantly – a new generation is savouring this pleasant variety as well, even as the older ones like me continue to indulge in comparisons. To journalists who insisted on why he chose not to meet Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi in an oblique reference to get some spice out for their news manufacturing, Rahul Gandhi smartly responded by saying, journalists were free to indulge into conjectures and conspiracy theories, the fact remained that he admired Karunanidhi as much today as in the past. To add strength to his argument, he asked journalists if they were aware this was his third visit to this state and he did not meet the Tamil Nadu patriarch ever in the past here, in Tamil Nadu! Very little was left to be asked subsequently. Rahul Gandhi is also very natural in his appearance and tone. And the occasional aggression he shows too is much subdued and moderated – a far cry from the brazenness that we are so used to witness this age of live television. By addressing the large gathering of media over the past few months, Rahul Gandhi has also dispelled the common perception that he was shy and perhaps constricted in his wisdom, a staple diet of the Opposition parties till his action started to speak louder than his words. Today he speaks with an amazing penchant on a host of issues and his occasional humour adds muscle to his conviction, reinforces his charms. I have also observed a distinct improvement in his body language over the years, though I must confess I am no expert on oratory or body language. Rahul Gandhi also knows his limits and is candid about it, again providing a whiff of freshness in political articulation. We have seen in the past the blatant immodesty of many political leaders – ignorance was bliss for many! I would imagine in some of his next press briefings, Rahul Gandhi would consider standing up and facing volley of questions, head on, literally. I would think that would be more reassuring and reinforcing; would exude more confidence. I would certainly be watching.

Life, enigma, and YSR

2009-09-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Life can be the biggest enigma for us all. Isn’t it tragic that in the same year when Y S Rajashekhara Reddy achieved his greatest political triumph of catapulting Congress back into power in Andhra Pradesh, he had to face the worst personal defeat – the cruel hand of destiny snuffed life out of him? A man on a mission succumbed to death. Like millions who knew and saw him closely, I was an ardent admirer of YSR, even though I never saw him or met him. Ironically the same laptop which I am using to mourn his death, has a plan which was to be presented to him to celebrate his life – an image engineering plan. Perhaps he never needed it. His was a larger than life image, and much like in his life, his death too has left me gasping! Today my heart sinks. I feel sorry, and sad. YSR to me was synonymous with a new, and perhaps, the true style of politics. A politics where public welfare was supreme; where wiping tears out of destitute was a mission; where ensuring implementation of welfare scheme was of far more significance than their announcements. For a whole generation which has got skeptical of politics, and stunningly detached from it, YSR had given a glimpse of hope. I was one. For I have been witness to a breed of politicians who have thrived on corruption, mischief and worst forms of populism. I have seen the nasty display of muscle and money power, sycophancy and dynastic breeding. Much of it continues, unfortunately, but for someone who thought that was typical of Indian politics, YSR stood for a change. I would be dishonest if I say he was alone. There are others as well and I can’t help but put Sheila Dikshit (Delhi CM), Shivraj Singh Chauhan (MP CM) and Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh CM) in the same category. I would also be unfair if I gave them a clean chit. But the degree of morality displayed and practiced by some such leaders are far more pronounced than others. YSR no longer remains. But his deeds, hopefully, shall linger on. Hopefully, he would inspire a new generation of young politicians to follow on his footsteps – of selfless service and mission to splash smiles all over. I truly hope.

Men are from marsh...

2009-08-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

I want to write the shortest post in my blog today. Visiting malls in and around Delhi, I have often been left amused at the logic behind this – at the entrances while men are frisked from tip to toe, often suffering curious finger movements of overzealous guards, women have to simply give their bags for scanning to the women guards. The security guys have failed to address my curiosity, leading me to conclude this rather bizarre security formula – while men can attach bombs, or whatever to their bodies, women, if at all, will always carry danger in their bags, only!

I will be happy to know alternative views.

