Gen VK Singh takes a beating

Indian Media Watch.... Crooks and Liars in the Indian media are the greatest danger to our democracy. Bias, outright lies, paid news, plagiarism and political leanings characterize much of our media.
Poll - India's Worst Journalists - 2012
Arnab Goswami 302 (32%)
Ashutosh (IBN7) 181 (19%)
Barkha Dutt 705 (75%)
Karan Thapar 350 (37%)
Kumar Ketkar 268 (28%)
Nidhi Razdan 247 (26%)
Nikhil Wagle 237 (25%)
Rahul Kanwal 163 (17%)
Rajdeep Sardesai 436 (46%)
Sagarika Ghose 540 (57%)
Shekhar Gupta 419 (44%)
Shiv Aroor 142 (15%)
Sonia Singh 195 (20%)
Vinod Sharma 414 (44%)
Vir Sanghvi 333 (35%)

Massager or messenger?

Karan Thapar (2010 #4): Readers must remember that every journo looks tall in the studio but not in actual life. KT is not blessed with stature and the same goes for his journalism. One can say he has improved a bit but still retains the unwanted scowl and growl when interviewing people. Madhu Trehan in her NewsLaundry interview showed up KT for the little puppy he was. Like the ones who just need a hug and a cuddle once in a while. And if you thought you knew nothing about KT, never mind. All you have to do is hear his signature line on his promo for his show on CNN-IBN: “I don’t want to go into the facts, the facts are disputed”. LOL! Facts are disputed? You have to undo a lot of learning to understand that facts aren’t facts and can be disputed. The worst job KT did in 2011 was massaging Kapil Sibal’s brazen attempt at pre-screening content on the internet. As if that wasn’t enough he pulled out Brajesh Mishra, former NSA, out of nowhere to call serving army chief, Gen. VKSingh, the worst ever chief of army in history. My prediction: As long as he is in the business, KT will be on this list.
Wheres the smirk? Congress spokesman- Seperated by Birth

Vinod Sharma (New entry): For those who don’t know, Vinod Sharma is the political editor of Hindustan Times. That’s right, ‘Political’ is the key word – less of an editor and more of a politician. It’s not very hard to recognise VS on a friendly channel. He has made the ‘smirk’ more popular than child-molester DGP Rathore on television. Sharma has also been acknowledged by many political spokespersons and viewers as the most loyal spokesperson of the Congress party. No matter what the scam or what the scandal you can expect him to staunchly defend even the worst misdeeds of the Congress by blaming it on the opposition or anyone else he can lay his hands on. The one chance to get him off TV for longer periods was a Rajya Sabha ticket, when Shobana Bhartiya, his boss at HT exited, but that unfortunately didn’t happen. So we’re going to be stuck with VS for quite a while. His best moment in recent times was during the debate over Gen. VK Singh and the Tatra trucks scam. He was angry that the debate was going one way (in favour of Gen. Singh) so had to somehow twist it against the tide. In his business time VS writes a blog titled ‘Separated at birth’. I guess that refers to some Pakistani connection or maybe his journalistic independence was separated at birth. Someday we’ll find out.
He's no Egghead

Shekhar Gupta (2010 #10): When he appeared on the last list, a fan of Gupta wrote in stating he will email my post to SG for his response. I was wondering whether that fan objected to SG being at #10 and wanted him to be lower on the list. I guess that fan’s prayers are answered. SG has sunk further in the rankings and his Indian Express is almost on doles from the govt. His senseless programme ‘Walk the talk’ , the equivalent of ‘Koffee with Karan’ or ‘On the couch with Koel’, continues on NDTV but what sunk SG the most is his misadventure with an article on Army troop movements. In his quest to please SG’s UPA, this SG splashed a headline in IE that nearly implied the army, led by Gen.VK Singh, may have dreamt of a coup. Worse, there have been reports that the troop movement story was stale and SG’s version was actually a plant by a union minister. SG laid an egg alright but ended up with more on his face. He will forever be credited with reducing a fiercely independent newspaper like IE to a mouthpiece of a political party. His permanent place on this list is forever assured.
Nidhi captures the Larger Picture- Left Right and Centre- Marching Up

Nidhi Razdan, NDTV (New entry): She has come to prominence more for many reasons other than journalistic skills. ‘Left, right, centre’ is her signature programme and happens to be one of those mindless debates on every topic under the sun. She is proof that you can be an expert on everything with specialisation in nothing. The best part of Nidhi? Now, don’t get me wrong, she likes everything large. Whenever confounded by a brilliant argument or point by a panellist she quickly jumps to her favourite line “let’s look at the LARGER picture”. One would have thought that debates are meant to look at the finer small details. No, not with Nidhi, the larger picture is a convenient exit. Training from NDTV helps. My prediction for this debutant is that she is likely to go higher up in the list in the future. (She lined up with arms lobbyists doing "Panel Discussion on Gen VK Singh's tenure".)
So there you are. Let’s also not forget that are many journalists who now increasingly seem to be anti-nationals. Their ties to Ghulam Nabi Fai aren’t even being investigated by the govt. Industry leaders usually raise the standards of performance of the industry as a whole. The opposite seems to be true in the media. Systematically, many of India’s journalists have brought the profession to rock bottom over the years. I continue to maintain, they are the greatest threat to our democracy.
Click here to read hilarious resume of more Journalists

Why Journalists support corrupt Politicians?

