From My Inbox To Fib-erals

Here’s classic prose: “We Jesuit-educated, English newspaper-reading citizens who are “hostage to the Delhi-based bogus Left-liberal commentariat”. Also, apparently, the “drum-beaters of the Establishment”. This description of us is from the mission statement of the just-launched Niti Central, a news website promoted by Friends of the BJP…  and funded by Rajesh Jain, one of the country’s most well-known Internet entrepreneurs (he sold his company for Rs. 499 crore in 1999 to Ramalinga Raju who was arrested for fraud a decade later)”. Ahem! That is someone who goes by the name of Priya Ramani, writes columns for Livemint (“We the endangered people” September 8). The article is not very different from how Prakash Karat defends political murders by CPM goons. Rajesh Jain who funds NitiCentral also sold something to Ramalinga Raju who was arrested for fraud and therefore NitiCentral is born out of blood-stained money I suppose. Clever, very clever, isn’t it?

I get some mails every day. Most of these have compliments, suggestions, links to articles or incidents worth covering on this blog. I will share some of these mails and also some tweets from those in the media as we go along. Here’s a mail I received from a self-confessed “elite”, also a fan of this blog, who mentions the Delhi circle of ‘crème-de-la-crème’ doesn’t accept my articles too well for some reasons. (No reference to Ramani). Frankly, I don’t expect them to, no matter what. 

The mail further states that my being from Gujarat makes the posts suspect for them. (Er.. tainted like RajeshJain-funded?) Ah well, given their persuasions it would snow in Gujarat in May if the same posts were to be written from Kumbakonam I suppose. Still, the writer of the mail seemed to argue my case with friends. My reply was:  What is written is more important than who writes it. And my added advice to this friend was not to argue for me: “It’s better to lose an argument than lose a friend”. That’s a value system. Values can change, principles are enduring.

Here’s a tweet from someone who calls herself a columnist. Not exactly a big celebrity, but a columnist is mostly an “Opinionist”. Yeah, a lot like Ramani. Although the tweet wasn’t to me it refers to MediaCrooks and suggests undisclosed profiles lack courage. My response to that is also given. The reason I have blacked out her name is that this could have come from any of those media celebs who use this line when they run out of rationale. In just a few minutes this pompous, opinionated columnist will discover what some journalists on the ground really think. Come to think of it, the nation owes a great debt to the person who leaked the Radiagate tapes. That’s an anonymous person who hasn’t been identified. Imagine, if instead of Simon Denyer of WaPo someone called Maneetar Dumbari had written the same “tragic figure” article in a newspaper in Bihar, the media or PMO wouldn’t even have heard of it. That’s true, our elites are so steeped in the celebrity cult that any view counts only if it has a “tag” on it. That’s when commie-liberals, no Fib-erals, stand up and take notice. 499 Crores does get the attention of Priya Ramani. Doesn’t surprise me!

Over a decade ago I read a book about P&G, one of the most respected companies in the world. It was titled “Winning with the P&G 99” by an ex-employee, Charles Decker. The book deals with the 99 principles that made and keep P&G a great company. I have never forgotten some of those principles and here’s one of them:

“The prevailing attitude (in P&G) is that WHAT is right is far more important than WHO is right. Facts, truth, logic have far more authority at P&G than any individual” --Brad Butler, former P&G Chairman.

It’s a principle that is imprinted in my mind. Which is why I also hold the principle that what is written is more important than who writes it. This blog rarely relies on mere opinions. The posts attempt the best to use hard, indisputable facts. But since logic and reason don’t work with prejudiced minds this site also generously uses sarcasm, humour and gentle ridicule. But hey, facts, logic, truth aren’t for our supposed MSM journalists most of whom neither have principles nor values. Facts, truth, logic have far more authority at P&G he says. In his G+ Hangout, Narendra Modi made an important point. “Criticism needs research. In absence of that it will be just allegations”. Because our media celebs don’t research and merely peddle opinions, there is a consistent and glaring disconnect that is easy to expose. Naturally, it makes them feel “endangered”.

