Made for television

The will of the people, which slept in locked boxes in sealed rooms in guarded buildings, had been taken out for sorting and counting in the...

The will of the people, which slept in locked boxes in sealed rooms in guarded buildings, had been taken out for sorting and counting in the early hours of the day. By dusk, a vague picture had begun to develop. The vast communications machinery, firing on all cylinders, had the whole nation 8212; and some others as well 8212; in its grip. As the media blared out reports on who would rule Delhi, its own sway over the people was never more absolute.

For no obvious reason, it occurred to me that only the broadcast of a cricket match against Pakistan could trigger a like frenzy. It escapes comprehension why the product of a first-wicket partnership should evoke as much public interest as the product of a partnership which will decide the way people live. To be honest, I used to be an ardent cricket fan myself. My passion waned a decade back, never to rise again when I saw my country being beaten to pulp by insignificant teams. Fortunately, my interest in elections is not yet dead, even if the performance of ourruling teams was worse than that of the cricket teams. I see light at the end of the tunnel. Only, the tunnel is a thousand miles long. So I shook my old transistor set to life, dined before the TV and waited at the gate for the newspaper boy, like any good Indian.

I chose my most comfortable chair and lay back with the radio perched on my chest. While the body was at absolute rest, the mind frenetically paced the length and breadth of the country, scanning leads and trends. Good old AIR, humbled by more glamorous visual media, put up a valiant effort to regain its past glory. The excitement of the reporters filing from various parts of the country was palpable. A woman anchor struggling to cope with the deluge of information abandoned all efforts to recollect the reporters8217; names and struck upon the brilliant idea of baptizing them with the names of their respective places. 8220;Thank you, Bangalore.8221; 8220;Keep in touch, Lucknow.8221;

Hindi commentators were exasperating, with large intervals between words, soyou had to wait with bated breath to know if your candidate was leading or trailing. As for English, reporters from a dozen states delivered their own unique brand of the language. But in spite of these mutilations and distortions, you still got the message.

Backed by hitech and megabucks, the television networks put up an impressive show. While the candidates fought for seats, the channels and their new breed of stars fought for viewership. They pounced on their piece of the election cake with such childlike enthusiasm that you found yourself wishing they had an election every year to cover. To lend a touch of reality, the bold and the beautiful people of TV-land sat with the bold and not as beautiful political leaders to debate complicated issues. To the common man, these rounds sometimes came as a shock. I saw senior, respected leaders trying to win a point with sheer vocal power. A mediator threw up his hands in despair after failed attempts to protect the right to free speech of a soft-spoken guestfacing up to two high-decibel players. If two can cause such disorder, one shudders at the carnage promised now that hundreds have entered the legislature. Still, when powerful ministers were cut off in mid-sentence for the inevitable commercial, you got an idea of the power of this medium. The advertisements took their time, totally oblivious of the election fever. Impatient viewers must have grumbled as an ageing lady told them how a shared love for a brand of tea helped her make up with her daughter-in-law.

It is doubtful whether this election or five more will cleanse the polity. But it is comforting to know that the peak viewership at these times will increase the sales of Cinthol and Nirma. It should make for cleaner Indians wearing cleaner clothes.