My Fan Club is increasing. Part I

My fan club keeps on increasing. It has reached such a level that many folks close to me have stopped talking to me.

Yes I am talking about people who ‘fan’ me out because they don’t like me. They don’t like my face, my figure, my colour, my wardrobes, my shoes, what I do, what I write, what I talk and the list is endless. I can understand about my face, colour and figure because that is what I don’t really take pride in. My cholesterol level index is competing with Mumbai Sensex. An hour of evening walk has not done any wonder for me because I always skip this with one or the other reason. I started yoga but I have found out many excuses to excuse myself from such an important and easy life saving mechanism. I can also understand about my wardrobes because many of my trousers and shirts are pre-earthquake and pre-Gujarat riots era clothes. They are nostalgic for me because they saved me from many blushes with death, rioters and accidents. But it remains with me for reasons beyond that. These are the clothes which we left behind when we ran for life from the trembling buildings that we lived.
Bata, Lee Cooper, Ambassador, Nike, Adidas, Crockett and Jones, Oxfords, Monk style, Loafers, Hush Puppies, Edward Green. Nope. these are not the brands that I wear. I have a pair of shoes that I have bought for Rs 500 which is still loyal to me in terms of its stitch and sole. Now comes the profession that I am in, Journalism. I have never been able to get out of my journalism kindergarten since the last fifteen years because talent is something that I lack. I compensate that by talking too much. Many of my fans just hate me for this talk. My language is very poor and so neither can I write nor can I speak any language like ‘a knife on butter’. This is primarily because I have grown up with many languages surrounding me. Malayalam, Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Sindhi and English. Fortunately I don’t understand a word of any other south Indian languages than Malayalam. So which one to master on? I could not understand this and in trying to get a grip of which language I should master on, I grew up and it was time to choose a profession. Since I barely managed to get the passing marks in my tenth, twelfth and graduation, I could not follow my friends who managed to squeeze into MBA and MCA. I was left with gasping for something to do when I was in the third year of my college. So I tried following every Malayalee on the street. That was I how appeared for Staff Selection Commission examination and to my surprise, I managed to pass. I thought I was the cleverest person in the horizon because I could pass a general aptitude test, albeit of a lower intensity.
But once in a government job, I realized that every Tom Dick and Harry was getting through this examination and faster and swifter to better position that what I am. I was again grounded. But I managed to get many fans in the government building where I worked. They still remember and ‘adore’ me. But I decided to leave the organization and follow my passion of getting into a profession that I always dreamt of. But the problem was that I could not write, my English was not upto the mark and the editors to whom I mailed my stories still rue editing my stories. But I managed to get into this profession by hook or crook but never on an employee basis. The reason was that I could not pass a single test that these main stream newspapers put on me. So much so that one of the newspapers refused to part with me the answer sheet saying it is too much a crap to even look at it or waste time discussing it. They gave my to correct some two hundred spellings. Since I use MS Word Spellcheck, I failed miserably. So I was back to the freelance work. Being in freelance job, you report to so many people that you lose count of how many organizations you worked for. In each organization, my fans got multiplied. Many of my fans believe I act as if I know every thing. Many among these say please stop this ‘I-know-it-all-attitude’. While I was taking a walk this evening, I thought I should reflect on this alleged ‘I-know-it-all-attitude’ of mine. Whether I am seriously showing this or is it because of my habit to raise rebellion in all the places where I worked?(a sort of Indian leftist party attitude) Is it because I always tried to reach that extra mile – even at the cost of antagonizing some close people? Or is it because I really have this ‘I-know-it-all-attitude’? I took a brisk walk and contemplated on what could be the reason.
Will post that in the next posting.

Kiddy Puzzles

As the Gujarat elections nears and as the parliamentary elections looms large, thanks to the nuclear deal, I came across some interesting puzzles related to elections. Many of these puzzles were devised by kids – as kiddy as 8th standard. I found it interesting. Have a look below.

Why is that the symbols like donkey are not used in elections
Ans : Because the candidates cannot present themselves as symbols

If Iran has hidden nuclear arms underground, where should India hide?
Ans : In fair price (PDS) shops

In India politics those who were divided yesterday are united today, those united today will be divided tomorrow? What do you understand from this?
Ans : Unity is the root of division

Most apt election speech
Ans : My dear voters. For your safety, security, peace of mind and peace all around, I appeal to vote for me and send to parliament ASAP.

