The Fourth Estate of India

ANGRY.
Thats the one word that sums up the prevailing mood across India in the aftermath of the horrific terror attacks in Mumbai. Terror attacks have evoked similar sentiments in the past but every time the emotion have died out in a very short period of time, especially after the political parties and the media are done extracting the mojo from it. But the sentiment this time is far more vehement than it has ever been which is quite understandable considering the magnitude of the attack both in terms of devastation as well as audacity. Talk to the common person on the street, 9.9 out of 10 people would hold politicians responsible for the attack on the nation’s sovereignty, and it is not just the politicians in the government that are being blamed, the people have been quite emphatic in holding the entire class of politicians as responsible. This sentiment is quite understandable when we see politicians squabbling among themselves for a share of the pie bought from the hard earned money of the tax-payer. What is worse is the fact that even after coveting the people’s property, politicians do not seem to realize that they have certain duties towards the very people whose money they are squandering away.

The recent terror attacks in Mumbai has actually catalyzed the situation so that the debate now goes beyond this dastardly act to the various commissions and omissions of the ruling class all along at the expense of the welfare and security of the nation. Martyrdom of the Mumbai terror attack like Hemant Karkare, Sandeep Unnikrishanan and others who in many ways represented the middle class Indians served as rude reminders of the fact that unless the common people take the charge, their basic security was at risk.

As the world continues to condense into a thoroughly connected global village, intellectuals, the tax-paying middle class, the students and even journalists have found on the Web and the TV, ways to express their anguish and call for a change. Social software tools like blogs, microblogs, syndicated content, forwarded emails etc and mobile penetration have provided not only a platform to participate in the social and political processes, voice their opinions but also form communities with like minded individuals. This is the Fourth Estate of the Indian state, the child of the information revolution, powered by information and communication technology of the 21st century.
This section of people is more dependable and least susceptible to corruption (in any form) simply because there are no personal gains or losses for them. No wonder, political that "lip-stick wearing, coat tie wearing" Indians should be entitled to political opinions. Naqvi may have belled the cat but he represents the deep-seated resentment that a lot of politicians across party lines have towards educated middle class Indians taking interest in politics. What more evidence do we need? Is it a coincidence that a Leftist CM of Kerala and National Vice President of the BJP, a Rightist, were speaking on the similar lines on the same day? In the past, we have seen all political parties bury differences and come when the question involves a raise or a decrement in salary and other perks granted to elected representatives. Even yesterday i.e. 03/11/08, when asked (by TimesNOW) why such a significant portion of the nation's security asset including the NSG commandos were being deployed for personal security of political leader who apparently had no serious threat to life, politicians from all parties were found to be defending the decision unanimously. Yet, a couple of minutes later, Arnab Goswami of TimesNow was left begging for a consensus between political parties (the Cong and the BJP) on how to deal with this latest terror attack.
There has been at least one positive outcome from this tragedy and that is the galvanizing effect it had on the people, rousing them from slumber and forcing them to stand up and take initiative. Turn on the TV and you could be witnessing a watershed moment, this attack can be taken as a wake up call to rouse a nation from its self-induced slumber.
Prasoon Joshi's poetry, "Is Baar Nahi", TimesNOW's slogan "Action not words", rallies in Mumbai and the chatter across nooks and corners of India indicate the growing assertiveness of a section of Indians. The Fourth Estate of India.

Prasoon Joshi's poem reflecting the sentiment of the aam Indian post Mumbai terror attacks.

Posted By Danish 1:23 AM

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Mumbai Nightmare : India's 9/11

Let me be honest, i am at loss of words in response to the latest terror attacks in Mumbai. It has been dubbed as India's 9/11 and for once i am willing to accept the cliché. For the first time i understand how an average American would have felt on that Tuesday in 2001. In my earlier posts, i have tried to present my opinion in a dispassionate and unbiased manner, but this post is different, this one is personal, unfiltered thoughts of an average Indian that i am. As a blogger and an information junky i may have taken this a bit more personally than others but I’m sure every Indian, irrespective of all affiliations and allegiances, has, in at least some degree been hurt by this horrific act. Terror attacks in India are not new but the manner and magnitude of this attack is unprecedented. A handful of terrorists with meticulous planning and diabolic designs turned Mumbai into an urban battle-field and sent shockwaves throughout India and the world.
If an act of terrorism is carried out to inflict psychological damage, the live coverage of the entire episode by the visual media completed it. "Media is the right arm of anarchy", Dan Brown wrote and sadly enough the greater damage that the perpetrators inflicted, was through the media only. Well, i do not blame the media at all; it was doing what it is supposed to do as am i doing right now. (Some Hindi channels do not qualify as news channels) The unfortunate part is that sociopaths have always used the strength of the civil society against the society itself (similar to Japanese martial art aikido ,but far too evil). In this instance as well as in the previous ones, the terrorists have exploited our democratic principles, civil rights and the free press to attack us.

There is nothing chivalrous or brave or clever about it, it cannot be graded within civilized world's percepts of good and bad, it is pure evil, manifesting itself in creatures bereft of every human trait. Civilized society is based upon the assumption that people desire to live in peace and prosperity and are willing to abide by the rules for mutual benefit. Some people might transgress for selfish reasons or may want to change the system but they will not go to the extreme which threatens the very existence of the society. This self-restraint may arise out of "goodness of heart" in few cases but in the majority of cases, it is out of the instinct of self-preservation. Power, wealth, success and everything that a civilized person (however wicked) aspires for, loses meaning without society. Hence, when anarchists like these terrorists subvert our civility and use them against us they descend into the lowest level of human consciousness. In contrast, heroes like Hemant Karkare, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan,Vijay Salaskar, DCP Kamte and all the martyrs who gave up their lives trying to protect the lives of innocent people displayed the highest form of valor and bravery.

India has never reacted to terror attacks with the same sort of disdain for liberty and civil rights that some other nations have and a lot of people tend to take it as its weakness. What is more painful is the fact that many Indians too hold a similar view. What they forget is that being the land of Buddha, Mahavira, Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi, the doctrine of "non-violence as dharma" is so deeply ingrained in our ethos that "an eye for an eye" sort of attitude simply does not gel with rest of our value system. However, the doctrine of non-violence as propagated by Gandhi does not represent, as some people believe, cowardice or submission to force, rather it stands for fierce opposition to tyranny and injustice but without using violence. It is the noblest form of warfare but warfare nonetheless. Gandhi himself has said that if a person is incapable of fighting tyranny with non-violence, he would have them use violence rather than suffer injustice. A similar situation is emerging now and the people of India, the victims of this dastardly act, are hurt and angry at the audacity of the perpetrators and need assurances that our civility and sense of justice should not prove detrimental to our security.

