In Memorium - 12/3 Bombay Blasts

Desi Pundit, India, Mumbai, Pakistan, Politics, Society, terror 2 Responses »
Mar 122010

March 12th 1993. A time when Mumbai was still Bombay. Lokhandwalla was a set of buildings in progress, where gangs regularly went to war. Where In Orbit & Hypercity Malad were rubbish dumps, when the expressway didn’t exist, when Asiatic and Akbarally’s were great malls and when Phoenix was a shut down mill !

March 12th 1993, a set of blasts that shook Mumbai to the core. Buildings blasted, people vaporized and the sense of innate security that citizens of this metropolis had torn to shreds. In all,

A series of bomb blasts ripped through 13 places in the city, killing 257 people and injuring 713. These were the first blasts in which RDX was used and the explosions were allegedly planned by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

This was before the 24/7 news era – and therefore the term 12/3 has not passed into popular lexicon ! No body remembers the anniversary or places flowers at key places where the bombs went off and people died

Locations attacked include (dead in brackets)

* Fisherman’s Colony in Mahim causeway[15]
* Zaveri Bazaar[12]
* Plaza Cinema[12]
* Century Bazaar[12]
* Katha Bazaar[12]
* Hotel Sea Rock[12]
* Sahar Airport[12]
* Air India Building[12]
* Hotel Juhu Centaur[12]
* Plaza Theatre near Shiv Sena HQ[16]
* Lucky Petrol near Shiv Sena HQ[16]
* Worli[17]
* Bombay Stock Exchange Building[10]
* Hotel Centaur, Santa Cruz[16]
* Area opposite of Century Bazaar[13]
* Passport Office[18]

I was a student at that time, away in London. I heard about it on the BBC. I was terrified. My dad worked in Air India Building, my brother studied at Xaviers, my mom taught at Sophia’s – all in town, and both passing the passport office en route to our home. It was a different time – no instant messaging, no net, no twitter – and the land lines were impossible to get through to …..

My mother told me about this BEST bus that was blown up near the passport office. many commuters were 12th standard students, who having finished their HSC exams were returning to their respective homes. Not enough scraps were found for last rites.

SR pointed me out to a spot next to Sena Bhavan – the site of a petrol pump – where a bomb failed to go off. Had it gone off the whole area would have been levelled .

The foot soldiers behind the blast were sentenced a few years ago. Those who planned it still run free.

The BBC’s coverage -

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Posted by gargi at 9:18 am Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Misplaced Pride

Desi Pundit, India, Politics, elections, terror 1 Response »
Mar 142009

I have a theory … it is not very original, nor is it groundbreaking …but it is mine in any case

Nutcases – especially religious nutcases like the LeT or the Talibaan or the Ram Sene or the Bajrang Dal – have to go through a rite of passage. Both the Shiv Sena & the Ram Sene’s right of passage in modern days was violence against Valentine’s Day, Both the Shiv Sena and the MNS beat up ‘outsiders’ as their rite of passage, the smorgasbord of three letter acronym’s of Talibanesque idiots blow up the US embassy or beat up women or 5 star hotels as part of their rite of passage , and so on. For all of them the rite of passage is attacking the right to choice in the name of religion or culture, or both.

India, for all her faults, has allowed the bulk of its people to have choice – however rudimentary that choice may seem to those who want more rapid progress, and however rapid it may seem to those who want us to be stuck with the customs of the 18th century.

Now comes the biggest exercise in choice – who governs us …. and the choice before us manifold. I don’t think that there is any other DEmocracy where voters have so much choice between various people who claim to represent them. we can be cynical and say corruption, nepotism, etal … but the fact remains that choice has permeated down and local government, disadvantaged communities, minorities -religious, tribal, cultural, sexual, gender — all participate in the great mela….

