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FLIPSIDE
National Priorities By Dilip
Bobb
 Like
death and taxes, there are certain issues which seem to develop a
permanence of their own, and, judging by newspaper coverage, become
national priorities. Of late, there have been quite a few which have
acquired overriding importance, edging out such minor matters are
droughts, famines and pestilence. Judging by the yardstick of column
inches, here's some that continue to greet us every morning.
Jyoti Basu's Retirement: Started
as a rumour, became fact, then back to rumour. The truth is that each time
he announces that he is ready to retire, he reads the newspapers naming
his successor, and hastily alters his retirement plans. Whether that says
more about him than it does about the state of the leadership in his party
in the state is anyone's guess. Moral of the story: success breeds a lot
of things, but never a successor. Watch this space.
Congress Crackdown on Dissidence: Who says the opposition has very
little to do. Sonia Gandhi and her mystery advisers seem to have their
hands full, putting their feet down with a firm hand to stamp out
dissidence. Only problem is figuring out who are the real dissidents, who
are potential dissidents, and who are the imaginary ones. Pretty soon, the
party will need a Dissidents Watching Committee since the other one is
pretty much redundant and riddled with dissidents. Whether that says more
about the leader than the led is anyone's guess. Watch this space too.
The Prime Minister's Deep Throat: For some months now, there has
been considerable concern about the state of Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee's throat. Various medical experts have shouted themselves hoarse
trying to explain the symptoms and suggest a cure. One curious
coincidence. Each time he has developed a speech problem is, strangely
enough, just before a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance to
discuss the price hike in kerosene and foodgrains. Whether this says more
about the prime minister than his party's allies is food for thought.
Watch this space as well.
The Cricket Crisis: Hereinafter referred to as Dalmiya me kala.
Judging by the daily dosage of revelations, refutations and allegations,
it seems that there's a bet behind every ball and a bookie behind every
mobile phone. Soon everybody involved in the game could be rushing off to
get their bails. The fact that Jagmohan Dalmiya, the International Cricket
Council boss, is one of the accused, has brought the issue to fever pitch.
Whether that says more about the head of cricket's governing body or the
players who are involved is a toss-up. Watch this space also.
The Page 3 Phenomena: Now that a national newsmagazine has
uncovered it on its cover, the Page 3 society column has become the most
important part of the daily newspaper. Never mind that its mostly trivial
and frivolous, Page 3 appearances have become respectable, socially
relevant and worth every column inch. Whether that says more about Indian
society or about newspaper readers is still to be established. Don't watch
this space. |
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