Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Twitter a case of Fatal attraction or twitter a case of a sting in the tale (not tail)?













Social media a formidable foe for mainstream English media?  This blog was posted on 31st Dec 2010.

Today I am revisiting the subject wondering if twitter is case of Fatal attraction or is twitter a case of a sting in the tale (not tail)?

An innocuous platform, bird with an open beak imposing serious and debilitating condition of 140 characters and no more! Wonder what’s become of the machismo and the macho, those who strut their wares of how to beat the system and extend the boundaries. No signs at all, no struggle what so ever caved in tamely, guess this is harsh! We took to Twitter as a fish does to water.
Low internet penetration in India, yet #2 when it comes to twitter usage globally after USA, ahead of Japan, Germany & UK! " why? The partial answer lies in the fact that our media is not credible print & electronic. These two seem to have established academies to train and churn out the best that Goebbels would have willingly given his right arm for. Electronic medium in particular has outdone Goebbels the original propagandists.
What is Twitter? Normally described as social media platform! The meaning differs from person to person some use it for selling, some for connecting with the world, a few for fun and some for sharing knowledge, views and debate. It is a perfect and effective antidote for our self professed pompous, self-righteous, sanctimonious ostensible journalists. 

 
Twitter is also the alterego for many, Twitter is the sounding board, Twitter is for attracting others, personalities from Entertainment Industry announce forthcoming releases, Socialites their pet themes and of course media personalities invite you to view their show on TV and pose questions, more importantly they mock and challenge. Ah last but not the least manufacturing fake tweets by TV channel to influence viewers. 


Twitter has become a personal pigeonhole for Tweeple who block the journalistic fraternity, pelt them with tweets to which the recipients cannot retort directly, this is a role reversal to the utter dismay of the media, has not yet been able to come to terms with.  It is reported that a show hostess last week on air in the course of show stated that she was a hated figure on Twitter, question is? Did she elaborate on her own contributions for attaining such a cult status
An indisputable fact is that people on this forum have tremendous knowledge on almost all subjects are vocal and quick to correct any misrepresentation by the media folks, this leads to debates and often heated exchanges largely civil in nature often ending in Tweeple being labeled by media folks as Internet Hindus, Right wingers, Khakhi Chaddi Brigade, Trolls etc etc.
There are stray incidents of abusive language being employed by a few, blocking is normal. Irreverent Tweets are also a norm, rumors by media, as also misinformation is tried to be inflicted on us, such Tweets are duly deleted with promptness that the mischief does not return to haunt the perpetrator, by way of retweet or be used as evidence to confront the culprit. Tech savvy Tweeple ensure that such tweets are instantly captured and re-posted to the dismay and discomfort of these individuals who tried to be cute on this forum. There is a recent instance of a journo from Economic Times going overboard and posting hateful tweets, cruelly attempting to later justify them as a joke, we did not detect any humor what so ever in those tweets, will leave it to you readers to reach your own independent conclusion. However this was picked up and a blog was posted.
It has been famously said by a Tweeple “Media is a crime scene ensure a screenshot is retained” How true are these words you will be able to gauge for yourself by all the screenshots that are posted below.
Maintaining the decency and also the possibility that some who visit this blog may not take kindly to abusive tweets being displayed that is being avoided though links to such tweets are posted for the information of all those who may wish to read and acquaint themselves with such personalities.
The intention is to keep this blog alive by daily updates. An earnest request to all the readers, please forward screenshot that they wish to be published here and for the abusive tweet please do forward url.
In conclusion a few journalists in the West have had to lose their jobs on account of intemperate and offensive tweets, I am hoping that this post will ensure erring journalists in India are also dealt with in a befitting manner for their misdemeanor.   



