Tehelka Tapes: Modernising Media Morality

Re: Harish

A highly interesting article on the recent Indian Armsgate.

I think that the story, on the corruption in Indian arms deal was that there now exists a plurality of opinion in India. Also, though this may be premature, the media in India is slowly emerging as the fourth estate of the Indian political system and is begining to hold the government accountable.

What ever the merits or the demerits might be of journalistic ethics, the end result is that India is starting to have an investigative press and that is a boon for the Indian democracy!

Ciao!

Bravo tehelka!!,

I personally believe those cyberjournalists did India a great favor. They have single handedly started a trend of increasing transparency in the Indian political system.

Powerful people in India were so confident that they were ``untouchable``, that corruption was blatant. What is EQUALLY heartening is that the Indian public (not just the opposition) is up in arms. Its time the corrupt are scared. Of course, they will continue to be corrupt, just not so complacent. That, by itself, ought to decrease the level of corruption in India.

There were 2 things in the history of the 20th century that made me proud to be American--Watergate & the Impeachment of Clinton. It shows that America is willing to rake the most powerful American over hot coals because even he cant take the law & the Constitution for granted. Americans are perfectly willing to air their dirty laundry, even at the risk of worldwide humiliation, to make sure NOBODY is above the law or the Constitution.

The tehelka journalists are the Indian counterparts of Woodward(?) & Bernstein. Those two were also criticised by the ``nawabs`` of the American press, initially. But then they were eventually given the Pulitzer(?) prize.

NO democracy in the world is perfect. Yes, American democracy is more ``perfect`` than Indian democracy. However, it is the attempt to make it more ``perfect`` that should be applauded.

Many Pakistanis on Chowk like to point out how imperfect India`s claims to democracy & secularism are. Theyre right. However, when you compare that to Pakistan`s, I believe India`s claim shines brighter than Pakistan`s (no matter how imperfect & hypocritical it may be).

Ayaz Amir writes beautifully in his opinion ``no tehelka please, were Pakistanis``. Enough said.

In another article Omar Mirza laments why the American press has double standards when they compare India to Pakistan. However, the American press is not always complimentary to India. They repeatedly highlight India`s intractable social & political problems.

What people have to understand is that right, wrong or indifferent, American politicians & press will view the world through American INTERESTS, first & foremost. Ideology is well & good for domestic consumption; but NOT in foreign policy.

The cold war is OVER. Pakistan is no longer the darling stepchild who will help America counter the Soviet menace. FREE LUNCH IS OVER! For Pakistanis to lament about the American betrayal, is hypocritical. Pakistan prospered HANDSOMELY by American largesse during the cold war--both militarily & economically. Pakistan is responsible for the ``blow back`` effect in Afghanistan. The Americans have generously compensated Pakistan in aid. The fact that that money did`nt reach the common Pakistani---dont blame America. Blame your own corrupt politicians & the national apathy not to do anything about it.

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Now that Hindus have patted themselves on their backs enough- May I budge in?

It is interesting that when India is being literally dragged kicking and screaming to the negotiating table over Kashmir, there is suddenly a ``Tehelka``.

Back over to Urstruly & Co.

Ras

ras,

do you live on the same planet as the rest of us, or in a galaxy far, far away...?

``Now that Hindus have patted themselves on their backs enough- May I budge in?``

Yeay yeay, now `tis the turn of l`il bro to speak

Let`s start a fund for Teheleka.com so it can go get some more of these b@stards.

Reply #: 5

Ras Siddiqui

It is interesting that when India is being literally dragged kicking and screaming to the negotiating table over Kashmir, there is suddenly a ``Tehelka``.

Back over to Urstruly & Co.

Ras



Siddiqui sahab,

As far as formulating conspiracy theories , I used to think Indian politicians are the masters. You sir, however are the real ``Master`` of the art. What an eyeopener. Good job etc. etc.

Sincerely

bakait

Harish



A good article. I think the Tehelka has done a great service to India. There are already some changes taking place in the way business is done. Defense deals would be more open to public scrutiny. They have managed to shake the political establishment and I hope this is just the beginning.

Faruk

Shankar #2 and Faruk #10

Corruption won`t stop as long as hate mongers are ruling Bharat. Generals on both sides of the border are stoking the fire, just for one reason. Money! and lots of it. Advani and the generals are duping Hindutva boys. Everyone is busy buying their favorite toys, and saffron bubbas will get theirs too. Their will be Army rule in Bharat the day politicians stop the $$ supply. Instead of giving lectures to our neighbors we ought to worry about our own house.

Gurv say kaho hum Bharati hain.

We all need to take pride in true Bharati culture and not in some westernized, corrupt INDIAN culture.

