There used to be a time not too long ago when the most charitable thing that the media said about Modi went something like this: “Narendra Modi is no stranger to controversy.” The story of how that narrative changed after the courts exonerated him in the riots cases and with how the Gujarat economic juggernaut kept rolling doesn’t need repetition. Today, no matter how hard the media tries, it simply cannot find a single thread to bash Modi, even the flimsiest, which it can expand, elongate and editorialize enough to fill an entire library.
However, after what unfolded a few hours ago, it looks like the media will keep itself busy trying to fathom what just hit it.
What unfolded a few hours ago was this: Narendra Modi hung out in person, live, at Google+ and hung the media out to dry. The media has been damaged the most by the stupendous success of Modi’s Google Hangout live event. Consider this: people from 116 nations patiently waited for the event, which was delayed by nearly an hour because Google’s servers couldn’t handle the unprecedented traffic with over 15 Lakh people logging into YouTube at the same time. For the duration Modi’s event lasted, and considering the time slot his event occupied, this number is more than the aggregate viewership a news channel gets over a few years measured using the same parameters. Besides, the TRPs of most of our English news channels have been declining over at least the last five or six years. This is not mentioning their sub-zero credibility and their complete loss of face in the wake of backroom skulduggery and bedroom games with the establishment.
But how has the media been hurt the most by Modi’s Google Hangout apart from the obvious loss of precious eyeballs for about two hours?
It’s pretty obvious that Modi’s Google Hangout success has hurt the Congress party badly yet again. But that’s a game Modi and Congress will play in the political arena. Just yesterday, the media was handed the golden stick to beat Modi with. Barely minutes after the trial court convicted BJP MLA Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal’s Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda Patia riots case, the media whipped up the “Blow to Modi” frenzy with the same sadistic passion that it had displayed in characterizing Modi as a fascist and mass murderer a few years ago. Media watchers on Twitter and elsewhere on the Internet were betting with each other as to which channel would be the first to air a “special” Blow-to-Modi talk show. Such a show would’ve happened. Except that Modi so staggeringly spoiled their party by interacting directly with people on Google Hangout at prime time. On the other side, the media’s favourite party is busy trying to dislodge itself from Coalgate, a scam so monumental that the media however hard it tries, simply can’t defend or whitewash it.
There’s yet another factor.
The behaviour of and the positions some late-respectable senior mediapersons took when the tyrannical UPA government blocked websites and Twitter and Facebook accounts left no doubt as to how deeply they too were entrenched with the Congress party in stifling free expression. Whatever remained of the secret that the media was the Congress party’s handmaiden was conclusively revealed by this one episode not counting the Radia affair, which was restricted to a couple of media outfits. And so Naroda Patia or no Naroda Patia, nobody takes the English media seriously anymore.
And now, with Modi triumphantly stealing the media’s Prime Time thunder right under its nose, who happens to be the biggest loser thanks to Google Hangout? Modi stole the thunder by going directly to the people without any media intervention and all the ills that come associated with such intervention. This also exposes how out of tune our media is with the times. Despite the all-pervasiveness of the Internet and the explosion in social media, these TV studio eminences still harbour the illusion that they are indispensible to politicians who want to connect with the people.
If Twitter is an indicator of anything, it is this: people express themselves fearlessly and openly call the bluff of the bluffers and mercilessly question those that have something to hide, and those whose tweets are invariably agenda-driven. Our media stars who fall in the latter category get their bluffs called out regularly by those in the former category. The rapturous, nonstop stream of tweets by Narendra Modi-supporters was matched measure for measure by the silence of these mediapersons. The feeble opposing voices which wanted people to ask “hard questions” to Modi were simply driven by their blind hatred for the man.
