Life without exclusives

It was on NDTV Profit during the Monday late evening gone by. An interview show with Shankar Sharma, VC and director – strategic affairs, First Global about the economic trends, share market, which sector is doing what and which companies one should invest in and so on. While surfing the channels I got hooked to CNBC TV18 where the same person was being interviewed. It is not uncommon these days to see a same person being interviewed twice uttering the same thing, well almost, for the same set of audience but for different channels. I checked and found that both channels were sensible enough not to flash “exclusive” which has now become a very “common” thing for a journalist has to live with and die for.

This brings me to recall one of my friend’s incident who reports for The Economic Times. One day that friend of mine got a story. She filed it diligently. And it appeared in the next day edition. After that she had a bad time because the same story was carried by its competitor Business Standard. She was asked how come BS got that!!?? She was clueless.

My friend’s point was - in an interaction case, if the company wishes to dole out info to each and every media house, they are entitled to do so. What can one do as a journalist? If PR craves for mileage through col cms, we journos crave for exclusivity. The friend was told to ask that person to give ET only exclusives. That’s it.

I recall myself telling to so many people whom I meet to offer me with exclusive info each time there is a scope for one. Interestingly, it really becomes difficult to keep track of that person thereafter. This also highlights how difficult the life has become of a journalist. You are constantly under scanner. As a print media person, life seems to be revolving around deadlines, word counts, meetings, PR relations and incessant phone calls. Not to mention, in that very structure of survival, we have to ensure there is individuality as a reporter through the exclusivity of information I provide to my readers.

The trouble is ---- there is no end to it. Every week approach with a new set of challenges (that is actually the life of professionals irrespective of job profiles they are up to). I remember my dear friend Anshuman Gunjan Dutta, who was covering Aarushi murder case for a daily over a month, was so exhausted that he even dreamt Aarushi’s murder! He regretted later that he couldn’t visualise the murderer, otherwise he would have solved the case before CBI. Poor guy, I must say.

But that is the reality. Every now and then, the professional life takes over the personal one. We talk work; think about it even when with family, friends, etc. Even sadder part is that people from all walks of life expect a reporter to know each and every thing. My defense: I’m human and I’m learning, and therefore I am bound to err…

A lop side of being in reporting profession is the fight to retain the very freedom of a reporter; work with an individualistic thought process, knowledge and understanding of the subject. Every person has an opinion of what we write, how we do so and so on… as most of the time we are supposed to fill a story with needless word counts, covering those people who don’t make sense of what they talk of and also, keep our professional acquaintances in good books. Yet, in the same breathe I would also add that there is nothing to boast about the quality of work we deliver, which is expected to be delivered on time taking account of all the disruptions we go through. Add to that the obligation of a journalist to retain a healthy relationship with the source constantly, which by no means is an easy job in the world. The silver lining though is that we do make good friends in that course, even if that counts a few.

My social friends often ask me, “Where are you? Aisa bhi kya busy ho life mein. Hum bhi to kaam karte hai, yaar!” I really find myself with loss of words and genuine reasoning. I guess the life of my industry peers is quite same. While a reporter should ideally become an individual through his or her work, we would find more exclusive reporters without individual (read personal) lifestyle.

Our job is after us all the time, irrespective where we are and with whom. The immediate suggestion would be time management, which I agree to. But time hi to manage nahi hota yaaron. I am swinging between exclusivity to individuality, where both are mutually exclusive to each other. I wish to move towards the latter, later.

Mediocre aspirations

Delhi was expanding then in the 1960s. So it is even now. The only difference between the expansions then and now seems to be different politically. My father came here in that period to earn his bread from Calcutta. He had nothing, literally. But with time, he gathered himself and managed to anchor his family. One dream that always eluded him was to own a house (or flat) of his own. He was not willing to invest on land or for that matter in a colony that was not legalized. He therefore resorted to DDA and patiently waited for his turn, which came after 25 years. My point is had he gathered some strength to invest in an illegal colony, we would have been in a better state of realty. In retrospect, I would probably choose to do what he did.

This story of his unwillingness to go for illegal colonies in Delhi has been discussed in our family and how it could have changed our fortune. During every assembly elections of this state, we regret this fact. The point is BJP and Congress has again taken on the mantle to convert illegal into legal for wining votes for the forthcoming polls. I am not happy with BJP, which is talking of legalizing around 1600 slums adding 40 lacs people to the capital and blaming the other one for not fulfilling the promise. I am again unhappy with the Congress party for making such a promise at the first place.

At a point of convenience, these very parties (when in power) criticize and ponder on tackling the ever-growing Delhi population and curbing illegal settlements, kuchha or pucca. The concerns should be tackled but political aspiration in the form of “seats” is not ensuring the state going into the right direction. While illegal colonies are being set up with less investment (real estate prices are always low), legalizing it sets a very bad precedence for all. While people who wish to take a rightful course even when it comes to going for a ceiling over their head, the petty politics make it appear like a loosing proposition. It is as if we are the wrong doers by following a legal way to survive.

