Views On News 07 April 2016

VIEWSONNEWSAPRIL 07, 2016 `50
THE CRITICAL EYE
www.viewsonnewsonline.com
MUMBAI
In the Make-up Room 48
JALGAON
Banana Country 50
Governance Section
EDIT
Patriotism’s Rainbow 03
CONTROVERSY
RTI or Wrong? 31
SOCIAL MEDIA
Curating Content 28
SPECIESRAMESH MENON and AJITH PILLAI
mourn the disappearance of
journalists who had a passion
for fairness and persistence in
chasing the truth...
...But there
may still be
glimmers
of hope
from brave
reportage such
as coverage of
Marathwada
drought
TMM SPECIAL
SURVEY
We rate the
hottest recent
news items!
42
Vanishing

DURING THE DAYS of our Independence struggle,
the slogan “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (victory to Mother
India) was clear, simple and direct. It was a war cry
against colonial rule—a slogan against enslavement
by the “western devil”.
I personally have no problem in reciting it be-
cause to me it represents a celebration of freedom.
So it puzzles me that under our present political dis-
pensation it should become, for some people, the
subject of so much controversy and the very em-
bodiment of a coercive tactic. Is the BJP morally and
constitutionally correct in saying that those who re-
fuse to chant it are “anti-national”? And what is the
definition of this term? While our laws contain pro-
scriptions and definitions of “sedition”, there are
other constitutional provisions which uphold the
right to free speech while at the same time putting
reasonable restraints on it. But certainly, nowhere in
the constitution does it say that the refusal to repeat
a slogan adopted by any
party is unconstitutional or
violates the law.
The purpose of this es-
say is not to argue the finer
points of this debate. Let
legal and constitutional ex-
perts do that. I wish rather
to comment on the recent
BJP Executive which, using
the “Bharat Mata” as an
issue, has turned the na-
tional debate into patriotism
(nationalism) versus anti-
nationalism.
During this controversy,
the Indian media has by and
large ignored the views and
works of some of India’s in-
tellectual luminaries who helped develop the modern
socio-political ethos of the nation. It is a task to
which I think journalists ought to pay more heed. In
my exploration, I deliberately omitted Pandit Nehru,
because his views are well known, widely quoted,
and they are the lightning rod for the criticism of
those who consider “pseudo-secularism” the bane
of the Indian political system. I will quote relevant
portions on the meaning and relevance of patriotism
from the views—expressed in writing—by Deen-
dayal Upadhyaya, a towering and refined RSS intel-
lectual and former philosopher-president of the Jana
Sangh (the predecessor of the BJP); Sri Aurobindo;
Swami Vivekananda; Rabindranath Tagore and Ma-
hatma Gandhi.
DEENDAYAL UPADHYAYA: “Nazism and Fascism
were forms of national socialism. The communist
countries USSR, China, Yugoslavia etc. could also
be called national socialist. The only difference that
is visible is that the latter do not deify nationalism.
But impact of nationalism can easily be noticed.
Hitler, by placing an undue stress on nationalism,
definitely roused his own people but antagonized
the rest. The communist countries are acting in a
subtler manner. By claiming to be a world movement
they easily undermine national loyalties of other
people and thus serve their own national expansion-
ist designs…
“The Jana Sangh places equal reliance on na-
tionalism and democracy and recognizes that so-
cialism too has some part to play in the present
stage or development of the country. The Swatantra
Party does not visualize any other growth process
except that of the industrial West. It also does not
care about nationalism. It is therefore a democratic
party but it cannot be called national democratic.
Bharatiya Jana Sangh places equal reliance on
PATRIOTISM’S RAINBOW
3VIEWS ON NEWS April 7, 2016
EDITOR’SNOTE

nationalism and democracy and recognizes that so-
cialism too has some part to play in the present
stage of development of the country…
“There is also a difference in the concept of na-
tionalism avowed by Jana Sangh, and as conceived
by others. All except Jana Sangh believe in territorial
nationalism. Jana Sangh believes in cultural nation-
alism. Others feel that in India a nation has to be
made Jana Sangh believes that Bharat is a nation
from times immemorial. It can therefore seek inspi-
ration and guidance from the current of national life
while others, except for occasional impulses, fail to
tap the nation’s vast sources of strength and inspi-
ration. Thus, they look to the West not only for guid-
ance in modern science and technology but also for
all ideas of economy, polity and society. Jana Sangh
is, of all parties, the most Bharat-based...
“Even today to common variety of nationalism
thinks in these terms. National integration has come
to mean some solution of the jig saw puzzle to
which the people of India have been reduced by the
sectarian and communal politics of the last forty
years [i.e., reservations of constitutional posts on a
religious basis]. This will mean tearing after thread
by thread the national texture so exquisitely woven
in the course of centuries past...
“The Jana Sangh is opposed to this idea; offices
should go by merit and not by Religion. To take re-
ligion into consideration will be imitating Pakistan.
Pakistan has a constitution under which only a Mus-
lim can become Head of the state. Non-Muslims are
second rate citizens there. In India we have a con-
stitution where religion entails no bar to any office.
Let us follow it in spirit and letter both, if we want
further forces of national integration...
“If, therefore, we want to end communalism let
Editor’s Note
In this nationalism controversy, the Indian
media has by and large ignored the views
and works of some of India’s intellectual
luminaries who helped develop the modern
socio-political ethos of the nation.
DIFFERINGVIEWS
By using “Bharat
Mata” as an issue,
the BJP Executive
has turned the
national debate into
patriotism versus
anti-nationalism
4 VIEWS ON NEWS April 7, 2016

politicians cease to talk of Muslims, Christians, Par-
sis, Jains, Sikhs, Arya Samajis or Lingyats. Let
this task be reserved for the head of different reli-
gious sects. If we do not like the clergy, the Granthi
and the Maulvi to dabble into politics let up
also forgo the temptation of intruding into these sa-
cred precincts.”
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA: He saw spirituality and pa-
triotism as the point of convergence for all religious
forces of diverse India capable of unifying into a na-
tional current. “As the different streams having their
sources in different places all mingle their water in
the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men
take, through different tendencies, various though
they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee!”
and “Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever
form, I reach him; all men are struggling through
paths that in the end lead to Me.”
“Our ideal of patriotism proceeds on the basis
of love and brotherhood and it looks beyond the
unity of the nation and envisages the ultimate unity
of mankind…It is a unity of brothers, equal and free
men that we seek, not the unity of master and serf,
of devourer and devoured”.
SRI AUROBINDO: “Lala Lajpat Rai struck a higher
note, that of Hindu nationalism as a necessary pre-
liminary to a greater Indian Nationality. We distrust
this ideal. Not that we are blind to facts—not that
we do not recognise Hindu-Mahomedan rivalry as
a legacy of the past enhanced and not diminished
by British ascendancy, a thing that has to be faced
and worked out either by mutual concession or by
a struggle between nationalism and separatism. But
we do not understand Hindu nationalism as a pos-
sibility under modern conditions. Hindu nationalism
had a meaning in the times of Shivaji and Ramdas,
when the object of national revival was to overthrow
a Mahomedan domination which, once tending to
Indian unity and toleration, had become oppressive
and disruptive. It was possible because India was
then a world to itself and the existence of two geo-
graphical units entirely Hindu, Maharashtra and Ra-
jputana, provided it with a basis. It was necessary
because the misuse of their domination by the Ma-
homedan element was fatal to India’s future and had
to be punished and corrected by the resurgence and
domination of the Hindu. And because it was pos-
sible and necessary, it came into being. But under
modern conditions India can only exist as a whole...
“But the country, the Swadesh, which must be
the base and fundament of our nationality, is India,
a country where Mahomedan and Hindu live inter-
mingled and side by side. What geographical base
can a Hindu nationality possess? Maharashtra and
Rajasthan are no longer separate geographical units
but merely provincial divisions of a single coun-
“National integration has come to mean
some solution of the jig saw puzzle to which
the people of India have been reduced by the
sectarian and communal politics of the last
forty years.”
—Deendayal Upadhyaya, former president of Jana Sangh

try. The very first requisite of a Hindu nationalism is
wanting… Our ideal therefore is an Indian National-
ism, largely Hindu in its spirit and traditions, because
the Hindu made the land and the people and per-
sists, by the greatness of his past, his civilisation
and his culture and his invincible virility, in holding
it, but wide enough also to include the Moslem and
his culture and traditions…”
RABINDRANATH TAGORE: “India has never had a
real sense of nationalism. Even though from child-
hood I had been taught that the idolatry of Nation is
almost better than reverence for God and humanity,
I believe I have outgrown that teaching, and it is my
conviction that my countrymen will gain truly their
India by fighting against that education which
teaches them that a country is greater than the
ideals of humanity…
“I am not against one nation in particular, but
against the general idea of all nations. What is the
Nation? It is the aspect of a whole people as an
organized power. This organization incessantly
keeps up the insistence of the population on becom-
ing strong and efficient. But this strenuous effort
after strength and efficiency drains man’s energy
from his higher nature where he is self-sacrificing
and creative.
“Nationalism is a great menace. It is the partic-
ular thing which for years has been at the bottom of
India’s troubles. And inasmuch as we have been
ruled and dominated by a nation that is strictly po-
litical in its attitude, we have tried to develop within
ourselves, despite our inheritance from the past, a
belief in our eventual political destiny...
“When our nationalists talk about ideals, they
forget that the basis of nationalism is wanting. The
very people who are upholding these ideals are
themselves the most conservative in their social
practice. Nationalists say, for example, look at
Switzerland, where, in spite of race differences, the
peoples have solidified into a nation. Yet, remember
that in Switzerland the races can mingle, they can
intermarry, because they are of the same blood. In
India there is no common birthright. And when we
talk of Western Nationality we forget that the nations
there do not have that physical repulsion, one for the
other, that we have between different castes. Have
we an instance in the whole world where a people
who are not allowed to mingle their blood shed their
blood for one another except by coercion or for mer-
cenary purposes? And can we ever hope that these
moral barriers against our race amalgamation will
not stand in the way of our political unity?”
MAHATMA GANDHI: “Just as the cult of patriotism
teaches us today that the individual has to die for
Editor’s Note
“Our ideal of patriotism proceeds on the
basis of love and brotherhood and it looks
beyond the unity of the nation and
envisages the ultimate unity of mankind…
It is a unity of brothers, equal and free...”
— Swami Vivekananda

