Kolkata meet b/w NSCN(IM) and NNPG achieved its target

Published 'Nagaland Page', Oct 20, 2022

Kolkata meet b/w NSCN(IM) and NNPG achieved its target 

"PM should fix a date for grand signing ceremony", says Theja

New Delhi 

The newly floated Naga People's Action Committee (NPAC) on Wednesday welcomed the just concluded Kolkata conclave between NSCN-IM and umbrella organisation NNPG and maintained that it has "achieved its minimum and maximum target".

"Let me make it clear, I am speaking as an individual. But the Kolkata meeting went off well between NSCN-IM and NNPG. I did not expect any miracle, so I am happy the way it turned out," NPAC convener Theja Therieh told 'Nagaland Page' over phone.

He said, "It will be erroneous to expect that a meeting convened by a neutral body such as the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) can resolve any difference(s) between the two sides NSCN-IM and NNPG. The job was to bring them together and we have achieved that".

"In fact, this has been my stand from the very beginning. After the talks are over, the ball is in the court of the Government of India. It should now invite leaders of both NSCN-IM and NNPG and ink a final peace pact," Therieh said.

Answering questions, he maintained that, "Essentially there is no personal difference between NNPG and NSCN-IM. In fact, there are no differences which can be resolved between them.....both are on the same page and both are committed to the welfare of Naga people and peace in Nagaland and other states around us. What more does the Government of India want?"

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself should take "positive cognizance of the Kolkata meet".

"The Naga leaders from both sides spoke to each other, shook hands and dined together. So what is delaying the signing of the final agreement?", he said. 

He further said, "It will be futile to hope for any result in the next meeting or a meeting after that.... we have gone through all these meetings. Now, it is time to sign the peace pact. The Kolkata meeting proves there is no serious problem between NNPG and NSCN-IM and hence they should sign the agreement as early as possible".

Therieh, who is also media cell chief of the Nagaland Tribal Council (NTC), said - "The First step should be fixing a date for signing ceremony and the Prime Minister himself should decide about the date. And secondly, it's time for the old guards to pave the way as promised and the elected Assembly also should pave the way".

The NSCN(IM) and NNPG leaders met in Kohima on Oct 17 and Oct 18 but no controversial issues were raised or discussed.

The 'working deliberations' of the Kolkata get together between NNPG and NSCN(IM) on Oct 18 turned into a seminar-type discussion around 'Truth, Mercy, Justice and Peace'.

The "philosophical and meta-physical seminar" was of course anchored by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR).

ends  

  

Gujarat bridge collapse death toll rises to 134: PM to visit Morbi Tuesday

Gujarat bridge collapse death toll rises to 134: PM to visit Morbi Tuesday

New Delhi

Gujarat police have taken a couple of people from the bridge management team who are questioning them, Rahul Tripathi, SP Morbi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Morbi on Tuesday, November 1.

The historic bridge also called Jhulto Pul collapsed as around 400 people had assembled on the bridge, way beyond its capacity.

The death toll has increased to 134, Gujarat MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi.

The historic bridge collapsed as around 400 people had assembled on the bridge, way beyond its capacity.

The Gujarat government on its official website describes the ill-fated bridge as "an engineering marvel built at the turn of the century".

The suspension bridge, 233 meters (764 feet) long and 1.5 meters wide was inaugurated in 1880 during the British colonial period and made with materials shipped from England. 

The bridge, known as Jhulto Pul, is a popular facility used by walkers to cross river Machhu, connecting the Darbargadh Palace and LE Engineering College in Morbi. 

Reports said chaotic scenes were witnessed as thousands of people gathered at the accident site. Police had a tough time, conducting rescue operations and also decongesting traffic jams to make way for ambulances and rescue teams at the site.

Sadly, people were celebrating a festival on and around the 150-year-old bridge when it came crashing into the river at Morbi. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was touring his home state of Gujarat at the time, announced compensation for those killed and injured in the accident.
Modi "sought urgent mobilization of teams for rescue (operations)", his office tweeted.