Which brings us to the definition(s) of “hard questions.” In Modi’s case, a hard question is defined as one which keeps hammering riots-related questions, often the same question asked in a variety of ways…you know, like how they used to make us do this exercise in school: “write this in your own words.” In a Dynasty member’s case, a hard question is defined as one which is apple-polishing in the Interrogative Sentence. Not a word about Amethi’s abject, 65-year-old non-development. Not a syllable about Rae Bareily’s infrastructure. If Modi ensures uninterrupted power supply in Gujarat, it becomes an evil instance of his favouritism towards the business class. When Modi passionately explains policy, development and projects, the underworked and overfed media feels bored.
Forget the riots. Let’s assume that the media actually likes Modi. Even in such a case, it would be desperately groping to comprehend things like policy, law, and economics let alone write on these topics. There used to be a time when journalists and reporters laboured long and hard and attained a level of knowledge in multiple fields that qualified them to become subject-matter experts in those fields. Today, there’s hardly any journalist in any media house who can solve a mathematical problem, a factor that’s directly related to why media perceives news as entertainment and why it replaces serious analysis and debate with vociferous vacuum.
The truth is that Modi by the sheer dint of performance has managed to attract people to him. A majority of those who attended today’s Google Hangout did so on their own volition. This is something that no amount of media-shopping by the Congress party can ensure. Whether this translates into votes is beside the point. As Modi himself said at one point in the conversations, we must rise above narrow considerations like “Manesar happened in Haryana, let them suffer!” and instead, keep a pan-Indian outlook in everything we do.
Modi has truly transitioned from being perceived as a Model Chief Minister to being perceived, indeed, being anticipated as the next Prime Minister.
Today’s event reminded me of my high school and college days when lakhs of people waited at the National College grounds to hear A.B Vajpayee and L.K Advani speak. These people cut across party affiliations and ideologies and thronged the grounds simply to experience the thrill of listening to master orators. While Modi’s Google Hangout wasn’t a political event of any sort, I made the parallel because of a common factor: decisive leadership.
However, to a determinedly motivated media, leadership consists of the pearls of wisdom and statesmanship uttered behind closed doors. Sometimes even imbecilic silence becomes a mark of leadership. At other times, this leadership is to be discerned in European skin tone. All these attributes naturally, are the exclusive preserves of the members of a certain political Dynasty.
And these media worthies still wonder why they inspire such derision among the populace on Twitter and elsewhere?
Agree that it is all about the demographics.
@Mats and others
Even if Niti Central and say this blog are owned by BJP so what.
Do you have problem with the content or the owner.
So you agree with the content and not the owner?
“By the way, ever heard of the terms ‘Benami’, ‘Fronting’ etc…?”
So now your claim is that NITI Central is a benami outfit actually owned by BJP? Keep it up! Each time you post, you keep proving that your IQ is lower that what the previous post indicated it to be. BTW, do you have evidence that NITI Central’s investors have invested money on behalf of the BJP?
Do you know why you low IQ people think that everything is a front for someone else and no one in the world is capable of starting their own business? Because you have zero abilities to start anything by yourself, and due to your low IQ, you project your inferiority on the rest of the world and assume this is how the whole world works.
Arvind, let’s stop this here. You may be an eager student, but I am not your teacher or guide. You have so many ways of educating yourself. By the way, ever heard of the terms ‘Benami’, ‘Fronting’ etc…? This is a last effort and let’s leave it at that.
“Owning it only in the ‘technical’ sense, and really owning it.”
Keep highlighting your stupidity. Either you own something or you do not. There is no such thing called technical ownership. Try telling a court during a property dispute that your opponent technically owns the piece of land but you are the real owner and see what the court tells you.
As for the White worship by you, it is true. Why else do you consider uniform civil code to be fascist? Why do you claim that 3000 Muslims and no Hindus were killed in Gujarat after the train bombing? Why do you feel intense anger at the London bombings but feel that India deserved the Mumbai terror attacks? Why is it that you are too dumb to understand that Art 370 is institutionalized inequality? Why do you support a religion which calls for killing others who do not adhere to its tenets? Why do you equate such religions with “all religions” when “all religions” do not call for world domination? How come every single political position you hold is identical to the position of the White leftists?