“...the Swadesh, which must be the base and
fundament of our nationality, is India, a
country where Mahomedan and Hindu live
intermingled... What geographical base can
a Hindu nationality possess?”
— Sri Aurobindo
the family, the family has to die for the village, the
village for the district, the district for the province,
and the province for the country, even so country
has to be free in order that it may die, if necessary,
for the benefit of the world. My love, therefore, of
nationalism or my idea of nationalism is that my
country may become free, that if need be the whole
of the country may die, so that the human race may
live. There is no room for race hatred there. Let that
be our nationalism…
“For me patriotism is the same as humanity. I
am patriotic because I am human and humane…
Imperialism has no place in my scheme of life. The
law of a patriot is not different from that of the patri-
arch. And a patriot is so much the less patriot if he
is a Luke-warm humanitarian. There is no conflict
between private and political law…
“My patriotism is not an exclusive thing. It is all-
embracing and I should reject that patriotism which
sought to mount upon the distress or the exploitation
of other nationalities. The conception of my patriot-
ism is nothing if it is not always, in every case with-
out exception, consistent with the broadest good of
humanity at large. Not only that, but my religion and
my patriotism derived from my religion embrace all
life. I want to realize brotherhood or identity not
merely with the beings called human, but I want to
realize identity with all life, even with such things as
crawl on earth, I want, if I want, if I don’t give you a
shock, to realize identity with even the crawling
things upon earth, because we claim descent from
the same God, and that being so, all life in whatever
form it appears must be essentially one.”
“For me patriotism is the same as humanity...
My patriotism is not an exclusive thing... I
should reject that patriotism which sought to
mount upon the distress or the exploitation
of other nationalities.”
— Mahatma Gandhi

C O NLEDE
Journalism: A Lot of Hot Air
Oscar-winning film Spotlight has shown the difference between old
school journalism with its committed reportage and meticulous
investigation and India’s quick-fix newsgathering. RAMESH MENON
and AJITH PILLAI
Editor
Rajshri Rai
Managing Editor
Ramesh Menon
Deputy Managing Editor
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Executive Editor
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Associate Editors
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Deputy Editor
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Senior Sub-Editor
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Sub-Editor
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Junior Sub-Editor
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Art Director
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Deputy Art Editor
Amitava Sen
Graphic Designers
Ram Lagan, Lalit Khitoliya
Photographer
Anil Shakya
Photo Researcher/News Coordinator
Kh Manglembi Devi
Production
Pawan Kumar
Head Convergence Initiatives
Prasoon Parijat
Convergence Manager
Mohul Ghosh
Assistant Editor
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Technical Executive (Social Media)
Sonu Kumar Sharma
Technical Executive
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RS Tiwari
12
Rooting for Rural India
The Chameli Devi Jain Award this year was bagged by two jour-
nalists who reported the Marathwada droughts and land acqui-
sition issues. SUCHETA DASGUPTA and SONAL GERA
18

MeriAwaazHiPehchaanHaitakes the
viewer on a musical journey uncannily
similar to the one made by Lata
Mangeshkar and her sister, Asha Bhosle.
TITHI MUKHERJEE
Governance
T E N T S
R E G U L A R S
Edit..................................................03
Grapevine.......................................10
Media-Go-Round...........................37
As the World Turns.......................... 41
TMM Research..............................42
Breaking News...............................44
Design Review................................46
Web Crawler....................................49
Quotes............................................54
A Lyrical Journey 38
Did the AYUSH ministry make a faux
pas in its RTI reply? If it did, then why
is journalist Pushp Sharma being
investigated?
MEHA MATHUR
CONTROVERSY
31
34
Shaktimaan, the maimed mare, is a
metaphor for our times and the chilling
consequences of the dark forces that
threaten to consume us. ALOK RAI
BrokenRepublic
EDITORS’ PICK
TV REVIEW
Beautiful
Mumbai
Bombay Municipal Corporation has
invited artists and sculptors to convert
public spaces into islands of beauty.
SATYA PRAKASH
GOOD NEWS
48
Cover design: Amitava Sen
50
Maharashtra’s Jalgaon is now banana
country and its farmers are rich and
thriving, thanks to Bhavarlal Jain’s
vision and effort to popularize
fertigation and drip irrigation.
VIVIAN FERNANDES
RTIor
Wrong?
AgrarianMission
28
Copy editors today have the enviable
opportunity to put together unique
info, all sourced from the web, and
become leaders in their own right.
SUNIL SAXENA
ContentCurators
SOCIAL MEDIA

Grapevine
During the budget speech of
Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley, the galleries were filled to
capacity. Jaitley’s family, includ-
ing wife Sangeeta, son Rohan,
daughter Sonali and son-in-law
Jayesh, were amongst the first to
reach the Lok Sabha gallery. The
distinguished visitors’ seats—oc-
cupied by specially invited guests
—were packed, with Sangeeta
Jaitley seen personally greeting
many guests. The gallery for for-
eign visitors was occupied by
representatives of Sweden,
India’s partner in the Make in
India program, and Zambia,
whose citizens have been targets
of racial abuse. After the presen-
tation, all visitors, including
journos were treated to biryani
and phirni in the FM’s cham-
bers. As they say, it pays to have
a foodie FM.
Budgetparty
The rebel groups of Assam
are confusing the voter no
end. Many are wondering if
the Trinamool BJP is
affiliated to Mamata didi or
Modi dada? The AGP, which
was opposed to the BJP, is
now putting up candidates
against Trinamool BJP but
not against the BJP!
Regarding the AGP Aancha-
likatabadi (a mouthful!), it’s
not clear if it’s aligning with
the Congress, the BJP Tri-
namool or with some other
party? Then there is the
Hindu Yuva Chatraparishad,
whose name rhymes with the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
While a Bodo group has
tied up with the BJP,
another has joined hands
with the Congress.
The public in general has had
enough of the Congress and
of Gogoi. Guess the perfume
baron Badruddin Ajmal, of
the All India United
Democratic Front, is having
the last laugh.
Stateofconfusion
Along the lines of Nobody
Killed Jessica, we shall soon
have another biopic on the black
bucks. Bhai Salman Khan has
told the Chief Judicial Magis-
trate that he is innocent and has
been framed by the forest offi-
cials. He claims that there were
no guns with him; so the black
bucks might have swooned to
death at the sight of the hand-
some hero(?). Just like there
was no one driving his SUV in
Mumbai and the footpath with
sleeping people came up to the
car, and the people got crushed.
And while on killings—no one
killed the 62 people in the
Muzaffarnagar riots either. The
inquiry commission has held
the SSP and the inspector guilty,
while the netas go scot free.
Nobodykilledtheblackbucks

Trainingsessions
GunningforFM
—Illustrations: UdayShankar
—Compiled by Roshni Seth
At the Banaras Hindu
University, the day
the prime minister was
awarding PhD degree to
the students, a strange
phenomenon was ob-
served. There were rows
of black socks hanging
on a tree outside. A little
probing brought to light
that this was due to the
ongoing Rohith Vermula
and Kanhaiya protests at
several universities. So all
wearers of black socks
were advised by the secu-
rity to remove them, lest
they be used to protest
inside the auditorium in
the presence of the PM!
Hats off to the visionary
security personnel for
thinking of such ingen-
ious ways to snuff out
dissent.
Defenseprotocol
As a friend nicely summed up, in the
1950s, the then defense minister Kr-
ishna Menon famously said that since
India was at peace with everyone, we
could utilise our ordnance factories to
make other things, like pressure cookers.
Now the new defense minister (who
strangely goes around with his hands in
his pocket while reviewing a Guard of
Honor) seems to feel that since the ice is
thawing with Pakistan, and since the Chi-
nese are too busy selling toys, it’s fine to
use army engineers to build bridges to
help bearded yogis organize cultural
events, where wannabe yogis can cavort
before faux elephants, like they recently
did on the banks of a dead river. History
as they say has a way of repeating itself!
Renamingbug
The UPA government
has been afflicted with
the renaming bug. First the
Planning Commission was
renamed Niti Ayog, then
the agriculture ministry
was renamed ministry of
agriculture and farmers
welfare, followed by the
renaming of the depart-
ment of disinvestment as
department of investment
and public asset manage-
ment (set up as a ministry
in 1999 by the NDA gov-
ernment, it will now look
into leveraging the assets of
the PSUs for investment).
Now, the most significant
for common people, is that
“coolies” shall now be called
“sahayaks”.
Fearpsychosis
The announcement
that the RSS is
going to drop its khaki
shorts in favour of for-
mal trousers has created
a buzz in all circles, in-
cluding the fashion cir-
cuit. Fashionistas can
now once again pull out
their khaki shorts for
the summer and wear
them without fear of
being typecast. Journos
incharge of the Sangh
beat are heaving sighs of
relief at not having to be
exposed to hairy legs
anymore!
Dresscode
After shunting out
officers of the UPA
regime, and bringing in
new people from the
states, the government is
facing a strange problem.
Over 130 such officers
joining ministries for the
first time will be undergo-
ing intensive training in
matters of office and
parliamentary proce-
dures, file notings and
drafting. Mass training of
this kind is taking place
for the first time. The
officers include the
secretaries of Venkaiah
Naidu, Nitin Gadkari,
Suresh Prabhu, Jayant
Sinha, Rajiv Rudy
among others.
Agra BJP MLA Jagan
Prasad Garg is gun-
ning for Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley. He wants
the FM sacked, and shall
be taking up the issue
with the prime minister.
He claims Jaitley has
sneaked his way to the
top post through patli-
gali, unlike him, who has
been duly elected by the
people to the state assem-
bly—and so he better be
heard! Though Garg later
said that he had been
“misquoted”, it seems he
has voiced the concern of
many in his party.

OOKED at purely from the
perspective of the Indian
media and certain emerging
trends in reportage and
newsgathering, Spotlight,
which won this year’s Oscar
for Best Picture is a film that all journalists must
watch and introspect about. Critics have said that
it is a gripping docu-drama. The fact that Spotlight
was also nominated for best director, best support-
ing actress, best supporting actor, best original
screenplay and best editing at the Oscars is further
testimony that it is a cut above the ordinary.
The story is set in 2001. Marty Baron, editor of
The Boston Globe stumbles upon a newspaper col-
umn by a lawyer that speaks of child sexual abuse
by a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the
Boston area. He immediately assigns a team of
L
Old school journalism involving committed
reportage, meticulous investigation and
research is dying a slow death in India
BY RAMESH MENON AND AJITH PILLAI
Hardening
Lede
Journalism Today
Arteries?

