It is good that there was 24X7 coverage and I only wish that they repeat it at least 10 times a day for the next 1 year. Thanks to the coverage the reality of what happened was brought in into each of the 120 million TV owning homes in our country. Since our Government is used to hide more than it reveals, this was the only source of information and each of us have the right to know.
The ex CM's daughter actually thought that it would be bad influence on children and such newscasts should be previously approved by the censors. I only hope that she got a chance to see this morning's 5 minute short news item on one of the channels where they were interviewing young children as they walked into schools after 4 days. A vast majority of those homes now know that how ill prepared we are, how "mature" and responsible our so called leaders are, the goof ups of the administration and most important how angry are the citizens of this country. All this for FREE ! To convey the same message to those 120 million homes would have cost several Crores of Rupees. I am all for such free coverage to drive the point home. In fact media should have covered the "all party" meeting also live, so that each one of us knows exactly what each political party says in such meetings. I bet what they say inside is diametrically opposite to the sound bites given outside. Just wonder whom are they trying to fool ? Even the Auto driver who brought me from the station this morning retorted (when I called all of them Monkeys) - he said they are "Jhute Bandar". In the absence of credible information from the Government, the media was the only source of information. At this point of time credible or not is not the issue. Citizens of this country are smart enough to know how much "mirch and masala" is added. Don't think they are fools ! The 3 media briefings given during the main hours of the crisis (one by the Government of Maharashtra and 2 by the Special Secretary, Internal Security) were a disaster. It was clear that the Secretary had not even read the papers given to him. He fumbled at each name and even at the nationality of those killed. This 24X7 coverage must have taught our bureaucrats and our leaders as to how important is media image, each of the words they utter, body language, preparation, gait and the most important lesson - they are being watched by the Citizens. No doubt there were rumours being flashed across and misinformation too. But is that reason enough to block News Channels in Mumbai for a short period of time ? That will feed just more rumour mongering. Actually the misinformation was from the Government especially the Body Count. If any of you have spoken to any survivors who were at the Taj, just one restaurant, the Golden Dragon, had about 150 PAX at the time when the attack took place. That was the first Restaurant to be hit. A person who got injured there told me that there was very little chance that more than 25% survived in just that one restaurant. Does our Government and our leaders think that we will all die of a heart attack if we hear the actual figure ? Someone should tell them that a citizen hearing 125 or 250 or 500 would have felt just the same. Fortunately 65% of our population is below 35 years of age and not prone to heart attacks like the majority of our politicians, who have their one foot in the grave. Why denigrate your image further and generate more anger in your citizens by misinforming them ? Personally (although some of you may think it is perverse) I feel that the media coverage of "high profile" kind of people affected and the targets selected was actually beneficial. Now, WE THE PEOPLE, expect that the Tatas, Birlas, Ambanis, Mittals and all the other high flying corporate executives who wine and dine with the government officers and ministers every day, as well as finance them during elections and line thier pockets, should stare these "friends" in their eyes and tell them on their faces: "Better pull up your socks right now ! Enough is enough". These are the people who have access to the corridors of power, not some hapless citizen eating chat in Sarojini Nagar. Let's see if they now have guts and the sense of responsibility to do that ! I can go on and on but just one question remains unanswered: Why the F**K did they move those Commandos by BEST Buses ? Don't those idiots in Mantralaya even have enough brains to mobilize all those helicopters at Juhu Airport used for ferrying crew to Bombay High ? What were the Maharashtra Government helicopters doing ? Why didn't they just start ferrying them in corporate helicopters ? Will we ever learn ? NO ! Since morning, the High Command is looking for a new CM for Maharashtra. The criteria being brandied about is whether he has to be a Maratha or a Dalit or whether he will be acceptable to Sharad Pawar and winnable in the next elections. I am still to hear the two most important words we all are looking for: COMPETENT and CAPABLE ! Our geriatric narrow minded leaders just refuse to face reality. RTIwanted --- In [email protected], "rti advice" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > * Hotel Taj: Icon of whose India? * > > by Gnani Sankaran- > > Watching at least four English news channels surfing from one another > during the last 60 hours of terror strike made me feel a terror of another > kind. The terror of assaulting one's mind and sensitivity with cameras, > sound bites and non-stop blabbers. All these channels have been trying to
