Reporting the world for India

As the other commissioners on UNSCOM acquire a higher profile, Butler will, in relationship to them, be diminished in size. He can then supervise UNSCOM from New York while a Commission differently composed gets involved in Iraq for such of the disarmament role as may plausibly be required. But all of this only if the Americans, with the Britishdutifully in attendance, allow their enthusiasm towards unilateralism to be curbed. It the Russian proposal is approved, the commissioners will meet in New York by January 25.

Even during Operation Desert Storm, when there was a wide coalition in place, the war was actually conducted by the Americans and the British almost exclusively. In fact there were two separate press briefings: one by the Americans and the other by the British. Even French journalists had difficulty attending either.

Indian journalists, of course, were not even granted visas to cover the war. The Saudis said the Americans were prosecuting the war. The Americans feigned helplessness because action was on Saudi soil. So, no visas to Indians for war coverage. It was Iraq, at the receiving end of Allied action, which was most helpful with visas and permission.

During Operation Desert Fox, there was little time for media mobilisation. But even so, American networks parked in Amman were tipped off ahead of the UN officials in Baghdad.The briefings were conducted in London and Wash-ington and a great deal of 8220;war propaganda8221; was brought into our bedrooms by CNN and BBC. Indeed, for the amplification of that propaganda, Star World became Sky News almost continuously for war coverage.

In my book it is a matter of national shame that not a single journalist, not one representative of our mushrooming TV networks, was on the spot in Iraq to provide relief from what on occasion was nauseating propaganda with expressions like 8220;butcher Saddam8221; and 8220;evil Saddam8221; tossed in with disturbing rapidity. Don8217;t we urgently need our very own international news service? A regular news service, manned not by local stringers, but Indian staff to feed our print, radio and TV bulletins, indeed feed a 24 hour international news channel, which looks at world affairs from an Indian perspective.

With our room for manoeuvre in a bipolar world gone, we are entering a particularly turbulent phase in world affairs when the solitary superpower will seek toarrange a world order in which its primacy is perpetuated. It is in our interest to seek cooperation with this superpower on the widest range of issues without impairing our stature as a self-respecting nation capable of guarding its vital interests.

Towards this end we shall have to follow a two-track policy: one to keep the US engaged on matters of agreement as well as disagreement. The second track will consist in maximising our ties with Europe, Africa, Middle East, Russia, China, why, even Iraq. Remember, sooner or later, sanctions will be lifted from Iraq. We should do nothing now which would foreclose our role, however limited, in the Iraqi reconstruction stakes.

As we walk the tight rope, engaging the US on the one hand and maximising all our other bilateral options on the other, we shall find that a professionally run international print, radio and TV network will give us the sort of clout we have so far not had.

Let me explain what I mean. Operation Desert Fox is launched. New Delhi comes outwith a balanced reaction, eager not to offend the US and yet not be out of synch with the public mood. Imagine if there had been a dynamic Indian radio and TV bureau in Baghdad which furnished information and analysis fresh and different from the propaganda dished out by the Anglo-American media. Would this alternative information pool not place in our hands the power which is always the gift of information? Information, after all, is power.

As one superpower invades Grenada, picks up Noriega from Panama, bombs Tripoli and kills Qudafi8217;s daughter in the process, showers rockets on a harmless pharmaceutical factory in Sudan and imposes no-fly zones on independent, sovereign states, diplomats have been trained to proceed cautiously, protecting the national interest. It is in such situations that journalists, representing the most vigorous, independent media in the world, can be more audacious and intervene decisively in the world information system which after all helps shape the new world order.

It wouldbe alright for our joint secretaries to gape at CNN in their offices and turn to the International Herald Tribue for clarification if they also had access to information from sources which kept in mind the all important Indian perspective. Only an Indian network will.