Reference: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
A letter written by our daughter in response to Shekhar Gupta's middle in Indian Express. Says it all.
Satish Bahri

On Sat, 14/5/11, Nandini Bahri-Dhanda wrote:
From: Nandini Bahri-Dhanda
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
To: sg@expressindia.com
Date: Saturday, 14 May, 2011, 4:06 PM
Dear Mr Gupta,
This is in reference to your article- Jantar, Chhu Mantar in IE 14 May 2011.
Frankly I was initially quite bewildered at the hostility from newspapers and its editors, sociologists and intellectuals at Anna Hazare's fast, his demands for modifications and changes etc in the Lokpal Bill, his drawing attention and articulating the general public anger at corruption.
I read article after article of regular contributors and columnists of your newspaper whose writings I had over the years read and enjoyed. Whose opinions I had respected and if I had for some reason disagreed, it had atleast opened my mind to another perspective.
However this time round I have seen the pettiness, the vindictiveness, the disdain, the cynicism of these writers and contributors, including you Mr Gupta.
“The Lokpal Bill is not going to end corruption”....no one claimed it would. It was only a first step in the right direction.
“Who chose these members from the civil society?”... these people volunteered, came forward and offered their services and expertise. Was anybody of stature and repute not allowed to participate?
“This Committee would by-pass the Parliament”... yes it would in the Bill formulating stage but it had to be eventually passed by the Parliament.In most developed democracies citizens do push and articulate bills and laws which are then eventually passed by their Senates, Congress or Parliaments after further debate and discussion.
And then the most hypocritical, inverse snobbery where one of your contributor’s mocked Hazare’s statement that he would never be able to win an election because he did not have the power of money to give TV’s, alcohol or sarees to buy his vote. Hazare’s disain for the Indian voter was dangerous she said, almost fascist!
The gloating that we are a democracy that has thrown out non performing governments 4 times in 64 years is pathetic! It seems most of our intellectuals, sociologists, writers, journalists, editors, industralists are cynical, hardened and a part of the system.
They “enjoy” proximity to the powers that be.
They “enjoy” their largesse, a Rajya Sabha seat perhaps?
They “socialise” with this lot. Some write little bits to keep their worth and value and some offer favours in a quid pro quo.
They are cynical to believe that this is how it is and will remain so.
Mr. Gupta your Jantar- Chhu Mantar is a misplaced piece of writing.
This election did not prove anything except the Indian voter just carries on and on the cycle- exchanging one lot for the other.
We are to put it mildly, a passive democracy. We exercise our vote every 5 years and throw one lot out for the other.DMK this time and the AIDMK last time. In the next elections DMK will be back. Is this a mature, thinking, aware voter? The DMK has looted enough to feed Tamil Nadu 20 times over for seven generations. They have not been punished- they are being “rested” in Karunnidhi’s own words. Did your mature voter ever demand what happens to our money? Where is it being spent? Why aren’t thieving people in prison? No- we simply vote them out. Then allow this lot to loot and plunder and bring the old lot back... ”vibrant” democracy indeed. Are we perhaps mistaking “noisy” for “vibrant”?
I was given to believe that a vibrant democracy is where citizens demand accountability from the people who have been voted in to administer and govern. Where they question and deserve a response. Where citizen groups and pressure groups see that the government “works”. Where the citizen expects justice as a right and not a favour. Where citizens do not have to grovel for what is basically theirs.
An aged man of another era from some remote part of the country, who cannot by any defintion be called cool, came to the Capital and drew the middle class out... and that is what has worried everybody. These were not Jimmy Choo and Armani clad glitterati that could be smirked at. These weren’t your Great Unwashed who could be talked down to. This was the Indian Middle Class Mr. Gupta which has so far been ignored.
I know because I was there.
I met a young man from Badarpur. He had recently filed his tax returns- for the first time he said with some pride. His two brothers were still looking for jobs. He worked 10-12 hours a day, drove back and forth his motor cycle on pot holed roads, returned home to electric outages and no water. He wanted to add a floor to his house but the MCD and police were harassing him... the same old story Mr Gupta... Ghar ghar ki kahani. The MLA of his locality spent 50 lakhs on his daughter’s shamiana and Kalmadi made those crores and crores, Raja made more... his anger was palpable.
I walked alongside a 45 year old single woman with 2 children who ran an export unit in Okhla. There was stinking garbage on her street which was not picked in weeks, electric outages, inspectors who demanded hafta, MCD would not let her raise her boundary wall despite 2 break-ins, no police patrolling. She paid her taxes but what was she getting in return?... Sheila Dixit had made millions, substandard material was used in flyovers, there were 23000 MCD ghost workers... she was angry.
The word on the street is- Sharad Pawar, why is that man in every cabinet? Who does not know that he could buy India twice over? In another country, another democracy he would be serving a prison sentence. Any scam and his name is there! About Sonia Gandhi, the less said the better. Her son-in law, a costume jewellery businessman can buy The Aman...??! Who will punish these people? Where is justice?
My parents, in their 70’s walked from Jantar Mantar to India Gate. My father, an ex soldier who has served in the army for 38 years and fought in 4 wars, believes the enemy is within. But then you don’t have much time for ex serviceman either, do you Mr. Gupta? You feel these chaps are paid to lay down their lives and they have no right to ask for higher salaries. Your opinion as been articulated in article after article that they should be there for patriotism and glory. I wonder if you have such advice for Karunanidhi’s brood or Sharad Pawar’s offspring?
This was not Tahrir Square. This was Jantar Mantar swarming with Middle Class India. Not with Anil Ambani and his pals, not with Rahul’s convenient Kalavati. But Jantar Mantar with educated, hardworking Indians who pay their taxes and try everyday- everyday to be honest. Listen to their voice. They are no pushover... otherwise we may live to regret it.
Incidentally, I don’t recall anyone in Jimmy Choos.
Best regards,
Nandini Bahri-Dhanda