The battle in Mumbai is over but the war has just begun a war which has many fronts and a war in which it is the citizens who will take the lead. The first step, which has already begun is to send the message to all politicians that they stop petty politics and work towards the security and betterment of the nation. When Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s father was showing Kerala CM the way out, he was acting out the sentiment which finds resonance in almost all Indians, that, politicians are not interested in our personal griefs or national security. It is really alarming that a Leftist like Achuthanand and a Rightist like BJP VP, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, have both, on the same day, criticized civil society’s attempt to stop the issue from getting politicized. Their disappointment at being denied the golden opportunity to extract political mileage is understandable but what politicians of all hues need to understand is that one can’t fool all the people, all the time. This time things have gone beyond imagination and all political parties should sit down together and work out a strategy to bring the guilty to book and prevent similar attacks in future. Lets not forget that Hemant Karkare's wife in returning the Rs 1 crore "compensation" to Modi has set the highest moral standard that every Indian should at least try to live up to.

Posted By Danish 11:57 PM

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Politics over N-Deal question our democratic credentials

The nuclear deal debate has polarised all political parties in India into two camps- those who support the nuclear deal and those who oppose it. Some months back I posted an entry here on the nuclear deal. My opinion on the agreement remains the same but my opinion of the Indian political parties has been further infuenced by the politics sorrounding the deal.

I have always considered the polity of India as a successful and vibrant democracy. It is easier to adopt democracy in culturally homogenous, prosperous and peacful countries like those of Europe but for a third-world country like India with its diverse cultures and traditions, heterogenous ethnicities and communities and acute socio-political and economic imparities, success of democracy is no mean feat. However, there are times when we begin to question ourselves on whether we, as a nation, nurture democratic temperament along with a democratic polity. The current political bickering is one such time when we are forced to question our democratic credentials.

As I said in the earlier post, it is very difficult to predict the consequences of the 123 agreement . It is one of those decisions whose merits and demerits can be known only after the results start coming in. For me the nuclear deal is more about if I can trust Manmohan Singh or not. After all, the last time I faced a similar situation was when Manmohan Singh as finance minister was bringing in economic reforms. I was in school then but still remember the apprensions and fear that the Leftists and the Rightists propogated. But apparently their allegations were misfounded since the economic condition of the nation has improved drastically.

But then Manmohan Singh is afterall a human being and is as prone to making error as everyone else (for a while lets just forget that he is a congressman also :p )
That is, of course, my personal opinion but the views of national-level political parties cannot be and should not be allowed to be influenced by political personalities but by merit and demerit of individual policies.
However there are indications that the current political bickering is more of a clash of personalities than a clash of ideologies. If the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is staking his own credibility on the n-deal and the Congress party is supporting him whole-heartedly, the Leftists rallying behind Prakash Karat who has taken up the task of defeating the deal as a personal vendetta. With general election round the corner it is now Manmohan Singh vs Prakash Karat vs L.K. Advani vs Mulayam Yadav/Amar Singh vs Mayawati. No matter who wins, it is the common man that stands to lose the most in this struggle if the political parties and their leaders don't look beyond their own selves, interests and narrow ideologies and work for the national interest.

With general election round the corner all political parties have taken stands that is percieved by them to be the best to garner their traditional voter base. The Left, a key member of the ruling coalition has formally withdrawn its support from the ruling coalition making Manmohan Singh's government a minority in the parliament. The Left Front may accuse the government of compromising the sovereignty of the nation to a foriegn power but most Indians know that the Left protests simply because that is the only thing it ever does. In fact, I will not be surprised to find the Left protesting against itself ! In the present context the Left could not be expected to take a different stand. Its ideology does not allow it to get into any sort of agreement with an imperialistic power like the USA. It is pretty intriguing why communists in India are so opposed to any sort of agreement with the US but rarely raise voice when fellow-communist China makes deals with the US. The Left argues that the 123 Agreement would undermine India's sovereignty. This is a purely speculative argument which may be proved or disproved in the future but in the present reality India's sovereignty has been time and again undermined by China during its numerous incursions into North-Eastern states. The Left Front has not exactly been very vocal about these incursions as it is being towards the nuke deal. On the other hand it views the nuke deal as America's game plan to encircle China.


It is interesting to note that both Left and the Right are united in opposition to the nuclear deal. The BJP has never been as anti-American as other Indian political parties have been but in this instance the saffron party prefers to side with the L. It is worth mentioning that Indo-US relationship recieved major boost during the NDA's rule. In fact, it was the Vajpayee government itself that laid the groundwork for the 123 Agreement but the BJP now opposes the same deal accusing UPA of making "strategic blunders". Leaders of the BJP say that if the goverment collapses now and the Sangh is voted in, it would renegotiate the deal with the US. I am sure that even the leaders who make such statements are aware that if the deal doesn't get through this time, it never will. Most likely the BJP's opposition to the nuclear deal stems from the fact that it wants the deal passed when it itself is in power and not allow the Congress to hijack it .

Now that the Right and Left are resolved to take whatever steps necessary to stop the government from going ahead with the N-Deal, the centrists led by Prime Minister are admant to see the N-Deal through. This is where the smaller parties and the regional parties come in. It now appears that after being rattled by the BSP the Samajwadi Party is willing to bail out the government. It is not clear what deal the party has struck with the Congress for changing its stand but ideologically it was in a strange dilemma. It could not afford to be seen voting along-side its bete-noire, BSP as well as the BJP which also happens to be the next powerful rival. At the same time the party did not want to risk losing its crucial Muslim voters base by supporting the agreement with the USA. The Samajwadi Party may have overcome its fear of losing Muslim votes but it has raised a question on whether political parties should be willing to meet every reasonable and unreasonable demands of its voters or should politicians also try to educate the masses in instances where their demands are found to be unreasonable.