And, then at the same time is IPL – a symbol of India’s emergence as the Mecca Las Vegas of cricket. Glittery, loud, fun, exhuberant and in your face … it represents, possibly, a different rite of passage … that of uninhibited consumerism … we no longer feel guilty about spending. For a long time we did.  ( as a kid i was told that burning crackers was like burning money and think of all the starving kids on the street – it was only when i grew up that i thought of retorting that me not spending does not mean that they will starve less unless i gave them the money ). It is a symbol of our being ‘important’ ‘global players’

The elections are going to be targetted as is IPL becuase the nutcases mentioned in paragraph 1 – want to make their name by attacking visible symbols of India and our way of life, and our right to choose. They will use different terms to justify it “Palestine” “Kashmir” “Cheerleaders” “against Indian culture”  “all of the above” …take your pick..the fact remains that these are soft targets.

No matter what we say, we cannot have blanket security -we are a Democracy. the security forces cannot be omnipotent or omnipresent. We are not doubting their capability, but do we really want an exhausted set of security personnel that is gazing at us through their obsolete gun barrels 24*7 ?

so something has to give – either the elections or IPL … and i would think that it is more important for Indian and Indians to elect the next government, in peace, than for some more 20-20 cricket. to have them both at the same time is going to exhaust our security forces and we will all bay for blood if a 26/11 or a Lahore repeat happens again.

But, it is not so simple. IPL is made up of franchises who have all paid shit loads of money when the market was at its highest for the rights to own teams. The market is now at its lowest, and there is only a small window when international players are available to play the tournament. so they are in a bind. Which is possibly why you have statements like this :

“it is a slap on the face of the Indian security forces and their courage if we feel they are not capable of defending the players or have no faith in the system.”

It is not about defending the players or faith in the system. It is because we have faith in the system that elections should not be pushed. And it is because we believe in the SEcurity forces that we believe that they are not cannon fodder or beasts of burden to be overloaded with so much security detail that they collapse under the strain.

Finally, IPL is a commercial venture. It is about making profits or losses. Why is the tax payer expected to subisdise security for team owners … Pay for it guys, there are agencies across the world who hire ex- military guys to provide kick ass security.Hire one of these agencies – get them supervised by which ever branch of Government is supposed to oversee it – and stop burdening the exchequer !! either that or push the Game…..

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Posted by gargi at 9:39 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Post 26/11 - the Passage of Time

India, terror 1 Response »
Dec 172008

sometimes i wonder, whether time makes us heal or does it make us forget. Three weeks are over, and the fourth begins

PC034903

For Those Who Died

The road to justice has yet to be sighted :(

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Posted by gargi at 10:04 pm Tagged with: , , , ,

Week 2 - Post 26/11- Reactions 2

India, Pakistan, terror No Responses »
Dec 112008

Duh …. This from here:

Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi has claimed that the group was not involved in the Mumbai carnage but said his organisation would admit its mistakes provided it was proved that it was in any way linked to the attacks, which left a trail of death and destruction.

looks like the Jamaat-ud -Dawa have their own version of Sir Humphrey.

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Posted by gargi at 9:49 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,

Week 2 - Post 26/11- Reactions

India, Media, Mumbai, News, TV, propaganda, terror 2 Responses »
Dec 102008

Two very different stories caught my attention today. Both are related to media coverage.

One was in the Indian Express by Rajat Sharma, of India TV, quoting a former Army Chief – who had come into the channel to advice producers & camerapersons on :

what precautions they should have taken while showing “live” action. My most important objective was to understand if news channels, in any way, endangered the lives of our commandos.

To my surprise, the former army chief was emphatic: “News channels did nothing wrong. Your coverage didn’t do any harm whatsoever to the commandos! I’ve handled action as a major, then as a full colonel, and finally as an army commander in anti-terrorist operations, and there’s nothing I could make out from the news channel about the strategy of our commandos.”

Frankly, I expected him to echo what some have been saying—how terrorists got valuable clues on the commando plan by watching our channels. But sample what he said: “Do you think that terrorists holed up in a hotel facing commando fire had time to watch TV?” A young reporter persisted. He reminded the general of the “widespread belief” that the terrorists were being briefed on their Blackberries by their bosses, watching our news channels. Promptly came the angry reply. “Anyone suggesting this must be mad. (Even) I could not get an idea about the action plan. Who has the time to look at TV and Blackberries when you are in the midst of gunfire?”