In Hollywood, there is an aware for the worst film. What about India?
And : The only difference is that in India it is given by government of India in ‘best film’ category

If the political leaders go on a hunger strike?
Ans : Export of food grains

Why do the ministers cut ribbon even in literacy camps?
Ans : Because any other type of inauguration will start with writing an alphabet

“Only Congress can save India” Who said this?
Ans : India, because only India can save Congress

Ans : What is the reason for political instability at the center?
Janta Dull

Christians and Gujarat elections

Gujarat is best known for its violence against minorities more than the founder of the non-violent movement – Mahatma Gandhi. It started with Christians and went on to Muslims and now both are at the gunpoint of the right wing BJP government. Stories from this region have focused almost around this aspect. BJP seems to be unassailable in Gujarat and as long as BJP remains in power, this aspect will remain the focal point and stories generated are likely to follow threadbare portions of this angle. The ongoing rebellion within the BJP, I believe, is just a farce because no one has grown bigger than any right wing party in any part of the world(hey there are exceptions everywhere). Right wing politicking is based on ideologies and individuals do not matter here.
Once upon a time, Christians were the target and many believed they bore the brunt for political reason. It may be true because the attention post 9/11 turned to Muslims. Unlike in other parts of the country, clergy in Gujarat have not been able to focus on anything other than the usual offensive against the community. Bishops in Gujarat have seldom issued a press statement and even if they have, it has been through priests well connected with journalists.
Church in Gujarat is dormant and very boring. Unless provoked, it has no action. And ‘unfortunately’ there are enough provocations for them only to react. There are many reasons for that. Take for example constructing a Church in a piece of land owned by you. You will never get a permit for this. And so are the cases of many events where the Church may have plans to implement but walk out fearing repercussions. This can be best illustrated in a couple of charismatic conventions, which was one of the most low profile programmes conducted. Church in Gujarat is hundred years young. And it is still in its infancy having all sorts of troubles that all churches universally had – especially power struggles and clergy-laity differences. But these struggles are not new and so it is not newsworthy and so goes unreported. But dormancy by no way means the church is inactive. The Church executes some of the best social and educational responsibilities in the state. Their presence in some of the remote areas is commendable. But it is not vibrant as it is in some of the Indian states. With elections dates close to Christmas, Christians will hope their celebrations are not spoiled.

Technology and religious reporting

Three years ago, Executive Editor of the religious news agency I worked for asked a common question during one of our annual seminars. His question was simple. Have you heard of 3G? Most of us knew. He went on to explain how the agency could upgrade technologically by adopting the latest technology in future – may be to provide news headlines by sms or present WAP versions of the site for mobile users. I was thrilled then because I am a technology and gizmo freak. And since I was also working with audio features, I suggested we start audio stories along with print.
Three years and a few hundred stories later I found the same agency more primitive than it was ever. The photos were discontinued citing poor response from the clients. But how can you sell a photo if haven’t shown it to your client? From a paid site, the agency realized its folly and became a free one. But it has not been able to even drag itself with technology. So all the 3G dreams went to drain. As a punch line of an ad goes - first dream, then believe and create. The agency celebrated its silver jubilee by merely dreaming. It never learnt to believe and create. What it created became archives much before it became news. That is the reason the best stories ever told by countless reporters remained only in archives.
To tell the story of the people of God in India more effectively first we need to find people who will be using those stories. There may be a sizeable number of clients who uses this agency stories but I don’t think numerically that is enough. The agency produced the best stories from Asia and if only the Almighty is expected to read those stories, it is of no use. Technology helping those stories to reach to a wider audience was never taken seriously.
During two decades of reporting stories from Asia, one feature of this agency was accuracy. People trusted the agency for its truthful reporting. But imagine the crime of keeping those stories under the wraps just because you don’t have technological expertise. The agency could not progress in terms of technology, speed and innovation. It remained buried under quality and accuracy.

Reliance Fresh and Rural Economy

‘Dr S Ramadoss, the Pattal Makkal Katchi leader, is spearheading the opposition to Reliance Fresh on the ground that it will break the backbone of the rural economy in the southern state’

