The glamour of price rise

There have been several major issues that have taken place during the last few months over which the Government had very little control. The whopping inflation though was mainly due to the hike in petrol and diesel prices, was a global phenomenon. The impasse of Indo-American Nuclear Deal was due to because of the unrelenting behaviour of the Left parties.
Take for example the rise in crude oil prices; it was an international development and was caused by the stalemate between OPEC and the developed countries, USA in particular. It was a foregone conclusion that with fuel prices going up, prices of most commodities too would rise, as transport takes a toll on both retail and wholesale pricing. So what could the Government really do?
The Media, however, showed scant sympathy for the Government. They made it look like a political issue, having hardly anything to do with bad economics. The Media instantly began talking about the impending general elections instead of suggesting ways and means to curb the price rise and the inflation. Electronic media gave graphic presentations of how price rise had put pressures on common man and woman. So the camera tilted and panned in the kitchen presenting close up shots of less pappads and puris being fried in the boiling oil. But common man and woman for the media were those living in sky-rise apartments and bungalows and not people living in subways and slums.
Thus, we got very little to know as to how the price rise had affected over 30 per cent of people living with one dollar a day. Or, has it affected them at all? They were in penury anyway. So there was hardly any ‘glamour’ in focusing on the misery already existing. There was better ‘sense’ in brining apartments on to TV screens, as that is where you will find most commodities whose prices have risen steeply – LPG, edible oil and basmati rice – and not in god-forsaken villages where they are a rarity. Villages do not have cable connection. So news channels do not find the ‘usefulness’ of rural coverage as that will not fetch them TRP ratings.
One TV channel, though, said that the poor were not really affected as prices of essential commodities such as some vegetables, daal and some other pulses had, in fact, come down. That was indeed a grave misconception. The most essential commodities for the poor are rice, wheat and millet whose prices have gone up by over 15 per cent in the last one year. Perhaps there is some glamour in distorting reality and make it look normal or more than satisfactory. Remember India Shining?

Dying for media glare

Two unnatural deaths – one a murder, the other a suicide – rocked the media in the last one month. Not all murders and suicides attract media attention. Hundreds of farmers have committed suicide in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra in the last few years and the media have rendered minimum attention to them. But Arushi Talwar’s murder in Noida and Karnataka MLA Raghupati Bhat’s wife Padmapriya’s suicide in a Delhi Apartment grabbed far too much media glare.
Media thrives on crime and sensational stories. They have, unfortunately, become the staple of media institutions. In fact, many of them thrive on such stories; and when there aren’t any happening, media have no qualms in creating something sensational out of nothing.
It is over a month since the murder of Arushi Talwar took place. But the whole episode refuses to cool down - at least in the media. There was not a single day since that fateful occurrence when news channels did not telecast some ‘twist’ and given some different ‘angle’ to the story. A couple of channels even crossed the limit by conducting their own hypothetical investigations, putting the police into ‘shame’. One channel conducted an interview with Nupur Talwar, mother of Arushi. The anchor grilled her into making some controversial statements, but to no avail.
Solving murder mysteries these days seem to be a Herculean task for the police department and the CBI. The media are making their job that much tougher by following them everywhere to get some ‘bytes’. In the bargain the whole issue becomes more complex than they can ever imagine. But for the overemphasis and the sensational twist given by the media, the police would have at least reached somewhere. Now they are only groping with lose ends.
Another difficulty is that everyone, including the police, wants to be in the limelight these days. Hence for the police speaking to the media has become a prestigious and worthwhile affair. So the audience listens to a different story from different officials appearing on TV.
That is exactly what happened in Padmapriya’s suicide case. While the police and the Home Minister said she was somewhere in Kolar and would be brought back to Udupi soon, she was found dead in Delhi the next day (15th June). After this, the Home Minister, Mr Acharya struck a totally different pose before the media, observing that Ms Padmapriya’s whereabouts were kept secret for security reasons. Unfortunately, though, such security reasons were not of much use as they could not save the life of Padmapriya. In the meantime the whole issue thus was blown out of proportion by the media, mainly because there were far too many unanswered questions.
Both these crime stories attracted media attention for different reasons. However, the media converted them into glamour and sensation, giving scant respect for the sentiments of the close relatives of the deceased. It is true that emotions and reportage do not go together as the media are supposed to be ‘objective’; but the media, especially the electronic media, can at least allow the police and those responsible to carry out their responsibility with ease so that mysteries are solved and tranquility is arrived at.