"He has asked that the situation be closely and continuously monitored, and (for authorities to) extend all possible help to those affected."

Accidents from old and poorly maintained infrastructure including bridges are common in India. In 2016 the collapse of a flyover onto a busy street in the eastern city of Kolkata killed at least 26 people.

In 2011 at least 32 people were killed when a bridge packed with festival crowds collapsed near the hill town of Darjeeling. Less than a week later around 30 people were killed when a footbridge over a river in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh collapsed.

In 2006 at least 34 people were killed when a 150-year-old bridge collapsed on a passenger train at the railway station in the eastern state of Bihar. 

The bridge was reportedly reopened on Wednesday after seven months of repairs despite 'not having a safety certificate' and that video footage from Saturday showed it swaying wildly.

Authorities have quickly launched a rescue operation following the collapse, with boats and divers deployed to search for missing people late into the night.

Personnel from the Indian Army and Navy were also called for the rescue operation.

Authorities were planning to stop the water supply to the river from the nearby check dam and use pumps to de-water the river to speed up the search operation.

At least 134 people were killed after the colonial-era pedestrian bridge collapsed, sending scores of people tumbling into the river below, police said.  

Authorities said nearly 500 people, including women and children, were celebrating a religious festival on and around the nearly 150-year-old suspension bridge in Morbi in western India when cables supporting it snapped soon after dark on Sunday.

This brought the rickety structure in the state of Gujarat crashing into the river, spilling scores of people into the water while others clung desperately to the wreckage. 

"The death toll now stands at least 134," police said.

The bridge over the Machchhu river around 200 kilometers west of Ahmedabad.

"People fell on top of each other after the bridge collapsed," one witness told local media. "People had flocked to the bridge for rituals and because of the Diwali festival. Many children and women were among the victims."

News reports showed videos -- which could not be independently verified -- of people hanging on to what remained of the bridge or trying to swim to safety in the dark.

BJP leader R P Singh demands Truth Commission on 1984 riots

New Delhi 

BJP leader and national spokesman R P Singh has requested Home Minister Amit Shahto "declassify all documents" relating to 1984 Pogrom and Operation Blue Star and form a 'Truth Commission' to expose the conspiracy and nail the real culprits.

In a letter to Shah, the BJP leader maintained that "there are lot classified documents which will provide details of the then Home Minister overlooked the carnage".

He further stated that one of the notes written by R N Kao (then security advisor to Indira Gandhi) is in the NehruMemorial Museum and Library and it pertains to Indira Gandhi's assassination also needs to be declassified".

"....time is running out. Action needs to be taken at the earliest before truth gets buried with the people who were privy to the events. The formation of the Truth Commission and its findings will also heal the psyche of Sikhssince the 1980s," the BJP spokesman said.

He also lamented that since the last 38 years four inquiry commissions, 9 Committees and 2 SITs have been formed and still they failed to dig deep and reveal the real conspiracy.

He also lamented that since the last 38 years four inquiry commissions, 9 Committees and 2 SITs have been formed and still they failed to dig deep and reveal the real conspiracy.

In 2014 a big row was triggered when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was criticised for avoiding any 

expression of regret for the killings of Sikhs in 1984 mayhem.

Rahul Gandhi had said the government led by his Congress party (his father Rajiv Gandhi) did everything it could to control the violence against minority Sikhs in retaliation for the assassination of his grandmother, then prime minister Indira Gandhi, by her Sikh bodyguards. 

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the riots and rights activists accuse the Congress of having turned a blind eye and say some of its leaders helped orchestrate the violence.

“It is tragic that so many died but there is no tribute, no remorse, no apology,” Akali Dal veteran 

Parkash Singh Badal had said.

Rahul Gandhi had said he had nothing to do with the violence when asked if he would apologize or at least express regret.

In 2017, the CBI was ordered by the court of law to reinvestigate Congress leader Jagdish Tytler’s involvement. 

ends 

Alleged 'Lottery scam' of Bengal linked to Nagaland

'DEAR' lottery company and its winners were already on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

New Delhi 

Corruption is often a by-word in contemporary settings. It has been the case lately with states like West Bengal.