Nothing can be more rubbish and irrelevant than this statement. How can Reliance Fresh or for that matter any retail chain break the rural economy? On the contrary it will enrich the rural economy. This has direct relevance to why Radio news was never allowed in private sector in India. Here is how.
Imagine a professional radio news service all across the country. It has expose and news and analysis on what is happening in the country, information on the prices of commodities that a rural person needs from time to time, weather information and forecast that helps him to make decisions on his crop patterns, wisdom so that he can vote for the best possible candidate.
Hey stop here. What is that last point? Wisdom so that he can vote for the best possible candidate????
This is what hurts people like S Ramadoss and for long Mrs Indira Gandhi who had a stranglehold on the airwaves in the country. If you give rural guy wisdom, how on earth is he going to vote for you? So information was kept away from him. He could not afford a newspaper or a magazine. Television was far from his reach and even otherwise state run channels are no place to judge the government. The cheapest was radio and politicians from Jawaharlal Nehru to Ramadoss knew very well how catastrophic it would have been if news on radio was allowed.
Ramodoss should understand that we have reached from Nehru’s dream of self reliance to Reliance Fresh. Imagine a scenario where the farmer bids his product. He gets highest possible price. The farmer will not depend on the all powerful agriculture marketing committees, he will not depend on minimum support price or he will not even be indebted to the local Bania or Pathan.
Heritage Foods, Reliance Retail, Bharti Retail, Spencers Retail, Tatas and a number of bidders will make a beeline for the best product. When the farmer realizes high prices, he will have more options for himself and his family. His son will get educated. He will choose to migrate to a city nearby or choose to be a modern farmer. He will subscribe to the best possible views and analysis because of the education and then what happens to people like Ramadoss?
They will be dumped in political wilderness. So who is more interested in not allowing Reliance Fresh operate with profits? Rural economy or Urban politics? You judge.
We have lost the ability to judge political parties or ideology. The Left parties are projected as the messiah of the poor. But what is the basis of this statement? Each Left party ideologue have their children study abroad – most of them in the US against whom they are making this hoolaulah.
When the nation needs leadership to overcome deadly floods in most part of the country, Karat & Co is debating 123. When homeless people are crying for help, they are in serious debate how to derail the government.

Oh duck, where is this country going??

Octavio Quattarochi Effect

It has been a long time since I got myself silenced on commenting and venting out my frustration through blogging. But I could not take it anymore when my 8 year old daughter predicted that the prime time news will always have one name that she is familiar with – That of Italian businessman, Octavio Quattarochi. Oh duck. How come she doesn’t know who is who of the country that she began her googling of Quattarochi?
Well, that is because our politicians never learn. They are still dissecting Quattarochi for their political gains. Sessions after sessions – meant to take decisions for millions of poor in India – are still wasted on this Quattarochi phenomenon. And this debate is for kickback on arms that India bought and won major battles. If you cant understand why this happens how come I should do that.
Tomorrow’s history books may or may not have our national leaders but it will certainly have Quattarochi. Not only parliamentarians waste time on this issue but even courts, public prosecutors, investigating agencies, external affairs ministry, PMO, leader of opposition, various political parties and oops, the list is endless, have not done a good job either.
What the duck we are talking about? We have many others pending. We have to cater to the growing young generation who has nothing to do with Bofors or Quattarochi. C’mon guys talk something like BL-5C, Xbox or some fancy names that they are interested in? What are you joking about? Quattarochi????

Oh God please end this TAMASHA !!!

British actress Elizabeth Hurley's Indian wedding to businessman Arun Nayar has become the biggest nuisance in India. Not only this never ending marriage occupied prime space in the media, but the journalists got beaten up too.

I have not seen a single film by Hurley. I don’t have an idea what business Mr Nayar is doing either though he is always addressed as a leading Indian businessman.

What I know is that two failed people in their respective fields are turning their failure into a huge success by playing with their marriage. The Indian media is dancing to their tunes.

There are thousands of other issues to be covered. I cant understand why the journalists should crowd at the airport to their wedding hall – not even leaving the toilet areas – to cover an event that is important to no body in this country. What are these scribes doing by presenting a picture or a story of the couple to their readers? Have they ever asked us if we are interested in their stories about the couple?

Let them marry or go to hell. Please leave sacred news space reserved for more important issues please?

