Ringside view

Cops hoodwink lensmen
IF it would have happened any other day,it would have surely merited a better display and a page one slot in the newspapers. But,a police encounter of a notorious criminal early morning during the counting day in Ahmedabad,relegated it to the inside pages with bare minimum display. There are some,who pointed out that the police had “timed” the encounter precisely on this day to give a miss to the running cameramen,who would dutifully pick up all the details. With counting around,very few mediapersons bothered to rush to the spot where the encounter took place on Saturday morning.

Picture imperfect
IN the run-up to the Lok Sabha election results,one of the centres of attraction was the state BJP office. The office is adorned with a very large laminated photograph of CM Narendra Modi and also put up prominently are his ministers in the Cabinet. Among these is a photo of a not-so-very-good-face of the BJP — former minister Dr Maya Kodnani. Dr Kodnani had recently resigned from the post after she was arrested by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team in connection with her alleged role in two of the most gruesome communal massacres in the state in 2002. She is currently under judicial custody in the Sabarmati jail,but her photograph continues to ‘adorn’ the BJP office.

We know it well
THE Gujarat Police Welfare Hospital in Ahmedabad sports an instruction board near the OPD section,which reads: “The ones having blood pressure and diabetes need to take their medicines daily. Any medicine should not be discontinued or missed,if done,that can lead you to develop paralysis or such serious diseases.” A curious query,posed to a few patients (policemen) sitting outside the cabin,had this answer: “The diseases that we develop while doing our job are more horrible than those mentioned on the board to threaten us. We know everything,but the poor doctors think we are innocent”. But the doctors claim to have a reason behind putting up the notice. They said,”The poor policemen coming here are illiterate and that’s why this board was put up. We prescribe medicines entirely on our responsibility”. The hospital apparently gives medicines free of cost to the kin of policemen,too. One policeman,sarcastically stated,”Well madam,that’s why we make sure that we confirm the medicines with other pharmacies before consuming them.”

Magic spell of the media
VADODARA: AMONG many,who earnestly wish and strive to bask in the media glare,advocates too can be counted. Trying to steal the limelight,especially after they’ve won a crucial case,becomes almost a serious endeavour. Rajendra Trivedi,one of the eight lawyers,who were defending the 20 accused in the Dargah riot case in Vadodara,was also happy answering questions from the mediapersons. He gave every possible details of the case and took the credit for the release of most of the accused. In fact,he even took pains to give bytes to the electronic media in three different languages! One of the lawyers,who was also part of the team,which fought the case was witnessing the entire event,patiently waiting for his name to be heard. But,all in vain for Trivedi did not mention his name. As the media was about to leave,the disappointed advocate personally asked each and every reporter to mention his name as well in their reports,as the case was fought as a team.

It’s our job,sir
NOSE pokers— that’s precisely what news reporters are sometimes considered. Referring to a recent news matter concerning the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board,one of the reporters asked the Education Secretary for his comments on the same. Although he readily gave his reactions to the matter,he got furious the moment the reporter asked the perennial question of ‘now,how are you going to deal with the matter’. “Why do you reporters always have to poke your nose into our internal matters and our course of action? We will decide on what all you are supposed to know.” But sir,what’s the fun in knowing something that everyone knows? And while the government works out on hiding facts,aren’t we actually paid to scoop out the unscooped?

— Contributed by
Debarati Basu,Kamran Sulaimani,Parimal Dabhi and Ujjwala Nayudu.