Frederick Noronha wrote: Goa CM Manohar Parrikar has charmed former pro-Maoist student activists who are now mediapersons, thrown sops to the journalistic community, accomodated editors on various official bodies, and in a word placed a lid on the key quarters capable of fuelling dissent or raise critical questions.
Comment: If there is one thing that one can give the BJP credit for, (though dubious) it is for managing the media. The RSS / BJP has always been media savvy. LK Advani, being a former journalist knows the reach and utility of the media. As the I & B Minister during the brief Janata govt. while other ministers were busy fighting over the fish and loaves of office, he silently went about stuffing the PTI, AIR, Doordarshan and other agencies with RSS sympathisers, members or bootlickers. This enabled him to control the news, suppress unfavourable news and propagate the hindutva programmes and ideology. He repeated this performance as Home Minister. Today although, not in power, the RSS / BJP have lots of sympathisers within the govt who frustrate and obfuscate the policies and programmes of the govt. During the BJP rule a number of journalists like Balbir Punj, Dinanath Mishra, Praful Goradia, Chandan Mitra were elected / nominated to the Rajya Sabha and freebees thrown at them.The BJP is versatile in using the electronic media to their advantage. Notice how they use the internet, sms's, TV to communicate their message. In contrast, the Congress and the communist parties are still living in the past. Marshall Mendonza
