A CASe study for a lost minister

And yes, there’s one more K show on the air with peculiar orthography (Kuch Diiil Se). See: just your average, typical week on television.

Weekends feature awards ceremonies and last week was no different — with a minor twist. For perhaps the first time in TV history, a channel bestowed awards upon itself and on characters from its serials (Star Parivaar Awards). Thus, Tulsi was predictably chosen the best bahu, and actress, Smriti Malhotra collected for her. That they’re not identical Malhotra is at pains to establish on her talk show (Kuch Diiil Se). Here, she’s trying to marry Oprah Winfrey to Priya Tendulkar but since she admits to being a confirmed heterosexual, on the show, it’s proving to be impossible! If you think remark is in poor taste, you should listen to Malhotra on Kuch…

One person who is much altered is Ravi Shankar Prasad. Since he took over as Minister of Information and Broadcasting, early this year, he has made more appearances on television than any of his predecessors. Rewind the tapes of any news channel; see and hear the man brimming with a self-confidence bordering on arrogance. Others demurred, disagreed and doubted but Mr Prasad resolutely insisted that CAS (Conditional Access System for those of you who still haven’t got it) will be implemented as per schedule.

He said it in February, he said it in May and he’s saying it in July even as the ides of CAS day, is upon us and there is no CAS. Now, Mr Prasad is an honourable man — he hasn’t lied to the public. So CAS will be implemented as per schedule, it’s just that the schedule, the deadline has been staggered, shifted, postponed. You choose the euphemism. Mr Prasad also said CAS would be introduced in the four metros — totally. No phased implementation. And Mr Prasad is an honourable man. So when he has to go on air, last week and announce that CAS will roll out on September 1, 2003, in a phased manner, he grimaced like a man who had to eat his previous words and was suffering heartburn.

Were you to compile tapes of Mr Prasad’s many TV appearances over the last six months, you will see how the calm self-assurance has given way to harried diffidence. As if he suddenly realises that what he says today he may have to retract tomorrow.

CAS was never going to be easy to implement: the plan was always too ambitious and faced strong opposition from within the TV industry. From the day Sushma Swaraj piloted it through Parliament in December 2002, everyone knew it would not be implemented in the proposed manner. Everyone, that is, save for Mr Prasad. Because Mr Prasad is an honourable man who had the audacity to believe that a Minister could implement the policies of his government and went out of his way to say so. He forgot that governments in the time of elections implement nothing which might cost the voter more and cost them their votes. Poor Minister.

May we respectfully suggest:

• The Minister reduce the number of television appearances.
• Never set a deadline.
• Nod sagely in response to all questions.
• Star as himself in a new season of Ji Mantri Ji, the desi Yes Minister.