Lately,Muslims world over dislike the US but almost all Muslim countries at this point of time are more aligned to the US than India ever can. The newly-elected government of Pakistan continues to take order from Washington without upsetting its voter base seriously. This trend indicates that inter-state relations are almost always governed with national interest in mind and not individual and communal perspectives. There is no reason why Indian Muslims would oppose the nuclear deal unless some political parties feed them wrong information to consolidate their vote-bank. I am not really sure if the Muslims are against the nuclear deal, no one around me is. Had the government of India been planning a military alliance with the US, not just Muslims but the majority of the Indian population would bitterly oppose it and for valid reasons too.

However, the 123 Agreement is not a military pact despite allegations made by its opponents, especially the Left Front. From what I learn from the media there is nothing in the agreement that could prevent India from walking out of it. Rapidly rising oil prices indicate that developing nations cannot depend completely on fossil fuels to sustain their growth rate in the future.
Even if we were to presume that this deal would actually influence India's foreign policy in the future, would we still be in a position to refuse negotiation for an indefinate period ?

As the world population increases and more and more regions begin to develop, the energy requirements would not be able to be met by the limited reserves of fossil fuels. Alternative and renewable sources of energy might then become crucial to sustain growth. Even a major oil producing country like Iran insists that it needs nuclear energy for development ( the US doesn't agree but its another story). For India to have access to nuclear technology and fuel even from traditional allies like Russia and France, it has to be formally admitted into the elite nuclear group which is unlikely to happen without US approval. Sooner or later India will have to gain admission into the nuclear bazaar by placing itself under the guidelines of the IAEA.
As the oil prices spiral out of control and inflation is on double digit Indian political parties should try to minimize their non-ideological differences and co-operate with each other for development's sake.

Posted By Danish 10:19 PM

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Arushi murder case and the role of the media and the police

The Aarushi/Hemraj twin murder case refuses to die out unlike most sensationalist crime stories do. As of now I have been trying to restrain myself from commenting on the episode but shoddy investigation by the police and insensitivity of the media compels one to speak out. From the time the crime was discovered to this day, this double murder case and the subsequent investigation has been telecast more like a reality show than a news report. Gruesome murders of a 14 year old daughter and domestic servant of a urban doctor couple are themselves horrifying enough to catch the media's attention, the ensuing mystery regarding the identity and motive of the killer(s) made sure that news reports pertaining to this case continued to grab headlines . If the police bungled up with the investigation, the ever enthusiastic media tried to compensate it by going over-board. One has to admit the fact that without media's unblinking gaze on it, the case record would have been lying in a dusty shelf of some nondescript police station. But it is also a fact that the media sensationalized the ghastly incidence to such an extent that the demarcation between news reporting and reality show stands blurred. In fact, news channels reporting on Arushi murder case can now claim to have a higher TRP than some of the most popular daily soaps. It has been observed that Hindi soap operas thrive by playing up taboo topics for the titillation of a class torn between conservative paradigm and forces of globalism.

In Aarushi/Hemraj murder case the media made every effort to highlight the elements of illicit relationships, adultery, fornication, mystery and honour killing in a bid to challenge the popularity of daily soaps ( Ironically, a popular daily soap has actually included a plot identical to Arushi murder case) . With new revelations being churned out by the investigative agencies on a daily basis this macabre reality show/soap opera is being beamed incessantly into our drawing rooms for more than a month creating a record of sorts. As far as I can remember no other incidence has been able to keep media's spotlight on itself for such a long period of time. In this war of TRPs a section of the media was willing to stoop such a base level that it actually went ahead and reported unverified information casting aspersions on the character of the dead girl. The civil society needs to question if the media and all agencies involved should be allowed to get away after besmirching our memory of a 14 year old who cannot even defend herself from the accusations hurled at her.

This is not the first time that the media has been criticized for unprofessionalism, lately the Indian media has transformed into what I call, "reality circus of cheap thrills, sleaze and superstition". But in Arushi murder case it is the police and not the media that has transformed these gruesome murders into a hugely popular soap opera. Had the police swung into action the moment it was informed of Arushi's murder, this case might not have become so complicated. The fact that the body of Hemraj was found on the terrace 24 hours after Arushi's body had been discovered indicates that the police were simply uninterested in tracking the murderer. It is quite apparent from the media reports that there were enough evidences indicating foul play but conspicuously enough the police just couldn't see them.

Well, this is not an isolated case of police inaction, thousands of criminal cases all over the country suffer similar fate. At times when criminal investigations are not influenced by monetary incentives or political pressures they are left to die a lingering death purely because of the apathetic attitude of the police. However, the Indian police is not that inefficient when it comes to using force on the ordinary people. In a recent article in the Times of India, Santosh Desai, points out that identity of the Indian police revolves around the brute force that it loves to exercise, it is simply incapable of something as intricate as investigation. It should also be noted that despite the rate of convictions in criminal cases being abysmal, jails in India are over-crowded. This situation arises largely because when it comes to nabbing a person and sending him/her jail all that is required is brute force but investigation requires the use of reason and logic which the police either lack or unwilling to apply. It is not surprising to note that whenever there is a public demand for a proper investigation of a crime, the Central Bureau of Investigation has to be brought in. As of yet the CBI has been pretty efficient but this is not why the CBI was created and it cannot take up each and every case.

It is time that the Indian police are reminded that if the civil society grants them the power to use force and coercion it is solely for the safety and welfare of the society. If it casts aspersions on the character of a dead teenager instead of nabbing her killer it only proves Desai's contention that the Indian police is just a desensitized, coercive and brutal agent of the state. As the crime rate continues to rise, reforms and sensitization of the force should be the first step forward.

Update
After 5 long years, the CBI court has indicted Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the murder of their only daughter. It is ironic that when the CBI sought closure of the case because of lack of evidence against Rajesh Talwar, it was the father and mother of the dead girl who asked for the investigation to be reopened to bring out the truth. Further, it has been alleged that the investigation has been far from being fair, the court passes judgement relying upon facts and evidences presented to it by the prosecution as well as the defence. In this instance the investigation should have been as thorough as possible simply for the fact that both the allegations were shocking to the core. If indeed the doctor couple killed their only daughter for the sake of "honor" it would be shocking but what if they didn't ?