Jetlite can be heavy on your time, patience

2009-08-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jetlite can hit you tight I have always been a silent admirer of the aviation industry. I strongly feel privatisation of this sector has meant amazing facilities, convenience and comfort for millions. The bold introduction of low-cost airlines – I can’t forget the long queues at Deccan Airlines check-in counters till not very long ago – meant Indians were in for a new experience. We were reaping the fruits of liberalization! Over the years I have had vivid flying experiences, ranging from pleasant to comfortable. After all you fly domestic more for convenience than anything else and hence minor service issue are always best ignored. I have mostly used Spicejet, Indian and at times Kingfisher. Certainly the last of these has redefined on-ground and in-flight experiences and they are at par, and some say even better than international ones. Somehow I have mostly avoided Jet Airways, one because it is expensive – so I rather choose Kingfisher for the experience – and also because I have found their cabin crew bordering on arrogance, whenever I have used it. And after today’s experience I am certain I am going to think 20 times before I choose to fly Jet family. I booked myself, wife and son for a Jetlite S2 6143 Delhi-Bhubaneswar flight for 7.20 am, August 15th. For a change this is meant to be a personal and pleasure trip. I wake up at 4 am to reach the airport at 6:15 am. The counter girl gives me a queer look, and after a long pause asks if I have got any intimation about the delay. “If I had it, why would I spoil my precious sleep,” is my retort to her. Taken aback, she mumbles that my flight has been delayed. When I ask by how many minutes, she replied, for four hours – the flight has been rescheduled for 10:50 am. Phew! Jetlite defies all norms of modern civil aviation services. I do get an sms at 7:05 am – which again is absurd for a person who has to catch a 7:20 am flight will surely be at the airport by then. I am terribly disappointed and anguished. When every moment of your life in modern times is at a premium, I wonder how to rue this idiotic act by Jetlite – mind you I have compromised with my very precious sleep. I suspect, Jetlite has already screwed up my holidays plans for this will have a spiraling effect on my meticulously planned trip to Puri, Chilka, Konark and Bhubaneswar. It’s 7:50 am and at the moment, my worry is how to bloody spend another three f….g hours. Guys be careful while buying a Jet ticket next time. Else you get screwed up tight, by Jetlite, like me!

Jetlite can be heavy on your time, patience

2009-08-14T19:23:00.001-07:00

On Independence Day, August 15, 8 am

Jetlite can hit you tight

I have always been a silent admirer of the aviation industry. I strongly feel privatisation of this sector has meant amazing facilities, convenience and comfort for millions. The bold introduction of low-cost airlines – I can’t forget the long queues at Deccan Airlines check-in counters till not very long ago – meant Indians were in for a new experience. We were reaping the fruits of liberalization! Over the years I have had vivid flying experiences, ranging from pleasant to comfortable. After all you fly domestic more for convenience than anything else and hence minor service issue are always best ignored. I have mostly used Spicejet, Indian and at times Kingfisher. Certainly the last of these has redefined on-ground and in-flight experiences and they are at par, and some say even better than international ones. Somehow I have mostly avoided Jet Airways, one because it is expensive – so I rather choose Kingfisher for the experience – and also because I have found their cabin crew bordering on arrogance, whenever I have used it. And after today’s experience I am certain I am going to think 20 times before I choose to fly Jet family. I booked myself, wife and son for a Jetlite S2 6143 Delhi-Bhubaneswar flight for 7.20 am, August 15th. For a change this is meant to be a personal and pleasure trip. I wake up at 4 am to reach the airport at 6:15 am. The counter girl gives me a queer look, and after a long pause asks if I have got any intimation about the delay. “If I had it, why would I spoil my precious sleep,” is my retort to her. Taken aback, she mumbles that my flight has been delayed. When I ask by how many minutes, she replied, for four hours – the flight has been rescheduled for 10:50 am. Phew! Jetlite defies all norms of modern civil aviation services. I do get an sms at 7:05 am – which again is absurd for a person who has to catch a 7:20 am flight will surely be at the airport by then. I am terribly disappointed and anguished. When every moment of your life in modern times is at a premium, I wonder how to rue this idiotic act by Jetlite – mind you I have compromised with my very precious sleep. I suspect, Jetlite has already screwed up my holidays plans for this will have a spiraling effect on my meticulously planned trip to Puri, Chilka, Konark and Bhubaneswar.

It’s 7:50 am and at the moment, my worry is how to bloody spend another three f….g hours. Guys be careful while buying a Jet ticket next time. Else you get screwed up tight, by Jetlite, like me!

