Opinion Top secret
This top secret missive starts by the sender greeting me Namaste the letter reads,and then there is a profound sentence.
In this networked world,I hope my request that you refer to the previous edition of this column (https://indianexpress.com/news/hello-and-welcome-mr-obama/707528/) that didnt appear in some editions of this newspaper (last Saturday was Diwali) wouldnt be considered inconsiderate. If you do take the trouble,it will be easier for you to follow this column. You see I had taken the trouble of giving some humble suggestions to the visiting US president on how to decode news TV in India. I am in receipt now of a top-secret,my-eyes-only missive from a party whose identity I cannot reveal. But in the finest tradition of free media,I will share with you some contents of this letter.
This top secret missive starts by the sender greeting me Namaste the letter reads,and then there is a profound sentence. Apropos your advisory on television news in the worlds largest democracy,let me say this,you simply dont watch Indian television news,you experience it. The letter adds,You will recognise I said something similar about India,but this sentiment holds truer for Indian television news. I was very moved on reading this,but it gets more moving: There are shared values between television news broadcasters in the worlds largest and oldest democracies,but Indian television news is unique.
The letter-writer was gracious enough to explain that statement. Young students are as important in my country as yours but your democracy is truly radical. I was overwhelmed when I realised that my answer to an Indian students question on Pakistan has been given the status of real policy stance by Indian TV experts. I hadnt yet had a chat with my host or made the big speech in Delhi. But TV experts are so democratic here that my answer to a Mumbai student was taken as defining bilateral relations. Its not just Gandhi or Ambedkar or Vivekananda or Tagore who represent what India can teach the world. Indias TV experts have the same exalted status.
This was high praise,and as an Indian I felt proud. And prouder with this: Allow me to share this with you,could Gandhi,Ambedkar,Tagore and Vivekananda have become TV experts,great men as they were? I dont think so.
I can add to what the letter-writer was saying because on CNN-IBN,the anchor told one TV expert that he looks 18. Could you have said that about Gandhi? Or Tagore? Or any other great Indian thinker? One bit of the letter had me foxed. Can you explain,the letter-writer asks,why your CEOs become like Indian TV experts when they are on TV? I want your CEOs to create jobs in my country,the letter-writer goes on to add,but one CEO who appeared on Times Now and many CEOs who appeared on NDTV seemed so much like TV experts that I was worried they might threaten the jobs of real TV experts. It will be a shame if my visit led to job losses in India.
This is a very important point I think. Only our CEOs can answer this. There are many sensitive parts of this communication that I simply cannot reveal. But I will take a calculated risk by partially revealing the last point the letter-writer made. We dont have communists in our country,which is a shame because I saw here how they enrich public debate. On a CNN-IBN show,one of your young communist leaders spoke at length about poverty in my country. Yes our income inequality has increased,which is not good. But it was so impressive to hear a communist leader from your great state of Bengal reminding us about our poverty. Also,on the same show the anchor said 70-plus per cent of Indians are poor. My own experts tell me poverty has fallen sharply in your country. But maybe thats because they are not TV experts.
The letter-writer then honestly talks about a dilemma. As I leave your country,I am wondering whether I should hire some TV experts; you do know I am in a bit of trouble at home. But should I hire TV experts of my country or your country? Yours seem better. But then theres this whole outsourcing thing.
I have a dilemma,too. I am for free trade. But I hope our TV experts here. saubhik.chakrabarti@expressindia.com
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