'Give Nishan-e-Pakistan to LK Advani'

Not may journalists write political analyses these days and it is rare to see journos call a spade a spade.

Pankaj Vohra wrote a good piece 'Badge of Honour' and blamed Advani for politicising the Bharat Ratna Awards.

In this article that was published on the editorial page of Hindustan Times, Vohra, the paper's political editor writes:

Whether Vajpayee gets the Bharat Ratna or not, Advani has surely qualified
for the Nishan-e-Pakistan, that country’s highest honour, by praising Mohammad
Ali Jinnah and that too at his mausoleum. The RSS, which cleared Advani’s name
for being the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, will second such a
proposal.

We can safely assume this because the sangh parivar has endorsed Advani
though he has not changed his stance on Jinnah. It will be a coincidence and a
moment to cherish for the parivar if its ‘Vikas Purush’ gets the Bharat Ratna
and its ‘Loh Purush’, the Nishan-e-Pakistan. After all, according to the Sangh’s
ideology, we are one people and one nation. And, the end is, of course, ‘Akhand
Bharat’. Some of the aides who helped in Advani’s image makeover — from a
staunch Hindutva supporter to a moderate leader — can also be given some other
award for trying to bring together the people of India and Pakistan.

If one keeps the sarcasm out, Advani, by proposing Vajpayee’s name for
the Bharat Ratna, has tried to strengthen the suspicion that many had: Padma
awards and the Bharat Ratna are given out of political considerations.

Vohra further says that in order to pursue his own political agenda, Advani has dragged Vajpayee in the controversy and tried to play a masterstroke. Though Vajpayee's failure in checking Kargil intrusion, Agra summit debacle and his own past including suspicion on his role in Freedom movement and the ideology that is not in sync with constitution, make him unfit for the Bharat Ratna.

So what about Nishaan-e-Pakistan. After all, the only Indian to get it was a Gandhian and Congress-man Morarji Desai. (Though not many will tell the exact reason why he was given the award, after all, it is a diplomatic secret).

Then what the heck about Advani getting it!

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Zee News 'discovers' Ravana's body, traces of Ram, Sita and Hanuman

The TRP ratings of Zee News was soaring on Monday as it discovered the cave on an 8,000 ft high hill in Sri Lanka where they claimed that Ravana's body was kept in a casket (taboot).

The 'investigative report' went ahead with discoveries like the burnt soil at Raigla because Lord Hanuman had set ablaze Lanka when his tail was burnt. The channel's reporters also reached the place where the air-crafts (vimaan) of Ravana were made and repaired.

And if that is not all. This so-called news channel found the 'golis' (balls) that were thrown by Sita when Ravana had abducted her, to send message to Lord Rama. Though there was no casket or Ravana's body, the channel managed to find some guys, one of whom, said that he went into the cave and there was a red coloured 17-18 ft long Tabut where the Ravana was kept inside and it is guraded by Asuras.

After blending mythology with news and spicing up with sceneries of Sri Lanka, the news channel ended it up saying that it was impossible to reach the top of hill because the 'local say that certain powers don't want people to get there and the body was kept because Asuras believed that with Sanjeevani booti, he could also come back to life from death".

That's awesome. Isn't it. Yes, we were watching Zee news, not Bhakti or Astha. There was something missing though. The ten heads of Ravana were not shown. May be in the next part we will find ten mounds on the hill and the channel can claim that these mounds are because of the 10 heads of Ravana that lay buried underneath.

We all know the truth but then we are all so religious and full of devotion. I would love to believe this. Just that I wished it was not shown on prime time in News channel. That's total fraud in the name of journalism. Though I stand by your right to watch it, believe every word of it and yes go to Lanka and support their tourism sector.

Wah bhai Subhas Chandra Ji. Dhanya hain aap.

If you like to read the 'Mil Gaye Ram' special story and photos. Read it at Zee News site here.

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HT Vs TOI: A comparison of Sunday editions

On Sundays, the edit page gets replaced by columnists' opinions. The page is named 'All that matters' in Times of India and 'Reflections' in Hindustan Times. Here I am putting my impressions. Everybody has personal likes and dislikes but I am entited to my views. You write yours in comment section. I will later post m thoughts on Sunday Magazines (supplements) also.

Hindustan Times

Why can't I figure out what Indrajit Hazra writes? He gives me a complex. If he writes well, I should like it. I don't know anybody say it to me that he writes great. But then he keeps appearing on HT Sunday page that has four columns including the highly-readable Vir Sanghvi.

He tries to appear funny, isn't it? That's what the photo suggests. Whatever. My problem is that I don't enjoy the column and on Sunday I am in the mood to read and any column that goes above my head, is a waste. Come down to our level, Sir.

Coming to Vir again. The other day I felt Vir was also getting slightly out of touch. He wrote that Indians don't know much about Pakistan now and are less interested in its politics compared to past. I would like to humbly point out that Indians know much about Pakistan and Pak politics than ever thanks to the overdose of Channels and the coverage in papers. In the past there was never this much Pakistan in our homes.

You say that it was Punjabis who shared the same culture. Of course, that generation must be having the interest. But only Punjabis then knew so much about Pakistan, not the rest of us. But know Pakistan is thrust into us through our eyeballs, throat and nose.

We know it much more than we did in the past. But he is the best writer in India, undoubtedly, one whose articles you read in a single sitting and you don't need a dictionary to understand him.

Karan Thapar! Never tires of his Pertie. Still, some find him readable, others don't. I think if he should write only when he is in mood and not to just continue the column every week, he will certainly be a hit. Else, he keeps enlightening about the English and ways of the Britons, when he doesnt' have much to say.

Times of India

Times of India is getting quite Right these days. We have Swapan Das Gupta, the journo who writes from an altogether different perspective. Why doesn't he start wearing a Saffron robe as well.

Sometimes you get to see our old Lady, Shobha De. She may be repetitive but not biased. Swaminathan Anklesariya Aiyar tried hard to tell us last week how Gujarat riots were bad and disgusting but still...(I hope you understand). If Mani Shankar Aiyer is the extreme secularist, Anklesaria Aiyar has to defend Modi. Shan't he, even if he has to go back to Sikh riots again and again to put Congress in bad light.

Week after week we have to celebrate NRI success with Gurcharan Das and the desktop journalist Chidanand Rajghatta, who does write beautifully at times. The lesser said of Jug Suraiya, the better it is. He himself claims to be the columnist who is least read. Bachi Karkaria sometimes goes overboard with her rhymestry and tukbandi.

But don't Times people have any replacement. Are we so short of good writers?

Indian Express

After they changed the look of Sunday paper, its Sunday opinion page has lost its charm. Coomi Kapoor may give you a gossip or two. Tavleen Singh is rarely the same person she once was. Sudheendra Kulkarni is sometimes sensible but I think now he has run out of ideas.

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