Of course, the answer to all these questions is that you are too stupid to analyze yourself and merely repeat what your White masters tell you.
Mats am not sure if you are a Muslim or a hindu.. but what do you think will happen when muslim get to about 30-40% of the population in next 50-60years. It is very much realistic figure considering their demographic growth stats?
And what do u think when they get to more than 50%say 60%of the population.
Today I may look like a fool but tomorrow you secularist, the traitors of the country would redefine the definition of the secularism and justify the bloodshed caused by them and that day Mankind will fail itself…. And people would lose all their faith in god, the Good and Moral deeds would hold No value….
Owning it only in the ‘technical’ sense, and really owning it. See the difference? If you can’t, well have it your way, thank you!
By the way, you really scored another brownie by throwing that communist thing in my direction, in addition to the ‘idiot/ low IQ’, and that ‘white people’ thing on the side! Arvind, why not give up perpetual adolescence, and try growing up as an option? Thank you anyway.
“Arvind, you can own stuff without ‘technically’ owning it. Niticentral is only an example, but a good example. No one questions its right to be a BJP site, or to free speech, though.”
No you cannot own stuff without owning it. Only Communists are so stupid to contradict themselves in the same sentence. As for the right to free-speech, you oppose it. I went to Niticentral to see what your complaint was about and the site seems to heavily argue in favor of free-speech. That seems to agitate you. Guess you believe that you live for the welfare of White people and only trampling on their rights will make you feel upset.
Arvind, you can own stuff without ‘technically’ owning it. Niticentral is only an example, but a good example. No one questions its right to be a BJP site, or to free speech, though.
It really is amusing to see you people trying to reason with the Queen of Trolls.
“Arvind, does calling names (idiotic.. idiotic….low IQ..low IQ) change a fact? Niticentral is a BJP site, though not technically ‘owned’ by the party. Just go through that site, it becomes clear the only raison d’etre of the site is party propaganda.”
So now it is a “fact” that BJP owns the site even though it does not technically own it? This is really low IQ stuff. I just went through the site and if supporting free-speech rights is party propaganda, then you are saying that BJP stands for free-speech rights while Congress wants to ban the internet. The site seems to be mostly about defending free-speech rights.
@mat,
Using your definition all ELM is extension of Congress Party. In fact English Media except Pioneer and niticentral act as Congress dirty tricks dept.
NDTV =Nehru Dynasty TV
CNN-IBN = CNN Indira broadcasting network
If you want proof check the investors for these networks who were allotted coal blocks. Inquiring minds want to why DE Shaw, earlier Goldman invested in a perpetually loss making entity called NDTV.
Arvind, does calling names (idiotic.. idiotic….low IQ..low IQ) change a fact? Niticentral is a BJP site, though not technically ‘owned’ by the party. Just go through that site, it becomes clear the only raison d’etre of the site is party propaganda.
“Whether Niticentral is ‘owned’ by BJP or not is not material.”
It is. It shows your intellectual (in)ability to distinguish between a site owned by BJP and one that simply presents views of people some of whom may support some policies of the BJP.
“It is in any case a BJP site, tasked with unsubtle BJP propaganda.”
There you go again with your conspiracy theories proving your low IQ. So BJP assigned tasks to NITI Central? Really? You clearly have low IQ. First you claim that it is not material whether BJP owns the site in order to defend the idiotic claim that BJP owns the site. Now you have come up with the idiotic conspiracy theory.
Whether Niticentral is ‘owned’ by BJP or not is not material. It is in any case a BJP site, tasked with unsubtle BJP propaganda. Nit(i)picking on definitions does not change a fact.