Years back about corruption in Nagaland, it was stated albeit in a tongue-in-cheek fashion that payments are received in Nagaland for works done in heaven (reference to Punya or good works of previous life).

Now there is an alleged scam linked to the Lottery and BJP leader in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari says there are money laundering links.

A Rs 1-crore lottery prize has been won by a Trinamool Congress MLA’s wife Ruchika Gupta (wife of VIvek Gupta). It had sparked a new political row in West Bengal, with the Opposition BJP levelling accusations of money laundering against TMC. Interestingly, Ms Ruchika is the second person linked to the Trinamool to win the top prize in the lottery. 

Predictably, the TMC has denied the allegations. 

Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari says, “The poor people of West Bengal are being lured by the prospect of winning easy money and are becoming addicted while the lucky winners seem to be the lottery company and TMC leaders". 

Needless to add perhaps, Ms Ruchika has thanked the Nagaland government and Dear Government Lotteries and maintained that she would use the money to improve her family’s financial status.

 

Notably, in December 2021, the TMC’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal won Rs 1 crore cash 

in the same lottery. Mondal is at present behind bars in a cattle smuggling case.

The “DEAR Government Lotteries” is run in Sikkim, Nagaland, and West Bengal. The news of Ruchika’s win 

came to light after West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition Adhikari tweeted last week about it.

“I have been saying this all along that Dear (Bhaipo) Lottery and TMC have a tangled relationship. It’s an easy way to launder money. Common people buy tickets but TMC leaders win bumper prizes. First Anubrata Mondal won the jackpot and now TMC MLA Vivek Gupta’s wife has won one crore," he said also draggingWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's powerful nephew Abhishek.

The word 'Bhaipo' in Bangla means nephew or brother's son.

Trinamool leader and Mamata Banerjee's trusted aide Firhad Hakim said, “Everything cannot be politicised. It is the Income Tax Department’s job to investigate if someone has made a false declaration".

Sources said the 'DEAR' lottery company and its winners were already on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

However, no case has been registered yet. 

It goes without stating that the premier agency has probed 'money laundering' allegations against several Trinamool including in the education department and also alleged coal pilferage case and cattle smuggling.

Mamata Banerjee's colleague of many years and former Minister Partha Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee were arrested.

North Bengal University vice chancellor Subires Bhattacharyya too was held in connection with the assistant teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal in 2016. Bhattacharyya is former chairperson of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission, which has hit headlines for wrong reasons in the recent past.

The CBI had earlier arrested former minister Partha Chatterjee's his relative Prasanna Roy, education department officials S P Sinha and Ashok Saha, and former West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) president Kalyanmoy Ganguly.

ends 

Can Nagaland elections be deferred ?

 

What happens to hard-earned Himanta's gift of '20-40'   

New Delhi 

It could be a sheer coincidence or a case of journalistic malady -- that is, reading too much between the lines. 

Will Nagaland elections due in Feb-March 2023 deferred? 

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio told a public function at Kezoma village that if a solution to the Naga problem is reached, the state polls could be deferred.

Of course, he is possibly stating the obvious. There is no big deal in it; and hence the statement did not make headlines even in the local newspapers.

'Nagaland Page' too deliberately and quite aptly played down Rio's remarks on the possibility of deferment of polls.

An important reason could be, let us all take the word of a politician - and that of Rio's calibre and a successful Neta - with a pinch of salt.

However, something unusual happened in BJP circles in Delhi.

A paper circulated among some party leaders missed the name of Nagaland.

The small note talks about the saffron party's focused approaches for assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Mizoram (all due in 2023) and even Telangana (which is due in 2024), but Nagaland was a miss.

This could be a genuine error nevertheless.

However, there are certain pros and cons involved which is making observers wonder whether elections will be postponed.

Firstly, from the BJP's point of view, election preparations are in full swing in two other northeastern states Tripura and Meghalaya.