Swine Flue: Info is key

2009-08-05T00:41:00.000-07:00

I had strongly argued some time ago for the need to institutionalise dissemination of health information through my column in HEAL India – it was also posted here. What I meant was this – we have seen mindless brouhaha over the Swine Flu by all stakeholders including government, media, civil society and voluntary groups. Other than creating scare and leaving people jittery, these knee-jerk reactions have achieved very little. One reason has been lack of calibration in dissemination of information. For instance, did you know why the government agencies are insisting on admission in a government hospital and nowhere else? I suspect many of you do not know. I also did not know till I heard one Joint Secretary say this in so many words on a television channel in the aftermath of the death of a Pune girl. The government wants to ensure that the limited available dosage of Tamiflu (medicine to treat Swine Flu) are administered with caution and hence wants to retain control on it, which is best done in government hospital. It is done with a sound logic and is one of the fundamentals but I wonder if we all know it so well. Also I wonder what the government has done to restore the faith of people in government hospitals. Merely publishing list of hospitals perhaps will not help any one. I have tried calling couple of these Delhi hospitals but no one answers. What happens to a common person who walks in with symptoms of Swine Flu is anyone’s guess.

I am sure if Health Ministry gives a call, agencies like ours Via Media & Communication, with proven abilities in health communication and advocacy, can align to help them disseminate the messages in a better and more effective way.

You call these secrets!

2009-08-03T02:57:00.000-07:00

My colleague Mugdha Mishra had a nice, stinging status message on her chat icon a while ago -- Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets -- and somehow I was tempted to steal that for this post today. When I asked her about it, Mugdha quizzed if I too had many secrets like hers! Well I guess, all of us have, and I am no different. And they do make us feel lonely, very lonely, at times. Like today! I feel lonely. The fungus of time has not been able to subsume the beautiful memories of that rain-laced August 3. That August 3 -- when stars on a clear night teased you endlessly, when the breeze full of fragrance of the wet soil filled your breathe with desire, when those twinkling eyes asked a thousand questions even as they admired you, when those tiny bees looked like they confabulated on the fate of those moments – seems to have frozen in warp of time. Ah. You call these secrets. I call it sweet little melodies of life that fill music into your moments of solitude, that give rhythm to life, that tickles you with the thought of knowing something that only you know. Whatever you call these, they surely leave you lonely. Very very lonely.