“Niticentral website is not owned by BJP in fact it is an initiative by Kanchan Gupta and several like mended people…”
Jay, you are trying to talk sense to low IQ people who cannot distinguish between BJP owning a site and the operator of a media outlet agreeing with the BJP. Such people with low IQ project on others their own behavior which lacks forming original opinions but merely involves looking up to their leaders to tell them the latest talking point.
That is why they cannot distinguish between BJP owning a site and someone else owning a site. BJP receives roughly 25% of the vote. According to these low IQ people, every activity by 25% of the population is therefore directed by BJP. Remember that the Congress and Communist parties work in this manner by taking orders from the central command. The sheep think the whole world operates like them.
Times of India, 2 sep 12 Jaipur edition.
Sanjiv Bhatt’s letter to Modi, making some inundations, frontpaged(top) with 2 clm headline.
No news about Modi’s live chat with 15 lakh people.
Next day also i.e. 3 sep 12, Sanjiv Bhatt’s letter is discussed again on another page.
It may be noted that sanjiv bhatt is already indicted in a no of cases.
Well that is our main stream media.
And please dont worry. It is not so difficult to own a website. Its not such a big deal to own niticentral.com that it should be owned by a national party…… even I, a middle class guy from Bangalore can easily afford to own it. In fact if the Loneranger troll promises to keep away from this blog, I dont mind setting up a website for him, where he can spend all his time instead of being here. I will pay the web hosting charges (which varies from free to under 10$/month), I will set it up using PHP.. I will do everything. The troll can call it trollcenter.com or whatever.
“I completely agree with the commentator who said religion is what binds these 500 odd people with Modi and not development. ”
At least you have increased your estimation of the strength of Modi support to 500 people. Last time I was here, you insisted it was only a few dozen.
Thank you.
Sandeep… why is this creep still free to spew his hate here ?
Mr Narendra Modi’s demonstrated enthusiasm to serve his people and unusually high degree of moral rectitude are perhaps the key drivers behind the sort of goodwill he seems to enjoy among people across community lines. In a conversation I recently had with a gentleman from Bihar, I was told that Mr Nitish Kumar may actually have benefited from borrowing some of Mr Narendra Modi’s ideas that been implemented in Gujarat. Am reminded of a saying, something about imitation and flattery, best form of!
Mr Modi has a proven track record of corruption-free efficient governance, is considered extremely honest (a rarity in the sub-continent), and tough on law/order.
The only issue that his foes have been able to come up with are allegations of him not doing enough to stop sectarian violence (a decade ago) in his state. Those allegations, however, appear to be overblown (if not entirely false) as per the findings of the SIT (supervised by the SC). The fact that unlike the ’84 riots, the wheels of justice are moving in Mr Modi’s state is actually yet another achievement. And those who say “oh, but why didnt he stop the rioting” have no idea what a riot is like. I mean, how come those same people do not ask why Sonia ji did not quickly stop (or, prevent) the Bodo-Bangladeshi riots or the demolition of our Martyrs Memorial?
As for the childlike lament by some that Mr Modi did not address any “uncomfortable” questions, that is an unfair and incorrect accusation. As Sandeep rightly points out, such people are just annoyed to the skies that Mr Modi always responds to questions in a measured, respectful manner and refuses to get distracted by irrelevant noise.
Fact is, Mr Narendra Modi’s actions speak louder than words. Afterall, everyone in Gujarat (Hindus and Muslims) benefits from Mr Modi’s stellar governance, which may explain why hundreds of his party’s Muslim candidates won in the state’s local elections some time ago. His Sadbhavna mission, with several Muslims in attendance, took Modi-haters by shock surprise (and so a miffed and pissed-off left-lib commentariat chose to harp that Mr Modi did not qualify as a ‘secular’ person because he did not wear a skull-cap! You know, I do not recall ever seeing Soniaji wearing one either!!).
May I add, Sandeep, that your work does us all very proud.
It is the progative of the author of this blog to delete my comments but let me make one thing clear that everyone on social media and media circles are aware of the reality of who is behind niticentral.com. Shutting down my voice will not bury the truth.
