Delhi's real threat is not Dengue-Chikungunya but Kejriwal and AAP

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In India, it is not news until it happens in the national capital. They say in the last two decades more people have died of malaria in West Bengal than the great famine of 1943. However, little has been written on it.

Similarly, one does not see too many statistics on the number of dengue and chikungunya deaths across the country. But, one death in Delhi and boom – the national media jumps upon it like the country is on fire. This is not to in anyway to discount the tragedy or the seriousness of the health scare that looms over the National Capital Region.

Arvind Kejriwal understands this better than most politicians and he has successfully manipulated it to his best advantage since the days of the Anna movement. He realised that an anashan in Jantar Mantar or Ram Lila Ground can get him a thousand times more mileage than a flop-show in a 100 acre Mumbai Maidan.

As a result, Kejriwal has managed to get disproportionate amount of airtime on television and column centimetres in print media, thanks to lazy journalism, than many more accomplished Chief Ministers and seasoned national leaders of long standing. No wonder he fancies himself as the virtual shadow Prime Minister with a licence to comment on anything and everything under the sun – including foreign affairs.

There are two issues at stake here, both affecting the residents of Delhi. First, of course, is the threat of a virtual epidemic which needs to be tackled on war footing. The second is the larger debate about governance in Delhi.

No matter what Kejriwal’s views may be about the powers and responsibilities of the Centre for the civic administration of Delhi, the Union Health Ministry cannot be rushing SOS teams to tackle local health issues of every State.

But, in its enthusiasm to trade blame with AAP, the BJP has missed a huge opportunity to retrieve the moral high ground from under Kejriwal’s hospital bed. It was like the BJP spokespersons trying to shoot mosquitoes in the air when it were the drains that needed cleaning up.

Where are the AAP volunteers who symbolically swept Delhi clean with “jhadus”, the BJP should have asked while hitting the streets with their own workers and RSS swayamsevaks to get MCD and NDMC do their job. That would have earned the BJP gratitude from the people of Delhi and exposed Kejriwal, not just in Delhi but also in Punjab and other States where he is contemplating an entry by AAP.

That Kejriwal is a shirker should have been known to any politically aware observer since he threw in the towel in AAP’s first term in Delhi. This impression was further reinforced when he chose to become a Chief Minister without portfolio.

He has spent his time blaming the Prime Minister and fighting with the LG when not travelling around the country to build a national image for himself as PM-in-Waiting or taking off for Vipasanna and naturopathy retreats. He did all this under the indulgent eyes of the media which for some inexplicable reason has developed a huge soft corner for him.

On his part Kejriwal has assiduously cultivated the media at large and some so-called five-star journalists in particular. Many media worthies have been favoured with coveted positions in educational and other institutions of the Delhi administration and there are rumours about one former editor becoming AAP’s Chief Ministerial face in a coastal State. Therefore, it came as a shocker when Kejriwal tweeted gutter muck at arguably one of the most formidable journalists of our times, Shekhar Gupta, and got into an unseemly spat with a TV anchor.

In the past Kejriwal has not always followed decorum or political etiquette in public life. He has hurled abuses at the Prime Minister. But in using a word like “Dalal” he has gone well beyond his own past record. At one level it reveals Kejriwal’s opinion about journalists, even very senior ones. Whether this has been formed by his own experience and how many “Dalals” masquerading as media doyens he has encountered or done business with, one cannot comment. But, it does smack of there being more to the implosion than can be seen on TV screens.

Here too Kejriwal is singled out for kid-glove treatment by his friends and admirers in the fourth estate. Imagine what the reactions would have been if another Chief Minister had made such a comment. Hell would have broken loose and would not have subsided until the person, however, high and mighty, apologised or expressed regret. The silence of the fraternity is intriguing, to say the least.

There are jokes doing the rounds on Whatsapp about how Kejriwal beat Pinocchio in a lying contest. Kejriwal seems to be on the path to disprove Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote, “You can’t fool all people all the time”.

One can understand if Narendra Modi is giving Kejriwal a long rope to hang himself. But, why is the media soft on him is not only “mushkil” to explain but almost “namumkin” to fathom.