कृपया पढ़ें

2009-08-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

A piece on Spurious Drugs, published in Dainik Jagran on July 29, 2009. डा. नवनीत आनंद केंद्रीय स्वास्थ्य मंत्री गुलाम नबी आजाद ने भारत से नकली दवाओं के कारोबार को खत्म करने की बात कही है। यह वास्तव में एक स्वागत योग्य कदम है। इस काम के लिए इससे अच्छा वक्त और कोई नहीं हो सकता था। आजाद ने पिछले दिनों इस बात की घोषणा की कि सरकार की योजना नकली दवा निर्माताओं की जानकारी देने वालों को पुरस्कृत करने की है। साथ ही सरकार का इरादा सेंट्रल ड्रग अथॉरिटी बनाने का भी है। उन्होंने यह भी बताया की नकली दवा बनाने वालों को तुरंत सजा दिलाने के लिए विशेष अदालतों की स्थापना भी की जाएगी। हालांकि सरकार की मंशा अच्छी है और यह कदम लोगों की भलाई के लिए उठाया जा रहा है, लेकिन आने वाले महीनों में सरकार को तेजी से काम करना होगा ताकि कुछ सफलता तो मिले। गौर करने वाली बात है की मौत के इस व्यापार के कारोबारियों की संख्या दिन प्रतिदिन बढ़ती जा रही है और नियामक संघों के पास संसाधनों की कमी है। वर्ष 2007 में किए गए सर्वेक्षण के मुताबिक, भारत का दवा बाजार 7.3 अरब अमेरिकी डालर का है, जो साल 2010 तक 10 अरब का आंकड़ा पार कर जाएगा। क्या यह आश्चर्य की बात नहीं कि भारत जैसे देश में जहां दवाओं का इतना बड़ा बाजार है, वहां ड्रग कंट्रोलर जनरल ऑफ इंडिया के पास मात्र 15 ड्रग इंस्पेक्टर हैं। यही वे लोग हैं, जो नई दवाओं को मंजूरी देकर लाइसेंस देते हैं, दवाओं के आयात को नियंत्रित करते हैं और साथ ही केंद्रीय लाइसेंसिंग संस्था के तौर पर काम करते हैं। बड़े स्तर पर देखा जाए तो स्थिति चिंताजनक है। दिल्ली में 15,000 से ज्यादा दवाओं की दुकानें हैं और ड्रग इंस्पेक्टर हैं सिर्फ 26 यानी एक ड्रग इंस्पेक्टर 550 दवाओं की निगरानी करता है, जबकि आदर्श अनुपात 1:60 होना चाहिए। देश में 27 दवा परीक्षण प्रयोगशालाएं हैं, जिनमें से केवल 7 ही हैं, जो सही जांच करने के लिए पूरे उपकरणों से लैस हैं। वास्तव में समस्या दोहरी है। प्रणाली की भी और रवैये की भी। दवा उद्योग में मौजूद सूत्रों के अनुसार अगर किसी व्यक्ति को नकली और मिलावटी दवाएं बनाने या बेचने के आरोप में पकड़ा जाता है तो उसे अधिकतम सजा पांच साल की होगी, जो बहुत कम है। साल 2003 में सरकार द्वारा स्थापित आरए माशेलकर समिति ने सिफारिश की थी कि यह सजा कम से कम 7 वर्ष तो होनी ही चाहिए, लेकिन शायद यह भी काफी नहीं है। यह हमारे देश के लिए शर्म की बात है कि सबसे बड़े नकली दवा उद्योग की बदनामी का खिताब हमारे नाम है। विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन यानी डब्ल्यूएचओ के मुताबिक कुल नकली दवाओं का 35 प्रतिशत भारत में बनता है। आंकड़े यह भी बताते हैं कि वेबसाइटों के जरिए बेची जाने वाली 50 प्रतिशत दवाएं नकली होती हैं। ऐसोचैम द्वारा हाल ही में किए गए एक अध्ययन के मुताबिक, नकली दवाओं का बाजार 25 प्रतिशत सालाना की दर से बढ़ रहा है और भारतीय दवा बाजार का 20 से 25 प्रतिशत हिस्सा इनके कब्जे में है। भारत नकली दवाओं के सबसे बड़े सप्लायर के रूप में उभरा है। दुनिया भर में जाने वाली नकली दवाओं में 75 प्रतिशत हिस्सेदारी भारत की रहती है। फिर भी स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय का अनुमान है कि भारत में केवल पांच प्रतिशत दवाएं नकली हैं। भारत में नकली दवाओं का बाजार बहुत तेजी से बढ़ा है। इस वक्त देश में जितनी भी दवाएं बेची जा रही हैं, उनका 20 प्रतिशत नकली है। गौरतलब है कि भारत में दवाओं का संगठित कारोबार 33,000 करोड़ रुपये का है। नकली दवाएं दिखने में इतनी असली होती हैं कि नंगी आंखों से उनमें फर्क नहीं किया जा सकता, क्योंकि ऐसी दवाओं के निर्माता इस काम में कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ते कि उनकी दवाएं नकली जैसी दिख सकें। जिन दवाओं की नकल अधिकतर की जाती है वे हैं- इंसुलिन, कीमोथेरपी, दर्दनिवारक, कफ सिरप। दर्दनिवारकों में चैक का और कफ सिरप में रंगीन नल के पानी की मिलावट की जाती है। अधूरी क्षमता वाली मलेरिया रोधी दवाएं इलाज करने में तो खैर अक्षम होती ही हैं, लेकिन इससे भी भयानक बात यह है की ये दवाएं मलेरिया के रोगाणुओं को इतना सक्षम बना देती हैं कि बाद में उन पर असली दवाओं का भी असर नहीं होता। डब्ल्यूएचओ का तो यह भी दावा है कि दुनियाभर में मलेरिया से दस लाख लोगों की मौतें होती हैं। इनमें से दो लाख लोगों को बचाया जा सकता है, अगर दवाएं असली हों। नकली दवाएं दूषित होती हैं, उनमें ऐसे पदार्थ होते हैं, जो सेहत के लिए नुकसानदायक होते हैं। उदाहरण के लिए गंदी इंट्रावीनस ड्रिप और आई ड्रॉप, जो आंख का उपचार करने के बजाय दृष्टि छीन लेती हैं। समय-समय पर देश के मीडिया में नकली दवा निर्माताओं और विक्रेताओं संबंधी समाचार प्रकाशित और प्रसारित होते रहते हैं। संगठित दवा बाजार की कंपनियों को नकली दवा बनाने वालों की वजह से पैसे के अलावा साख का नुकसान भी सहना पड़ता है। फर्ज कीजिए, कोई व्यक्ति किसी ब्रांड की नकली दवा का सेवन करके ठीक नहीं होता तो वह उस ब्रांड विशेष के प्रति गलत धारणा बना लेगा, जबकि इसमें ब्रांड की कोई गलती नहीं, बल्कि दोष तो उस ब्रांड की नकल करने वालों का था। वास्तव में आवश्यकता इस बात की भी है कि केमिस्टों के कारोबार को आधुनिक बनाया जाए। केमिस्ट-स्टॉकिस्ट-निर्माता इन सबके दस्तावेज सही क्रम में रखे जाएं। सरकारी संस्थान जैसे सुरक्षा, हॉस्पिटल, डिस्पेंसरी इन सभी के लिए बड़ी मात्रा में दवाएं खरीदी जाती हैं। इसलिए इन दवाओं की कड़ी निगरानी होनी चाहिए और इनकी जांच किसी स्वतंत्र एजेंसी द्वारा कराई जानी चाहिए। दवा नियंत्रक विभाग को अलग से एक सूचना विभाग की स्थापना करनी चाहिए, जो नकली दवाओं के कारोबार से निपटने में सक्षम हो। इस विभाग के कर्मचारियों को इस तरह प्रशिक्षित किया जाना चाहिए कि वे मुजरिमों के नेटवर्क का पता लगाकर उन्हें दबोच सकें। अब संगठित फार्मा सेक्टर ने इस मुद्दे के प्रति गंभीरता बरतते हुए इस समस्या से निपटने के लिए और अपने ग्राहकों के हितों की रक्षा करने के लिए कई कदम उठाने शुरू किए हैं। असली दवा निर्माता यह सुनिश्चित कर रहे हैं कि उनके उपभोक्ताओं को सही उत्पाद मिले। उदाहरण के लिए ब्रूफेन, फैंसीडील जैसी दवाएं अब थ्री डी होलोग्राम पैक में आ रही हैं, जो कि असली होने का प्रमाण है। होलोग्राम की कॉपी करना इतना मुश्किल है कि नकली दवा बनाने वाले इसकी नकल नहीं कर पाते। इसी तरह ऐबॉट इंडिया लिमिटेड ने अपने ग्राहकों के हक की रक्षा करने के लिए अपने अंतरराष्ट्रीय ब्रांड ब्रूफेन को बेहतर ऐल्यूमीनियम फॉइल पैकेजिंग में लांच किया है। बत्रा हॉस्पिटल, नई दिल्ली में छाती रोग विशेषज्ञ डा. विवेक नांगिया कहते हैं, उपभोक्ताओं को भी जिम्मेदार बनना होगा। उन्हें दवा खरीदते समय रसीद की मांग करनी चाहिए। कोई भी केमिस्ट रसीद के साथ नकली दवा नहीं बेचेगा, क्योंकि रसीद पर बेची गई दवा का पूरा विवरण देना होता है, ब्रांड नाम से लेकर बैच नंबर तक। अब चूंकि यह सब रिकॉर्ड पर चला जाएगा, इसलिए केमिस्ट इस तरह नकली दवा नहीं बेचेगा। हम दवाएं खरीदते हैं कि हम रोगमुक्त हो सकें, इसलिए अगर असली दवा खरीदने के लिए कुछ रुपये अधिक भी देने पड़ें तो हमें हिचकना नहीं चाहिए। कुछ पैसे बचाने के चक्कर में अपनी सेहत को दांव पर लगा देना किसी भी तरह समझदारी नहीं कही जा सकती। समय की मांग है कि सरकार उद्योग जगत, नागरिक संस्थाओं और स्वयंसेवी संस्थाओं को साथ लेकर इस जानलेवा कारोबार को खत्म करने के लिए काम करे। (लेखक हील इंडिया के रेजीडेंट एडिटर हैं)