Freedom of siege

It was C. P. Scott who said, “Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” Unfortunately, though, what he has not said is whether it is safe to state the facts and how free one is to voice his/her comments.
The recent attack on the house of the resident editor of Loksatta, a Marathi daily, by Shivasangram sainiks raises many such questions. What was Kumar Ketkar’s sin? An editorial that he wrote criticising the Maharashtra government’s move to construct a 309-ft statue off Marine Drive in Mumbai. And the attackers, it is alleged, has strong connections with Nationalist Congress Party.
Freedom of speech has been guaranteed to every citizen by the State’s constitutions. But the reality seems just the opposite. Though the Constitutions guarantee freedom of speech, the State, on its part, seems to be unwilling to guarantee the same to anyone who opposes or criticises its fanciful projects. Recently Ahmedabad police filed a case of sedition against the resident editor of Times of India and a reporter and photographer of another daily. Their crime was that they had carried an article criticising the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner. Such incidents only corroborate the State’s refusal to ensure freedom of speech to everyone, including those who need it the most, the journalists and the media practitioners who are supposed to be the watchdog of the State.
Coming back to the issue: What was wrong with Mr Ketkar’s comments? Is it not ridiculous that the government has crores of rupees to spend on a whimsical project and no money to give as subsidies or as support price for the produce of the distressing Vidarbha farmers? The region has the dubious distinction of having one of the largest suicide rates in the whole country. According to a survey, every eight hours a farmer commits suicide in that region (DNA Aug 24, 2006). Nearly 30,000 farmers have ended their lives in the whole of Maharashtra between 1997 and 2005. (The Hindu Nov 14, 2007). Even after the Central Government’s loan waiver scheme to the tune of over 60,000 crore rupees during this year’s Budget, the rate of suicides does not seem to come down in that region just like the rate of inflation these days.
Helping the Vidarbha region farmers may not win the government many votes; but appeasing the cultural sentiments of the larger Marathi population will definitely bring them greater dividends in terms of votes and popularity, especially as the state is going for polls next year. Hence, Shivaji, the great Marathi warrior, unfortunately, has been made a scapegoat.
Voltaire said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it.” The State needs to realise this and defend citizens’ right to expression and not terrorise them for being critical.

The Pug as the Alternative

One little girl and a pug! Both small – but make a great pair. The pug is ‘ready to help’ – anytime. It searches her lost sock. It helps her in fishing. The girl seems to forget many things. But no problem! The pug is there to redeem her memory, that is. It even catches up with the school van.
The pug in Vodafone advertisements (earlier Hutch) has succeeded in catching the fancy of the consumers. There are reports that the breed has become one of the most sought-after pets. Most people did not even know the breed existed before the ads were launched. Now everyone associates the pug with the brand. The breed is almost patented.
Very many questions crop up even as we watch the creative pug-girl-combination ads. You see only the two of them – mostly. No trace of the girl’s parents or siblings. She seems to be all alone in the house. Where are the others? Have they gone on a holiday leaving the girl ‘home alone’ to fend for herself with the ‘ready to help’ canine? Have they abandoned her or something? Or do they have such a great faith in the pug? Where are they?
It may appear like reading too much into the ads; but that seems to be the message: ‘You buy our product (read Vodafone network) and you can be independent. You can even do away with what you hitherto thought as the most essential in life. Our product has it all. It will cater to all your needs, including parenting. So don’t you worry!’
Every advertisement is persuasive. That is why it is called advertisement. But today ads are going beyond their ordinary purview of persuasion. They are cajoling consumers with a new brand of values. They are asking them to be independent. Individualism is glorified. You are made to feel that being independent is the next best thing that can happen to you.
The little girl in the Vodafone ad seems to be comfortable and happy-go-lucky in the company of the pug (the network, that is!). She does not seem to miss her parents or siblings. She is all alone in the house and she is at ease, going about doing her work in the company of the ‘ready to help’ saviour. So the network is the 'formidable' replacement for parents. Hence when you have the network you do not need parents and other people. Sounds cynical? But the harmless pug does not come across cynical at all. He (or is it she?) is as caring, if not more, than any parents.
The message driven home is definitely not as pleasing as the creativity and the imagination that has gone behind the creation of the ads. One may say ads are not to be taken seriously. If it was true there should have been less of them in the media. Media are full of ads and the space and the time they occupy are just increasing by the day. That means ads are taken ‘seriously’, in the sense that none till date has denied the effect they have on the subconscious of gullible mortals, especially the children.
So the pug in the Vodafone ads is as lovable as it is disturbing!
- Melwyn Pinto SJ
melwynsj@jesuits.net