This brings us to a standpoint where we need to identify how government should go about deciding what to be legalized, regularized and maintained lawfully. It is not only about slums. This also extends to the number of illegal pucca colonies, which get propriety just before the elections. I demand not much; just that, there should be justified norms for the livings beneath the poverty line. Not only legalization of “slums and colonies without having proper approval as such” is enough reason for builders to be encouraged to structure more such colonies. This also augur illegal settlements encroaching land and forming a community large enough over a period of time to become a strong player to swing the future of petty political battles. Hope, there’s an end to it.

Message relief

The monotony of life gets a break when our mobile pings and shows a message. Some messages on my set are good enough to share.

In life many ppl help u whn it suits THEM; but very FEW help whn it suits u.
Make the FEW ur frnds and be the FEW to the many…
----------- Sunit

Do you knw d diff btw coffee shp n wine shp? Coffee shp is d starting pt of luv n wine shp is the end pt of it. Simple… isn’t it?
------------- Biswajit

Car se takra kar kabutar behosh ho gya. Admi use ghar le gya aur pinjre mein rakha. Kabutr ko hosh aaya to bola, “Aila! Jail? Who car wala mar gaya kya.”
------------ Neeraj

Dua ki bheer mein ek dua hamari, jisme maangi humne har khushi tumhari. Jab bhi muskuraaye aap dil se, humne samjha dua kubul hui hamari.
---------- Trishnendu

Various texts we come across are known; some are new and some, forwarded. Yet the underlining, or shall I say the silver lining, is that each one made my day. Messages are definitely a relief which brings us a smile. Cherish the moment when your cell beeps and lures you to read that message at once.

What else, ciao!!

The anti-virus software

It is needed when the virus causes a virulent damage to our systems. But if virus is about a positive influence what would one do? Of course, better not install the software. Yet politicians and political parties are of the kind that does so.

The “person” was driving and I was sitting next to him. While started he categorically mentioned that there is no need to fasten seat belt (though I did mentioning my comfort and fear). Car speeded at 60 above even when ideally one should not have. Honking was a necessity for him.

He is of the opinion that a lot is needed to be done in a political system. It offers a lot of opportunities to do good for the society at large. Can he do some good if he gets opportunity, I asked. No, he said.

According to him, there is no way he can rise if he sticks to too much of humanity. Chances are that there is no future for him then. He fingers, it is full circle; if one starts doing well, there is none to carry it forward and a second round of bad follows, a natural way. There is a shield inbuilt in them to protect any good coming inwards. That shield to me is like just like a protection against all good.

He is politically driven and is actively involved with the youth wing of a political party in the capital. If he takes a different path to plug the loopholes he clearly observes, he will be chucked out in no time from the party. The in-built barrier system is eating away his desires. I found there is a strong desire in him to benefit people at large but he is handcuffed and drifting away…

Rallying for space

The hassles of our routine life begin right away when we switch on the ignition of our vehicle to reach our work place. As if too much of incessant jams throughout the journey and an ever-increasing vehicle numbers in cities (no specifics) were not enough, we are now faced with dharnas … or so to say morcha in “khalis” Hindi by political outfits.

They in the early hours of the day when the traffic is at its peak raise slogans block roads and tend to create mayhem and subsequently occupational hazard (for those who have got something to do at least).

One day, a dear colleague and friend of mine Prateek Sahay (Mr Enterprising Entertainer) said: in political parties aur politicians ko to shehar se kahi dur jaake apna dharna aur sammelan karma chahiye. bekaar mein itne logo ko mushkilon ka samna karna padta hai. I said, lekin yeh jayenge kahan?

arre, inke liye bhi ek alag designated jagah hona chahiye just like Pragati Maidan jahan yeh apna pradarshan kar sake. jo interested hai, attend karte rahen inke protests, etc…. aur kya!

I couldn’t stop laughing. But the very second moment I realized, he has said something very reasonable. Even brilliant!

What he said is fairly applicable and practical keeping in mind the traffic department along with Police who are needlessly bothered to keep protesters under control to maintain the sanctity of the city movement.

Now let us elaborate this further. Having a designated open land (even if within the city) would give an option to many groups to come in open and talk on serious issues. Let me elaborate what else Prateek suggested to make this idea work in a very righteous manner and to make it a profitable plan too. Some pointers:

1. the venue can be booked from a designated authority.
2. one day only one event
3. a limited number of parking options. Rest will be charged accordingly by municipal authority or private player maintaining the peripheral area so that there is cap on vehicle crowd
4. the venue is open to all; political parties, social groups, company unions and so on so forth
5. holding a protest or public meeting is free of charge but will be given on the basis of availability of venue with due permissions from Police (water canon will be there in case they suspect rallies taking violent forms)
6. those holding the rally will be responsible for cleaning up mess that they may have contributed to, and
7. we are still assessing other benefits.. (let us know if you have one to share)

This is one of the episodes that took place when I took a lift from Prateek for office and were caught in a jam due to a political rally in between. While I was trying to figure out all of his logic and the feasibility, it is also true that a Rallying Zone can well be a reality someday in future only if we have such a big chunk of land left within the city and bureaucratic set up allowing it to happen. We definitely need some of those “out of the box” ideas.

Irrespective of that fact I was impressed. “What an idea PrateekJEE,” I thought, while he was still honking at the crowd to negotiate his car. The good is - he finally succeeded in doing that.