That is why I like the Meridien loo, at Delhi

2009-07-24T11:14:00.001-07:00

We in India follow queer practices. But this one is one which is queer across the globe. America or Canada, Australia or France, Ambala or Agra, Patna or Pathankot, men kind follow amazing discipline while doing this. Nowhere is this symmetry as systematic as in this act of mankind. And I often cursed the one who conceptualized and visualized this – must be a vulgar man! I guess you are beginning to guess. But let me dwell a bit more before I come to specifics. I am just thinking aloud, middle of the night, in which acts men follow so much discipline. In our professional acts, we are distinct. In our personal engagements, we are different. In our social etiquettes we follow uniqueness. In our homely chores, we all have unique ways of doing things. But for this one, alas! We have gone about performing our social, personal and professional duties in different ways for ages. We have done this too, amazingly similarly, for ages. But for this wonderful place, which I have recently discovered. I can’t help marvel at the idea, rather freshness of an idea, of this architect / interior designer of this five star property. Hail Le Meridien. We no longer have the luxury of peeping; we no longer have the anxiety of being scrutinized; we no longer have to bear the funny feeling of being lined up! We no longer have to have a complex of any kind. We can revel, relieve and rejuvenate, almost independently. That is why I like the Meridien loo at Delhi. I guess you would have guessed by now. If not, go watch it. Go experience. It’s different. And one of a lifetime. Hope others follow.

Institutionalise health info dissemination

2009-07-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

This is my column in July issue of HEAL India, a health & wellness magazine. Bug called Swine Flu has hit me. Or so it seems for in past few weeks I have had to live through the ordeal of intense media hype and an orchestrated reaction by the authorities. Typically what begins as a small news item tucked inside on international pages soon gets talked about depending on the noise generated by actions in Western countries or some faraway places. Soon agencies react and we see big advertisements splashed all over followed by masked doctors lining up at our airports. Media contributes its bit in creating the hype and possibly curbing its spread. We have seen it before – be it bird flu scare or Chikungunya and even Avian flu. My problem is not with the scare, media hype or knee-jerk reaction of our authorities. My concern is with the lack of any institutionalised mechanism on sensitising people on a regular basis on such epidemics. We live in a highly globalised and interconnected time. The world, as Marshal McLuhan professed, has turned into a village and its natives are today interlinked like never before. In this scenario, we should have a strong mechanism for constantly sensitizing people on impending or existing health hazards. We spend billions on our health programmes; a fraction on information and communication would add lot of strength to our public health system and its time Union health ministry took a firm step in this direction. States should also pitch in. A good example is the CDC.gov initiative in USA which is under Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. I have recently come to know of a killer disease which the health authorities should take immediate note of. Cervical Cancer, which is acquiring alarming proportions in India – some estimates put it at 75,000 annually. There are two major issues here. One, among adult women between age 35 and 45, studies have shown, screening (using Pap smear test) can prevent death in about 70% of the cases. Two, thanks to advances in technology, for girls between 9 to 12, there is now the option of vaccination. Some developed countries have already made it mandatory for their young female population to have this vaccination. In our country, the time may be ripe to start talking about the problem. It would be ideal if it is nipped in the bud else it can severely dent the well-being of women population in the country. The tests and treatment for cervical cancer is not only scarce but also expensive and many women can’t afford this. The vaccination could be one certain way to ensure that the next generation is saved from the perils of this disease. While National Programme on Cancer has not yet taken note of this disease, state governments can surely kickstart initiative in this direction. Civil society and women groups too come forward to make right noises about the problem. There are sporadic initiatives driven mostly by pharmaceutical companies but that may be a tidy little given the vastness of a country like ours. Institutionalised information dissemination is the key.