I completely agree with the commentator who said religion is what binds these 500 odd people with Modi and not development. They feel that modi is the one who taught the muslims some lesson for all the past misdeeds of muslim invaders or rulers.
I stick to the idea that religion is the only reason that motivates most of Modi worshipers, all that talk about development etc being mere red herring), ////
I think the otherwise .. Religion is the only reason that motivates most of modi bashers.
sandeep pls look up news sources, muslims go on rampage in mayur vihar (east delhi)
Sir/Madam,
I have noticed that Web of Trust WOT has given your site a red rating which means untrusted.
I would request all those who read this website and this post particularly to download the WOT app on chrome or firefox and give this site good ratings. I have been doing this on all websites which promote hate agenda. For example I have even given a red rating to Vatican website as they still do not answer charges of child abuse and for their attempt to convert the heathen masses.
I wonder who is financing this Menka? She is a certified full-time troll, definitely on a payroll.
Dear All,
As per Menka – we should only trust stories from Nehru Dynasty TV and Congress News Network.
Mats – Well it may turn out to be a non-event or a big event depending on the follow-up. If Modi uses this medium more and picks up more votes in elections then yes, he will have outsmarted the Family only channels.
Let us wait for Gujrat elections. If he is successful, you may see more of him on such media.
Well Menka’s history is perhaps as good as Sonia Gandhi’s hindi or Rahul Baba’s general knowledge. Will Menka dive into “her” history books and let us know how many major riots took place under Congress and how many have been punished.
Today in HT you had a big editorial claiming that since Modi is a one man show in Gujrat, riots could not have had without his go-ahead. Someone just forgot to tell that Congress apologist that Modi became CM only in Oct’ 2001 and riots happened in Feb-Mar 2002. The powerful CEO Modi as we see today happened in last 3-4 years when his policies have started giving rich dividends to state and country.
Regards
@Menka
Just answer this question , for 1984 riots no one is punished by courts and still people are waiting for justice. 28yrs and still saga is continuing and no one is convicted. Some of them are ministers in ruling party. So first clean your house before commenting about others. We pretty much know about Satyam Raju Scam and who is responsible for it. This is how Cong behaves either with us or otherwise CBI / CID will be after you.
Atleast as a fellow Indian , i am happy that one state has developed leaps and bounds. Not like Delhi where tax payers money was poured for CWG and ruling party has looted that. MGNREGS has been misused for vote bank politics.
Menkaji, please share your information to Acp praduyman.I am sure his cid team solve this case within an hour!
Menkaji, please share your information to Acp praduyman.I am sure his cid team solve this case within an hour.
I hope the BJP leaders learn from this and directly speak to the people through google+ and through vernacular press completely bypassing the English Language Mafia. Once the intermediaries(MSM) are out of the picture there is less scope for skulduggery of these Durbaris.
If a person comes up on pure merit, why rant about it ? Can the congress give the youth of India hope of a clean and good future.
JayKumar, if NITICENTRAL is not ‘owned’ by BJP, I correct myself. But what’s the difference? It is still a BJP site. More so, if Kanchan Gupta, the BJP propagandist, is behind it. Nothing wrong with it, too. This is a free country,
“I see this article reproduced in the new BJP site, NITICENTRAL. So, the article is reduced to the level of party propaganda?”
Niticentral website is not owned by BJP in fact it is an initiative by Kanchan Gupta and several like mended people…Sandeep works for Niticentral so there are chances that this article would have been gone public over there…
So correct your fact..That it belongs to BJP is not correct..
I see this article reproduced in the new BJP site, NITICENTRAL. So, the article is reduced to the level of party propaganda?
Venkatesh, I like to comment on ‘non-events’.
Menka, May I ask (meaning no offence)what do you smoke? Even a cursory examination of pre-godhra indicates there was huge amount of communal violence before Godhra and now there are no issues? If this means according to you the secular fabric is broken, so be it
Mats, if its a non-event why are you bothering to comment?