Regarding Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Like father like daughter. Afterall the genes. Its a powerful exposition and I have to agree with Nandini. Incidentally, Satish I didn’t know Shama did the route march too with you from the JM to the IG. Jai ho.
Madhav

From: jaimala gupta
Sent: 14 May 2011 21:08
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Dear Nandani,
An extremely, well articulated, hard hitting reply to Shekher Gupta. In a limited circle of people who are actively involved in this campaign, we give his writings a cold shrug saying that he is only doing the bidding of his HANDLERS. We all know who prompts his writings. It is a pity that he has a strong platform of IE to use. You also have the the fire in you like Putsy and the courage to say so. Great work. Press on regardless. We missed you all the other day at Jantar Mantar and IG. Our whole family was there, 3 gen, which was covered in Amar Ujala.
Love you beta
Mala & jai gupta

From: Murugan Subbiah
Sent: 14 May 2011 22:57
To: Satish Kumar Bahri
Cc: Chander Kamboj; Satbir Singh; milvets militaryveterans
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Congratulations! An excellent rejoinder to Shekhar Gupta. The middle class that assembled in Jantar Mantar are not only the real producers of wealth in this country but also the leaders of local communities. The GDP growth of the country that our Media and politicians boast every day parrot like is due to the hard work and leadership provided by the middle class.History also tells us they were the leaders of successful revolutions.
S Murugan

From: Krishan K Punchhi
Sent: 15 May 2011 00:22
To: Satish Kumar Bahri
Subject: Jantar, Chhu Mantar
Satish,
Excellent piece.
Apart from wining and dining these journos (read sarkari hacks) and bestowing on them the ill deserved honours + giving them seats in the RS, there is another way they are rewarded. They are given housing plots at throwaway prices. One such colony for journalists in New Delhi is known as Gulmohar Enclave. It is close to Green Park and Gautam Nagar. I'm sure there are many more such enclaves in many more cities.
Regards... Krishan
Kudos to Nandini. Wonderful Exposé of Greedy Journalists- like Shekar Gupta's Tribe!

Why is Sonia Gandhi so scared of Narendra Modi?
Sonia has achieved such terrifying power, a glance of her, a silence, just being there, is enough for her inner circle to act; she has subverted so much of the instruments of Indian democracy and she controls such huge amounts of unlisted money that sooner or later this 'karma' may come back to her under one form or the other.

Day not far off for Political Criminals to give up!
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his wife are set to make a public apology and give up their financial assets in an attempt to secure amnesty from prosecution.
Mubarak and wife set to make public apology

Barkha Dutt's way to trail a blaze

Barkha Dutt, the best-known face of NDTV, has attained iconic status as a reporter. A role model for the young, her appeal cuts across all age groups. Barkha has pushed the limits of intrepid news reporting far beyond the conventional. In an exclusive interview to Nirupama Dutt, Barkha talks of her life and work.