tip-offs. Spotlight is truly a tribute to the power of
journalism as we once knew it.
So, what is the message that the film has to offer
to the media? Ben Bradlee Jr, deputy editor of The
Boston Globe and one of the key players in the real-
life Spotlight team, had this to say: “I think we all
hope that one of the effects of the movie will be to
have editors reassess the importance of investigative
reporting, because it really can make a difference
in our democracy. And yet in the Internet era news-
papers are obviously struggling and have had to lay
off staff. Editors are facing the realities of trying to
find enough bodies to merely put out the paper,
never mind what is perceived as the luxury of in-
vestigative reporting.”
In the Indian context, what he said is of utmost
relevance. Investigative journalism of the kind that
is depicted in Spotlight has been dying a slow
journalists from his paper to investigate allegations
against John Geoghan, an unfrocked priest accused
of molesting over 80 boys.
What started as an investigation into the con-
duct of a single priest soon metamorphosed into a
much larger story as the team discovers that child
sexual abuse by priests was rampant in Massachu-
setts and that the Boston Archdiocese was guilty of
a cover-up.
TRIBUTE TO JOURNALISM
Over a period of two years, the team painstakingly
collated evidence. Sources were tapped, documents
dug up and the jigsaw puzzle slowly pieced to-
gether. But beyond the methodical research were
other factors that came into play—persuasive yet
sensitive interviewing skills, winning over the con-
fidence of people and diligently following reliable
PEN IS MIGHTIER
A still from award-winning
film Spotlight (facing page),
which shows how the team
of Marty Baron (above)
unearthed the child sex
abuse scandal at Boston
Catholic Church

death in this country. Some link it to the crass com-
mercialization that has taken over the media in the
last 25 years. Others call it the overall dumbing
down of the press which is now more caught up in
dishing out news that sells rather than news that
enlightens or exposes the darker and dangerous
side of our politics, economy and society.
It is not that there are no good journalists. It is
just that their functioning has been cramped and
theirindependencecircumscribedbyvestedconsid-
erations and by restricted funds for newsgathering.
HASTY WORK
Reporters are discouraged from travelling in pur-
suit of a story. Reports are hastily put together by
surfing the internet or talking to contacts over the
phone or email. Great stories come from personal
interactions. When was the last time we heard of
a great investigation that has been pulled off by a
team of reporters? Television channels and mag-
azines in India have actually got rid of their Spe-
cial Investigation Teams because they are either
“too expensive” or because the management does
A Brave, OldWorld
It is not as if Indian journalism has not had
its moments.There have been some great
stories and editors who backed their re-
porters to the hilt. Here are a few examples:
TheEmergencyandafter:Themedia
stoodupforfreedomandshowedexemplary
courageinopposingthetotalitarianregimeof
IndiraGandhi.TheIndianExpressanditsfeisty
ownerandeditor,thelateRamnathGoenka,
deservespecialmention.
Exposinghumantrafficking:
AshwaniSarinofTheIndianExpress
shockedthecountrywhenhebought
KamalainDholpurdistrictofRajasthan
torevealhowmanylikeherarebought
andre-soldinthefleshtrade.
TheBoforsScam: ChitraSubramaniamof
TheHinduandanIndiaTodayinvestigativeteam
painstakinglypursuedtheBoforspapersto
establishthatkickbackswerepaidinthegun
deal.ItembarrassedandbroughtdowntheRajiv
Gandhigovernment.
Thestockmarketscam: SuchetaDalalofTheTimesOfIndiamadesenseofthecomplexdealingsofstock
brokerHarshadMehta.Itshookupthefinancialworldandisbilledasthefirstmegascampostliberalization.
Inthepast,wehadillustriouseditorslikeShamLal,CYChintamani,KMPanikkar,PothanJoseph,FrankMoraes,
ChalapathiRaju,BGVergheseandGirilalJain.Therehavealsobeenindividualisticeditorswhocarvedouttheiridentity
bypioneeringout-of-the-boxjournalismlikeMJAkbar,NihalSingh,KhushwantSingh,NRamandVinodMehta.
Today,mostreaderswouldbehardpressedtoidentifytheeditorsofleadingpublications.
not wish to get embroiled in litigation—a risk a
media organization runs when it carries an inves-
tigative report.
And yet, this was not the script that was fol-
lowed by a “fearless” media that flowered after the
lifting of the Emergency in the 70s. Editor/owners
like Ramnath Goenka promoted hard-hitting
journalism and sent reporters to the far corners of
the country. New publications launched in the
1980s prided themselves on the fact that they in-
vested lavishly on reporters and on newsgather-
ing. The story however changed with the
corporatization of the media.
Marketing suddenly came to play a significant
role in deciding news content and this trend con-
tinues to this day. In fact, the power equation in
many publications has undergone a sea-change
with editorial becoming subservient to those who
run the business end of operations. The net result:
managements increasingly see newspapers, maga-
zines, TV channels and websites as mere products
and journalists as nameless news processing ma-
chines. Doomsday prophets say the insurmount-
Lede
Journalism Today

able Chinese Wall between the editorial (church)
and the state (advertising) has now been breached
and that the prognosis is not very encouraging.
RADICAL VIEW
The breach of the wall has been an ongoing process.
It was in 1984 that Samir Jain, the current vice-
chairman of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL),
the owners of The Times Of India, surprised the
journalistic world with his radical views on what is
the real place of news within a paper. Jain report-
edly told a meeting attended by senior editors at
Times House in Mumbai: “Newspapers are vehicles
for carrying advertisements and news is what we
fill in the gaps between the ads.”
This template has been further informally
widened to redefine news as a vehicle which can
also generate income. Thus has emerged the con-
cept of paid news where clients are charged for ed-
itorial space much like they pay for advertising
display. Jain reiterated his earlier position in the Oc-
tober 8, 2012, issue ofThe New Yorker, when he told
journalist Ken Auletta: “We are not in the newspa-
per business; we are in the advertising business. If
90 per cent of your revenue comes from advertis-
ing, then you’re in the advertising business.”
TJS George, founder editor of Asiaweek, drew
attention to the following points in a lecture about
the state of journalism today: “One: A newspaper
has no social responsibility. Its only responsibility
is to make profits for its shareholders. Two: The
press is not in the news business. It is in the enter-
tainment business. Three: A newspaper does not
need an editor. Four: Readers are not important in
themselves. They are important only as a means to
reach the advertiser.” Some would call his views
HERD INSTINCT
Media houses today
compete with each
other to cover frivo-
lous news that they
believe will get them
the most TRPs
Photos: Anil Shakya

Investigative journalism in the true sense of the
term, which has been captured by Spotlight, is of a
totally different nature. According to reporter Sacha
Pfeiffe, who was part of the investigation team at
The Boston Globe, it involved tedious backbreaking
research. “We created what we call our database of
‘bad priests’, where we tracked over a course of 20
years various priests and where they were assigned.
This was a tedious, monotonous three-plus weeks
of losing our eyesight as we went through small
type and the equivalent of an Archdiocesan phone-
book. But the movie makes it look quite riveting.”
The story of The Boston Globe’s reporters did
not end where the film ends. After the 2002 story,
some 600 follow-up stories were done by the team.
Such committed and sustained focus on the story
required not only human resources but also finan-
cial support. The Globe team was lucky to have the
uncharitable and too dystopian. But it nearer to the
truth than we imagine.
REPORTING ON AGENCIES
Thiscommercializationhashaditsfalloutonreport-
ing. Old school investigative journalism is now rare.
Instead,whatwenowhaveareexclusivesdependent
on investigations done by CAG, ED, CBI or the po-
lice.Journalisticscoopshavebeenreducedtogaining
access to reports of these agencies before others.
Such news or leaks is given play when it suits
newspaper managements, serves vested interests or
reflects the overall resentment within the business
community or the middle class. At another level,
agendas of the government are fulfilled through the
targeting of a community, political rivals, select
business groups or those critical of the establish-
ment with headline-grabbing news for which the
inputs come from intelligence agencies or some
other arm of the government.
Old school investigative journalism is now
rare. What we have instead are exclusives
dependent on investigations by CAG, ED, CBI
or the police. Journalistic scoop has been
reduced to gaining access to these reports.
EMERGENCY HEROES
(Right) Former
Indian Express publisher
Ramnath Goenka
(Bottom) George Fernandes
being arrested during the
Emergency
Lede
Journalism Today
Anil Shakya

backing of the paper’s management. But the same
cannot be said of owners of many media houses.
STENOGRAPHY OR JOURNALISM?
In India, investment on newsgathering is appalling.
Reporting on rural issues, for example, has been
virtually rendered redundant. Information about
the other India is sourced from press releases and
briefings from concerned ministries in Delhi or
state capitals. As senior journalist and editor P
Sainath once lamented: “There is journalism and
there is stenography; 80 per cent of journalism you
are reading or viewing today is stenography.”
One view is that drawing room gossip and sen-
sational easy-does-it journalism have been the twin
resultsofdumbingdownandasqueezeonfundsfor
reporting. Very often, editors under pressure to
show better TRP ratings and exclusive front page
storiespushreportersintodoingstingoperationsor
use information from freelancers who use hidden
cameras and sell this footage and information.
These readymade stories have their limitations.
Most sting operations show politicians or officials
being amenable to accepting bribe. It only proves
thatthepersonissusceptibletoenticementbutdoes
not provide proof of any real crime committed.
A sting operation could also be an off-the-
record interview secretly recorded. What is casually
said may be pretentious banter with no grounding
in reality. It is often someone expressing personal
apprehensions or imagined misgivings. Or worse,
it could be sweeping statements made to impress
the journalist who has come ostensibly for a chat
but is armed with a secret recording device.
HOT AIR
At one time, it was believed that television news
channels would set a new bar in journalism
through well-researched news stories and docu-
mentaries. But with the exception of a few news
programs like Srinivasan Jain’s Truth Vs Hype on
NDTV, the rest is dominated by animated studio
discussions. These are a lot of hot air and scoring
brownie points by the panelists.
The media boom and stiff competition post lib-
eralization has been cited as the reason for declin-
ing standards. At the last count, there were 82,222
newspapers and over 800 TV news channels. So
how do so many media organizations survive?
Largely by pushing agendas, pandering to egos and
indulging in practices like blackmail hitherto un-
heard of in journalism.
At a time when well-researched stories and cut-
ting edge investigative reporting has become such
a rarity, Spotlight is a film that tells us what true
journalism is all about. Those who are perceptive
enough will conclude after watching the film that
the Fourth Estate can become a force and not just a
propaganda tool if good values that were once prac-
ticed receive the priority they deserve.
Sadly, the reality is far more grim and
disturbing.
There is journalism
and there is
stenography;
80 per cent of
journalism you are
reading or viewing
today is stenography.
— P Sainath,
senior journalist
We are not in the
newspaper business;
we’re in the advertising
business. If 90 per cent of
your revenue comes from
advertising, you’re in the
advertising business.
— Samir Jain,
BCCL vice-chairman

HE high drama and ex-
pansive coverage accor-
ded to political reporting
has generally ensured
that other concerns such
as social development,
equity, gender justice, rural crises and green
concerns are routinely sidelined. However, Del-
hi-based Media Foundation struck a new path
in 1982 when it conferred the prestigious Cha-
meli Devi Jain Award annually to an outstanding
woman mediaperson, who made a difference
through writing with depth, dedication, courage
and compassion. This year, it went to two jour-
nalists, The Times of India’s Priyanka Kakodkar
and for the first time to an independent journal-
ist, Raksha Kumar.
Kakodkar won the prize for her sensitive
portrayal of the Marathwada farming crisis,
while Kumar was honored for her work on the
human and environmental costs of the center’s
plan to amend the Land Acquisition Act, Forest
T
Rural India
PURPOSEFUL
JOURNALISM
Priyanka Kakodkar has
sensitively portrayed
the Marathwada
water crisis
Lede Journalism Today/Exceptions
Chameli Devi Jain Award