Race, Caste and Prejudice

In India the police and the media were busy with British security guards who were accused of manhandling students and parents, and called them "bloody Indians" or “bloody Muslims” as they tried to enter a school. During the same period England cricketer of Indian origin Monty Panesar was called a "stupid Indian" by some spectators in Australia.
Both the news dominated the precious media space for more than a week and both were termed as racial abuses punishable under the law. Unfortunately the British bodyguards could feel the taste of Indian police while the spectators got away. But what I don’t understand is how these personal attacks on individuals have become a case of racism.
The Wikipedia describes racism as ‘a belief or doctrine where inherent biological differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, with a corollary that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others'
So when somebody calls us an Indian with a prefix or suffix, we feel that our race is inferior and so we have the right to feel offended. But does it apply if an Indian calls an American ‘bloody American’ or an Australian the same way. Will they also complain it as a racial abuse? Why a case of racial abuse not registered against an Indian spectator who discovered that the Pakistani cricketer Inzamam Ul Haq was a potato? Why such a complaint was not registered when Sunil Gavaskar was abused in Calcutta?
So it is legitimate that a lower race can abuse a lower race but not by a ‘superior race’. Who defined the inferiority and superiority of the race? By mere colour of skin? In that logic donkeys should be a superior race than horses.
Why did the Muslims felt offended when they were called by the name of their religion – of course with an objectionable prefix? But will this same feeling be there if those same Muslims abuse the bodyguards by saying ‘you bloody Christians’ or ‘gora’ or ‘angrez’. Will the same charges be applied in this scenario? A South Indian feels offended if you call him Madrasi while he is happy if you call him Tamilian. Both are same but the humans have certified and classified that the term Madrasi is objectionable while Tamilian is not.
So we have classified ourselves into various stages of prejudice, discrimination, segregation or subordination where unwritten rules are framed. To see that these unwritten rules are adhered to we have laws that deal with such discrimination. Take the case of Indian caste system, which is divided into social stratification. Basically it is a Hindu tradition and has nothing to do with religions that came to India at later stages. But today we have not only Hindus but Muslims, Sikhs and Christians too practice it. In order to protect the lower castes from the routine mud slinging by the upper castes and to retain their dignity, the government of India formed strict rules. If you speak any offensive terms against a lower caste, you are punishable under a non-bailable offence. That precisely means on a complaint of such a nature, you have to prove yourself innocent. No proof is required by the complainant to put you behind the bars. In other words, this law is more dangerous than POTA, a law that was designed for terrorists. It is a matter of debate and further musings that such laws are misused in urban centers while in rural areas such laws are hardly implemented.
The immediate name that pops up when we discuss racial discrimination is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a Christian American political activist and the most famous leader of the American civil rights movement. He fought for civil rights and equal rights and for which he was assassinated in 1968. Same is the case with our own Mahatma Gandhi and he also paid the same price. Both of them did not fight for superiorities. They fought for equalities.
Now consider this :
There are 3.22 Million Indians in America and every Indian in India dreams of reaching that dreamland legally or illegally, with or without racism, 38% of Doctors in America are Indians who service the superior white race leaving their inferior race back home to government health centers, money minting super specialty hospitals or the Almighty, 12% of Scientists in America are Indians who make that nation proud by achieving unachievable targets, 36% of NASA employees are Indians, 34% of MICROSOFT employees are Indians, 28% of IBM employees are Indians, 17% of INTEL employees are Indians and 13% of XEROX employees are Indians.
According to Mark Twain India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. So more than half of the world is ours and still we feel inferior by merely being called an Indian.
Everybody wants to go to heaven but no one is willing to die.

Binu Alex

Conviction By Ethical Standards

I always read Arundhati Roy’s pieces at one go. Normally it appears in Outlook Magazine and when my newspaper boy drops it on a Sunday morning, I start straight away. From the morning tea to the toilet seat to the breakfast table to the work place, the article follows me or I follow it. I have a special feeling reading what she writes. Her writings are laced with elements of truth and conviction or rather it is apparently visible. Except for a piece she wrote on Gujarat riots – which I vehemently opposed and disagreed with her views – all her articles have appealed me. The words are so carefully selected and arranged so beautifully that the reading is as smooth as a knife on butter. I may agree or disagree with her view is a different aspect altogether but I tend to agree with the quality of her pen or keypad.

The latest is her essay on Afsal Guru titled ‘Don’t Hang Afsal’ which appeared in Moulvi Vinod Mehta’s ‘Congress’ magazine Outlook. As usual Mr Mehta is fond of anti-establishment letters and so publishes them. I find there are more such letters than those supporting the article. Back in Gujarat I find many of my colleagues circulating emails, which asks for writing to President not to grant mercy to Afsal.