The second was in the International Herald Tribune, quoting Indian authorities :

And, perhaps most significantly, throughout the three-day siege at two luxury hotels and a Jewish center, the Pakistani-based handlers communicated with the attackers using Internet phones that complicate efforts to trace and intercept calls.

Those handlers, who were apparently watching the attacks unfold live on television, were able to inform the attackers of the movement of security forces from news accounts and provide the gunmen with instructions and encouragement, the authorities said.

:(

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Posted by gargi at 2:55 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Week 1 - Post 26/11 - Quo Vadis News Media ?

India, Media, News, Politics, Society, TV, propaganda, terror 47 Responses »
Dec 072008

Like most others in blogosphere, I too read Barkha Dutt’s passionate defense of reportage on News Channels. My first response was to Fisk it. Wikipedia quotes Eric S. Raymond from the the Jargon File:

A point-by-point refutation of a blog entry or (especially) news story. A really stylish fisking is witty, logical, sarcastic and ruthlessly factual; flaming or handwaving is considered poor form.

As i began scanning through the justification, i mentally made notes. It was going to be a line by line rebuttal. the post began taking shape. I began typing it out. And then I stopped. What am I becoming ? Does Fisking really serve any purpose but to polarize opinions even more?

It is not about absolutes. It is about a continuum in which we all want to coexist, live, play, work and be happy. It is not about digging yourself into a hole or painting yourself into a corner. It is about meeting people and ideas half way. It is not about shouting someone down. It is about conversation, dialogue. The aim is not sarcasm, or wittiness or getting into a ‘tu tu mein mein‘ zone. It is not personal. It is not aimed at one person and their reportage, but a system that is failing us, as much as the politicians are.

The News media are the fourth estate. They are the watchdogs on behalf of civil society. They are supposed to keep a look out for when the state or the system messes up, and they are supposed to make us aware of lapses. they are supposed to be unbiased, neutral and a means for the audience to get timely reliable information.

Their role is not to pally up or be part of inner circles – they can’t by definition. Their role is not to gloss over the truth, because their patrons will get offended; and their role is not to cover the peccadilloes of the rich and famous to the exclusion of everything else. Their role is not to scream about the stable door after the horse has bolted, but before. The reason i am bringing up something that most bachelor level students of the media will know and appreciate is because the News Media in general and TV News media in particular has forgotten it.

So Let’s start with basics. Unedited footage, with a spur of the moment commentary, in situations like this, is dangerous. This is not a cricket match. This is National Security .

The basic defense is that mistakes were being made because it was a 60 hour coverage under tense, dangerous and emotive conditions. I appreciate the difficulties of 60 hour coverage. But, I don’t think that anyone asked the media to cover the issue live non stop. There were other stories breaking. A cylcone in Chennai that left 75+ dead (I could be cynical and say that slum people drowning is not news) , a dangerous situation in Thailand, where many Indians travel , elections in parts of India. As, Anjali Deshpande and S.K. Pande of the Delhi Union of Journalists point out:

The media behaved as if the country was so terrified it came to a standstill. As if Madhya Pradesh did not go to polls, as if Delhi did not vote, as if a former Prime Minister, V P Singh, did not pass away

Was there other news? Of course. But, the desire to keep viewership up by upping the pitch, and trying to vie with each other to get more gruesome and gory, won the day.

NDTV English continued showing the operation. It also took us to the scene outside the Trident. There Barkha Dutt spoke to the Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil asking him for details. She asked him whether there were any Indians among the hostages. RR Patil said he could not disclose information for it could affect the security of the people held hostage. Patil also pointed out that firing from outside could give away the direction from, which security forces were approaching the building. Despite that the channel showed where the commandos were hiding behind pillars! …..Whatever happened to the earlier decision to not telecast live in the interest of the ongoing operation?