Rights Act and Coal Act.
The jury consisted of eminent journalists
Shekhar Gupta and Smita Gupta and Professor
Apoorvanand from Delhi University.
VON interviewed the two awardees whose
work inspired the journalistic fraternity.
BREAKING NEW GROUND
Priyanka Kakodkar has worked for years on Ma-
harashtra’s acute farming crisis and told VON
about the trials and tribulations she faced in her
Two gritty women journalists,
Priyanka Kakodkar and Raksha
Kumar, are awarded for exposing
how land, water and development
problems have taken a heavy
toll on people
BY SUCHETA DASGUPTA AND SONAL GERA
Gets a Voice
journalistic life. “Often, villages would be several
kilometers away from each other. It would take
me more than two hours to travel from one to
the other. The distances became quite a chal-
lenge for me while covering stories,” Priyanka
said. “But the main thing is to find a good story,
pivotal story that will stand out.”
She particularly remembers a farm where a
man dug 48 borewells because there was no
water. There was another case where a dairy
farmer committed suicide because his cow had
died. Asked which story moved her the most,
Kakodkar’s voice broke. “I once covered Kach-
choli, a village in Beej, which is among the most
drought-prone regions of Marathwada. When I
reached there around 11 am, I found women at
a dry river bed trying to dig out water using
bowls. They would strain the water with a cloth
and then drink it. If you contrast this with the
situation in our homes where we leave taps
open, this was moving.”
Her graphic reports on this rural crisis had
such an impact that her paper, The Times Of
India, front-paged more than 50 of them in the
year gone by. In future, she said, she wanted to
continue following the rural crisis because it is
not reflected in the media as much as it should
be. “I’m doing many stories on government

think I can afford to do that now. I was lucky
that I was insulated from any unwelcome atten-
tion that might have come my way as I mostly
worked for big organizations,” she said.
But Kakodkar has faced certain stereotypes
against women journalists. For example, when
she covered politics, she faced resistance from
male colleagues. “They sometimes didn’t share
information with me. So I would meet people
myself and get information that they didn’t
have.” Facing male politicians was another hur-
dle as they would freely comment on a woman
journalist’s appearance and what have you. “But
over time, I developed a business-like approach,”
she added.
Asked what advice she would want to give to
budding journalists, she said: “The media is
going through a huge transition. I think the
younger lot should be skilled in all forms of
media, so that they can work better.”
FOR THE LOVE OF A STORY
The first thing that strikes one about Raksha
Kumar is her youth. This 29-year-old journalism
grad from Columbia University is likely to spark
feelings of envy among veterans for various rea-
sons. Her range of writing goes from law to fe-
male feticide, while her articles have appeared
in Dawn, Al Jazeera English, The New York Times
and top Indian newspapers. And her sheer vol-
ume of work in her six-year career—close to 70
bylines and a documentary on the rationalist
movement in India—is awe-inspiring.
What drives Kumar to do a story is the quest
to understand and master an issue that vexes
and perplexes everyone else. “Trying to under-
stand issues around land has been one of the
major achievements in my career. As land is a
fairly contentious problem and has not been
completely understood either by the media or
civil society, it is quite easy for people who wish
to manipulate laws pertaining to it to operate,”
said Kumar.
policies that come with the “Make in India” cam-
paign. Many are not environment friendly,” she
said. “I don’t think new media is successful as yet
in pushing the urban audience towards rural sto-
ries. I hope it does in the near future.”
While Kakodkar carved a niche for herself in
rural journalism, the journey has been fraught
with dangers too. “There have been instances
where I took unnecessary risks, especially when
I was younger. I have travelled late at night to far-
off places, which, I think was a mistake. I don’t
CONTENTIOUS ISSUE
Raksha Kumar has
highlighted
problems related
to land acquisition
“If you think
journalism is
your ticket to
a glamorous
career, it
really isn’t. It
requires a lot
of hard work;
it is perhaps
the most
unglamorous
profession.”
— Raksha Kumar,
independent
journalist
Photos: Anil Shakya
Lede Journalism Today/Exceptions
Chameli Devi Jain Award

rial gatekeeping, and again, not all bloggers are
journalists. Bloggers have their place in the
world of media but they cannot be substitutes
for journalists.”
Her idols are NDTV India’s Ravish Kumar,
(“for the balanced and sensitive way he engages
with issues”), Scroll’s Supriya Sharma and The
Wire editor Siddharth Varadarajan. Asked if the
media in India was independent, she said: “The
editors I have worked with have been extremely
supportive and encouraging and given me a free
hand. But I do know of people whose informa-
tion has been censored by the editors and the
owners of the publications they have written for.
Articles have been withdrawn due to various
corporate pressures.”
For those who take their journalism seri-
ously, Kumar has some advice. “You need edu-
cation to make you sensitive about the issues
you deal with. Try and gain some knowledge
about the issues first before jumping into a story.
Secondly, if you think journalism is your ticket
to a glamorous career, get a reality check before
you enter the profession. It really isn’t. It requires
a lot of hard work; it probably is the most ungla-
morous profession,” Kumar said.
Talking about the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial
Corridor (DMIC) on which she did a series of ar-
ticles for Scroll.in, Kumar said: “There are some
major pitfalls in the way the DMIC has been ap-
proached. Rehabilitation of farmers whose land
will be acquired to set up the manufacturing hubs
for this project is definitely a concern. While
there is talk about greenfield airports and cities,
one must remember that anything greenfield in-
volves large-scale land acquisition and in some
cases, felling of trees and forests. Several activists
who work on water have also raised red flags.” In
fact, the National Alliance of People’s Movements
has taken note of her reportage and is using it for
their work on the ground.
When asked to compare mainstream journal-
ism and new media, she said: “The definition of
both presently is very fluid. While some people
might consider Scroll.in as alternate media be-
cause it is not a newspaper with a fixed circula-
tion or a TV channel, others might consider it
mainstream because its posts reach several thou-
sands of people and they collectively reach lakhs.”
Blogs, on the other hand, can never substitute
real journalism, Kumar asserted. “They can be an
amazing resource though. But there is no edito-
DISTINGUISHED
GATHERING
(L-R) Shekhar Gupta,
Jairam Ramesh,
Raksha Kumar,
Priyanka Kakodkar,
Smita Gupta,
Prof Apoorvanand and
Mrinal Pande at the
Chameli Devi award
function
Priyanka
Kakodkar’s (4th
from left) reports
on rural crisis
had such an
impact that TOI
front-paged over
50 of them in
2015. She wants
to continue
writing on rural
crisis as it is not
covered enough
by the media.

UttarPradeshwill
Through numerous initiatives, this state government has in the last four
years ensured a better quality of life for its people
O
N March 1, 2016, Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Akhilesh Yadav launched
Food Security Act–2013. Under it,
thereareplanstoprovide5kgfoodgrain—
wheat at `2 per kg and rice at `3 per kg—
toapopulationof1,64,33,590belongingto
40,94,500 Antyodaya families. Also, a pop-
ulation of 11,41,77,071 would benefit un-
der the beneficiary family category.
In a symbolic gesture, Mr Yadav gave
awayfoodgrainsto15beneficiaries,which
includedpeoplefromthegeneral,OBCand
the SC category. While launching the
scheme, he said that the Act has been im-
plemented across the state. At an event
held at his official residence, 5, Kalidas
Marg,theCMprovidedfoodgrainstothree
beneficiariesoftheAntyodayaSchemeand
12 families under the Act. He directed offi-
cialstoensurethattheActwasexecutedin
the best possible manner. Mr Yadav also
said that identification was continuously
being done to pick the beneficiaries of this
scheme and it would benefit 75 percent of
the state’s population.
Barring drought-affected Bundelkhand
region, the Act will cover the rest of the
population. Under this, 79 percent of the
population in the Chitrakoot division and
69 percent of the population of the Jhansi
division was identified.
The state was allocated 4,46,799 metric
tonnes of wheat and 2,67,394 metric to-
nnes of rice, adding to the total allocation
of food grains of 7,14,193 metric tonnes.
This is an increase of 35 percent in total
food grains. Before implementation of the
scheme, BPL beneficiaries were getting
wheat at `5 a kg and rice at `7 per kg and
APL card holders were getting wheat at `7
per kg. In the past, under the BPL Antyo-
dayaandregularAPL,beneficiariesusedto
get 3.559 lakh metric tonnes of wheat and
2,26,736 tonnes of rice, adding up to
5,27,295 metric tonnes of food grains.
Chief Minister launches Food Security Act–2013
At his official residence in
Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav
launched the Food Security
Act program on March 1,
2016. He distributed
food grains to 12 families.
FOCUSU t t a r P r a d e s h

Relief to drought-affected families of Bundelkhand
D
URING a discussion in the state as-
sembly on the budget of 2016-17,
the CM gave assurance that the sta-
te government was very serious about the
problems faced by the people. He pointed
out that the state government had ear-
marked an adequate budget for the Bun-
delkhand region in view of the problems
there. He said the government would pro-
vide food grains and other relief materials
to them, under which almost all the 2 lakh
Antyodaya beneficiaries would get 10 kg
wheat flour, 5 kg chane ki daal, 5 litres
mustard oil and 1 kg of pure desi ghee.
Families with children would also get 1 kg
milk powder and 25 kg potato.
The beneficiaries would be given this
aid in packets that would not compromise
on quality. A decision has also been taken
to constitute a committee under the dis-
trict magistrate to oversee the distribution
and necessary funds have also been dis-
bursed for the purpose, he said.
Referring to the quality of the material,
the CM said that any callousness in this di-
rection or distribution of sub-standard
material would not be tolerated and strin-
gent action would be taken against errant
officials. The state government has ex-
empted such material from VAT and all
seven district magistrates of the Bundelk-
hand region have been directed to ensure
that distribution is done under the super-
vision of a district level officer. District level
revenue, development and other depart-
ment officers will be named for this.
Other than this, detailed information of
the material distributed, along with a list
of the beneficiaries will be maintained at
the district level. The CM also said that
keeping in mind a long-term and stable
solution to special conditions in the Bun-
delkhand region, the government was
working on enhancing basic facilities and
also making arrangements for immediate
relief.While a road network was being laid
there, pending irrigation projects have
been set rolling. Besides conventional me-
thods of power generation, solar power
projects were also being encouraged. All
eligible women folk in the region have
also been assimilated under the Sama-
jwadi Pension Scheme.
He said that increasing power supply,
installing new hand pumps as per needs
and reboring of existing hand pumps
had been initiated as well. He added that
wa-ter supply would also be undertaken
thro-ugh tankers in the villages of Bun-
delkhand. Ponds are being filled and
fodder for cattle was also being
arranged. The Chandrawal River flowing
between Mahoba and Hamirpur will also
be revived, he announced. Special
camps will be held in villages for enrol-
ment of unemployed and needy people,
he said, and they would be given daily
wages on time.
Mr Yadav assured the UP
assembly that adequate
budget had been earmarked
for the Bundelkhand region
with a range of measures to
benefit the people.
SeeBetterdays