It would be far more than "shocking" if the investigators and media had been erroneously accusing the parents. Having lost their only daughter in a gruesome murder would be devastating enough for any parent but casting aspersion on their moral character as well as of their murdered daughter and then accusing them of murdering her would be far too torturous to describe. Were the investigative agencies sensitive enough to keep this in consideration or acting as per their own prejudice, partly based on media reports ?  Here is a report which addresses these questions in depth
 http://www.tehelka.com/2013/06/framed-the-aarushi-hemraj-murder-case-an-investigation/

Posted By Danish 3:29 AM

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The Advent Of News Entertainment Inc.

The Noida double murder case has sent the media into a frenzy raising a lot of questions, including some legitimate ones. Let us not forget that if at all there has been any break-throughs in the investigation, the credit for it goes to the media. From what is apparent, the police made every effort to abandon investigation and close the case but the media's unblinking gaze on the investigation forced the police to act.
Arushi/Hemraj murder case is one of those very few news items that get equal coverage in both vernacular and English news channels but the difference in the standard of journalism between the two is stark. While the English language news channels have not been able to balancing the issue correctly, one cannot even contemplate Hindi media reporting the case maturely. After all, this case has all the elements that TV reporters can only dream of. It is not surprising to find Hindi news channels focus on the elements of adultery, illicit relationship, mystery and honor killing, these are the elements they sometimes have to invent to make their programmes on crime reporting appear alluring. Coming back to the criticism of the Hindi visual media, especially on crime reporting one need be a regular viewer to write on them, infrequent glimpses during channel surfing are enough to get on the nerves. The quality of journalism can be known from the news bulletins themselves and exclusive but regular programs on crimes and investigation.

One of the first things that catches your attention is most likely to be the reporter/anchor of the show. It requires a fair amount of intelligence (or experience) to realise that the host is not trying to threaten or intimidate the viewers but is actually a failed actor trying to play the difficult role of a compere of a street show-cum- reporter. Like C-grade Bollywood movies, the title of these programs are chosen more to arouse perverse curiosity and promise cheap thrills than report crimes or other news events. Certain news channels have even given up all pretensions of journalism, and unabashedly employ cheap tactics to attract attention. A couple of channels have even begun dressing up their actors/reporters in police costumes to make the show more attractive and realistic (?).

Other programs reporting on exclusive stories employ similar visual effects, exaggerated story lines and dialogues, hysteria-stricken actors/reporters and apocalyptic or euphemistic captions. Most of the times the visual effects/graphics are so grotesquely naive that a 10 year old kid's creation comes across as more professional. The content in programs dedicated to crime reporting typically has to do something with sexual crimes, real or imaginary, dug out from the nondescript alleys of small towns to the glittering world of celebrities and tycoons.

The plot is reconstructed with the help of wannabe actors and every attempt is made to add cheap thrills and sleaze to the story. It is really difficult to decide whether the content is more perverse or the presentation is. Recently there have been two huge natural disasters, in Burma and China, resulting in deaths of more than a hundred thousand and leaving millions more homeless but our media did not consider the event worthy of a 30 seconds coverage while a high profile celebrities wedding or any another functions are aired non-stop the entire period. After celebrities, it is the gangsters, criminals and crooks who figure second in vernacular media's priority list. These gangsters and outlaws thrive on fear of the common people, by according them constant attention the media ends up glamorizing crime and making them more powerful then they already are. All this in the name of fighting crimes !

When talking on crime reporting and sensationalism one cannot ignore the role that sting operations and reality TV play in Hindi news channels. This form of investigative journalism has been in more than one instance used to trap known personalities with the help of honey-pots. Most of the times these sting operations are conducted more to capture clandestine activities on camera rather than highlight a wrong-doing. However, I must mention here that after the infamous sting operation on Delhi school teacher who was later found to having been falsely implicated because of personal enmity, TV channels have become cautious. But media's obsession with video-tape and live feeds continues unabated only the focus has shifted from sting operations to criminal investigation and reality TV. It has in many instances this obsession been used to convert non-issues into national issues and personal tragedies into reality shows. This lust for video-tape also results in Indian news channels promoting voyeurism and invading the privacy of celebrities and common people alike.

For a section of sexually starved population torn between conservative paradigm and forces of globalization these news channels provide the much needed sleaze without any explicit content. Indian conservatism does not allow sexual permissiveness or openness of any sort but it has not shown aversion to liberalization or globalization either. This has created a peculiar situation where we seek titillation and sexual thrill without violating our self-created rules. It is for this reason that an alternative ( magazines and movies) industry has always existed that seeks to repackage sleaze and other taboo subjects with crime and investigation, supernaturalism and stories since explicit sexuality is so looked down upon by our queerly moralistic society. Often, graphic details or dramatisation of sexual crimes are done for the very purpose that they seek to condemn. However, these magazines and movies were available in the market, it was on the individual if s/he wanted to buy it or not. For all purposes these materials were never given any sort of respectability but the same sleaze and cheap thrill are now beamed into our drawing rooms.

I wonder if an article on Hindi media can be complete without a reference to the Great Khali.
This 7-foot professional wrestler from Himachal Pradesh is a great favorite of almost all Hindi news channels. Khali has been transformed to something of a national hero after his successes in WWE, the coverage provided to him can only be equalled by even people like Sachin Tendulkar or Shahrukh Khan.

Well, creating a national hero out of someone who excels in a particular sport is not wrong but is it a sport and are these channels being truthful? WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment , it is a sports entertainment company that combines sports with theatrics to make it more glamorous and appealing. The sport is real (or should I say the blood is real) but the matches are scripted. What it essentially means is that the entire show is scripted and rehearsed, right from the pre-match challenges and histrionics to the actual results, everything has been premeditated. When the media reports it as a genuine sport it is misrepresenting facts and spreading lies. It realizes that a section of its population, especially, the lower middle class is in need of heroes and icons and to meet it and in the process raise their own TRPs, these news channels resort to lies and misrepresentation.

Similar factually incorrect and misleading news items have been aired but nothing has worked as well as Khali's exploits in WWE. So the pertinent question here would be what is common between Hindi news channels and WWE? The answer to this question is simple even if elusive. If WWE can be called sports entertainment because of the use of theatrics and glamour then Hindi news channels too can be categorised as pseudo-journalism or news entertainment. When the mainstream media indulges in such pseudo-journalism, it bodes ill for democracy.