There is something terribly scary about unedited footage going out with unedited scripts. And, when i talk about editors here, I don’t mean the function on a word processor or a the video editing system that you use to assemble a story. I mean the human who is competent and qualified to add ‘reason’ to a report. For reference of good reportage in emotional situaions, please look at Michael Buerk’s coverage of the Ethiopian famine, or Kate Adie’s coverage of Tiananmen Square, or even the US Network Coverage of 9/11. Let’s face facts, editorially 26/11 coverage was a disaster. You had live footage going on, with commentators trying to describe the events – almost like a ball to ball coverage, without the knowledge & insight that a cricket commentator has on the game.

Bring in systems that prevents this. News, has to go through an editorial filter. Having your editor on the ground sending out unfiltered thoughts and images is really a cop out !

At the second level you have the role of watchdog. It is all very well to bay about the fact that the NSG has only one plane tucked away in Chandigarh. now, that the delay has happened and the deed is done, let me ask the media – our watchdog- a question – Were you sleeping for all these years? Where is your reportage on things that impact us and our security? Where is your reportage on corruption? Where is your reportage on why Delhi houses aren’t really earthquake resistant – and what will happen there if there is an earthquake tomorrow ? How much petrol goes walkies from the army everyday ? Why is it that you aren’t asking why people are dying in floods 60 years after independence in a Capital city ? What can be done to prevent it? Where are your North Eastern Reports? Where are your features on Naxal activity? Where are your exposes on human right violations ? Where are you on people who make a difference, beyond the Page 3 crowd ? Is Saif Ali Khan’s tattoo really more important than this country and its people?

The sacrifice of news in the altar of ratings is again something that needs to be addressed at a policy level. Maybe a different metric needs to be evolved for news media, that is apart from the metric used to measure entertainment. Maybe news channels need to sit with agencies and clients to evolve this. There has to be a political will within the system to do that. I hope that they find it before it is too late.

The next is the issue of Responsibility and Common Sense. ‘The Government did not tell us to stand away’ is like one fifth standard play ground excuse. The analogy I will give you is with drinking and driving. Many of us didn’t drink and drive, even before it was an offense. If the Government had cracked down on media coverage, the response would have been ‘ they can’t catch the terrorists, but they cracked down on us’. What would you have the security forces do ? Get the situation in hand, or babysit a bunch of people who should have known better.

And what about its irresponsibility in inflaming passions. Whose idea was it to put Simi Garewal’s statement on ‘flags in slums’? She should not have made the statement. But, the broadcasters definitely should not have carried it. What are you trying to do? Start a riot – would that mean more TRP’s. Again, my question is, where is the editor ? Where is editorial ? Does it still have a role to play in news media ? This is the same kind of irresponsible behavior that had got us all inflamed during the Arushi case.

I hope that all of us are aware that News has become a platform for polar opposite Views. Not views that will come to a consensus, but views that will try and drown each other out with their decibels. They find nutcases on both sides of the spectrum and it is a free for all orgy of bad behavior! Because, when people behave badly, audiences watch. The same is the case with entertainment channels? But, at least they are more honest. They don’t occupy the moral high ground like news channels or journalists. They know that they are selling TRP’s and they fine tune their content accordingly. What is your excuse?

At the next level is this entire thing about Nation – India, Bharat. Why is there such media bias towardsMumbai and Delhi. Is it because your friends live here? Why are 60,000 people dying in Naxal attacks not news ? Why is 30% of our districts under Naxal control not an attack on India. Is it because they don’t drink at the Taj or Trident ? You need to answer the question whether you are metro news channels or National News Channels. And, maybe only National News channels have exclusive access to certain kinds of news !

And, finally sensitivity. Put your self in the shoes of Mrs. Karkare, Mrs.Kamte and Mrs.Salaskar – and ask your selves one question – how did they find out that their husband died ?

I believe in freedom of expression. I believe in a free and independent media as a cornerstone of a Democratic Republic. I believe in plurality of voices, opinions and thoughts. And, I believe that the news media, as it exists currently, is a threat to these . Because of their consistent bad behavior, their lapses as a watchdog, their irresponsibility and their insensitivity they are going to curb all of our freedoms. I wish that sense will prevail. I hope that they agree to bring in a code of conduct, i hope that they build a consensus for marketing and selling news differently, and i request the best among them to go and train the next generation.