Latest update on 18th July 2011
Said one disgruntled tweeter, “The problem with 24-hour news channels is that after a point, my desensitized attention glazes over and starts making fun of the news script.”- Mumbai serial blasts: How Twitter trumped TV channels




Latest update 06th Nov 2011




LIST OF ABUSIVE TWEETS: 

1.Click this link for tweets  Women Abused by this man
Tweets Uploaded on 23rd June
Tweets Uploaded on 17th June
Tweets Uploaded on 15th June latest exchange
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse.  Thank you.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Congress launches its Anti Anti-Corruption campaign Cart before the Horse





































 
 The circus must end Barkha Dutt, Hindustan Times June 10, 2011
Must confess did force myself to read this article even when it suffers from obvious deficiencies. Author is not credible due to transgression of professional ethics as brought out by Radii tapes. Definite taste of staleness, and fatigue on account of predictability of thought process; However must concede an effort has been made to rely on literature by quoting from various books, does not add any value to the subject. Those who wish to peruse the article or the comments posted in response may follow this link. The circus must end - link.

Commencing a blog is always an exercise which consume a large part of time, this time round luck was on my side when Mr. Neeraj Bhushan a friend posted this tweet
 “In India, civil societies are working as opposition. Will Non Govt Organizations then run my government tomorrow?”
There was further bonanza in store for me where this blog is concerned; congress party decides to launch an Anti Anti-corruption campaign of its own. Understandable congress and the UPA-2 government have only corruption as evidence that it is in existence.
“Senior Congress leader and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee hit out at Anna Hazare and Ramdev over the civil society's anti-corruption movement, accusing them of undermining democratic institutions and did not spare the BJP either.”  Link.
June 25th 1975 is still fresh in our memory which was a shinning example from congress of strengthening Democracy in India by declaring Emergency and arresting all politicians from opposition parties.
The other relevant articles that have appeared on this issue have been placed for the convenience of the readers so that they may form their independent opinion on this issue.
MK Dhar writing on Scams in India and also how there were riots all along the history- Sir, are you from the Mars? This is India. The Mother of corruption rules the country. The riddle was complicated. To my pleasant surprise he rattled out that Janpath to Rajpath, Ballimaran to Bhindi bazaar everyone is required to be pleased with graft money. How can you get the black money back from abroad? The Mother of corruption has stashed away billions herself. Link
POWER AND POLITICS. UPA needs to drop arrogance and get real. Offence is not always the best defence. Delhi’s ruling establishment is learning it the hard way. For the past few weeks, the UPA, the Congress and its megaphones have gone cacophonic with questions over the colour of the movements led by Anna Hazare and Ramdev against black money and corruption. - Link

RACE COURSE ROAD. UPA II in a tizzy over transparency. For the UPA government, transparency is the new survival mantra. Defence Minister A K Antony’s credibility eclipsed that of his colleagues when he said the nation was going through a transparency revolution. Link
Insolent Congress- A democratic government’s constituency covers the entire nation. Our democracy will lose its vitality if our main political parties and their governments show no respect for diversity, dissent and dialogue—also for the rule of law.  : Link
Stop turning India into a circus - Every second child in India is malnourished despite thousands of crore rupees having been poured into the world’s largest child welfare programme, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). If the government can be blackmailed into rescinding Parliament’s sole right to make laws, how about blackmailing it into ensuring that no Indian child goes to bed hungry at night?  : Link
Congress' Midsummer Folly: Rajat Sharma-History is witness to the fact that a democracy cannot be run on the strength of sheer brute force. Only those governments last, which listen to the voice of the opposition and of those who criticize peacefully. It is now up to the Congress to choose between oxygen and an acid.  : Link

Baba attack highlights Congress’ schizophrenia. What is our experience? Any feeling that security measures did not adversely affect human rights has been disproved with the brutal 5 June midnight crackdown on 20,000 sleeping protestors at New Delhi's Ramlila Ground. They were participating in yoga guru "Baba" Ramdev's hunger strike against corruption. In what is described as India's "Tahrir Square", nearly 5,000 policemen including Rapid Action Commandos, who should have been battling armed Maoists, forcibly chased away unarmed men, women and children.   Link

In conclusion we Indians should be asking at the very minimum these three questions of ourselves, as also from Congress and UPA government.