Posted By Danish 1:38 AM

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The Great Indian Media Tamasha: Hindi News Channels and Fortune-Telling

Media's penchant for sensationalism is by no means a new phenomenon. Ever since tabloids were first published in the U.K. sensationalizing news events, publishing unverified reports, gossip columns and celebrity news, became a part of the media. However, they never posed a serious threat to mainstream newspaper because the readers were aware of the fact that tabloids had more to do with entertainment than serious journalism. Tabloid journalism never gained a similar foothold in India in the first fifty years of independence, conservative Indian society did not allow the same level of openness and irreverence that is so essential in tabloid journalism. Even in the post- liberalization era tabloid journalism was not successful except for national dailies publishing entertainment news and celebrity gossip in what is now popularly called page 3 news. However, with the advent of satellite television tabloid journalism in India has found a new face in Hindi and vernacular news media especially the visual media. It soon degenerated into something which is yet to be defined.

Before proceeding further, it would pertinent to mention here that I am not absolving English media channels from yellow journalism, but most would agree that their shortcomings are of different nature (not taking into account the journalistic standard of Headline Today, whose content often seem to be English translations of its Hindi language sister channel Aaj Tak) . Among others, TimesNow, a Times Group venture seem to be eyeing at the neocon segment, going by the way it covers issues. At this point I must say that watching its star host Arnab Goswami, does seem entertaining at times. Seems, the poor guy cannot keep his emotions outside the newsdesk. His mannerism, which can be called arnabism, includes talking more than all the guests combined and a self-righteous rage which often take debates far out of context. 

But the damage that Hindi news channels seem to inflict is far mpre dangerous than "arnabism" or any other ism, the former attack  rationality and scientific thought which can be disastrous for the Indian society in the future. In my previous post I wrote on the declining standards of the Hindi news channels, now I intend to elaborate on certain aspects of the issue that I had deliberately omitted for the sake of brevity.

In this post I will write on the growing and potentially harmful trend in the Indian media is glamorization of supernaturalism and occult. The line demarcating superstition from supernaturalism is too fine, if any group of professionals should stay away from this realm then it is undoubtedly the group of tabloid journalists. Predictions based on Sun Signs and Moon Signs are a regular feature in tabloids world over but Indian news channels have taken this trend to a new level. Most channels now feature programs that claim to predict the future based on astrology, numerology, tarot card reading, cartomancy and crystallomancy. The latest addition to the list of occultist disciplines glamorized by the media is the study of mobile phone ringtones' influence in daily lives of the owners (I call it phonomancy). This is not a joke or a spoof, I did come across one program in a news channel last week. If the "experts" are to be believed, religious ringtones influence the cell phone owner's fortunes very much like gem-stones and amulets are supposed to do. Like most occultist devices, these religious ringtones are supposed to impart luck on the owner but before that, an expert in this area should be consulted to find out which particular religious ringtone is compatible with one's zodiac sign. I must confess that this one is one of the best instances of ingenuity, innovation and marketing strategy that I have come across in recent times. This method of fortune-telling is of recent origin and yet to catch up with the TV audience but the more popular format across news channels comprises of making fortune-telling programs based on astrology, numerology and tarot card reading. In these programs too the use of colors and graphics is deliberately loud and grotesque.


If astrology, numerology and other occultist disciplines qualify as sciences or not has been subject of many debates, I do not intend to start another one. But even those who believe astrology to be a science often argue that tabloid columns on astrological prediction harm the discipline's reputation. Indeed, if astrologers on TV and newspapers are to be believed the entire global population's future can be predicted with 12 sets of predictions! Getting a detailed and individual prediction from an astrologer is understandable but a generic horoscope-based predictions and the manner of its presentation one comes across in Hindi and vernacular news channels encourage superstition. The responsibility of news agencies is to collect only verifiable information and present it to readers. A little amount of irreverent and spiced up news item is quite palatable but presenting unverifiable information amounts to fraud.


In the same manner, programs on supernatural events are reconstructed and dramatized more to provide cheap thrills than provide explanations for the anomalies. Informative programmes on supernatural beings with grotesque imagery, over-dramatization and special effects taken straight from C-grade Hindi horror movies are a regular feature on all leading Hindi news channel. These programmes usually try to balance their views out by adding a hint of rationalism before ending but the nature of earlier misinformation is so profoundly grotesque that it makes a much larger impression on the psyche, especially that of a child.

India is being increasingly seen by the rest of the world as a rapidly developing powerhouse of science and technology but most of the popular news channels not only ignore the country’s scientific achievement but also reinforce superstition and regressive mindset. For instance, the recent successful launch of PSLV hardly got any coverage when compared to exclusive programmes on fortune-telling methods. It goes without saying that by glamorizing fortune-telling, occult and superstition these news agencies are in reality doing a great disservice to the nation and are also shirking a fundamental duty incorporated in the Constitution of India which lays down “developing scientific temper” as a fundamental duty of every Indian citizen.

(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
( Part IVA, Fundamental Duties: Indian Constitution)

Posted By Danish 6:21 PM

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Bush Maybe Imbecile But Global Food Crisis Is Real

G.W. Bush has said that the food prices are rising because Indians are eating more. Well, what he exactly said is that as the Indian middle class which is larger in size than the entire population of the US ( after learning this during his last visit to India, Bush has never failed to show off his new found knowledge regardless of situation) is getting prosperous it is demanding better nutrition leading to higher food prices.

Wow! Did Bush work that out all by himself ?

I would have thought so had not Condy Rice expressed similar sentiments earlier, Bush's latest statement indicates that imbecelity is contagious especially in the inner circle of the American President.

These statements sound so much like the cold war era allegation that the amount of food that the USA wastes would be sufficient to feed all the hungry people of Africa. However, I am not sure if that is how world economics works.Experts opine that the current global food crisis is result of diversion of resources from food crop production to bio-fuel production and trade policies.

Bush's comment may be typically obtuse but he has inadvertently brought an important issue to the fore. Global food crisis is real and needs immediate attention. Avaaz has launched a movement to raise awareness and urge leaders to tackle the problem before it gets out of hand. Already the food prices have doubled in Sierra Leone and things are heading for the worse. If you feel like it, then please sign the petition. .

p://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/tf.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK
--

P.S.: I intended to continue postings on the declining standards of the Indian vernacular media before posting on any other topic but Bush has spoken and so I had to !