Narendra Modi’s Independence Day Speech

Jor Ka jhatka dhirey se laagey

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This certainly was not Narendra Modi’s best speech — though it was not sleep inducing either as some have criticised. Yes, it was inordinately long — lasting nearly 90 minutes (as per the CJI’s watch). I have a defense for that — but will hold it for later.

I also respectfully disagree with the Chief Justice that, the Prime Minister should have dwelled on the problem of delay in appointment of judges in the higher judiciary. Pardon my saying so — it sounded almost like a Arvind Kejriwal-ish comment who thinks every issue of his concern should be on top of the PM’s agenda. Judges appointment is certainly an important issue — but not the only issue that is plaguing the judiciary. If the PM had indeed chosen to speak on what ails the judiciary — he might have opened a pandora’s box that may have consumed all of his hour and a half address to the nation.

In my limited view— all mass communication outreach of the Prime Minsiter — be it Mann Ki Baat, Townhall or Independence Day Speech — are guided by a common objective — to make himself heard to the “last man standing” (to use Modi’s own expression) without distortion by Mainstream Media (MSM) — who have not been exactly kind to him over nearly a decade and a half. Unfortunately, not all his colleagues in the party are capable or willing to carry the message to the people — so Narendra Modi has to take the task upon himself. Thus — if the trade off is between disappointing the elite audience or media celebrities and over-communicate on the government’s achievement to the nation at large — it is no surprise that he would gladly choose the latter over and over again. I for one would not double guess Modi’s judgement as a communicator.

However, even assuming the PM did manage to put Mr Kejriwal and some of his friends (like Saba Naqvi — who tweeted that she had indeed dozed off before the TV) to sleep — he did wake up the world with his gentle references to #Balochistan, #Gilgit and #POK. The redoubtable Shekhar Gupta was the first to tweet about the “Tectonic Shift” in India’s Baloch policy — to be followed by others in national and international media before Twitterati took over. By the evening — the TV Channels were primed up with the usual suspects from either side of the LOC. But, the most surprising comments came from Congress — whose former Foreign Minister , Salman Khurshid (of Biriyani in Jaipur fame) — commented Human Rights in Balochistan is an internal matter of #Pakistan.

That Narendra Modi could set the cat among the pigeons by such a light touch (a classic instance of “jor ka jhatka dhirey se laagey”) shows the class he has attained as a global geo-political player in such a short time. For those who actually heard the speech — all that the PM said was a “thank you” to the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK for their “greetings” on #IndiaIndependenceDay. There was no reference to or comment on the internal situation at those places — to get people so worked up.

What he achieved in the process is to openly redefine India’s terms of engagement with Pakistan on Kashmir. Now — as the very knowledgeable and astute — former R&AW Chief commented — if we can only sustain this approach.

It is this one master-stroke alone that makes the Prime Minister’s speech on the 70th anniversary of India’s independence so significant and memorable.

Jai Hind !!

Pride, party and pice

Reading Kuldip Nayar’s autobiography – Beyond the Lines (Roli Books) now.  Nayar is the sort of person – even whose best friends would find it difficult to understand the reasons for his rise to such fame.  His writing style is lackluster. He doesn't have the intellectual depth of say – B G Verghese, erudition of Sham Lal or even Khushwant Singh’s knowledge of history. His gossipy tidbits and juicy nuggets often appear as part conjecture and part concoction to be consumed with a large dollop of salt (he admits to having manufactured an 'interview' with Sheikh Abdullah, since the Sheikh had refused to say anything on record about the Emergency. His story of Narasimha Rao sitting at a Puja, while the Babri Masjid was being demolished is, at best, fantastic and his insinuations about foulplay in Shastri's death is plain grist for the rumor mill). He indulges in sweeping generalizations (Bengalis are “anti-centre” – we  are anti-everything!!), is an indefatigable namedropper and has deep personal prejudices (has something unkind to say about almost every one he has mentioned in the book and no qualms about getting even with his friends and contemporaries).  