I think, unless this author gets over his filial devotion to the persona of Modi and the resulting obsession, he can never be objective. The Modi hangout might have been a momentous earth-shaking event for the religious right wingers obsessed with the Modi-construct as a hero in shining armor defending their idea of religious intolerance (I stick to the idea that religion is the only reason that motivates most of Modi worshipers, all that talk about development etc being mere red herring), like the handful of regulars here, but the reality is that it was a non-event for the larger, saner world out side.
Modi chale bazaar menka bhoke hazaar.
“Modi has ruined the whole secular fabric of the state,”
Gujarat was never a secular state ask any Gujarati’s’ (Includes Non-Gujarati’s speaking peoples as well) who have spent there life during 60′s, 70′s, 80 & 90′s…
Thanks to 2002 Incident that we Gujarat people have peaceful days now…
May be Gujarati’s will never like to have Gujarat as a secular state, may be coterie of Mallika Sarabhai and Teesta would like to see Gujarat as secular state…
“Regarding the power and water supply, it is a myth created by APCO international, a PR firm. He is paying $25000 per year for their service. ”
If you want to measure depth of sea then what is the measurement scale you will use??Hope you would have been taught in your science subject..Please refer again and say what is that scale??
Why you are worried from where $25000 comes from, when Gujarat’s don’t care about it then why you are crying for it..Anyhow your secular brothers don’t pay tax as they still live in refugee camp..and likes of Mallika who already has got bad public image of her involved in illegally asking money for sending children to abroad and then cheating them is very well known to Gujarati’s…So she is just a cheat lady for Gujaratis’ and her words don’t carry weight-age..One who works in Graveyard is known as “Jalad” in Hindi and “Vettiyyan” in Tamil, so is your secular friend Teesta for digging graves of Pandarpur..
@venkatesh
Are you from mars? Modi has ruined the whole secular fabric of the state, he has polarised the whole state by dividing people , the riot victims are living in pitiable conditions. Regarding the power and water supply, it is a myth created by APCO international, a PR firm. He is paying $25000 per year for their service. Where is this money coming from?
Super and inspiring.
The article was about the media and how it treats Modi as oppose to everyone else.
Anyhow,waiting for the trial courts to convict Congress parliamentarians and Congress party leaders for the Delhi riots.Any idea when that will happen? Have been waiting for a long time.Nobody in the Congress party has answwered any questions about these riots and why there have been no convictions.Too busy with corruption?
Bunch of losers(if I am charitable) grumbling about Modi! what else should a man do give 24 hours electricity, grow agri at 10 percent, cable the whole of the state, have no riots for a decade in a state that saw clashes every other month! Contrast this to the Gandhis, who have led the India into a junk status country from a situation where the cost of financing was 5 percent to 12 percent if you are lucky to raise the financing as the the govt is crowding other lenders off. Inflation at the nehruvian high or call it the minority rate of inflation. Scams of such magnitude where counting zeros is a problem for an accountant. BY their corruption and misgovernance the Gandhis have contributed to the decline of millions if not tens of millions
What is NaMo being pilloried for?
Mind blowing post.
Brilliant fictional piece by the writer…just that der r few factual errors pointing it out is a pointless excercise bec for right wing journalists facts r never a priority
LOL. It was a disaster. He didnt answer any questions on the 2002 riots or about the conviction of his party men. It seemed like a PR exercise to please only his die hard fans.
Sandeep Bandhu…simplee superb!
So let me get this straight, you’re hardly discussing the damning naroda patia verdicts, but the fact that Modi held some kind of video conferencing Q&A session is a big deal? What will you NaMo fans be doing next, congratulating him for his ability to breathe?
In such a scenario, only he can hang out with all the criticism from the snipers round the clock after the judgement, and only Sandeep can give a hard-hitting repor.