Here’s another mail. This one is from a mainstream journalist as he refers to himself. He says “don’t tell anyone… I might get fired”. He’s a Journalist, not an opinionated columnist like the tweeter and Ramani earlier.That’s the life journalists who are not celebs live. I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me either. I guess the man must have checked up the whole internet to find out who I am, where I live and what dark organisations I am associated with before he wrote to me. Haha! That’s what media celebs are scared of – simple facts and truths. But the hardworking journalists on the ground know what they go through, how their voices are suppressed or their notes twisted.

Here’s another one. Surprise! Again from a journalist! Now, “detailing” is not possible unless you fact-check. You don’t have to fact-check to peddle opinions. Read the blogs and columns from most media celebs, you can easily tell they are not only very personalised opinions but also agenda-driven. The honest truth is, the journalists in the mails have simply gone by what’s written on this site and not by who writes it. That’s the true test of how good a message or article is. That will be the day when celebs in the MSM start evaluating their own values, principles and prejudices reflected in their writes and tweets.

Now here’s another principle from the P&G 99: If a decision has to be made in the absence of facts, never confuse personal opinions with informed judgment. Specifically, ''The data suggests...'' is safer than beginning with “I think” or “In my opinion”…That’s perfect advice for many of our columnists.

Now here’s a tweet that should shock those who still believe an “ID tag” is what counts if what is written has to be worth it. This is not from a follower or a fan of this blog. This is from a very prominent reporter who is on News TV almost every day. The person knows me as much as the person whose tweet I quoted first. Zero, absolute stranger! The most abused line on TV has to be: “Having said that...” Next time you hear that line you can easily identify the ‘opinionated’ hawker. Why would a reasonable person say something and then go on to say something contradictory? Even worse, if they have to say “having said that...” then why say that thing in the first place? 

So you see, the problem with our media crooks is not the identity really. It is that ordinary people can openly and courageously say the right thing freely but the crooks are bound by the agenda of the organisation they are chained to. Not facts, truth or logic! The other thing to learn is that hardworking journalists on the ground have absolutely nothing in common with the opinion-peddling, opinion-swinging celebs and anchors. There could be more surprises in store.

Simple Simon & The PrimeMin

The Americans play this game in a diamond shaped field. It somewhat resembles the game of Cricket, except instead of a wicket-keeper they have an umpire behind the hitter or batter. (Friend points out the umpire stands behind a crouching catcher). They also have the rule “three strikes and you’re out”. The ‘Three Strikes’ rule is also used by American states where a person convicted of three criminal offences is sentenced for life. Simon Denyer is an American journalist with the Washington Post but let’s not take those rules too seriously when it comes to lampooning our Prime Minister. First, the two strikes:

There, one by TIME as ‘The Underachiever’ and two by The Independent as ‘Poodle or Puppet’ (The Independent doesn’t seem to be sure which one). And the third strike was delivered by Simon himself in an article titled: “India’s ‘silent’ prime minister becomes a tragic figure”. For short, I’ll call it “Silent, Tragic figure” (STF).

In a discussion over Simon’s article in the Washington Post calling Manmohan Singh a STF on CNN-IBN on September 5 Manish Tiwari had some interesting statistics to offer. ManishT, the Congress spokesperson, mentioned that “In the last one year, the PM has held 7 press conferences and has given 82 speeches and therefore to say that he is a silent PM is completely erroneous and out of line”. That clarified the ‘S’ part but not the ‘TF’ part. Seven pressers and 82 speeches? Wow! I guess I was measuring climate change in Greenland when all that happened. And yes, Rajdeep Sardesai the “newsman” didn’t ask ManishT “when and where”? As a ‘silent’ observer I can safely risk stating that all those 82 speeches were ‘ceremonial’ speeches and do not amount to ‘talking to the people’ which is what most articles about the STF are all about. Speeches on I-Day, at the UN, at meetings of govt department heads or CMs, speeches at party meets and most recently at the redundant NAM meet in Teheran. ManishT probably also includes maybe a rare speech in parliament. Seven press conferences? Must be the ones mid-air on board Air India One.