Posted By Danish 1:56 PM

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The Great Indian Tamasha: Hindi News Channels

In this age of aggressive consumerism a section of the fourth estate of India is out for sale, having transformed itself into a mart of cheap sleaze and thrills, glamour, manufactured reality and superstitions.

The standard of the Indian media especially the Hindi and vernacular media is nose-diving at an alarming speed. Just a few years back, the Indian media was considered as one of the most intelligent and honest media in the world but in the aftermath of the information boom, its credibility stands thoroughly shaken. Manufacturing sensational news items through sting operations, manipulation and even through exaggeration are now passé for the Indian media, the emerging trend in news coverage in India, especially the Hindi media is one of exploiting and cultivating the regressive mindset of a large section of the population.

In the war of TRPs these news channels are more than willing to descend to the basest level of journalism as long as it helps them attract more viewers. Tune into a Hindi news channel any time of the day, you will be at the receiving end of the cheapest and sleaziest news reports that could be conceived of. Gone are the days when Hindi news bulletins consisted of impassionate and almost mundane news content with morbid apathy towards controversies. The new age media loves controversies and serenades voyeurism. Even if one were to overlook the quality of the news contents, the manner of presentation is usually too gross to be overlooked. The formula that most of these news networks rely on is pretty simple, any event or information that promises to break the monotony of real life can be considered a "breaking news" as long as it can be presented with a dash of sensationalism. But then again an oft-occurring incidence can also be presented as breaking news if it can be repackaged with lavish use of adjectives and superlatives, ghastly video, sound bytes from known personalities and everything that have the potential to create sensation around it. It doesn't really matter if the story is that of paramount national interest or of a little known wrestler, Khali, winning a well scripted and well rehearsed wrestling match in WWE, the media would simply opt for the story that can be sensationalized more. Media's penchant for sensationalism is a global phenomenon but Indian vernacular media's glamorization of regressive temperament along with its obsession for sensationalism, makes it singularly perverse.

Even if India's stories of success in the fields of science and technology are being talked world over, our own media prefers programs based on occult (astrology, numerology and tarot card reading) to stories on specific scientific achievements. But even these seem scientific and rational when compared to the "horror shows" that the news channels pass of as regular news programs. If it is unnatural for a news channel to regularly feature content on supernatural events, what the Hindi news channels indulge in is sheer travesty and intellectual blasphemy. Dramatization of unsubstantiated claims and reports with sub-standard audio and visual effects seem more like Bollywood's C-grade horror movies than news content. Vernacular news channels' obsession with the supernatural is not limited to horror shows only, reports on religious mythologies and prevalent superstitious beliefs find equal time slot on the prime time.

With information technology boom the vernacular media has been able to reach out to most of the sections of the society, consequently, its obligation to provide unbiased information and encouraging progressive outlook has only grown stronger, unsubstantiated and unverifiable content, especially information that dwell on the border of rationalism and superstition should be avoided. These content along with sleaze and cheap thrill that the vernacular media specializes adversely affect the mindset of the its viewers and encourage regressive temperament. They also have the potential to seriously damage the psyche of our kids, who are encouraged to follow news bulletins and programs to supplement education In fact, what motivated me to write this one is the fact that I found my 8-year nephew believing in superstitions in a-matter-of-fact manner simply because he had come across the information on a news channel. I am sure he would find it odd if I advice his to restrain from watching particular news channel, after all, haven’t we all been taught that news channels are more about education than entertainment ?

A peculiarity of this trend is the distressing fact that it is only the Hindi and regional languages news channels that broadcast such sub-standard news reports, the English language news channel of the same news network would have a completely different content. The best example that I can think of at the moment is TV Today's Aaj Tak and Headlines Today. The same trend can be seen in every major news network, be it Star, Sahara or IBN (The only exception IMHO is NDTV)

This observation only reinforces the belief that broadcast of sub-standard news content by the Hindi channels is a well planned marketing strategy of the media bosses and not lack of ability on the part of the professionals involved. This also implies that those higher up in the management are least bothered about journalistic ethics or quality journalism, in fact they would prefer bad journalism over quality if that helps them rake in more moolah.
It can be argued that as business organizations these news agencies are justified in taking the approach that is likely to yield more profit. But it should also be borne in mind that as an industry that exists and thrives on the basis of social interaction, it cannot wash its hand off its social responsibility. The civil society grants the press freedom to publish reports, views and opinions independently and without any interference of the State with the belief that the press would publish/broadcast material beneficial to the society. There is an unsaid agreement between the two, the media is under the obligation to abide by it. Then again there can be no question on freedom of the press or censorship, no functional democracy can afford to question it. It is the duty of the media bosses to self-censor and ensure that news contents originating from their concerns are not harmful to the society.

Posted By Danish 6:02 PM

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A Tribute To Myself

The other day I was sitting on the toilet pondering on the nature of things when suddenly it occured to me and I was really surprised that I had not yet realised how great I am! A door to my subconscious was opened, I felt a lot clearer now and could then recognize those random itsy-bitsy acts of mine for what they really were- marvelous deeds of a genius. In my arrogance I had overlooked my own brilliance and was instead appreciating the mediocrity of my fellow humans. In that moment of awakening I could almost feel the warmth of the radiant halo that must have been around my head though I couldn't see it myself. I was sorely tempted to seek someone else's assistance to just make sure but decided against it as I realised that showing my posteriority to someone else was not a good idea especially with my pants bunched around my ankles.


So I pulled up my trouser and socks and settled down to write this tribute to myself. I am fully aware that no one who knows me would recognize my greatness but that does not bother me at all. Even I myself, am not very sure why I should be considered great except that the thought came to me when I was answering nature's call. Throughout human history many a great ideas have come to great men and women as they sat performing this most intimate and private function of the human body so why should my thought be considered part of the crap just because I cannot not justify it ?


Many years from now someone might look back and confirm that this particular idea of mine should have been flushed down with the rest of the crap but till then I don't see a reason why I should not consider myself great and pay tribute to myself.


Note : I had composed this as a April Fool joke but didn't have the guts to post it. But Behan Mayawati's chutzpa a couple of days back was truly inspiring. . In case you are wondering what Im talking about, you might have missed the news item, "Mayawati unveils her own statue" !
Im thinking of changing the title of this post to "A tribute to myself, Behan Mayawati and all fellow narcissists"
:D

Posted By Danish 1:49 AM

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The 8-Tag

Taking up Busybee's tag "athe pe atha".