1. Should congress and the UPA government be agitating against the anti corruption demand or should eradicating corruption be its target?

2. Why the disquiet about the participation of the civil society in the movement and demand for being involved in the process of Jan Lokpal bill?

3. Explain what makes National Advisory Council and its members acceptable?




I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse.  Thank you.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Mr.Jug Suriaya new salesman in town






                   








Must confess I have always enjoyed reading articles & blogs by Jug Suriaya, this article NaMo vs Manmohan  by Jug Suraiya May 25, 2011 has come as a bolt from the blue. Many who had set shop and made it a source of livelihood by targeting Narendra Modi since 2002 have failed; laws of economics have established this to be an enterprise with diminishing returns, then why has Jug Suriaya opened his shop at such a late stage?

What are the compulsions for Mr.Jug Suriaya to veer off course and venture into territory that has claimed so many from his profession?  What has driven him to this conclusion of ‘Two men, two ideas of India’?

Why has he embarked upon a comparison between a patently Non Performing Asset of India that is Dr. Manmohan Singh and an Icon of achievements Mr. Narendra Modi Chief Minister of Gujarat. Anyone who has followed the media since 2002 until now cannot miss the fact that media both print & electronic have singularly failed in achieving their goal. Narendra Modi still stand tall in this country and the people of this country have not brought into the idea of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Narendra Modi since 2002 has been vilified like none before, media has tried to sell Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to us since 2004, like no other Prime Minister has ever been in the past. 

Permit me to debunk other two claims made here  “The Gujarat CM is arguably by far the most controversial politician in India” This is what the media wants us to believe people in this country are yet to come across statements that would substantiate this claim of Mr. Jug Suriaya and fellow professionals in media. 

“Among his many admirers he enjoys a devotional status generally accorded to miracle-working godmen.” The angst of the people is with media, are not necessarily supporters of Narendra Modi. What is galling is that 9 long years no credible evidence has been presented before any court of law on the basis of which he can be prosecuted. Yet he has been called variously by different individual as “mass murderer” Ignoring 1984 Delhi massacre of innocent Indians and the Bhopal gas tragedy which should have earned this infamous sobriquet for those who headed the government at the center & in Madhaya Pradesh. 

Conversely none are willing to buy anymore the argument that Dr. Manmohan Singh is Mr. Clean reincarnate with all the scam that have unfolded under his watch. Both may turnout to be guilty of acts of omission rather than commission, this can only be established in a court of law. Not in a blog, media or a TV studio.



The subject is NaMo vs Manmohan It is given fact that both gentlemen do not interact much with media. This debate is best settled by placing the few rare videos of the two protagonists for the readers to asses for themselves the value they bring on board and their respective performances, words may not convey what these videos would.

NaMo: Videos.

 







 
Dr. Manmohan Singh Videos:









Finally doubt it very much if we would find many Indians who would state that “they are ashamed of being Indian.” Yes we may have hung our heads in shame for many an avoidable unfortunate incident in our country. Ashamed of being an Indian? No never. There is but one idea of India.




I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse.  Thank you.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Selling the Prime Minster.










Independent India has had 14 Prime Ministers. [List] , before Dr. Manmohan Singh, all 14 have had their own merits and demerits. Each and every one of them has a tale of their own successes and failures to tell, yet none of them were ever marketed so intensely by the media over a prolonged period as Dr. ManMohan Singh.

Why the incumbent Prime Minster has had to rely so heavily on media to make his presence felt in the country? What is it that he lacks when compared to others who occupied the august office of Prime Minister? Who is responsible for this state of affairs? 

Check with any Public Relations company or Brand Management outfit. Brand building is an extremely intensive process and there are time constraints in this if the exercise is not completed in the shortest possible time, it becomes very difficult to market that product(s).