Oh yes, I do recall the PM talking to the media and people on the ground too. I remember all those times when he said “I condemn this terrorist attack”, “This is a dastardly attack by cowards”, “Terrorists had the advantage of surprise”, “The guilty will be brought to justice” and many similar ones. The Simons of this world don’t seem to realise that terrorists have the knack of making MMS talk unlike foreign journalists.

Let’s go back in time a bit. On June 28, 2011 this is what the TOI reported: “Manmohan Singh has so far held only three nationally televised press conferences in the last seven years has been prime minister but has not been known to give interviews to the Indian media. He last spoke to editors of some TV channels four months ago”. Remember that one? That’s the one with TV editors where Harish Khare, then MMS’ media adviser, told Arnab Goswami “It’s not an inquisition”. So June end 2011 MMS decided on an “image makeover plan” and swore “to interact with editors every week” and end this ‘silent’ tag. So he had a meeting with a select group of five chosen editors on June 29, 2011.

Why in an age of excess of communication tools would the PM of the largest democracy on earth call five editors and have a secret press conference with them? And then it was left to cronies like Kumar Ketkar of Divya Marathi and Alok Mehta of Nai Duniya to relay the discussions with MMS and interpret what STF said. For a day both Kumar and Mehta were acting PMs themselves. I had then called it “PM’s friendly fire”. What was promised as a regular weekly meet with the press started and ended with the one single farcical meet on June 29, 2011.

Before you could say “Simple Simon met a Prime-min” the PMO was demanding apologies. Some tweeted he had apologised, then clarified he had not. After thinking about it the whole night Pankaj Pachauri, the current media adviser to PM, sent a written response to Simon. Of all the laments, the classic Pachauri lament was “You told me sorry twice” on the phone. For what? Because the PMO had told Simon no interviews till end of monsoon session of parliament and he carried the article without PM’s version. That interview schedule could be anytime between now and May 2014. You take your pick. Pachauri’s note is like the one of an angry mother to a teacher about bad scores of her kid in the exams.

Of course, our courageous Indian media stood right behind Simon in condemning the demand of apology by the Congress, the govt and the PMO. Even Shoma Chaudhaury ridiculed the apology demand. Every media celeb worth anything condemned the apology demand. Yeah, it was ONE voice! Topping all the condemnations was Barkha Dutt. She was truly surprised that the govt went into a tizzy over Simon’s piece. She even tweeted on September 5: “Odd thing is the Indian media is often just as scathing in its critique of UPA but that doesn’t send the government into a tizzy”.

I really can’t remember when the Indian media was ever nice or fair to the UPA or MMS. They have been so consistently scathing in their criticism that it’s right to believe that the govt is now tired and beyond complaining even. You see, Simple Simon didn’t learn from the Indian media. The most scathing attack doesn’t come through words. It comes through hugs and high-fives. That’s how they rattle the living daylights out of the Congress and UPA. I’m positive if Simon had gotten an interview with MMS he could have hugged him, shook his hands, patted him gently on the back and politely told him with a smile: “Sir, you’re a STF”. That wouldn’t be termed “unethical” as Pachauri and PMO have complained. No wonder Barkha’s “scathing” criticism has never been termed unethical.

Nobody! Nobody in the world expects the most perfect prime minister. Somewhere in the heart of MMS it must have started to bother him over the years that he remains an “unelected” PM. A man who couldn’t win the only election he ever contested cannot have the confidence to act or to talk like one who has. MMS will likely go down as the head of the most corrupt govt India has ever seen. Even worse, he has shown himself to be a man minus scruples in allowing so many scams to happen under his very nose. What Simon Says wasn't really far from truth, but that doesn't matter. What another Indian politician said does matter a lot. Yashwant Sinha summed it up neatly when he said MMS is “An over-rated economist and an under-rated politician”. A guilty conscience often throttles speech. A Man Minus Scruples (MMS?) is likely to hear the words “STF” a lot more often. Given the heat over his article, Simple Simon may never get to meet the prime-min.