A
FTER casting his vote at the Saifai
development block in Etawah, the
CM said that special attention has
been accorded to the welfare of farmers
and the poor in the budget of 2016-17.
This, he added, would yield results in the
coming days. Akhilesh Yadav also said
that the state government was working
expeditiously on the Kamdhenu Dairy
Scheme and the Samajwadi Pension
Scheme on a priority basis in the Bun-
delkhand region.
Special focus on
farmers and poor
in the 2016-17
budget
Samajwadi Poorvanchal
Expressway to usher in
prosperity in eastern UP
A
KHILESH Yadav said that after the
Samajwadi Poorvanchal Express-
way is built, Ballia district will be
directly connected to the state capital
and would benefit all sections of society.
This project, he added, would usher in
prosperity in Ballia and eastern UP. The
CM also informed that a provision of
`1,500 crore has been made by the state
government for the next financial year
for the Lucknow-Azamgarh-Ballia Ex-
pressway.
The CM said this while interacting
with media persons at Gosaipur in Ballia
after a function at the residence of So-
cialWelfare Minister Ram Govind Chow-
dhary. He said that while Ballia had
given the country many brave revolu-
tionaries, it had also given a prime min-
ister to the nation.
While underlining various welfare
and developmental schemes under-
taken by the state government, Akhi-
lesh Yadav said that by ensuring that
these schemes and projects reached the
grassroots, the economic status of the
poor, villagers and farmers had been
considerably improved. And all this, he
stressed, had been done with state gov-
ernment resources. He also said that his
government was focusing on water, irri-
gation, power and roads.
He also said that his government had
fulfilled the promise of giving jobs to
unemployed youth and all this was
done with total transparency so that no
fingers could be raised on the processes
like police recruitment where thou-
sands of youngsters were recruited. At
another event at the house of legislator
Ziyauddin Rizvi, Akhilesh Yadav an-
nounced that a pucca bridge would be
constructed at the Kharid-Darauli Ghat,
for which funds would soon be dis-
bursed. Also present on the occasion
were Political Pension Minister Rajendra
Chowdhary, Secondary Education Min-
ister Balram Singh Yadav, Minister of
State for ChildWelfare MinisterWaseem
Ahmad, Minister of State for Agriculture
Radhe Shyam Singh and senior officials
of the district administration.
Akhilesh said
that Samajwadi
Poorvanchal
Expressway will
directly connect
Ballia with
Lucknow and
bring prosperity
in eastern UP.

Balanced focus on both urban and rural development
T
HE chief minister congratulated ne-
wly elected members of the Legisla-
tive Council and said that he himself
was a member of this House. Most of the
elected MLCs, he pointed out, were yo-
ung and the House therefore appeared to
be a young House. He said that these
newly elected members had a huge re-
sponsibility in fulfilling the hopes and as-
pirations of the people who elected them.
He said the Upper House had a dignity of
its own and that many honourable and
eminent people were members of it. He
also expressed the hope that senior mem-
bers of the House would guide and coop-
erate with the new members in making
them understand the nuances of the pro-
ceedings, the processes and traditions of
the Upper House.
The CM also informed that on the rec-
ommendation of each member, 100 hand
pumps would be installed and they could
also recommend ten names for Lohia
Houses and selection of villages in their
constituencies as Lohia villages.
AkhileshYadav also said that members
who did not have a house in Lucknow
would be given one and during Vidhan
Parishad sittings, employee remuneration
would be enhanced from `7,500 to
`8,000. He said that the present state gov-
ernment was relentlessly working for the
progress and prosperity of the state and
enumerated schemes like the laptop dis-
tribution scheme and the Samajwadi Pen-
sion Scheme.
For improving the basic infrastructure,
Yadav said that projects like the Agra-Luc-
know Expressway were being executed
and balanced focus was being given to
develop both urban and rural areas.
C
HIEF Minister Akhilesh Yadav has
said that from next year, 100 women
village heads who performed well
would get the Rani Laxmibai Bravery
Award worth `1 lakh every year.
He also announced the setting up of
skill development centers under the aegis
of the UP Skill Development Mission in
Poorvanchal, Bundelkhand and Terai’s
backward districts like Sonebhadra, Sid-
dharthanagar, Shrawasti, Sant Ravidas
Nagar, Sant Kabeer Nagar, Mirzapur, Mau,
Mahoba, Maharajganj, Lalitpur, Gonda,
Kushinagar, Kaushambi, Jhansi, Jaunpur,
Jalaun, Hamirpur, Deoria, Chitrakoot,
Chandauli, Basti, Badayun, Ballia, Sitapur
and Banda, with the aim of making girls
and women financially independent.
He also announced the naming of a
road—from the 1090 Women powerline
intersection to Taj hotel—as ‘Mahila
Aasha Jyoti Lane’.Yadav also said that stu-
dents of Lucknow and Allahabad univer-
sities would get a free ride on JNNURM
buses on showing their ID cards to the
bus conductor.
Mr Yadav made all these announce-
ments at the new Janta Darshan hall at his
5, Kalidas Marg residence on the occasion
of Rani Laxmibai Bravery Award distribu-
tion, foundation-laying of Rani Laxmibai
Aasha Jyoti Centres, execution of the
Aasha Jyoti Skill Development Centers,
launching of the‘181’Women Aasha Jyoti
Line and distribution of financial aid to
acid attack survivors.
Rani Laxmi Bai Awards to 100 women village heads

He also inaugurated the‘Sheroes Hangout’cafe run by acid attack sur-
vivors and an online women radio station ‘Radio Meri Zindagi’. He also
released a CD Meri Zindagi Female Rockband and inaugurated an Aasha
Jyoti Canteen run by a women help group from Kanpur. He reiterated
the Samajwadi government’s commitment to welfare and empowerment
of women and said that the state had undertaken many women-oriented
welfare schemes. He said that women were half the population and
hence cannot be ignored. The participation of women in the develop-
ment of the state was a must, he added.
A
KHILESHYADAV flagged off the‘Ag-
ra Taj Car Rally–2016’ on the Agra-
Lucknow Expressway near Sujnipur
under the Sirsaganj tehsil in Firozabad
district. Addressing a gathering at the
event, the CM said that while on the one
hand this car rally would promote tourism
in the state, on the other hand, it would
also show the world-class work being
done by the state government on the
302-km-long Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
Akhilesh Yadav pointed out that for
phased and timeline-specific construc-
tion of the Expressway, land was acquired
by his government from farmers by their
consent so that work could be expedited.
After the construction of the Expressway,
the CM said travel time between the two
cities would be reduced considerably.
With this, he underlined, the Expressway
would also be a boon for the economy of
the state.
Praising the work done by senior offi-
cers of UPEIDA, the CM said it was due to
their hard work, dedication and expertise
that work on this ambitious project was
fast-tracked.
Mr Yadav also pointed out that ‘man-
dis’were being established on both sides
of the Expressway for potato, milk, fruits,
food grains and vegetables which would
result in a better life and financial status
of people. Saying that farmers and youth
were facing the maximum difficulty, the
CM said the Expressway would also ad-
dress these two issues. He also said that
no other state government was ushering
in so much work and development as the
Uttar Pradesh government and assured
that the good work would continue in fu-
ture too.
Ninety cars took part in the car rally
and travelled 400 km. Among the drivers
were three who were specially-abled.
Twelve women also participated in the
car rally.
CM flags off Agra Taj Car Rally-2016 on the
Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Firozabad
While flagging off the rally,
Akhilesh Yadav said that it
would promote tourism in UP
and show world-class work
being done on the
Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

Power supply to see drastic improvement from October
A
khilesh Yadav said that the state
would witness a sea change in po-
wer supply from October this year.
While industries, business establishments
and agriculture works would get ade-
quate power supply, even rural and urban
areas would be illuminated.
The chief minister also sought early
completion of projects undertaken by the
power department including new proj-
ects. A state government spokesman said
that from October 2016, 16 hours of
power supply in rural areas, 20 hours in
Tehsil headquarters, 22 hours in district
headquarters and 24 hours in metro cities
would be ensured.
For this, Akhilesh said, the state gov-
ernment was working extensively to up-
grade and expand the basic power
infrastructure. This year, 32 power trans-
mission sub-stations have been con-
structed and in January-February alone,
six were energized.
The spokesman further informed that
these included a 220 KV sub-station in
Pratapgarh and 132 KV power sub-sta-
tions in Neri (Sitapur), Baghauli (Hardoi),
Chakia (Chandauli), Panwadi and Ra-
soolabad in Kanpur rural.These are set to
ring in a drastic improvement in power
supply to different parts of these districts.
For example, the 220 KV power sub-
station in Pratapgarh would lead to a re-
duction of load on the 220 KV power
sub-stations in Phoolpur and Sultanpur
and low-voltage problems would be
done away with.
In the past, Pratapgarh, Phoolpur and
Sultanpur were fed by this sub-station.
Similarly, after establishing a new power
sub-station in Neri, the Sitapur sub-sta-
tion would be less loaded and power sup-
ply would improve in Maholi area.
By setting up the Baghauli power sub-
station in Hardoi, the power scenario
would improve in Baghauli, Kadhai and
Madhavganj and load would be taken off
existing sub-stations in Hardoi and
Sandila.
In the same way, after energizing the
Chakia transmission sub-station, low volt-
age problem would be greatly reduced in
the backward area of Chandauli. By ener-
gizing the Rasoolabad power sub-station,
Rasoolabad, Jheenjhak and Kanjihari
areas of the Kannauj Lok Sabha con-
stituency will get improved power supply.
The UP government is
working to ensure that 16
hours of power supply in
rural areas, 20 hours in Tehsil
headquarters, 22 hours in
district headquarters and 24
hours in metro cities is
ensured from October.

VERYONE dreams of be-
coming a thought leader.
Only a few become one.
They create new systems,
new technologies and new
processes that the world
values. They are the thinkers, the innovators and
the change-makers.
But there are some who organize the work of
these thought leaders for others to understand, fol-
low and appreciate. One good example is the mu-
seum curator. When organizing an exhibition, the
curator handpicks paintings created by masters.
Considerable thought goes in both picking and re-
jecting paintings. The curator through “curation”
creates an art movement. He becomes a thought
leader that all artists look up to.
Like the museum curator, a copy editor too can
become a thought leader without creating original
content. The process is not easy. It is time-consum-
ing, arduous, and, at times, frustrating. But if the
copy editor is patient, he can build his own follow-
ing by finding and organizing content created
by others.
RIGHT PLATFORM
The internet gives journalists, especially those on
news desks, this opportunity, and social media
gives them the right platform. There are many who
have seized this opportunity and emerged as
thought leaders in their respective fields without
creating their own content.
Copy editors can browse through vast amounts
of content on the net and find those that are
unique. They then need to share this with people
who are hungry for such content. Over a period of
time, people will start respecting them for bringing
valuable content to their notice. Their following
will grow, and they may eventually emerge as
thought leaders.
The ability to curate content has spawned a
small cottage industry on the net. It began with
smart programmers or code writers. They wrote
Be the King
of Content ECopy editors can become thought leaders
by organizing content on the internet for
others and have a following of their own
BY SUNIL SAXENA
Social Media
Curating Content
Illustration: Anthony Lawrence