From Madras to Chennai, to Madras

2009-07-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

As I take my flight back to Delhi, from Chennai, memories from past zip through my mind. In just over two hours, I shall have landed at the new, sprawling Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi, perhaps enough for some reminiscences from my experiences, the last time I came here. The last I came to this southern city was when it was still called Madras. Those days traveling to metropolitan cities was a luxury and I felt privileged taking that fascinating 48-hour trip from the tiny Hajipur, my hometown, in Bihar to the bustling capital of Tamil Nadu, down south. I came at a time when Madras was synonymous with south India, much like Kolkata has been synonymous with West Bengal through years, and even today. The last time I came here, I had to rely on the good old Inland Letter to communicate to my parents and siblings. A week to get a revert from my parents seemed decent enough. I came at a time when aspirations were limited, much like money to spend, and this was truer if you belonged to a middle class family like mine. In those days when IITs and IAS were the only two career options, apparently, and especially for feudal and power-hungry society that I came from, my father along with his two colleagues had taken this progressive steps to send their “potentially IIITian” sons for the in-house coaching at Brilliant Tutorials. The Tutorial was a rage in those days and in name of educational advertising that was the only ad I remember having seen and grown. (The issue is better not discussed beyond this as I could acquire neither of the Is in my career.) I had come at a time when M stood for Ma and P for Papa unlike today when these letters will prompt our kids to think of McDonald's and Pizaa Hut! I came at a time when south India, and especially Tamil Nadu was known for its iconic politics and populism; when traditional values prevailed, predominantly. Today I was glad to see much of Madras has not changed. Modernity does not seem to have swept its cultural ethos -- lungi (a traditional Indian attire) and idli (a typical south Indian snack) continue to capture imaginations as much as they did in past. I was happy to see students of prestigious Loyola College yet not flauntiong swanky mobile sets and pierced ears, unlike their counterparts in Mumbai or Delhi! I was happy to see the beautiful bust statues of iconic MGR, the legendary Tamil film star turn politicians still dot Madras traffic intersections. Today in Madras, I feel, modernity had accommodated itself quietly alongside tradition – unlike in Delhi and Bangalore, where it seems to have overpowered our consciousness. Malls and McDonald's outlets are few and far between there in modern Chennai. The bustling T Nagar market still retains those cultural legacies of flower stalls and Tamil ethos; where the expansive Rathna Stores selling an array of steel utensils and other stuff still maintains a traditional and fool-proof three-layered billing system, a far cry from modern shops in many other metropolitan cities. The last time I came was in 1987!

Those days and now

2009-06-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

It is always a delight listening to elderly fondly recalling their olden days and comparing it to the present. Not surprisingly, they find more problems with the present than their own past.Today when I bought a short worth more than Rs 2000 my father could not help recall how his initial salary was a paltry Rs 250. "I had to manage all four of you in that and I did that nicely" he said adding that he had to shell out a hefty Rs 40 as the monthly rent for our "big" house in the tiny town of Siwan in Bihar. We are four siblings and we often come across such stories from Papa. It is certainly entertaining besides enlightening. So much has changed between 1960, when Papa began as a lecturer in a college and now, when my son has just begun his school. Papa paid Rs 60 as my "annual" fee for my school; I pay 550 times more! The least compared the better for even though the comparision is a bit illogical but it certainly highlights something which is becoming a bane of the modern society: unabated consumerism. Also, this ability and desire to spend more has more to do with merely increased earning. It's a socio-cultural complex and linked to a host of changes that have surfaced in past four decades. A subject I certainly don't feel like getting into in what is turning out to be a leisurely Sunday, a much-needed one.