To me – he was more of a reporter (than an editor or journalist) – who managed to position himself at the right time with the right people at the right place –   and obviously thrived on his ‘connections’ (including that of his in-laws, the Sachars. Old Congress stalwart Bhim Sen Sachar was his father-in-law and Justice Rajinder Sachar author of the famous Sachar Report is his ‘saala’). By his own account, he comes across as a bit of a 'political animal' too. He doesn't make any secret of trading in favours and takes pride in his purported back-room political dealings. He claims to have "helped" Lal Bahadur Shastri become PM ( Pg 262 -  why blame poor Barkha Dutt trying to put in a word for A Raja ?) Another reason for his success, perhaps, was that, he wrote for the lowest common denominator of the newspaper audience. For his time, he was relatively affluent too (house in plush Vasant Vihar). His book on the Emergency – 'The Judgment' – was an instant best-seller and riding on its popularity he was one of the first Indian journalists to syndicate his column (even before Khushwant Singh, I think). In short, he was an older edition of Shekhar Gupta, no wonder Gupta once referred to him as a “guru” (only to later axe his column from the Express).

Take it with these caveats and you might even enjoy this mildly salacious commentary on the history of post-independence India - seen with tinted (green not sepia) glasses and written with an obtusely slanted pen.  Though, I wish the editing of the book was a little more competent (habeas corpus is spelt as ‘habius corpus’ - pg 240) knowing that language isn't Nayar's strongest suit.

Is the Party over ?

Like every July 21^st, this year too Mamata brought Calcutta to a grinding halt with Trinamool’s annual show of strength - the “Shahid Divas” rally (Kolkata's pain in Party's gain). All arteries of the city – including the Howrah Bridge – were choked with over 5 lakh people pouring in from all over the state. In contrast, the CPIM had organized a rally  of nearly a million cadres on February 19^th , which was a picture of organization and discipline.  At yesterday’s meeting Mamata famously declared the Trinamool Congress’ decision to go it alone in the state, while still continuing to remain a part of the UPA at the Centre.

Mamata had clearly overplayed her cards on the Presidential Elections in opposing Pranab Mukherjee’s only to eat her own humble pie later on – after being ditched by her new found brother Mulayam.  She’s now stuck in an unenviable position where she can’t leave the UPA nor join the NDA – her so called ‘indispensability’ having been seriously compromised with the Samajwadi Party extending support to the UPA (without formally joining it, yet) and even Mayawati maintaining a neutral  - politically expedient- posture. It’s almost as if she’s begging to be kicked out of the house but Sonia is just extending her agony by not obliging.

Prior to this she faced the minor set-backs in the Municipality Polls (where of all Trinamool lost in Haldia) and the Singur case against Tata Motors.

Will these reverses sober her down a little? I think so. And, that might actually augur well for West Bengal as she is forced to focus on governance and development of the state. It's time to stop partying and start work.

Pice Hotel

Don’t know what’s the origin of the name “Pice Hotel” –  Siliguri is full of them.  ‘Kalpana’ is still the most famous but its quality has gone down in recent times I am told.  So on this trip, I was taken to Usha Hotel on Jalpai Mor. Lovely Mourola Maccher Jhol, Aad Maccher Jhaal and Shorshe Iilish. The Aad was really fresh and, I was told, comes from Katihar. The Iilsh is of Padma  smuggled across the border. Though very nice, the best of the season is yet to come.  

Next stop will be “Chalachal”  known for its Mangsho Bhaat.  A friend on Twitter (@deep_anchor) has recommended Jajabar Hotel on Teesta Bank in Jalpaiguri (specialty - Chitol). But, the place I am waiting to go is ‘Popular Hotel’ in Falakata, near Dhupguri – which by many accounts has the most outstanding ‘imported’ Iilish from Bangladesh.

P.S Another Twitter friend @filmichef thinks “Pice” has its etymological roots in Rice – as these were originally cheap “Bhaater Hotel”. Pice could also be a variation of paisa - writes @geffbeck - indicating you could get a meal for a few paisa here. Remember the adage 'one pice father - mother' ?  Or pice could also have come from piece - as you pay by the piece (usually fish). A number of my FB friends affirm the 'paisa' theory  ("ek poisha ye pet bhorti khabar").