These are just two examples. The internet is brim-
ming with possibilities for smart content curators.
Step 2
The copy editor should now start devouring every
article that is written on social media on child
care. He should locate websites that publish au-
thoritative articles on his respective area of inter-
est. These can be blogs, websites, verticals, news
posts or forum threads.
Step 3
Having selected the sites, the copy editor should
bookmark these sites, and subscribe to their RSS
(Rich Site Summary) feed or newsletters. This
way, he will get access to a stream of content on
his chosen subject as soon as it is published. It is
now for him to decide which of these write-ups
offer the greatest value. His success as a content
curator depends on his judgment. If he wants to
earn people’s respect, he must learn to pick the
right content quite like legendary American in-
vestor Warren Buffet who became the world’s
algorithms that powered computers to locate the
most downloaded, e-mailed or shared content.
Thanks to code writers, computers can be
called the “first curators”. Websites started promot-
ing content that was being read the most. And
more people started reading them. But then, they
realized that even the most intelligent machines
have limited intelligence. This is where humans
stepped in and today, content curation has become
an art.
CREATIVE PROCESS
To be respected as content curators, copy editors
need to take the following five steps:
Step 1
Copy editors need to identify a niche. This should
be an area where they already have some expertise
or where they are keen to acquire expertise
through hard work and determination. While se-
lecting the topic, they must ensure that it is of in-
terest to a large number of web users.
For instance, if a copy editor is passionate
about social media, he should spend considerable
time browsing articles on Facebook, Twitter or
Pinterest to learn how these platforms work. This
is a subject that interests marketers, content cre-
ators, businessmen and academics across the
world. It’s therefore a great subject to choose.
Another good subject is childcare. Every
young mother searches for information about the
best ways to raise a child. Bloggers and health pro-
fessionals realized this need early and there is an
abundance of such content on the net. The ques-
tion is how a harried mother will find the right
content. Google search throws up over a million
articles. A content curator can bridge the gap.
Copy editors
can browse
through vast
amounts of
content on the
net and share
the unique ones
with people
who are
hungry for it.
Over a period
of time, their
own following
will grow
and they will
emerge as
thought
leaders.
ALTERNATIVE CAREER?
(Left) Newsrooms are
not the only place for
copy editors, they can
also foray into content
curation
(Below) Picking the right
content on the net is
time-consuming, tough
and can be frustrating
Anil Shakya

richest man by picking the right stocks at the right
time and in the right companies.
Step 4
The next big task of copy editors is to bring these
nuggets or gems to the notice of people searching
for them. They can either tweet this content, put
it on their Facebook page, share it in their LinkedIn
feed or hyperlink it to their blog. They can also
turn to content curation platforms like Scoop.it,
Storify.com or Feedly.com. These platforms are
populated by content curators and bloggers and
have sizeable traffic of people looking for re-
searched content.
Step 5
Copy editors before sharing an article on a social
media platform must add their insights as to why
they consider the selected article readable. This is
great value addition for readers sifting through
hundreds of articles on a subject. Once satisfied,
they will start trusting all content curated by these
copy editors.
Of course, this trust does not come easily. First,
they have to select the right content. Two, and
more important, they have to explain why they are
recommending it. They cannot afford to make
mistakes if they want to emerge as thought leaders
with their own following. Social media platforms
HIGH DEMAND
Childcare could be
a subject for
content curators
to tap
too have recognized the importance of recom-
mended content. They promote shared content
that includes insights.
CURATION STRATEGIES
There are three smart ways in which copy editors
can start building their following:
Start a blog: Copy editors can start a blog on
their chosen subject. The frequency of the posting
can be once or twice a week or every day depend-
ing on how much time and effort they invest on
content curation. The blog should hyperlink the
best articles that the copy editor has found with
his insights.
Daily/Weekly newsletter: Copy editors can pub-
lish a daily/weekly newsletter. However, while
doing so, they should not overwhelm their sub-
scribers by pushing too much information. The
reason they are being respected is because they are
trying to make sense. Who would subscribe to
their newsletter if they add to the information and
clutter overload?
Share curated articles on social media plat-
forms: The goal should be to push the curated ar-
ticles on key platforms mentioned above where
the selections get noticed, and a following starts
building up. Buffer.com, which has built a great so-
cial sharing platform, recommends the following
frequency of sharing:
Twitter: Five shares a day
Facebook: Two shares a day
LinkedIn: One share a day (only on week-
days)
Google+: Up to five shares a day
While doing all this, the investment of the con-
tent curator is his time. The more time copy edi-
tors invest in this activity, the higher the returns.
Their knowledge will grow and so will their fol-
lowing. A few of them may even emerge as
thought leaders in their fields without creating
their own content.
— The writer is Dean, School of
Communication, GD Goenka University
Social Media
Curating Content

Controversy
Ministry of Ayush
N September 19, 2015, Pushp
Sharma, a Delhi-based free-
lance journalist, filed an RTI ap-
plication with the Ministry of
Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopa-
thy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH).
Included in the questions he sought answers to
was this one: “How many Muslim candidates were
invited, selected or sent abroad as Yoga trai-
ner/teacher during World Yoga Day 2015?”
The RTI query was forwarded to both the
Central Council for Research in Yoga & Natur-
opathy (CCRYN) and the Morarji Desai National
Institute of Yoga (MDNIY). The research officer
(Yoga) of CCRYN Surender Sandhu responded:
“The Council has not sent any member abroad as
Yoga trainers/teachers during World Yoga Day
2015.” The MDNIY response, signed by Public In-
formation Officer Dr IN Acharya, had just this to
say: “Information not available with MDNIY.”
The ministry’s response based on the informa-
tion provided by its International Cooperation
(IC) section was: “The Ministry of AYUSH had
requested the Indian Mission abroad to identify
O
A journalist’s query to the ministry regarding the number of Muslim
candidates recruited forYoga Day in 2015 lands him in trouble
BY MEHA MATHUR
RTI and its Aftershock
STRETCHING IT
PM Modi performs yoga on
Rajpath on June 21, 2015 to
mark International Yoga Day

upto three/four prominent Yoga Experts/enthusi-
asts from the countries under their jurisdiction
who would be interested to participate in the two
day ‘International Conference on Yoga for Holistic
Health’ organized during 21-22 June, 2015 at Vi-
gyan Bhawan, New Delhi. On the basis of infor-
mation received from the Indian Missions, the
invitations were sent to Yoga experts/enthusiasts
without reference to their religions.”
It was an annexure with the RTI response that
whipped up a storm. The annexure, providing the
list of candidates selected as Yoga teachers for as-
signment abroad (see below), stated: “Total 711
Muslims candidates applied for short term abroad
assignment (Trainer/Teacher) during World Yog
Day 2015. As per government policy – No Muslim
candidate was invited, selected or sent abroad.”
The entire RTI correspondence (including the
envelope in which he received the response) was
posted by Sharma on the website The Milli Ga-
zette. Subsequently, leading newspapers, maga-
zines and news portals flashed the story. The
Huffington Post ran this headline: “RTI Response
By Ayush Ministry Says It Is Against Government
Policy To Hire Muslims: Report”. And The Wire
reported: “As Per Government Policy, No Muslim
Candidate Was Invited, Selected or Sent Abroad’.”
The ministry was quick in denying that the in-
formation, namely the annexure, had been sent by
the ministry or any of its agencies. Ayush Minister
Sripad Naik stated that the document was fabri-
cated and defamatory in nature and that the mat-
ter would be probed.
JOURNALIST INTERROGATED
Sharma was interrogated by the Kotla Muba-
rakpur police for several days. Meanwhile, he
managed to post a “message” to his readers onThe
Milli Gazette: “My stand is the same now after this
ordeal at the hands of the Delhi Police. I got many
papers from the Ayush Ministry which any jour-
nalist will use if he gets such stuff which is harmful
to the interests of the social and secular fabric of
the country…. It seems the system is hell-bent to
do character assassination, arm-twisting and
stoops to the extent of mockery and issuing
threats just because of a story.”
As his ordeal continued, on March 18, he
wrote: “All these past three days, I have been de-
nied access to have one-to-one personal interac-
tion with my lawyers during interrogation. I am
forced to sit in a secluded dark room whose door
Pushp Sharma was
interrogated by the
Kotla Mubarakpur
police for several
days. The journo says
he got the RTI
response from the
Ayush ministry.
Controversy
Ministry of Ayush
The Ayush ministry
denied that it had
sent the information.
Minister Sripad
Naik stated that the
document was
fabricated and
defamatory in nature.

is left slightly ajar to let in fresh air while a cop
consistently keeps an eye on me. He follows me
even to the door of the toilet. During this daily
routine of long interrogation, I am allowed a single
brief interval to walk within the police station. At
times interrogators have used insulting words and
questioned my motives, I thank the cops for being
courteous enough to ask me if I needed water or
something to eat.”
Sripad Naik didn’t respond to repeated calls by
Views on News. Our attempts to get through to
various ministry officials, including Surender
Sandhu failed to get any response—his mobile
being “temporarily out of service”.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Many questions remained unanswered in the en-
tire episode. Two agencies of the ministry had
written that either no candidates were sent abroad
or information was not available. Where did the
annexure come from? Was it inadvertently pro-
vided by a ministry official or did none of the sen-
ior officers check the RTI response before it was
dispatched? Again, was the controversial “As per
government policy – No Muslim candidate was
invited …” a casually-framed statement from
someone in the ministry who didn’t have the fore-
sight to understand its implications?
What is interesting is that in the entire 44-page
RTI reply, the original response of the IC section
to the ministry was not included. What did it ac-
tually contain? Was the controversial annexure
part of that response?
But the big question that is troubling several
journalists is whether Sharma should have been
subjected to police interrogation for basing a story
on factually accurate or inaccurate information he
was officially provided by the Ayush ministry
under the RTI Act.
The big question troubling journalists is
whether Sharma should have been
subjected to police interrogation for basing
a story on “information” provided by the
Ayush ministry under the RTI Act.
EXPERIENCEWELLNESS
Ayurvedic treatment in
progress in Kerala