Concerned # 6 & ba_kait # 9

Aaap log ``Tehelka Machanay`` ka matlab to
samajhtay hain?

Ras


Anyway another interesting tidbit from the

Kashmir Times (Srinagar) April 3, 2001:


Who was behind hijacking of IA plane ‘Ganga’?
Hashim Qureshi makes startling disclosures about the hijack drama

From Iftikhar Gilani

NEW DELHI, Apr 2: Who was behind the hijacking of Indian Airlines plane ‘Ganga’ in 1971? The question is haunting the researchers even after 30-years. India’s first hijacking commanded by Hashim Qureshi and his cousin Ashraf had then started a chain of political events ultimately leading to the dismemberment of Pakistan.
In a startling disclosure, Hashim Qureshi who is in custody since last January following his ``surrender`` to authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, has confessed that he was working on the post of sub-inspector in Border Security Force (BSF) at the time of piloting the hijacking. The plane was taken to Lahore and later burnt at the tarmac after its occupants were set free.
In his confessional statement, Qureshi, chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Liberation Front (JKDLF) has told his interrogators that he had been arrested by the BSF while attempting to cross the LoC from PoK. Prior to the hijacking, Qureshi had gone to Pakistan to visit his uncle and got in touch with Maqbool Bhat and other top leaders of Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front (JKNLF). They prepared him for the hijacking. But, while crossing over with some arms and ammunition, he was arrested by the BSF.
``I was arrested, I told them the story. They said, you can work with us, just point out the potential hijackers at the airport. I agreed. They released me. They gave me a fake appointment letter that said I was a sub-inspector in BSF battalion 102, based in Bangalore,`` read Qureshi’s statement.
Partly corroborating Hashim’s confessions, B. M. Sinha, author of famous book ‘The Samba Spy Case’, had earlier raised fingers at the hijacker’s credentials. ``There was a double agent who operated both in India and Pakistan. His name was Hashim Qureshi,`` Sinha wrote in his book under the chapter ‘Glorious Traditions’. Published by Vikas Publishing House in 1981, the book has an interesting and revealing anecdote about Hashim.
While collecting information and material for his book, Sinha claimed having come across the ``real`` story behind the 1971-hijacking of the Indian Airlines Fokker Friendship plane to Lahore. He believed the hijacking was carefully planned by ``patriotic people`` in India to check the designs of General Yahya Khans’s military government. ``It was a master stroke of cloak-and-dagger diplomacy,`` added Sinha. On the ``Indian motives`` behind the hijacking, Sinha said India wanted to provoke Pakistan to check the use of overflight facilities by Pakistan Air Force. ``It was not possible without sufficient provocation as India had normal diplomatic relations with Pakistan,`` he maintained.
(Read the rest in the Kashmir Times)

Indians need a crash course in corruption

By T. V. R. Shenoy ,Gulf News

http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=13563

``Would that some power gift us the power to see ourselves as others see us!`` wrote Robert Burns. I had just that experience, being outside India as the Tehelka scandal chugs along. The first man I met – airline staff and airport officials excepted of course – was Mohammed from Multan, the driver assigned by Virgin Air to take me from Heathrow to Buckingham Gate. That is a ninety-minute drive in rush hour, and Mohammed was in a chatty mood. Given that he was from Pakistan I braced myself for some insults, but Mohammed was charity itself.

(Perhaps the fact that he has been in Britain for thirty-eight years had something to do with it.) Instead of being rude about India and its leaders, Mohammed preferred to be complimentary about the Indian media. (No, I had not told him that I am a journalist.) Defence scams, he said, take place everywhere, including Pakistan, but nobody challenges the Establishment.

Everything came out into the open in India, he said, because the media is free and can pursue its job without fear. And the strength of that democracy will see India through this crisis too.

The next person who talked to me about the Tehelka exposé at length was Michael, a don at the Sorbonne in Paris. Michael began by pointing out that corruption is not unknown in France – just now his Prime Minister and President are going through an embarrassing period of their own. But the worldly-wise don was surprised at the naivete of the victims.

How, he wondered, could the Bharatiya Janata Party president accept money from a total stranger? How could the chief of the Samata Party discuss contributions while sitting at the residence of the Defence Minister? Michael, as befits a don, is very thorough with the details. He knows that a contribution of a lakh or two will not get anyone any contract even if graft is involved. He was surprised at the utter amateurishness of all concerned.

``You should invite us to run a crash course in corruption``, he said. (Well, it was nice to hear someone from the Western world admit that Indians still have a thing or two to learn about graft!)

However, the most bizarre reaction by far was heard in Washington. Several Non-Resident Indians had gathered in the American capital to greet Lalit Mansingh, the new Indian ambassador. Much to my astonishment I found myself a target in my capacity as a representative of the Indian media. Most of them, it seemed, thought the whole Tehelka exposé was a giant conspiracy.