She has been given the title of Indian Christiane Amanpour for bringing home war on the television sets. Many are the appellations that young Barkha Dutt has earned in her career as a reporter and now senior editor with New Delhi Television, the country’s biggest private TV company. She is an unmistakable icon for the young. A Miss India 2002 contestant called out from the stage that among the women who inspired her were "Winfrey Oprah, Barkha Dutt and Sushmita Sen".

Young Barkha has earned four journalism awards and the Inlaks Scholarship (1997), which sends six Indians abroad annually for graduate work. Numerous are the positive reviews that her reports have been given in Indian print media. Recently, bubbly Bollywood actress Preity Zinta donned the Barkha Dutt look with cropped hair and no make-up except for kajal as she played Romila Dutta, a war reporter, in Lakshya. All this would be enough to turn any head, young or old. But not Barkha’s for she is a young professional woman with a sensible head on her shoulders.

Meeting Barkha, one thinks she is indeed her mother’s daughter. Her mother’s story of war reporting begins years before Barkha was born. At the time of the Indo-Pak war in 1965, Prabha Behl, a bright young reporter with the Hindustan Times, sought permission to cover the war for her newspaper. Those were the subdued sixties and women were still struggling hard to make a place for themselves in a man’s world. The editor said a firm "No" to Prabha. "We don’t send women reporters to the war front." But Prabha was a competent reporter and she found a way out for herself. She took leave from office and went to stay with her grandparents in Amritsar. Recounting this, Barkha says: "There, she made contacts and went to the front on her own. She started sending news dispatches from there. And these were so good that the newspaper had no choice but to use them." There is pride in the daughter’s voice as she tells this.

Extracts from... Dutt’s way to blaze a trail
Barkha Dutt has extensively reported on Kargil war, Kashmir, The Mumbai Mayhem- the Pak terror attack and Moderator cum Anchor for "We The People" A NDTV Presentation.

A befitting rejoinder to AG Noorani's "Talkative Generals"

Dear Brigadier Kamboj,
A fine example of "Propaganda, with an Agenda" was published in weekly "FRONTLINE"(13 August), in an eight-page "essay" by AG Noorani, indiscriminately castigating some of our soldier-icons! As such inchoate outpourings against our Armed Forces cannot be allowed to go unchallenged, I made a rejoinder which has already been published in the September issues of the "FORCE" and "DEFENCE WATCH" magazines (in "FORCE", a truncated version of the inevitably long rejoinder).
I am attaching click here a full version of my piece, in case you feel that it may be of some interest to the readers of "Report my Signal". I am afraid it is over-long, but Mr Noorani, a lawyer-cum-journalist, needed to be answered in full.
For members who may NOT be able to get to the Site for Noorani's article, here is the Link: just click here
With regards,
Major General Rajendra Prakash, VSM

Democracy and Military
In India armed forces have played a role in both democratising and anti- democratic transitions. Political tendency here is to emulate bygone rulers (Politicians) tending towards authoritarianism. Patterns of civil-military relations and degrees of authoritarianism/ democracy in governance have varied widely. Any attempt at understanding this variety must begin with an appreciation of the particular historical and cultural circumstances under which credited apolitical military involvement in politics is developing in our country. I am sure AG Noorani understands that Insurgency, Naxalism and Maoist threats are outcome of poor governance, inept bureaucrats and self- centered Politicians rather than the "Talkative Generals". The author certainly will get focused and enlightened reading the essay "Democracy and Military" (click title). A cocky General is certainly a successful battle winner in comparison to a cunning Bureaucrat who is more often careful to preserve his own career rather than work for citizens welfare.

Journalist Couple with a flair for Military Affairs

Courtesy: media.bharat-rakshak.comThe Headlines Today correspondent Shiv Aroor who had Interviewed the IAF helicopter display team 'The Sarang'.
Current: Senior Special Correspondent at TV Today
Past: Senior Reporter at Indian Express Reporter at Financial Express
Education: Cardiff University/ Prifysgol Caerdydd St/ Stephen's College
Journalist specialised in defence and military affairs for five years, with three years reporting for a national newspaper, and the last two years with the 24-hour news broadcasting station.
His mail ID is shivaroor@yahoo.co.uk.
Blog: LiveFist
He is the son-in-law of Air Vice Marshal Anil Chopra who was the AOC J & K and now posted in Air HQ. His wife is Shaili Chopra Aroor the anchor you must have watched on the NDTV Profit...

She has pursued master's degree in Broadcast and Television from 2002 batch, The Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She is an avid traveler and is planning to make documentaries and short films in the near future. She finds time to write, which is a passion for Shaili despite her busy program in television. She believes the blood of a martyr more sacred than the ink of a writer. Her writings and poetry are also published in Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer, Femina among various other magazines and websites. Some of her poems are The windy night, Kingdom of Gods, Fear, Loneliness too is a feeling of joy, Hide and Seek.

Details provided by:
Brig PT Gangadharan (Retd)