Shaktiman,the mare whose leg was amputated after an assault by political activists,
is a symbol of our broken republic—a permanent and searing reminder of the dark
forces that now threaten to consume us and our possible futures
VON brings in each issue, the best
written commentary on any subject.
The following write-up from The
Wire has been picked by our team
of editors and reproduced for our
readers as the best in the fortnight.
forgettably in that hopeful moment in the 1940s
when Orwell was moved by the prospect of the
anti-fascist struggle becoming a popular demo-
cratic movement. The desired revolution would
happen, as it were, painlessly—almost by osmo-
sis. It was a magic moment, and Orwell has writ-
ten memorably about its briefly glimpsed
revolutionary possibilities. The fable was com-
pleted in somewhat changed circumstances—
and the original vision of a people roused to a
RWELL’S great satire, Animal
Farm, was inspired by the sight
of a small boy mercilessly beat-
ing a great cart-horse. He was
struck by the thought that if
only the horse were to become conscious of its
strength, that puny carter wouldn’t last too long:
“…if only animals became aware of their
strength we should have no power over them.”
It was a powerful insight, and flowered un-
O
Editors’ Pick
Alok Rai
TheyShootHorses,
Don’tThey?
FROMTHE
HORSE’S MOUTH
The assault on
Shaktiman
portends a future
when a collective
criminality will
take over India

realization of their invincible strength was trans-
formed into one that told, again unforgettably,
of the betrayal of those hopes and those possi-
bilities, and of the restoration of the old, unjust
order, albeit in a new guise. The pigs rule now
— and in some versions, they wear black coats,
and pretend to be lawyers.
I
was reminded of this sequence by the
shocking, heartbreaking footage of the BJP
MLA, Ganesh Joshi, mercilessly wielding
his lathi at a beautiful white horse as his party
activists surged around. The great mare which
we now know as Shaktiman, infinitely more
graceful than the louts who set upon her, looks
oddly placid, somewhat baffled by this violence
— but still, distant and god-like — until she is,
finally, felled by one last vicious assault.
The horse collapses — and the louts move on
to their next victims. But before we turn to the
meanings of this emblematic moment, let us
step back a little to that other moment, when
Kanhaiya Kumar was brought to the Patiala
House courts in the custody of the police, if not
quite under police guard. Because of course, the
one thing that the police of BS “minor scuffle”
Bassi failed to do was to guard their ward from
the shocking violence which was meted out to
him by so-called lawyers. They even boasted
about it later — on tape, apparently — although
it is unclear what there is to boast about in beat-
ing up a young, defenceless person who might
even be naive enough to believe that the police
were there to protect him. One of these black-
coated blackguards, an activist with the BJP even
offered this explanation for his shameful (and
oddly, shameless) conduct: upon seeing Kan-
haiya Kumar, meri desh-bhakti ubhar aayee (my
nationalism burst forth).
So now we know. If there are any out there
who are under any illusions as to the kind of
people that we are dealing with—the kind of
people who are coming out of the woodwork,
emboldened by the installation of a regime that
provides them with a practical, if not formal, im-
munity against legal deterrence— there is now
no room for doubt. We are dealing with serious
psychopaths here. It makes not a jot of differ-
ence that this psychopathology enjoys a kind of
collective respectability as being part of the
Sangh Parivar, or that its foot-soldiers wrap
themselves in the national flag as they execute
their dangerous designs—whether it is targeting
respected professors in Karnataka, or baby-faced
students in police custody or a humble black-
smith settling down to dinner in Dadri.
The one thing that the police of BS “minor
scuffle” Bassi failed to do was to guard their
ward (Kanhaiya Kumar) from the shocking
violence meted out to him by so-called
lawyers. They even boasted about it later.
ATTHE RECEIVING END
Kashmiri Pandits have been
cruelly exiled from their homeland

I am not so naive as to believe that these —
or such—instances exhaust the range of violence
that is on offer as part of our daily diet. There is
Malda, and the chopped-up Hindu activists of
Kerala, and … and … and of course, the big
ones, 1984 and 2002. And don’t leave out the
Kashmiri Pandits, cruelly exiled from their
homeland. But let me add, by the way, that from
where I live, these instances of violence do not
cancel each other out, as they seem to do in
some weird way to the communal-minded. They
add up. But even so, there is a crucial difference
between violence that is perceived as violence,
as something shameful, something that must be
hidden, and even disavowed – and violence that
is perceived as something sanctified, almost a
form of patriotic duty, an affirmation of some
perverted “nationalism”.
I suppose it says something about me — and
I’m not even sure what it says! — but it is the
sight of that broken horse that finally brings
home to me the sheer grotesqueness of the cruel
Editors’ Pick
Alok Rai
and violent ideology that is in the process of tak-
ing over our country. Ideology is misleading
here — since it suggests some link with ideas —
but what we are dealing with is a psychopathic
mentality, a collective criminality which doesn’t
become less criminal because it is widely shared.
So, Shaktiman.
I
n the old days, there was no way of repair-
ing a horse’s broken leg, and it was common
practice—and even considered kind—to
kill the horse. We seem to have made some small
advance in veterinary science, since that beauti-
ful great white horse is going to be allowed to
live—but with an amputated leg. I propose that
we adopt Shaktiman as a symbol of our broken
republic—a permanent and searing reminder of
the dark forces that now threaten to consume us
and our possible futures.
—Alok Rai is a writer and former professor of
literature who taught at Delhi University and
Allahabad University.
It is the sight
of that broken
horse that
brings home to
me the sheer
grotesqueness
of the cruel
and violent
ideology that
is taking over
our country.
SILENT SUFFERER
Shaktiman after
the amputation
with a temporary
prosthetic limb

EDIA-GO-ROUND
Avideo of a sting operation
was released by the news
portal Narada News on March 14.
It reportedly showed 11 senior
Trinamool Congress (TMC)
leaders and a senior police officer
promising favors and
accepting money from representa-
tives of a fictitious firm.
The TMC, however, called the
footage “manufactured” and
threatened to go to court while the
opposition demanded TMC
chief Mamata Banerjee’s
resignation.
The 24-minute-ong video called
X Files shows the top leaders of
the TMC accepting money for favors
to a fictitious company. The video
has gone viral.
Actors Arjun Kapoor
and Kareena Kapoor’s
film Ki & Ka has been
granted a U/A certificate
by the Censor Board,
which means that the
kissing scenes between
the lead actors will be re-
tained in the movie.
“Arjun and Kareena
play a married couple. It's
normal to show some inti-
macy in a marriage.
R Balki has handled these
scenes beautifully,” said
Pahlaj Nihalani, censor
board chief. Ki & Ka has
been passed without any
visual cuts and two minor
verbal cuts with
abusive words in English
that have been deleted.
—Compiled by Sonal Gera
Times Now
told to apologize
Kissing scenes retained in Ki & Ka
Uproar overTMC sting operation
The News Broadcasting Stan-
dards Authority has asked
news channel Times Now to
issue an apology and pay a fine
for its one-sided reporting of
the Jasleen Kaur (below) case.
Kaur, a student of Delhi Univer-
sity, accused Sarabjit Singh, of
harassing her verbally at a road
crossing in the capital. A photo
of the incident taken by her was
splashed across news chan-
nels, including Times Now in
August 2015.
The NBSA pointed out:
“Media, howsoever bona fide
its intentions are, cannot act as
the judge, jury, prosecutor and
investigator in regard to any
matter pending before a court
or under investigation.”
Chargesheet
against FTII students
Afew FTII students were listed in a
chargesheet on March 14 for allegedly
gheraoing the institute's director, Prashant
Pathrabe, in 2015. The Deccan Gymkhana
police, which is probing the case, filed
the chargesheet against 35 students and the next
hearing is on April 2, the prosecution said. Thirty
of them were later granted bail.
The FTII students, who were on a strike for
139 days last year against the appointment of
BJP member and TV actor Gajendra Chauhan
as FTII chairman, had allegedly gheraoed
Pathrabe in his office on August 17.
The Delhi government has
decided to start a new ad-
vertisement campaign with
“azadi” as the catchword to
publicize the work done by it in
the national capital. “Azadi” be-
came a popular term recently
amidst the JNU row which saw
a sedition case being regis-
teredagainst student leader
Kanhaiya Kumar.
Under the campaign,
posters will be installed in dif-
ferent parts of the city and ad-
vertisements will be placed in
newspapers and radio.
AAP appropriates “azadi”

TV Review
Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai
N a fresh departure from the ca-
cophony of daily soaps that deal
with screeching mothers-in-law
and daughters-in-law that turn
into snake goddesses, is a new
show on &TV called Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan
Hai. This saga of two sisters and their musical
journey is uncannily similar to the lives of leg-
endary playback singers and sisters, Lata
Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.
Produced by Nivedita Basu of Kyunki Saas
Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi fame, the show is set in an
idyllic Maharashtrian village, Nag Thane. This
I
This show which bears an
uncanny resemblance to
the rivalry between the
Mangeshkar sisters is
refreshing and soulful
BY TITHI MUKHERJEERight Chord
Striking the
is a story of Kalyani and Ketaki, sisters who grew
up under the masterful tutelage of their pass-
ionate father, Raja Ram Gaikwad. While the
younger version of the two sisters is played by
Amrita Rao (Kalyani) and Aditi Vasudev (Ke-
taki), Deepti Naval and Zarina Wahab play the
older Kalyani and Ketaki respectively.
The show starts in the present day, with
Kalyani and Ketaki’s chance encounter with each
other at a press conference. They are older, suc-
cessful and estranged. Kalyani, the elder sister,
has a fairly deglamorized avatar reminiscent of
Lata Mangeshkar’s demure nature, complete

with pastel saris, while Ketaki’s style is more
contemporary with expensive pearl necklaces
akin to Asha Bhosle’s persona.
The show goes into a flashback minutes after
the two protagonists are introduced. It is 1978
and a simpler world, with stark, black and white
realities. Raja Ram Gaikwad is struggling against
poverty’s cruel clutches, which may force him to
sell his academy, Rang Sangeet. It is a place
which he has imbued with a passion for Indian
classical music and dance. He trains his two
daughters, who are gradually blooming into
zealous singers. Much like their conflicting in-
dividual styles, their attitudes to life are different
too. Whilst Ketaki is a feisty young girl who
beats up her cousin for insinuating lies against
their family, Kalyani is the obedient, elder
daughter of the Gaikwad household.
CAPTIVATING SILVER SCREEN TOO
The show is reminiscent of Sai Paranjpye’s 1997
film, Saaz, starring Aruna Irani and Shabana
Azmi. The film made similar attempts at por-
traying the legendary conflict between Lata
Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.
Mansi and Bansi, the sisters in Paranjpye’s
film, find themselves in Bombay, a city that
overwhelms them after their father’s death. As
each of them explores their singing careers, they
branch off from their father’s guidance. Irani
plays an egotistical Mansi who discourages her
sister from venturing into the commercial world
of music, whilst Azmi’s Bansi is the docile
younger sister who finds herself struggling in a
violent marriage.
Maharashtra is the common setting
Although it is rumored to be a direct
inspiration from the alleged professional
rivalry between the Mangeshkar sisters,
Deepti Naval claims that the show is not
about the legendary sister-duo at all.
TAKE ONE
(Above) Saaz, a 1997 movie
directed by Sai Paranjpye,
also dealt with the theme of
professional rivalry between
two sisters

shared by all three narratives, with the TV show
brilliantly using the rustic landscape in its cine-
matography. The show explores the struggles of
classical forms of music before film music com-
pletely overshadowed it.
DIFFICULT CHOICES
Raja Ram’s battle is a tug of war between ideals
and need—when he has to sacrifice his art and
culture for the sake of a new world that is run by
money. We all know the end of this story. With
the advent of playback singing and the growing
popularity of cinema, theatre and forms like
dance-dramas were relegated to the fringes.
Kalyani and Ketaki, too, end up embracing the
profession and eventually excel at their craft, but
do they ever reconcile as sisters?
Although it is rumored to be a direct inspi-
ration from the alleged professional rivalry be-
tween the Mangeshkar sisters, Deepti Naval has
dismissed it and said that the show is not about
the legendary sister-duo at all. She says that it is
a very different life that the sisters share and
their trials and tribulations are different too.
EDITING FLAWS
For a show that is dipped in music, the back-
ground score heavily resembles the soulful
theme of Shankar Nag’s 90s TV show, Malgudi
Days. Initially a tad slow-paced, the show could
do with crisper editing as there are unnaturally
long dialogues and silences in some parts. In its
entirety, it is a welcome change from the raucous
background music and dramatic graphic ele-
ments often seen in average Indian TV shows.
The show is full of the nostalgia that grips
every person born before the new millennium
when happiness meant the simple joys of life.
This was a time when promoting music per-
formances meant distributing heaps of pam-
phlets in loud colors rather than doing so
through an online social media invite. As the sis-
ters run around the village, sticking pamphlets
for their father’s upcoming show on walls of
houses and standalone theatres, the pleasures of
an uncomplicated past flash before our eyes.
Meri Awaaz… has struck all the right chords
with its fresh content, perfect casting and soulful
insights into the music industry.
TV Review
Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai
Whilst Ketaki is
a feisty young
girl who beats
up her cousin
for insinuating
lies against
their family,
Kalyani (Deepti
Naval, above) is
the obedient,
elder daughter
of the Gaikwad
household.