8 things Im passionate about:
(not in same order)
1. The first one is not a "thing" but a person.
2. Myself :D
3. Knowledge (R-W-X includes books, tv,gadgets...)
4. My ideology/principles
5. My friends
6. Team India
7. Hacking (its not what the media potrays )
8. Madhuri Dixit
Im also passionate about rights like the right to privacy which Busybee violated :D

8 things I want to do before I die:

1. Discover elixir of life !
If I really actually have to die

2. Do something to leave the world a tiny bit better place than the world I was born into.
3. Clear all dues, monetary and otherwise.(this actually covers everything)
4. Write a book (maybe more than one)
5. Spend a few days with ... in a beach resort or hill station.

I dont have a lot of plans but may be I would like to do stuffs like meet Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and a few other celebs in person.
I cant think of anything else at the moment.( that are not x-rated :D )

8 things I always say.
i make conscious effort to not repeat words or phrases. But i'll still try to come up with a list.
1. Hi, hey, wassup, ASAK.
2. Sh*t, F*ck, d@mn, most vernacular slangs ( i notice that while i have no problems writing english slangs even if with * im not comfy doing the same with vernacular slangs- double standards ? )

3. Its simple/Its logical
4. I told you so.
5. Thank God, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God)
6. Puhlease
7. Actually, obviously,really
8. Ok, tata, bye-bye, tc,ciao, phir milenge

8 books I have read recently:
I was really surprised that I remember the names and order :

1. Ibn Arabi's Heir to the Prophets.
2. Deathly Hallows
3. Been re-reading the Gita
4. Digital Fortress
5. The Bretheren
6. Athabasca
7. Bourne Legacy
8. 1984 by Orwell

8 songs I could listen to again and again :

1. Tere mere milan ki ye raina (Abhiman: Kishore/Lata )
2. Humein Tum Se Pyar Kitna (Kudrat: Kishore)
3. Karz numbers including Om Shanti Om and Ek Haseena thi by Kishore and Dard-E-Dil by Rafi.
4. Ye daulat bhi le lo ( Jagjit Singh)
5. Dil hoom hoom kare (Rudali: Bhupen Hazarika and Lata Mangeshkar)
6. Ka Karoon Sajani ( Sawan Ko Aane Do: Yesudas)
7. Allah Ke Bande (Waise Bhi Hota Hai- 2 : Kailash Kher)
8. Maa (Tare Zameen Par: Shankar Mahadevan)

8 things that attract me to my best friends :

1. Intelligence/Wit
2. Some degree of sophistication (I cant stand people with crass mentality)
3. Adherence to an ideology/religion.
4. Sense of humor.
5. Unorthodox/ Open to change.
6. Willingness and capability to participate unannounced and spontaneous verbal duels any time of the day or night.
7. Sucker for knowledge in any form.
8. Compassion

I pass the tag to Ghalib Fan (just found him back in bee's blog ), Angel, Zaina, Tanzim, PG, Phoenix and anyone who visits this post.

Posted By Danish 8:44 PM

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On Parochialism and Xenophobia

There seems to be a misunderstanding among a section of Indians that democracy is only about being able to elect a government. Such a democracy would be soul-less, farcical and at best a kind of dictatorship where the dictator is not one person but a group of like-minded individuals. I wouldn't call it an oligarchy because there is some semblance of democratic principles in an oligarchy too but there is none in a democracy that allows fascistic rule. The essence of democracy does not consist in just entrusting the individual with the right to hold a different opinion but also in accepting the right of others to hold diverse opinions. This also means that one has right to protest against opinions of others but all forms of protests should conform to the democratic norms and the founding principles of the civil society.
In recent times I have observed that while debating on a controversial issue participants usually generalize issues instead of judging every issue based on it's own merit. At times even a wrongful act is sought to be justified by citing similar instances in the past. The most gruesome instance is the post-Godhra riots where the Chief Minister justified genocide by dubbing it as a 'reaction' to the Godhra train carnage. Raj Thackeray's statement against non-Maharashtrians and his next statement justifying it by drawing analogy with instances of parochialism in other parts of India is another such instance. Mr. Thackeray has missed two fine points while generalizing his parochialism. The first and the most important part is that two wrongs do not make a right. He has a valid point when he says that political parties in Tamil Nadu that have links with the LTTE are equally parochial as are those people of West Bengal who come out on streets protesting Saurav Ganguly's exclusion from team India. However, his lack of understanding on why the media and general populace has singled him out and his allegation against Amitabh Bachchan proves that Raj Thackeray lacks the subtlety something as complex as human emotions. Patriotism, communalism, regionalism and all such isms are two-edged swords, their negative and positive ramifications depend on the individual.
People tend to see these ideologies as divisive and they are not very wrong when one sees that most ideologies in recent times have been propagated to divide the society and spread discord but when viewed from another perspective these ideologies appear as something natural, unifying and desirable. They are desirable when they form the basis of inclusiveness but are certainly undesirable when they form the basis of an ideology that advocates exclusiveness and apathy. Let us take the case of patriotism, patriotism means loving and caring for one's country-men but the meaning is often distorted to create hatred towards people not belonging to one's own country. The same applies to regionalism, it forms the basis of expressing solidarity with people belonging to one own region but often it is exploited to ferment hatred towards the outsiders. Affection and loyalty towards one's own immediate community is natural and desirable, one cannot love all the people in the world equally, some have to be dearer than others and the former always are people with whom one shares linguistic, ethnic, cultural, religious and other bonds. As the sphere of interaction widens and one becomes member of larger groups with lesser degree of commonality the affection does decrease but there is no reason why it should be replaced with animosity towards those with whom one has lesser bonding.
So from one perspective groupism consist of inclusiveness or finding commonalities and forging bonds with more and more people instead of being hostile or apathetic towards them but from another perspective, groupism consists of exclusiveness or finding out differences and antagonizing which progressively increases as the spectrum of commonality widens. If Amitabh Bachchan's contribution towards UP reflects anything it his affection for the state as well as the country and not apathy for Maharashtra or any other state. It is really unfortunate that his philanthropy was dragged into a mire of controversy which culminated into acts of mindless violence.
Senior politicians, conscientious citizens and the media have been quick and vociferous in condemning and have in the process given him publicity the likes of which he could only dream. In fact Baba Amte's death went largely unlamented as the media as well as the people were so engrossed in the ongoing slugfest.
Anyway, this controversy has reached its zenith, it will gradually climb down and disappear, TV audience gets bored fast and since Raj Thackeray and Abu Azmi have both been arrested and released on bail one can expect this controversy to die out changing nothing except making both these individuals a bit more famous than they had been. There has been abundant criticism of the media for giving the issue a lot more space than was due to it. But the question remains, was the issue handled correctly? Raj Thackeray may have been vilified by the media but the massive press exposure has actually helped him consolidate his base. What needs to be tackled is the sentiment that Thackeray exploited to gain political mileage. It should not be forgotten that a segment of the population, however small, does have a parochial mindset and the Thackerays have always exploited/aggravated their xenophobia for political gains. As we move towards globalization it becomes urgently necessary that efforts be made to educate the masses on necessity of tolerance and co-existence. In a democratic and heterogeneous country like India tolerating aggressive parochial ideologies can be dangerous and detrimental to the nation.