In Tripura, a senior UP leader has been named as election in-charge while in Meghalaya, three key central leaders and one office bearer from Assam are traveling the state and have kick started the poll-related works.

Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Mahendra Singh is credited with the party’s success in the Assam Assembly elections of 2016. 

As evidence of BJP's apprach that there are already talks that a few NPP legislators of Conrad Sangma's outfit could be jumping ship and embracing the Lotus party. 

Of course, in Nagaland, for reasons best known to Amit Shah and Himanta Biswa Sarma, the saffron party would be contesting only 20 seats as against 40 by poll-enthusiast NDPP of Rio.

Moreover, the BJP was expected to name a new state unit president but nothing has happened and more than party insiders -- most ticket aspirants from outside the party fold would be upset about the inertia from a party otherwise led by hyper active PM Narendra Modi.

So, one argument is -- what is there to prepare for 20 seats when the onus will be on Chief Minister Rio to ensure BJP picks up a few seats. Left to NDPP, the BJP should be happy winning 3-4 seats only but Narendra Modi's image should be made use of by the so-called NDPP-BJP coalition. 

Politics can be more often a strange game and the mortal media may not know at all ! 

Will Nalin Kohli visit Kohima anytime soon? 

ends 

Politics or 'deliberate slip' : NTC, GB body not invited to President's reception

Modi personally applauded GB body in June 

Dimapur/Kohima

One can call it a 'deliberate slip'. But eyebrows can be raised about the political intent behind such a move if any.

The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) and Federation of Gaon Burrahs (village elders) have not been invited for the Nov 2 mega show at Kohima which will be graced by India's first woman tribal President Droupadi Murmu.

"In honour of the Honourable President of India, a civic reception is being organised at Capital Cultural Hall, Kohima on 2nd November at 3 pm," says an official circular from Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha.

The list in the circular dated Oct 28, 2022 includes 22 organisations and civil society bodies but has excluded NTC and GB Federation.

Eyebrows are raised as these two organisations have been vocal from time to time either on matters relating to the peace process and an early solution or took positions not pleasing some political forces either overt or covert.

One senior social worker said, "It could be a mistake...even in the past corrigendums have been issued for such lapses".

But he told 'Nagaland Page' over phone,"There is still time and these two organisations should be included. I hope the organising committee and the Nagaland government will consider the matter seriously".

Sources said, the Sumi Hoho is likely to issue a statement on the matter. 

An office bearer of the Lotha Hoho also maintained it would have been good if invitations were extended to these two organisations.

Central Naga Tribes Council (CNTC) president Lanu Imchen when contacted said, "It will be good if GB federation is invited for the event especially because President Murmu is country's first tribal woman holding the high post".

The CNTC is a body of three tribes - Aos, Lothas and Semas. 

The formation of NNPG to a large extent was due to the initiative of the NTC and GB Federation. 

Of course, it will be embarrassing for both the NTC and GB federation to approach the government so that they are invited. 

As many as seven Naga tribal communities are part of Naga Tribes Council (NTC). 

It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government holds the GB federation of Nagaland in high esteem.

In June this year, interacting with a group of young women students from Nagaland in his office, Modi had applauded the rich cultural traditions associated with the 'Gaon Burrah' - village elders - institution in the state.

This was also seen as a big political statement. The Modi government has been steadfastly working for empowering local panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir as well.

It may be noted the 'importance' given to Naga Gaon Burrahs did not go down well with many established players in the existing power politics structures during the tenure of R N Ravi as the Governor.

ends

NIA investigating important Nagaland cases

'Trial started in 2013 case siphoning off Ammunition to NSCN (IM)'

New Delhi 

A few important cases pertaining to the northeast region including Nagaland under probe of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have come under the scanner of the big shots in the Government of India lately.

One such case was the alleged "involvement of Nagaland Police Personal in siphoning off Amns" to NSCN (IM) Cadre of 2013. The trial has commenced in this case, sources say.