S THE WORLD TURNS
—Compiled by Tithi Mukherjee
In the GOP preliminaries on March 15,
Donald Trump won North Carolina,
Illinois and Florida and tied in Missouri.
In his victory speech, Trump praised his
campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski.
Only last week, ex-Breitbart news
reporter Michelle Fields had filed
charges against Lewandowski for
allegedly assaulting her during an event
in Florida. Trump’s championing of
his campaign manager sent out another
indication of his disdain for the media, he
so often calls “disgusting”. While
he laments against “lies, deceit,
viciousness [and] disgusting reporters,
horrible reporters”, he dismisses the fact
that his presidential campaign has been
aided by the media, without the need for
primetime features. This week,
The New York Times, with the
help of two independent tracking
firms evaluated the money generated
in promoting Trump, to a
whopping $1.9 billion.
Trump’s rising media value
An announcement to slash 120
editorial posts has compelled
journalists of Fairfax Media to go on
strike. The company decided to ter-
minate these employees across its
Melbourne and Sydney newsrooms.
This affects the news and business
divisions of Fairfax Media, along
with newspapers like The Sydney
Morning Herald, The Age in
Melbourne and The Australian
Financial Review. The journalists,
through their social media
accounts, have jointly decided to
strike against the company. Editorial
director Sean Aylmer sent out
emails to employees stating that the
company believes it can reach
targets by tightening contributor
costs and redundancies.
British director Andrew Haigh’s Weekend was
an unprecedented box office hit in Italy after
the Vatican’s attempts to ban it because of its
homosexual content. Weekend is an independent
film about two men who venture into a sexual re-
lationship a week before one of them leaves the
country. The Italian Conference of Bishops’ Film
Evaluation Commission tagged the film as “not
advised, unusable and scabrous (indecent or
salacious)”. According to Variety, the film at-
tained the highest per-screen average in the
country this weekend. It was released in theaters
in the UK in 2011 and is available on Netflix in
the US.
Apple recently added more features to its news
app. Apple News is undergoing an expansion
in the amount of news content featured on it. It
has roped in local newspapers, bloggers and inde-
pendent publishers as contributors to the news
format. Since the app’s inception last September,
over 100 media companies including The New
York Times and Conde Nast have partnered with it.
The news app will now be able to facilitate person-
alized recommendations based on user choices.
Fairfax axes 120 jobs
Apple News expands
British gay film is a
hit in Italy
Uganda’s Attorney-General Fred
Ruhindi (right) has proposed a
new bill titled,The Uganda Commu-
nications (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The two-page bill seeks to bestow
unconditional powers to the execu-
tive arm of the government, en-
abling it to control communications
in any way this sector’s minister
deems fit. Minister for Information
and Communication Technology
(ICT) John Nasasira proposed an
amendment to the law to remove
the clause recommending parlia-
mentary approval for
regulations by him.
Human rights activists and op-
position legislators fear “serious
consequences” that
may result from
giving
unrestrained
powers to the
ICT minister.
Uganda seeks to
gag media

Media Monitoring
TMM Survey
The previous fortnight had news channels crying foul over Vijay Mallya
leaving the country, analyzing the Uttarakhand crisis and commenting
on India’s performance in the T-20 World Cup.TMM Research brings
you a statistical breakup of events that hogged the limelight
Top News on
Electronic Media

Toplegalissuescoveredbyvarious
channels(numberofhours)
SpecialcoverageofBudgetSession
byIndianmedia(numberofhours)
27.43
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Aaj Tak Zee
News
India TV APN
News
Times
Now
India
Today
NDTVABP
News
14.17
2.48
1.43
19.54
23.31
15.21
20.12
14.36
16.54
10.4
1.32
0.48
9.36
1.56
0.53
12.06
1.52
0.44
1.06
0.39
4.41
10.16
9.32
6.43
0.47
0.36
1.13
0.43
11.47
1.53
0.48
Zee
News
INDIA
TV
APN
News
Times
Now
INDIA
Today
Aaj Tak NDTVABP
News
7.43
6.32
2.12
1.37
6.09
1.03
3.56
5.03
1.23
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
4.05
1.43
2.48
2.57
5.13
1.05
3.13
2.15
4.3
1.21
9.12
4.35
6.32
2.38
5.43
3.06
6.1
1.35
6.15
3.24
4.15
1.27
The Budget Session JNU Row
Vijay Mallya’s tweet: “I’m not an absconder”
Nivedita Menon and Kuldeep
Varshney on JNU row
Asaduddin Owaisi: “I will not chant
Bharat Mata Ki Jai”
Rahul Gandhi’s “Fair and Lovely” statement
PM: “Some people age but do not mature”
Cricket T20Asaduddin Owaisi’s remark
State elections Vijay Mallya case
Uttarakhand crisis Holi Other news Vijay Mallya National Court of Appeal
(APN had maximum coverage of legal issues)
(The graph is in number of hours)
JNU row
21%
10%
14%
13%
9%5%
15%
9%
4%
23%
22%
26%
15%
14%
Topnewscoveredby
differentnewschannels
Controversialstatements
Art of Living
Rail Budget Land BillAadhar BillGeneral Budget
2.46

NEWSDATE NEWS CHANNEL TIME
8/3/16
8/3/16
9/3/16
10/3/16
11/3/16
11/3/16
MadrasHighCourtgrantsone-dayparoleto
NaliniSriharan.Sheisservinglifesentence
intheRajivGandhiassassinationcase.
NDAblinksonEPFtax.FMArunJaitley
tellsparliamentthatthetaxonEPF
balancewillberolledback.
Controversy marks India-PakWorld Cup
T20 tie in Dharamshala. Pak’s interior
minister to take a call. Match may be
shifted to Kolkata.
MNSchiefRajThackerayraises“Marathi
agenda,”askspartyworkerstoburnautos
withnewpermits.Saysmajorityofnew
permitsfornon-Marathis.
12/3/16
12:10 PM 12:10 PM 12:11 PM
10:48 AM 10:49 AM
10:03 AM
11:36 AM
8:04 AM
11:36 AM 11:37 AM
6/3/16
AnintelligenceinputfromPakistan
nationalsecurityadvisoralertsIndiaofa
possibleLashkarattackinGujarat.Abig
unitofNSGteamreachesAhmedabad. 8:18 AM8:18 AM
SriSriRaviShankar’sWorldCultureFestival
kicksofftodayinDelhi.Unionminister
VenkaiahNaidusaysitisaculturalfestival,
willbringglorytoIndia. 9:20 AM8:59 AM
CBIknewVijayMallyawasfleeingIndia.
ImmigrationauthoritieshadtoldCBIabout
hisexit.UproaroverCBI’sreluctancetostop
Mallyaattheairport. 9:30AM9:21AM 9:40AM
PMModiinauguratesthenewly
constructedDigha-Sonepurrail-cum-road
bridgeinBihar.Focusesondevelopmentin
eastIndiainhisspeech. 4:05PM 4:06PM
8:03 AM
8:58 AM
9:45AM
8:19 AM
11:37 AM
12:11 PM
10:51 AM10:50 AM
8:05 AM
9:24 AM
9:20AM
4:05PM 4:06PM

Here are some of the major news items aired on television
channels, recorded by our unique 24x7 dedicated media
monitoring unit that scrutinizes more than 130 TV channels in
different Indian languages and looks at who breaks the news first.
DATE NEWS CHANNEL TIME
NEWS
13/3/16
14/3/16
14/3/16
17/3/16
BJP to raise the IS-RSS comment issue in
the Rajya Sabha. Congress leader Ghulam
Nabi Azad had compared the terror outfit
IS to RSS. 5:01 AM 5:01 AM
8:57 AM8:46 AM
TheEthicsCommitteeoftheLokSabha
servesnoticetoRahulGandhiondual
nationalityissue.Thecommitteeisheaded
byBJPleaderLKAdvani.
A high-level probe team formed by
Home Minister Rajnath Singh to look
into issues in the Ishrat Jahan case. All
concerned officials to face enquiry. 4:01 PM 4:02 PM4:01 PM
10:01 AM10:0O AM 10:36 AM
ForeignministerSushmaSwarajandPak
foreignaffairsadvisorSartajAzizmeetin
Nepalforbilateraltalks.AteamfromPakto
visitIndiaonMarch27toprobetheattack.
16/3/16
JavedAkhtartrainshisgunsonAIMIM
leaderAsaduddinOwaisiintheRajya
Sabha.Sayswhat’swronginchanting
BharatMataKiJai.
15/3/16
PopeFrancisannouncedfromVatican
thatMotherTeresawillbecomeasainton
September4.Thesainthoodcomesafter
19yearsofherdeath.
7:45 PM
14/3/16
WillnotchantBharatMatakiJaievenif
youputaknifetomythroat,saysAIMIM
leaderAsaduddinOwaisi.
3:35 PM
14/3/16
LahoreHighCourtserveslegalnoticeto
PakistancricketteamcaptainShahidAfridi
overhis“morelovedinIndiathanPakistan”
comment.Giveshim15daystorespond. 4:25 PM 4:26 PM
3:34 PM
10:35 AM
4:25 PM
3:40 PM
4:27 PM 4:32 PM 4:32 PM
5:01 AM
5:00 AM
8:46 AM 10:06 AM
4:02 PM
4:26 PM
5:01 PM
3:32 PM
7:45 PM 7:46 PM 7:46 PM

DESIGNSTHATMADE
IMAGINATIVEUSEOF
PHOTOGRAPHS,FONTS,
COLORANDWHITESPACES
TOLEAVEAN
IMPRESSION
By ANTHONY LAWRENCE
Design
American media’s
paranoia with Donald
Trump is increasing by
the day. Here’s another
cover illustration,
bemoaning the fall in
leadership standards.
The Indian tiger is on the prowl, surveying
virtual possibilities.
A powerful illustration demonstrating how
voters are psyched into casting their
votes for the desired candidate, creating
imaginary demons.
So suffocating is the debate on national-
ism the world over that you are either
“with us” or a traitor. There’s no room for
reason. The iron fist says it all.

Views On News 07 April 2016

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Views On News 07 April 2016