Posted By Danish 5:14 PM

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Magnanimity or Pawar ?

Team India forgives Brad Hogg after bringing charges against him of verbally abusing Kumble and Dhoni. It is a noble gesture , a gesture that reflects the Indian ethos and the genuine sporting spirit. It goes without saying that one expects the Aussies to drop charges against Bhajji as a gesture of reciprocation but the fact is that the Aussies have done no such thing as yet. At this point of time it is not clear whether Kumble's decision was part of a deal but even if we assume that a deal had made the question still remains, 'was it a fair deal?'

The Sydney test fiasco had taken India-Australia cricket relations to an all-time low, it was in the interest of cricket that differences be set aside and both the teams take initiatives to normalize relations. Australia being the host team should have taken the first step in this direction and the person in the centre of the controversy did take the first step but in the opposite direction. Andrew Symonds again took a dig on Bhajji by issuing a statement on Sunday. One would expect Indians to react in a similar manner but bizarrely, Anil Kumble & Co decided to withdraw complaint against Hogg even after Ponting had turned down Kumble's request to withdraw charges against Bhajji. Forgiveness is a virtue but in an instance where the offending party expresses no regret, the concept of forgiveness loses all meaning. It is then seen as a meek surrender which makes the aggressor more aggressive. This may actually send a wrong message to Ricky Ponting and his boys making them think that they reserve the right to sledge, abuse and cheat and other teams do not possess the right to protest either. Lately, Ricky Ponting's arrogance has acquired such dimensions that he doesn't hesitate from using his sledging tactics even against media After all, they have been sledging and cheating the whole series and the officials have actually been conniving with them instead of restraining them.

It is still unclear what made Kumble drop charges against Hogg, Pawar's aspiration for ICC top job may have influenced the decision but as of yet no one is telling. I wouldn't like to believe that Indian cricket can be one man's fiefdom Let us just hope that Kumble's gesture was one of magnanimity and sportman spirit and not a decision that has been forced on him by the board.

Posted By Danish 5:14 PM

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Sydney Fiasco

India lost the test and Bhajji banned for 3 matches! Well, that doesn't disappoint Indian cricket fans, it never was a fair game, the Aussies had 14 players on the ground in response to 11 Indians. The extra three were umpires of course. This was an unusual match, teams and fans have been outraged by behaviour of officials earlier too and in various games but this test match stands out because the Indian teams and fans have been left more than outraged. When Symonds was declared not out by the third umpire and he went on to score a ton and a half Indians felt wronged but nonetheless accepted it as something natural and unintentional. But things didn't look that unbiased when Dravid and Ganguly were declared out wrongly.Both the batsmen had the calibre to win the game or at least draw it but it seemed the umpires had decided on whose favor the game should go. It is really intriguing why the umpire thought that Dravid was out when the ball was missing the bat by a mile. However, Ganguly's dismissal was just too gross, Clarke had grounded the ball but umpire Benson thought Ricky Ponting's word was enough and the third umpire shouldn'tbe consulted. Those two dismissals cost India the match and allowed Australia to create a record of 16 consecutive wins but this could and should be the turning point of world cricket. 10 wrong umpiring decisions against India cost the match, the fans and cricket lovers were outraged but then came the match referee's decision to ban Harbhajan for 3 tests on charges of racism! This goes well beyond outrage... Everyone saw Symonds and Bhajji exchanging words on the field but for some peculiar reason only Bhajji was charged and Symonds wasn't even charged. Later on, during the hearing the match referee held Bhajji guilty even though there were no evidences at all. Mike Proctor is convinced of Harbhajan's guilt because Ponting and Hayden say so, Sachin's testimony doesn't count. Now all of us know how truthful the Aussies especially their skipper had been during the match to take their word as the truth and punish Harbhajan. Maybe Bhajji did call Symonds a "monkey" but I dont see how it can be construed as a racist remark. The Aussies had been provoking Bhajji since a long time, what Hayden told him back in India was far more racist and malicious, there was one time when he just got worked up but to amount it to racism is plainly stupid. From the start to finish this test match was a fiasco and ten wrong decisions against one team and banning of a player cannot be unintentional and fair. If indeed the decisions were unbiased how would do you explain Steve Bucknor's maximum wrong decisions having costed India heavily ? Surely, the match officials must be aware of the kind of sledging the Aussies do. How can they then take Ponting's word and first wrongly declare a key Indian batsman out and then convict another on charges of racial slurring ? However, the most vital question is why are teams from the Indian subcontinent are always on the recieving end when it comes to ICC rules or erroneous umpire decisions? I am sure Steve Bucknor will go the same way as Darell Hair did after that ignonimous decision against Pakistan but team,BCCI and fans from the subcontinent need to take steps so that their team members are not unduly victimised. After all, cricket has ceased being an English sport.

Update:
Sharing a mail I recieved.

After watching the test match, I feel some rules have to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification

(1) Ricky Ponting – (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED ) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE.

(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to the AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE. This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.

(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.

(4) UMPIRES should consider a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.

(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACIALISM only.

(6) MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advices only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.

(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.
(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE : If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - "THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGTIRY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET" more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will be played to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.

These rules will clarify better to the all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA.

Posted By Danish 3:53 PM

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