Other cases under NIA probe include -- the arrest of six persons and recovery of money with arms, and explosives in Nagaland.

Nagaland Page Link

This relates to state police FIR No. 0074/2020 dated 05.07.2020 under Diphupar police station in Dimapur. Official status shows -- the case is under investigation.

The case relates to recovery of Rs 1,58,72,800/- with arms ammunition, explosives and extortion slips of NSCN (IM), and arrest of 6 (six) persons, namely, SS Col. Rayilung Nsarangbe, Pvt. Lamcilralu, Zingring Mung, Zingshongam Muinao, Dr. Rabi Pame and Vimal Kumar Jain.

The arrests were made under a joint operation by Assam Rifles with local police, sources say.

In a case in Manipur state, NIA is also investigating matters pertaining to the Tengnoupal district case of Manipur of December 2016.

A Manipur police team in three vehicles were proceeding to Tengnoupal from Moreh in connection with the visit of the Chief Minister for the inauguration of the newly created district. The police team was ambushed by heavily armed militants "suspected to be cadres of NSCN (IM) along NH-102 resulting in the death of three police persons and injuries to others".

In another case, the arrest of Yangang Konyak, Commander of 4th Brigade, NSCN (K-Yung Aung),  in 2019 is also under NIA investigation.

The NIA note on the case states - The Central Government has received information regarding registration of FIR No. 43/2019 dated 23.06.2019 registered at Police Station Mon, District Mon, Nagaland. 

The case relates to arrest of Yangang Konyak Commander of 4th Brigade, NSCN (K-Yung Aung) and the

alleged mastermind behind planning and execution of ambush and IED attack on the column of 40 Assam Rifles 

near Y junction, Tonu on 25.05.2019 along with two other NSCN (K-Yung Aung) cadres by a team of Assam Rifles on 

21.06.2019 and subsequent recovery of a large number of weapons, arms and incriminating materials from their possession.

The NIA is also investigating the 'recovery of money' which was being carried by 4 persons for further handing over to 

NSCN (IM).

An FIR was lodged on this at police station Dibrugarh in Assam in June 2019.

The NIA took over the case on July 9, 2019 and a formal case was registered at NIA Police Station, Guwahati.

The official note says, the Centre has received information regarding registration of the FIR

and the case relates to interception of a vehicle bearing No. AR-13/3896 at Amolapatty 

on 28.06.2019 by police party of Dibrugarh in association with 171 CRPF.

The vehicle was reportedly carrying four persons and cash amounting to Rs 15 lakhs for "further 

handing over to NSCN (IM)".

ends 

26/11 conspirators still unpunished, laments Jaishankar

New Delhi 

Even as China has put on hold a proposal moved by India and the United States to blacklist Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Shahid Mahmood, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been unable to act in some cases when it comes to proscribing terrorists.

This was because of “political considerations”, he said in a veiled attack in reference to China's actions. 

Speaking at a special meeting of UN security council’s counter terrorism committee in Mumbai, Dr Jaishankar said “the key conspirators and planners of 26/11 terror attacks continue to remain protected and unpunished".

He asserted that international community should send out the message that it will never stop on holding terrorists accountable.

Talking about the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Jaishankar said, “the 26/11 attack was not only on Mumbai but on international community. The nationals of specific countries were identified before being murdered as a result commitment of each and every member state of the UN to combat terrorism stood publicly challenged". 

He maintained, "Since then we have endeavoured to bring masterminds and perpetrators of this attack to justice. This task remains unfinished.”

China had blocked multiple joint attempts by India and US to list Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists Sajid Mir, Shahid Mahmood as global terrorists under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council. 

LeT was behind the 26/11 Mumbai terrors attacks. 

In June this year, China had also put on hold a proposal by India and the US to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki.

Ends 

When rows ruled the roost at micro blogging site Twitter

New Delhi

It's new ownership and new rules for Twitter now. The micro blogging site changed the way the new tech-savvy world would communicate.

Controversies ruled the roost in the recent past and there have been a few glaring instances in India and also in the northeast region.