Media has been involved since 2004 in converting Manmohan Singh into a cult of impeccable personal honesty and integrity. Now we are in 2011 almost 8 years yet there are more question marks against this Brand. There are inherent defects which were concealed willfully by the brand builders, even to this day they are operating in denial mode. Congress friendly media propounds three new myths. There have been numerous attempts made by media to somehow push this down our throat and gag us. People have not been able to swallow, that all the corruption and scams that have emerged could have been perpetrated without his knowledge; since I have no means of independent corroboration of personal involvement so would be improper to allege any personal wrongdoing.

However that does not mean as the head of the Cabinet and Government PM can be completely absolved of the responsibility or taint. There are acts of commission and then there acts of omission, the indictment would follow naturally. Further more the efforts by the media have become self defeating, since corruption in the media has been exposed and the public is justifiably incensed about what has come to light.

The hash realities have surfaced, every charge has been met with standard phrases “I Did Not Know.” “I am not aware.” I am Honest I have not indulged in Corruption.” Do these, would these assertions by Dr. ManMohan Singh wash with the people of India, leave alone the Political parties, guess not even Congress would buy these.

Pressing the PM - by Karan Thapar, Hindustan Times March 19th 2011 is yet another attempt in the same direction. Needless to say it is doomed to fail, far too much has come to surface and no cogent response has been forthcoming from the Prime Minister.

I am reminded of a couple of idioms that we were taught in school “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.” “Handsome is he who does handsome.” Taking it further in the same vein! Is honesty to be measured only in terms of Money? I would say no, it should also be measured in terms of intent and action. Has Dr. Manmohan Singh passed the test of intent and action for being called honest? Emphatic answer is No he has failed himself and the nation by not acting and visibly demonstrating his intent to curb corruption, mere statement of intent to punish the guilty or no one will be spared, no longer impress Indians. 63years of history does not give us any hope that we are about to see a marked change or new path is going to be charted out to prevent corruption and punish those guilty of looting the country.



These are the comments posted on Hindustan Times site by visitors who have read the article by Karan Thapar  these are 6/57.

 

 

 


“What is one to make of Manmohan Singh? Is he a clean politician forced by circumstance to travel with a boatload of crooks? A radical economic reformer trapped in the wrong party at the wrong time? Or is he just plain incompetent and irresponsible?” "Our PM - zero to hero to Nero"

Latest update on 19th Nov 2011
“If PM is not the ultimate authority, then who is? It has been successfully passed to the Chairperson of the NAC, and the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi (full list of her “achievements” here). The NAC she leads is the parallel decision making authority when it comes to policy matters. Sonia Gandhi is the parallel decision making authority when it comes to political matters. Manmohan Singh is the decision making authority when it comes to maintaining status quo!”  Link



I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse.  Thank you.

Monday, March 14, 2011

One more bites the dust???



“I have great satisfaction that my column was accepted as a brand by many HT readers and though I received brickbats and bouquets along the 15-and-a-half years span of ‘Between Us’, I spared no effort in pursuing legitimate and level-headed journalism. I joined this paper on September 1, 1995, as a senior editor-in-charge of Delhi and the NCR after my second stint at The Times of India.”  "It’s over between us for now"   by Mr. Pankaj Vohra

I must confess I am surprised that this column has been dispensed with by Hindustan Time. No I am not going to enquire into the reasons. This is a loss for me since it was a constant source of material for at least 1 blog post every week. We have not agreed mostly in our interpretations of the political situation, Mr. Vohra is one of those very few individual who unlike other neither blocked people from commenting on his column nor on his blogs.

It was a pleasant surprise that he did respond to my comments on one of the articles that he had written. Not many have the courage to interact with their readers. He was not rude to his readers even when he disagreed at least I have not been able to find any occasion.
I wish him all the luck and hope to see him soon a new avatar. Look forward to engaging him thru blogs. Something just don’t end.

Hindustan Times is indeed missing the services of Vir Singhvi.