One set – and I won`t bother mentioning which part of India they hail from – was convinced that it was a plot to defame South Indians. Why? Well, because Bangaru Laxman`s roots are in Andhra Pradesh, George Fernandes hails from Karnataka, and Jaya Jaitly is a Malayalee. I tried, feebly, to point out that Laxman was not elected from Andhra Pradesh, and that Fernandes has only been elected from Maharashtra or Bihar. (As for Jaitly, I can`t remember her standing for even a Panchayat election in Kerala.)

I cannot say that my interlocutors seemed convinced by these facts. Instead they gave way to another set of people who were firmly convinced that it was an anti-minority plot. Taking pity on my bemusement, they deigned to explain that Laxman is a Dalit, Fernandes the first Christian to rise so high in the ranks, and Jaitly is a woman.

Quite frankly, I was left a bit staggered by all this. Tehelka`s actions may be open to question. (I understand that people back home, too, are wondering whether everything was above board; some even allege that it was nothing more than a put-up job by the Congress (I).) But I am sure that Tehelka did not deliberately take aim at Bangaru Laxman, George Fernandes, and Jaya Jaitly for ethnic reasons!

And I was frankly shocked that a taxi-driver from Pakistan had more faith in Indian journalism than did the wealthy Non-Resident Indians gathered in Washington. The fourth reaction that I encountered came from a friend in the U.S. State Department. It was particularly interesting since Americans have had an overdose of scandal in the past four years or so – the second Clinton term. So how does an intelligent American see the fallout of the Tehelka scandal?

His reaction was interesting, not least because he is a member of the American foreign policy establishment. He preferred to focus on the future rather than speculate on conspiracy theories. The first point he made was that the Vajpayee ministry should carry on without being too perturbed. If nothing else, there is really no other alternative, so it will be irresponsible to do anything else.

The second part of his thesis drew upon the lessons of the Clinton years. For only the second time in history, he noted, an American President had been impeached. Charges of corruption - including money-laundering, tax evasion, sale of offices, perjury, and misuse of the power to pardon - had been hurled at Clinton. Most of these allegations were believed to be true. Nevertheless, Clinton`s personal popularity continued undimmed.

There is also a lesson for the Indian Opposition. In the Congressional elections of 1998, at the height of the Lewinsky scandal, the Republicans actually lost seats in both houses of the American Congress. Two years later, the Democrats came within a breath of retaining the White House – and they might have done it too had they used Clinton during the campaign.

The lesson seems to be that voters were more interested in bread and butter issues than in scandals. The lesson for Sonia Gandhi is: tone down your rhetoric, or take the consequences.

So there you have them: the reaction from a Pakistani taxi-driver, a French don, several Non-Resident Indians, and an American diplomat. Whom does one agree with?

taikonaut,

No Bharati believes that corruption will stop after tehelka. Politicians & civil servants will have to be more careful, thats all. Just the fact that these corrupt SOBs are going to become more paranoid & spend some sleepless nights is sweet victory.

Monicagate wont stop a future US President from cheating on his wife. However, I doubt if a future President will consider getting a bj in the oval office. Besides, no American smokes a cigar these days without a chuckle:) It was worth it.

Ras,

Yaar you have figured us banias out quite well. We dont consider ourselves coyotes for nothing. Now we can tell the world that cleansing our internal political structure is more important than futile talks on Kashmir that everyone knows wont go anywhere. The US press will wholeheartedly agree & will applaud us banias for developing the fourth estate.

Tehelka killed two birds with one stone. Like Omar Mirza says, US opinion IS important. Whether Pakistan likes it or not, you arent the darling boy who stops Soviet expansion anymore. Those days are over. Just yesterday a storm is brewing between China & the US over the spy plane. Watch us banias exploit both US & China.

It takes more than the chest thumping ``martial races`` to check the bania coyote:)

URstruly, start foaming at the mouth:)

Harish,

Arun Shourie with the reporting of the blinding of the prisoners in Bihar was the first true investigative journalist. Blitz and Karanjia was primarily a tabloid journalist. Only thing going for karanjia was the personal friendship of Gama Abdul Nasser of egypt. Blitz was more of slander and rumers than any investigation.

regards

jay

taikonaut reply #: 11

``Corruption won`t stop as long as hate mongers are ruling Bharat``.



I agree, also IMO, the fundameantalists and communalists are always, everywhere, more corrupt and unscrouplous than any other ruling group.

Just one thing though,how exactly one defines a unified Bharati culture? I guess I am not very comfortable with the idea of a single culture for a country like india........it does have ominous portents.

Sincerely

Bakait