Barbar Indians has a blow-by-blow roundup of CNN-IBN’s fascinating coverage of the Karnataka elections. One of the links led me to watch what he terms as an “instructive” video.
The chief actors include a very worried Sagarika Ghose, Ramachandra Guha, Gauri Lankesh and Chandan Mitra (surprise!). I agree with Barbar Indian’s take on the whole farce interview so I’ll add some random bits.
First, the dramatis personae.
Ghose calls Guha an “eminent historian,” which is more than amusing. We’re yet to read Guha’s historical output. India after Gandhi does not count as a historical work unless you want to call Akbarnama as a historical work. The fact that it was fawned upon chapter-by-chapter in some secular intellectual circles also doesn’t make it a historical work.
Because Gauri Lankesh has almost no achievement to her credit, Ghose is forced to be content to call her a “prominent Bangalorean.” Incidentally, Gauri Lankesh single handedly spearheaded the decline and fall of Lankesh Patrike, the yellow rag her father, P Lankesh started and took to soaring heights by plumbing the gutters of tabloidry. She also, again incidentally, got into more than just trouble with her open Naxal-sympathizing. Bangaloreans are yet to see a single evidence of her “prominence.”
Ghose introduces Chandan Mitra as an MP and editor of the Pioneer.
The Eminent Historian is concerned about the “risk” a BJP government poses for the plural ethos of Karnataka. A long-time resident of Bangalore, this armchair philosopher pronounces Bababudan as Baba-booo-Dan. I know that remark was thoroughly ungentlemanly. But for one who is so learned about Karnataka and attuned to several plurals, something as basic as getting the pronounciation right is unforgivable. On his concern about the minority candidates, he should update himself with developments more often.
The team is likely to include new faces such as Shobha Karandlaje, Arvind Limbavali, Mumtaz Ali Khan and three of the six independents who have supported the party. Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan is being given a ministerial berth in keeping with Mr. Yeddyurappa’s pre-poll promise of including a minority member in the Ministry.
Gauri Lankesh spumes incoherently about black day, fascist, biggest damage, and in general, predicts doomsday for Karnataka under Yeddyurappa. When Chandan Mitra show her place, an anxious Sagarika Ghose cuts him off midsentence and hops over to the eminent historian.
Tags: Commentary, Indian Politics, Media Watch, Pseudo Secularism Hall of Shame, Weblogs
I wonder if it wouldn’t be a good idea for BJP to boycott the NDTVs, Star News and the CNN-IBNs of the world. As it is BJP gets bad press from them, and do what it will it wont be able to change the attitude of the “secular” media.
BJP boycotting them will mean that their shows and discussions will be populated only by ranting Leftists and terrorist sympathisers, and sooner or later this will lead to public backlash and dropping TRPs. Not that it matters, beause Saudi coffers will open up, but at least the unsuspecting public will at least get to see their true face.
Ram Guha knows English only, and as for Indian languages, he is limited to ABCD - Ayah, Bearer, Cook, Driver
But let’s be fair to Ram. He is the only “intellectual” who ripped apart Amartya Sen’s poorly edited, sclerotic anthology, Argumentative…, and masterfully at that. The only better rubbishing of Sen is Baalu’s, which of course is in another league entirely.
I’d love to see your opinion on the current Gujjar agitation, Sandeep.
Hey Kaangeya, can you possibly point me to Guha’s article wherein he made mincemeat of Sen’s work? Has there been a similar critique of the disingenous Identity and Violence, written as Sen’s reply to Huntington’s Clash of civilizations?
I have witnessed the TV program when ChandanMitra was cut-off midsentence. Are they honest media people?, are they serving our country well ? What prompts such media persons to prevent other views on television. Answer is obvious.
Shailendra,
Ram Guha’s article was published in the EPW, IIRC. You can find a link to Guha’s review on this blog post here http://locana.blogspot.com/2005/10/argumentative-indian.html.
The comments too are interesting.
You will have to search for Baalu’s review of Argumentative… Tunku Varadarajan wrote a fine review of Sen’s 2nd disaster - Identity and Violence. You can look it up on OpinionJournal.com
It is high time BJP boycotted all of these psec media.
Being present there and answering them,
- it gives credibility and adds the illusion of neutrality to the Media.
- All of BJP men including the heavy weights are not more than a punching bag or a ridicule factor in such discussions, then why go there.
- By projecting the real neutral people like Swapan or Chandan as Right leaning faggots, the centre of neutrality is pushed into deep red down left, This obviously makes BJP look like Fanatics.
Let them blabber and argue with themselves. They will and should come back to BJP with white flag, after which the magnitude of rhetoric could be diluted to some extent.
I’ve personally sent the message to Sri.Ravishankar Prasad. I request you all to let BJP somehow get this urgent need of the hour.