Of compulsive sycophants and astonishing critics

2009-06-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

Bunch of farting analysts have taken the perception industry to ransom BJP-bashing has become a national pastime of late. Every second person I meet these days has a thing or two to say about why BJP lost in the recently concluded General Elections and what it means. The bunch of farting analysts takes sadists pride in ripping apart the “communal” and “confused” party. The perennial media feed, on almost the same lines, add to their delight and punches ideas into their armoury. We are a nation of compulsive sycophants and astonishing critics and this is especially true of our appraisal of politics. It’s akin to a religion for us and we don’t hesitate to be blind. The current BJP-bashing proves this in no uncertain terms. This is what we often hear these days about BJP – a weak party, a party sans any direction, a party of communal ideologues, a party of arm-chair activists, a party which is following regressive politics in times of progressive ideas, a party which failed to gauge the mood of the nation, a party which is stuck in a time warp and does not seem to be effecting generational change, a party which is shrinking in significance, a party which is obsessed with hindutva, a party which needs to reinvent itself, a party which committed critical strategic blunders during the course of its campaign, a party which failed to comprehend the debilitating effects of the outbursts of Varun Gandhi and Narendra Modi, a party that is plagued with internal strife, a party that’s not even left with a glimmer of hope and so on. If you follow these farting critics, they will make you believe, BJP may well be on its way to extinction. While there may be some substance in some of these theories, what puzzles me is the intensity of these articulations. Suddenly, for these analysts, BJP has turned into a malady and its end may be round the corner. I recall how the Congress faced a similar conundrum not too long ago. After the BJP led a coalition of regional party called National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form a government at the Centre in 1999 – 2004, heaps of praise were showered on BJP and its phoenix-like rise was glorified ceaselessly. Congress was seen to be dissipating under the weight of dynastic politics and so on! In the aftermath of the Note-for-Vote controversy following a Nuclear Agreement debate in Parliament in September last year, the same farting analysts were beginning to write the obituary of the Congress party. The spate of terrorists attacks in the country followed by spiraling inflation had these analysts safely conclude, the Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) was beginning to pack its bags. Ask these analysts about Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav and they would give you a spiel on how the two cow-belt political patriarchs may be on the verge of their irrevocable burial. Had you asked these analysts about Rahul Gandhi prior to the elections they would have been circumspect and would have giggled at his novice-like demeanour; today they would sing paeans for hours. The Indian sycophant at his best. Give me a break guys! To me the problem is that these analysts often trivialize politics. It is not as simple as it appears. Politics is like a Rubik’s Cube Puzzle where comprehending the different hues is often complex and tedious. The six decades of Indian politics is a story comprising so many ups and downs. It has been a story of compelling contrasts, a story full of phoenix-like rises and Humpty Dumpty-like falls. It has been a curious collage of surprises. The momentary fall of BJP should be seen as one such incident. It would be naïve to write the party’s obituary and bash it like there is no tomorrow. To me the only problem that the Bhartiya Janata Party faces today is the crisis of confidence of its leaders. I am only certain this shall revive soon. I want it to resurrect soon for that will do lot of good to our democratic polity.

Time to expose the expose?

2009-06-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

The high moral ground taken by a leading Indian English daily and its sister English news channel over capitation fee is both perplexing and funny. Perplexing because rarely have in recent past we have seen the newspaper pursue any national “cause” with so much alacrity; and funny because the menace called capitation fee has been in existence for well over three decades and hence what the paper / channel says is neither shocking nor revealing. I do not intend to justify the institution of capitation fee. Also I am no one to pass value judgment on the practice of capitation fee and neither intend to sound like a moral police in attempting to do so. I am instead intrigued by the queer pitch and uncalled for brouhaha over the issue and tempted to hunt for its logical thread to the high-decibel competition in the media industry. Possibly! If we look at the media landscape in India, this leading newspaper has been the numero uno in large parts of both north and west India for decades, only to be challenged by new entrants in past three years. In East, slowly but surely it has been grabbing good share of the pie. South has been the only zone where this newspaper did not have a significant presence and had to contend with many fierce local competitors – in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, the media space is cluttered and the ownership pattern is unique with many strong political families such as Marans and Jayalalitha enjoying unbridled hegemony. Add to this the traditionally strong newspapers like The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Deccan Chronicle and The Indian Express and this leaves very little space in the English language segment. Given the prominence of Southern states as globally sought-after business destinations, the potential in years ahead is only going to get more lucrative. This media giant, which is known for its business ferocity and sharp vision, can’t ignore the market for obvious reasons. The so-called ‘expose’ about capitation fee in Tamil Nadu colleges may have more to do with business expediency than anything else. At a time when credibility of media is at an all-time low, one sure-shot way they can acquire some standing among public is by creating a high-decibel noise on corruption – a plague that bugs each one of us in equal measures. I truly suspect the intent of this campaign – one has seen numerous stunts and sting operations in recent past by television channels only to grab additional eyeballs – and tempted to see it as a fierce drama enacted simply to seize attention, and in the longer run grab more business. I am no messiah of probity and do not want modern newspapers to turn into charitable institutions from business enterprises. What I hate it the double-speak and brazen hypocrisy and especially if it is done in the garb of professing morality. The same institution, I am certain, would turn to the newspaper with huge advertising spend tomorrow to ensure the expose is not repeated. And it will not be. I am aware of how private universities and educational institutions dictate terms, and there is a couple in the National Capital Region who will get an editorial coverage the way they want and no amount of corruption there can ever get reported in leading newspapers. I mean it. As a student of media I am often saddened by the convoluted messaging and dying spirit of journalism. Last decade has especially been depressing and sadly the trend continues. I hope one day we, the audience, will rise and say a big no to such duplicity. I hope that day comes soon enough. It is anyone’s guess which newspaper I have been referring to, a newspaper that continues to be my first companion of the day, everyday, unfortunately.