On Feb 11, 2019, in a major decision seeking to 'keep a track on the functioning of the popular micro blogging site Twitter', the company executive was disallowed from making an appearance before the 31-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT.

"Twitter has sought to insult the Indian parliament by deputing a junior executive and so she was not allowed to depose before the panel," a senior lawmaker had told this journalist then.

In Assam when FCRA new norms were applied affecting foreign funding of some NGOS, a social worker based in Guwahati said, "The right to reject an application on any ground gives the government an advantage". 

The social worker, however, admitted that there have been some NGOs who have 'misused' the funds. 

"There are organisations meant to work for mental patients or in leprosy colonies. But when their activists took part in anti-CAA protests in 2020 January, we knew some adverse reports would be prepared. You call it vindictive, that's one view. But officials say funds for leprosy people were used to make anti-India slogans and banners," the social worked explained. 

After Twitter introduced a new system where it "edited" the content and also decided who will be followers and so on, 

the BJP leaders alleged that Twitter has started functioning like a media house.

"It is no longer a technology enabler platform and hence rules applied to media houses especially in the context of 

FDI may apply to them," a committee member had said.  

In fact Twitter in earlier avatars had fought with the US Congress and also legislature bodies of Singapore and 

European Union. Donald Trump was banned from the platform which new owner Musk had recently said

will be reviewed.

In India, Delhi police even conducted raids. 

BJP's Guru Prakash had reacted to Congress allegation and said that it seems the grand old party has found an 'ally' in 

Twitter in its long drawn battle against the Modi government. 

Congress leader Salman Khurshid also commented saying Delhi cops visiting the micro blogging platform's 

Gurugram and Delhi offices was like 'browbeating' the site.

“And bhakts are trending #BanTwitterInIndia on Twitter. Didn’t they say they were moving to Koo? They are still here?”

tweeted Congress national convener Ruchira Chaturvedi.

Whether Twitter did anything by motive may not be 'exposed' ever but English media and social platforms

in 2019 gave a strong indication that Modi was losing the polls. The same illusion persisted during the 2022

Uttar Pradesh polls. 

Now under Elon Musk how would Twitter turn remains to be seen. 

Among others in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been using the platform religiously.

Modi has been using IT platforms Twitter and Facebook effectively even as the Gujarat Chief Minister.

In fact, he had in 2015 'disclosed' the breaking news about the then US President Barack Obama's arrival to

India for Jan 26, Republic Day parade, through Twitter.

In Nagaland context in January 2022 eyebrows were raised when Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio changed his Twitter profile cover snap and replaced a snap of Modi and himself.

Rio instead put the snap of Mt Saramati in Kiphire district on his Twitter cover image.

ends   

Twitter -- onetime 'sickularly' caged bird .... on a new flight.....new adventurism amid uncertainty

Top shots have been sacked !! Elon Musk says there will be job cuts!

But he has also tried to calm fears among employees that major layoffs are coming and assured advertisers that his past criticism of Twitter's content moderation rules would not harm its appeal. 

Blogger 

“Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” Musk said in an open letter to advertisers on Thursday, October 27.  

Musk has not offered details on how he will achieve some of his targets like not allowing Twitter turn into an echo chamber of hatred. 

He has said he plans to cut jobs, leaving Twitter's approximately 7,500 employees fretting about their future. 

He also said on Thursday he did not buy Twitter to make more money but “to try to help humanity, whom I love”.

Musk terminated Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde.

He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform.

Agrawal and Segal were in Twitter's San Francisco headquarters when the deal closed and were escorted out, the sources added.

Before closing the $44-billion acquisition, and never afraid to indulge in theatrics, Musk walked into Twitter's headquarters on Wednesday with a big grin and carrying a porcelain sink, subsequently tweeting “let that sink in.” He changed his description in his Twitter profile to “Chief Twit.” 

Reports say Musk may need to sell another $5 to $10 billion in Tesla stock to finance the deal, adding to the roughly $30 billion he’s already sold this year, and shares of Tesla are down more than 40% since April 4. 