The only source of information for a common citizen is through media and media has played a partisan role in almost all the cases in the country. Trial by media is the mantra and gradually deception turns into honesty, truth becomes causality and honesty turns into desperation. Arundhati Roy is also using the same process-using Outlook but unlike in other media outlets – whose cub reporters and inexperienced glamour girls – present the matter in a more emotional and personal way without evidence, this one is an essay that is full of substantial proof. That is the reason people write letters attacking Ms Roy personally but do not dispute on what she has written. I have recently noticed that young and good looking girls with jeans and Loreal curls are roaming around police stations chasing constables to find out what they can produce for their every day show which starts with Crime but suffixed with any sundry word. It could be Crime Reporter, Crime File, Crime Clerk, Crime Commissioner, Crime Crime Crime. They are the people assigned to cover courts as well. When arguments for high profile cases continue they have to frequently come out and give a live byte and get back to the courtroom. Courts – especially SC – strictly ban mobile phones. At the end of the day each one of them comes to a conclusion, which may or may not be relevant to the case. But this is what general people listen to or read next morning. They take it for granted especially during sensitive issues like parliament attack and a neighboring enemy country is involved. Every one quotes from the newspaper or news channels to substantiate their point of view. “Paper mein aya tha na?” they immediately shoot back. Being a journalist myself I cannot argue further because that will jeopardize my credibility. They have taken it for granted unlike in civilized societies. Take the case of America where Mr Bush bombarded victory signs in Iraq saying how America has stopped terrorism by attacking two sovereign nations. But unlike here people did not take that for granted and the results are here to see.
I have been following many of these cases and sitting miles away from the scene if I still am not convinced about a pre-diwali Ansal Plaza shoot out, a pre-Clinton Sikh massacre, a pre-election Akshardham attack. The investigating agencies or the government of the day never tried to clear my doubts. But Ms Roy gives enough proof to believe otherwise. With so much resources at its disposal, the government can’t do anything to bring out the truth, it takes a writer’s courage and investigation to give me an iota of truth convincingly.
I have gone through many literary ‘greats’ who termed her as a one novel wonder. Many said she has wasted her talent in mixing activism with literature. Many went further saying she has vested interests and is sponsored by anti-national forces. Now let me ask these so-called literary ‘greats’ how they have helped the society by their writings. Their books are exorbitantly priced and heavily jargoned that people like me can neither afford to buy it nor understand it. But most of them are literary success stories. They earn huge money as the books go into reprints one after the other. Who benefited from this sale of books? Only the publisher and the author. So how can Ms Roy be one novel wonder? She used her celebrity status to disseminate information, which hitherto was unknown to you and me and at a price of Rs 15.

ba

Air or Land

Traveling by air under scrutiny from Central Industrial Security Force men have never been easy for me. After a couple of bad experiences, I have given up using an aircraft for my assignments – wherever it may be within India. Instead I use train.
There are very solid and logical reasons for that. I work for Radio and radio equipments include a host of accessories, which looks like weapons if you are in front of an X-ray machine. Take for example a security man asking me to open the mic I was carrying. I said I need a screwdriver to do that. He even asked why I was carrying two when only one was sufficient. He asked me whether I am a singer. ‘No’, I replied. You must be an announcer, sorry anchor. Nope, I am carrying this mic to get other’s voices and not to announce myself. He was not too happy with the answer and took me to a corner and asked me to open the other equipments bag. I did and he had never seen a digital recorder or for that matter long set of cables that I carried. He called his boss and very hesitantly they let me off only to be recalled before I reached a coffee shop. They asked me which profession I was and I said I am in the worst possible profession – Journalism. They suggested I should change my plans to carry my handbag as a cabin luggage. I said I would cancel my tickets than risking the equipments to merciless baggage handlers. They were apparently satisfied at my observation about the baggage handlers and allowed me to sip the hot cappuccino, which turned itself to a tasty cold coffee. This happened in 2004. Now it is worse. Not only are the checks tighter but even the shaving creams, toothpastes and after shave lotions are not allowed. Any traveler has to find out a shop at the destination to buy these things first.
Now I have a camera, a tripod, couple of additional bi-directional mics and more cables to carry. I also need to brush, shave and take a shower. Air travel prohibits me from doing all these basic needs. Moreover, the air congestion at Mumbai and Delhi– two of the primary sources from where my reporting outside my home originates and ends – makes me sick of waiting for aircrafts, which never arrives. Many a times, aircrafts hover around Mumbai and Delhi airports for hours. I enjoy it if I am inside the craft during the day and that too if I have a window seat. I hate during the night with the same seat and vice versa when I have an aisle one. It is a free Google Earth preview, which in any case is far better than when viewed from your monitor.
So I had long made up my mind to use Indian Railways instead. The timings are impeccable and there are no rail congestions. There is no CISF to check my mics and cables and I can also use the lavatory even when the train starts or stops. The coach attendant never cares to show me how I should the oxygen mask or the emergency exit doors. The kitchen– also called as pantry car - staff does not provide me boiled plastic foiled food and instead gives me a variety of menus to choose from. In the meantime a host of other kitchen guys passes through with lot many snack varieties. I also need not switch off my mobile. I hear no announcement from the train driver except a long hoot which intimates me better be in than out. The surprise package is that the time taken to travel to Mumbai from Ahmedabad was the same as the aircraft I flew a few months later. So then why should I settle for something inferior and much harassed?

And the most important factor is the financial aspect. Though the airlines claim they fly you free, the taxes and other levies are almost double to the train travel. I have very little to spare for those taxes.


Binu Alex