The time is now

By Shailaja Bajpai

Posted : Nov 04, 2008 (Indian Express)

Dr Manmohan Singh is in clear and present danger of being mistaken for his home minister. Saturday, Dr Singh, along with Sonia Gandhi, visited Guwahati 48 hours after the series of bomb blasts, looking like he would rather be anywhere but. And what did the prime minister say to the nation, after the sixth terrorist attack since July? — “there can be no compromise with terrorism”. Sounds familiar? Sounds like Shivraj Patil after every attack.

Meanwhile, NDA prime ministerial candidate, L.K.Advani, was in Assam 24 hours earlier blaming the Centre for the blasts — something he does each time there is an attack. But whenever there is a crisis, be it Assam or the arrest of Sadhvi Pragya S. Thakur, he is on the air before Dr Singh. Advani is seen to be communicating with the people whereas the prime minister seems to be in deep communion with himself.

When the financial crisis hit us harder than Shah Rukh Khan punched Saif Ali Khan in the stomach so hard it ‘hurts’, we saw the PM make a reassuring statement in Parliament; we heard him worry on board the flight to Japan and from China. But not once did he call a media meet or address the nation in a televised broadcast to explain the how, why, what and what now of the crash. George Bush did it, Sarkozy did it, Gordon Brown did it, why even the prime minister of Iceland must have done it but our prime minister, a most respected economist, allows others to do his talking for him. Yes, actions speak better than words but words explain actions and the public needs that to make sense of events. Yes, the PM has issued statements but TV edits those into a sound byte, making Dr Singh sound offhand, distant. These are, if not the worst of times, bad times and he needs to be seen and heard much more.

Last week’s coverage of the Assam bomb blasts had something new and something very old. Something very old: constant interruptus, the television disorder afflicting anchors who invite someone to speak but never allow them to. As in:

Vikram Chandra (The Big Fight): Jayanti Natarajan, why is the Centre, so slow to act in Maharashtra?

Natarajan: I don’t agree with the framing of your question, there were three different cases...

Chandra: Alright, let’s take an audience poll on how many of you think the Centre was slow? Everyone.

Natarajan: That’s because you did not let me finish my sentence...

On CNN-IBN with Rajdeep Sardesai, Montek S.Ahluwalia on the financial crisis: Although the (Sensex) investment is relatively small, we are concerned about...

Rajdeep Sardesai: Rajeev Chandrashekhar do you agree?

Rajeev Chandrashekhar: Yes, yes...

Ahluwalia: Can I finish my sentence?

Something new: While NDTV announced up to 18 blasts in Assam (officially there were 11), CNN-IBN was the only channel to stay with the official figures of blasts and deaths and refuse to speculate. Positive change. Also, Times Now hid the badly injured or the dead instead of giving them Page 3 type coverage. Good Times.

Something unchanged: speculation. Within an hour of the blasts, the channels had named Harkut, HUJI, Indian Mujahideen, Ulfa trained in Assam, Ulfa trained in Bangladesh by Bangladesh military intelligence and probably vice versa as the perpetrators without any evidence.

Onto more serious matters: are channels saving rupees by telecasting the same film, week in and out? Every weekend/week sees Malamaal Weekly on Sahara One and Guru on Max.

Ajay Devgan was On the Couch with Koel Purie (Headlines Today) and like Chunky Pandey on Zara Nach Ke Dikha, he insisted on wearing dark glasses. Why? Does he think she is an eyesore?

Lastly, placement advertising on Indian Idol — one contestant (pretends?) to have a cough and another helpfully says, ‘I know just what will cure you’. Cut to her reaching inside a desk drawer to pull out Vicks Ginger lozenges: ‘here this will cure your gale mein khich-khich.’ Note: the girl had a scratchy performance.

(shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com)