Others on the role of the media, 26/11
1) Three days of Mumbai terror reporting - The Hoot

2) When Nationalism Triumphs responsible Reporting – The Hoot

3) Media and the Elite - The Statesman

4) We, the People- The Mumbai tragedy and the English language news media - Hindustan Times The Telegraph
5) The Channel box Carnage – Indian Express

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Posted by gargi at 1:38 pm Tagged with: , , ,

Week 1 Post 26/11 - The failure of Indian Intelligence

India, Mumbai, terror 5 Responses »
Dec 032008

this was supposed to be a longish post, till my dad pointed out that “Indian Intelligence” is an oxymoron. It is used for finding out who, in politics, sleeps with whom.

There are rumours that India has Intelligence Agencies. Their existence is possibly an Accounting Head, to show cash outflows. It is like other fictional concepts like political unity in the face of a crisis, national interest, journalistic ethics, honest politicians.

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Posted by gargi at 10:27 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Week 1 - post 26/11 - A Decent Man

India, Media, News, TV, terror 4 Responses »
Dec 022008

The last post gathered a flurry of comments on both this blog and on FB where i reposted it. There hasn’t been a single comment supporting the media.

Kishore Ajwani wrote in :

This is Kishore Ajwani. I apologise to all of you who think that I demeaned the profession I belong to. This was not about me, or MICA, or Mumbai, or my news channel. It was about India and I take full responsibility for all the things that I am being blamed for. I can only submit that I would try to ensure that such conduct is not repeated if I happen to be in any such situation ever again. I know nothing that I do or say can assuage the feelings that I would have hurt. I am sorry.

Thank you Mr.Ajwani. It is nice to see decency in journalists. After seeing the coverage on TV i feared for your profession. thank you for restoring some of that faith.

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Posted by gargi at 10:49 am Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Week 1 Post 26/11 - The Bankruptcy of the Political Class

India, Mumbai, terror 12 Responses »
Nov 302008

A parliamentary democracy is made of checks and balances. There is a government and there is opposition. We don’t elect Gods, nor do we elect people with absolute power.

The role of the Government is to ensure that they uphold the Constitution – and bring in policies that they think are in line with the Constitution. The role of the opposition is to make sure that they do.

While we are all agreed that the Government – the UPA – has fucked up beyond measure on internal security, the role of the opposition is ignored. The NDA in general & the BJP in particular has seen its role as opposing the Government on everything, and not ensuring that they perform their constitutional role.

As i watch the news and the announcement of Shivraj Patil’s resignation – i am left numb. Why was he allowed to continue when he was so bloody inept? I am left even colder by the BJP making political capital out of this. Did Advani resign when the Parliament was attacked ? Did Modi resign when 2000+ people died in terror attacks in his state? Did anyone take moral responsibility for Kandahar ? Why the hell did Modi come to this city to politicize our tragedy? Where was the Thackeray family? It is all very well to sit in AC TV studio’s and pontificate about what the Government would and could and should have done. But, what did you do on the ground. How many of them donated blood, or money or support the men who keep us safe ?

When honest officers, like Hemant Karkare go after terror, he is vilified by the Sangh family. When brave officers like Mohan Sharma die at Batla house, he is vilified by sections of the Congress, the SP and RJD. Stop politicizing law and order. Stop punishing people doing their jobs. stop making a mockery of our lives.

This is not the time for political grandstanding. It is the time to put this country and its citizens first. I would like to see the entire geriatric class in politics – those who have been used to selling themselves and their constituents to the highest bidders – to take vanaprastha. Go. Retire. and contemplate on your innumerable fuckups. God may forgive you. But, you cannot escape your karma. Hand over the country to the next generation. they cannot be worse than you.

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Posted by gargi at 1:55 pm Tagged with: , , , ,
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