"We estimate Musk to be worth $221.5 billion, making him the wealthiest person on the planet by $62 billion. Musk’s fortune has tumbled more than $100 billion this year as Tesla’s stock crashes from its pandemic peak." 

-- Forbes Valuation

Expunging ill-feeling : 'Soul search' a must for media

"School master cannot be a good journalist"

New Delhi 

Commencing October as we mark the onset of autumn, India enters into festival season.The period involves Durga Puja, Diwali and ultimately Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ideally, this should be the time when ill-feeling and rancour ought to be expunged from the soul. Well, as human beings it is not possible. 

This festive season I thought of some soul-searching --- gazing in my own heart. 

Journalism in India - if one trusts V S Naipaul - has been a clerical pursuit. 

Sometimes this clerical approach is done with precision. Reporters in big bureaux and big cities fight it over 'beats'. I often say, we journalists often behave like beat constables.

For instance, a Chief Minister dies in a road accident and you are an eye witness; should you leave it for the beat 'constable' aka reporter to report ? 

More 'average' stuff the guy is intellectually, the more strictly religious he/she would be about these fuss. 

So a hardworking and 'over sincere' journo would be advised even to curb "your enthusiasm".

In Mumbai sports journalism, a senior colleague once lamented, "throughout the year you slog like a donkey, but the moment Olympic or World Cup cricket is around, you will find the big donkey in the office has decided to send a huge donkey to cover it".

This is related to junkets and foreign trips. This is a very delicate area in Indian journalism. 

No friendship, no sincerity and being passionate about the job helps. Delhi's well-known 'Jugad' helps. It is worse in small cities and regional newspapers. You will find the newspaper owner (once it was a Guwahati episode) or the owner's son traveling abroad with the Prime Minister or someone like that!

Blogger and daughter

Half the journalists are displeased with PM Narendra Modi as he has kickstarted a totally new phenomenon and there is no free lunch, drinks and junkets now. 

There are a few northeast experts in Delhi. Their knowledge about the region would leave people in shock.

" .... the entire north east India is matriarchal...,"  one expert would say! 

Move over, once I met one such 'news agency' guy who said -- "I also know the north east very well, I have been to that region".

As an ill-informed idiot from the region, I asked innocuously, "where did you go?".  Then came the Delhi-variety of response - "I have been to Kishanganj ''. Foolishly, I said, that's in Bihar!

If you or your family is in Delhi for a long, chances are that the kid may pick up the Delhi-style. The response from the 'self-styled northeast expert' was --- "All trains to northeast go via Kishanganj ''.

There is another more fundamental thing about Indian English journalism. It may be called 'Indllsh'.

Of course, there are opportunities when 'liberty' is taken with headlines. And on this, I am always with the Sub-Editor or senior fellows on the desk. Some lovely headlines have come in Journalism -- because people took liberty for the pun.

L K Advani's visit to Pakistan in 2005 and his comments on Jinnah was reflected well in 'The Asian Age' headline -- 'Jinnah Partitions BJP'.

In the 1980s and 1980s, Late J N Chatterjee worked with 'The Nagaland Times'. A typical old school gentleman, once he shouted at a friend (who tried to be over smart with his Wren and Martin Grammar book knowledge).

"Every school master in the town cannot be a good journalist". 

Some of us enthusiastically told him(1993) - "Sir, you deserve Plaza noodles or Apna Hotel Samosa".

  

But Indlish is also a 'disease'. The Articles 'A, An and The' never did justice to Indians or vice versa.

There's also a problem with words like 'Noted'. Often we use it liberally for 'said' -- which is not correct English.

"Note as a synonym for Said, where do they get this conviction from," wrote Jyoti Sanyal for 'The Statesman' on April 23, 2000.

Interestingly, I was with PTI those days and even the so-called 'book reviews' by the premier agency used to be written - the book 'said', the author 'noted', he 'added' style !

