Opinion Fortifying the Commonwealth

Last week clearly belonged to A. Raja and his fall from grace but the collapse of a Delhi building was far more compelling television. And even as the “sizzling and stunning” Pamela Anderson (as Colors described her) arrived to surprise the Great Khali & Co,she had competition: Catherine Elizabeth Middleton,a future queen of England,no less,was ruling the airwaves even before Anderson could make her grand entry into Bigg Boss (Colors). This story,however,must begin with another stunner: the opening ceremony of the Asian Games. If you thought the CWG ceremonies were “sensational”,you’d be at a loss for superlatives to describe what the Chinese created. Watching the spectacle,you were speechless because your mouth was frozen in a permanent “O” of wonderment: the majesty on the river,the human spirit soaring with the performers that were seemingly suspended from nothing in mid-air,the human stars on the river’s surface rising like petals… “O” is right.To descend from such heights to Rakhi Sawant is injurious to one’s health. The weekend saw endless coverage on Hindi news of the alleged suicide by a participant on Rakhi Ka Insaaf (Imagine) after being humiliated by the self-proclaimed judge and jury of our morals. By Tuesday,new reports (Aaj Tak) said participants are “paid” to appear on the show and say what they do. Well of course,they are paid: why expose yourself on TV for nothing? And the “reality” of these live encounters has always beggared belief.If there is any linkage between Lakshman’s death and the show,then Rakhi has much to answer for. Our advice? News channels should ignore Rakhi (she receives far too much gratuitous publicity) and the channel should either temper her language/behaviour (both of which are outrageous and crude) or cancel the show.Television captured the tragic human loss after the building collapse in New Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar with poignancy,once they went beyond the immediate disaster. One example: India TV showed four children crawling out from beneath the rubble with the help of bystanders. It was not exactly a Chilean miners’ rescue moment,but you still held your breath as the bloodied faces of the children emerged,suddenly,from the dust.Of course,all the coverage was exclusive to all channels! So it was great to watch a genuine “exclusive” on CNN-IBN,Tuesday,when the channel,containing its enthusiasm for Raja’s telecom scam,revealed the findings of the report on the Mangalore Air India plane crash. By the time you read this,Pamela Anderson will be inside that den of distressingly unhappy inmates. She is sure to add something to the show — what,remains unclear. Headlines Today gave us a hint of things to come: it played footage of her entry into Big Brother (Australia). A preponderance of young white males with raging hormones greeted her somewhat physically: hugging her and having their picture taken,holding onto her. As one of them said,“Oh,my God!” Not God but close to heaven,maybe? Finally,the royal engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton. BBC gushed like a water jet,not over Middleton but the ring. “That’s the ring!” exclaimed an awestruck and normally understated reporter. “It was beautiful!” swooned another BBC royals’ watcher,referring to Prince William giving Middleton the same ring Princess Diana had received from Prince Charles.The class consciousness was there: “She (Middleton) is a commoner; that is not to criticise her (of course not!) but she is not of royal lineage.” Dearie me. And this rather inexplicable,grandiose conclusion: This wedding,asked Tim Wilcox of a “delighted” Suhel Seth,will fortify the sense of the Commonwealth,won’t it? Huh? So that’s why they’re doing it!During an interview,you noticed how the happy couple constantly looked at each other,how she carefully folded her hands on her lap so that “the ring” was always visible. You thought back to the bubbling Princess Diana,some 30 years ago,seated by Prince Charles on a similar occasion. Middleton,older,was far more composed.

Perhaps that will help fortify the Commonwealth,too?

shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com