The prime minister of India may not go around the world in 80 days as Phileas Fogg in the Jules Verne novel did, but he will have visited more continents and countries in six months than his predecessors Manmohan Singh and Atal Bijari Vajpayee did in a year. An NDTV 24×7 map reminded us that we’ve seen him already travel to neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan, and then Japan. He’s visited South America and North America. Now, he’s on a 10-day tour of Australasia. Perhaps this is what it means to acquire a global view.
The duration of the latest trip, which began in Myanmar on Tuesday, became a matter of debate on NDTV’s Left, Right and Centre: “10-Day Tour Abroad: Too Much Travel For PM Modi?” Former diplomat K.C. Singh felt the “ideal” length was five to six days. Journalist Ashok Malik agreed that “10 days is too much”, while ex-ambassador Pavan Verma said that Modi’s diplomatic “activism” in his first six months is a “little excessive”.
Speaking of the excessive, the lady on DD News who tried to entertain us while we awaited the live telecast of the NDA cabinet expansion on Sunday strung together enough bling words to create an artificial atmosphere of pomp. We were at the Durbar Hall, “the heart” of Rashtrapati Bhavan that was bathed in a “lovely golden glow” on account of a “lovely two-tier chandelier”.
That left only the “lovely” people seated there for us to admire. But would the lady allow us to admire them in silence? No, she would not. Instead, she prosed on and on about “this special day”. “Today is a recognition of a lot of hard work (done by those being sworn in)… today is recognition of work at the grassroots level. (these are the people) to help India walk to a brighter future… that is the hope on this special day,” and much more tripped off her tongue. She finally stopped when the bugles announced the arrival of President Pranab Mukherjee.
Several other people on TV news could not contain themselves, either. Anchors and their studio guests on Zee News, Headlines Today, Times Now, CNN-IBN, NDTV etc, spoke during the ceremony, introducing those being sworn in. So far so good. But they also wanted to discuss the merits of the appointment immediately. Channels like News 24 went further: they spoke while ministers took the oath of office.
Swearing and uttering oaths is strictly off-bounds for TV columns but take it as done. Aren’t you moved to blasphemy — or at least four-letter words — by the blackout of the World Chess Championship? Who wouldn’t have liked to watch Anand defeat Carlsen on Tuesday? We can watch the World Kabaddi League (Sony Six), but we can’t watch the two highest ranked chess players in the world play each other? Shame!
The shameful practice of bonded labour is the subject of Udaan (Colors). The TV serial produced by Mahesh Bhatt dramatises the trauma of a young girl, Chakor, and her family after she is sold into bondage. Bhatt and Colors deserve applause for dealing with such a serious issue in a prime-time serial. Perhaps this will inspire others to go beyond the family “marriage” dramas?
Homeland (Season 4, Star Premiere HD) has got to the point where the former head of the CIA, Saul Berenson, has been kidnapped by Haissam Haqqani, a high-profile Taliban leader in Pakistan. One question: we watch Haqqani visit his wife after several years; he hugs her and puts an arm around her in view of his sidekicks, his hostage and the viewer. Would such a conservative Taliban leader do that in public?
shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com
