What the Dawn would not publish in their LETTERS column . . .

To,

The Editor,
The Dawn,
Karachi,
Pakistan

Dear Sir,

This is in reference with Mr. Ayaz Amir’s opinion piece "Cautionary Tale", 2nd of December’05, wherein Mr. Amir has lamented in no uncertain but the now fairly standard, expected and typical Pakistani media approach of comparatives with Pakistani options, on the subject of the sad state of affairs and coverage, not to mention reportage, with the Indian newspapers he received during his most recent of many visits to India. Here he makes an interesting observation - that it takes him 30 minutes to go through newspapers in Delhi, and 2 hours in Pakistan. He then proceeds to use this as the cornerstone for his multi-faceted argument warning Pakistani leadership to stay away from the ills of democracy and also advising us in India variously.

Something like that happens to us in India also, but we don’t really blame the Indian media, or compare it with the honourable Pakistani media, nor do we advise Pakistan. We simply call it "post-hangover" lack of comprehension. At which point, Mr. Amir will agree, words appear to be blurs and cracking through the colour photographs in the supplements makes more sense. Before dropping the whole pile of newsprint on the floor, and heading for the keyboard, or straight to lunch. But then, that’s what happens if you base your comprehension of Indian media solely on the Times of India and Hindustan Times.

Having had the honour of escorting Mr. Amir on some interesting nocturnal jaunts in Delhi, I can spot some of the reasons for Mr. Amir’s angst about India this time around, without for even a moment suggesting that it may have had anything to do with the quality of whisky served at the conference he attended. Maybe the organisers kept him away from newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express, since both these publications use a lot of big-big words. Maybe Mr. Amir has never bought newspapers in India, and is thus unaware of the fact that for the price of one copy of Dawn, he could buy all the 6-7 of the main English language daily newspapers in Delhi and sill have change left over to buy the business papers.

But most of all maybe Mr. Amir’s angst about India in general and the Indian media in specific was based on the simple truth that he just doesn’t understand India anymore? I mean, how can anybody who comes in and out by air, stays at 5-star hotels, moves around in air-conditioned limos, quotes only the HT and TOI, and has never been to rural India himself, be even relevant any more to any form of credibility anywhere?

Yes, we have problems in India, of the sort he has pointed out. Big deal, we are trying to fix things, and will continue. But we have full access to information on them, as well as international affairs, usually for a rupee or at the most two. If we need to buy a weekly or a fortnightly magazine, it costs us 10 rupees, maximum fifteen. And as for UP and Bihar, yes, we do have issues with these states, but has Mr. Amir got even the faintest clue on how these states have been re-divided recently, and bothered to check out how the new states of Uttaranchal and Jharkhand, born out of UP and Bihar, are doing lately?

Amir Sahib, face it - your view of India from the 5-star environs you are used to is no longer valid. Take the train or the bus next time, and re-discover India.

sincerely,

Veeresh Malik,
New Delhi,
India.