On the use of 'noted' wrongly -- 'The Statesman' article had said -- "That absurd....can only leave the reader wondering whether the speaker (VIP in his speech) had choked when he was speaking; so that the reporter recorded the only bits he heard with 'said' and 'noted'."

There can be another instance of a phrase -- "both parties did not have a moral right to raise the issue".

Sanyal in 'The Statesman' piece had observed -- "Since few journalists in India's English-language papers have a better acquaintance with English than the average lower-division clerk, it would be too much to expect them to expect to understand the absurdity in 'both parties did not have'.".

Sickularism: Lost Journey and Farmers' stir 

"Journalists -- are we keep....."

The writing style definitely makes a difference. Perhaps the line 'Continuing violence in the city left 12 more people dead' may be avoided.

Perhaps the better line with 'more info' for readers would be - 'Violence sparked off by the murder of a 65-year-old pensioner raged for a second day, leaving 12 more people dead'.

In the film 'The Kashmir Files', the protagonist journalist tells a former top cop : "You were given Padma Shri, so that you remain silent".

In turn, the retired police officer - frustrated - says, 

"When we police have to arrest a well known terrorist or a criminal, first we try to find who is the keep or mistress (the Hindi word used is Rakhel) of that criminal. Do you know who these people are, these media people".

Nagaland Page - Link

I was in an Old Delhi cinema hall watching the movie with my teenage daughter. She laughed out loud.

That was fictional but that's one crucial face of Indian journalism as well. It is fashionable to ridicule the government authorities or security forces. 

Corruption has been a way of life in insurgency-hit Nagaland and writing about the fungus of corruption 

M J Akbar had once written - “In Nagaland, government payment is made for works done (about contractors) in heaven (meaning previous life)”.

Akbar had his own style. “Bengal is famous for the magic of its women and the sweet tooth of its men …. The Bihari tooth is different,” wrote Akbar – himself a Bihari - in one of his best selling non-fictions ‘Blood Brothers – A Family Saga’.

Among the celebrity editors, Khushwant Singh had a fan following in Nagaland as well.

Once S C Jamir as the Chief Minister made him a special guest. 

I had interviewed Khushwant Singh for the PTI Golden Jubilee of Souvenir in 1998 wherein he had said, “The Sahitya Akademi should be abolished”.

He had said, "The Sahitya Akademi really does not serve anything purposeful ...Those writers who don’t find publishers let them die". 

The old school in media always believed journalism is in 'reporter's or the editor's blood'. Training does not help.

Khushwant 

Ideology also becomes an issue. Kuldip Nayar and Nikhil Chakravarty were eminent journalists clearly believing in the pro-Leftist ideology. 

M V Kamath, another top journalist, was well known for his right leaning.

Kamath also called spade a spade. 

In the book, 'Reporter at Large' he wrote: "There are three main charges against the western news agencies. One, they do not tell the whole truth, two, they deliberately mislead. And three, they do not report news of interest and significance to developing countries".

Some of these vices apply to Indian journalists as well.  

But there are no Gods in journalism. 

So the golden rule is journalists should not get overawed by anyone including most popular public leaders and even the Editor in the office. Anyone can tell a falsehood or commit mistakes. 

Sources are certainly 'human' and that includes Uncle Google. There is a need to cross check and ignorance is never a bliss.

Once a Mumbai journalist mistook 'Sanjay Dutt', a politician, for the actor and reported that the Congress party will field him.

In 'Arushi murder case', Delhi and Noida journos and  TV channels went ethically wrong when the 'minor' was identified. By law, one should not identify a rape victim and even the police cannot disclose her real identity.

During the Kargil conflict, one famous woman TV journalist screamed, "The Indian army will attack Tiger Hill tomorrow".

That was an act of treason, but authorities forgot and forgave; but have we media persons learned anything ?

Reporting 'deaths' is the most difficult thing. Seven bodies taken away from a spot to a hospital does not mean - all are dead. One person might have been senseless for a while!

ends 

Blogger and Mizo journo H C Vanlalruata: Our 'fight' for PTI job was legendary