The Need for War Correspondents Courses



In the old days, there used to be War Correspondent courses for journalists. I don’t know if they still have them. Perhaps such need to be reinforced and made absolutely compulsory for our loquacious TV commentators.  These ‘journalists’ fall over each other to make revelations of what is happening on the front, hoping to later claim credit for having sparked off another Indo-Pak war …... complete with hectoring of the Armed forces and the administration  on how they should handle situations that they have been trained for, cocksure in their belief that they and they alone know how any and every situation should be handled!!  Obviously opposition leaders cannot afford to be left behind  in hectoring and making absurd demands which, if anything, exhibit how far from reality they actually are.

This morning’s Indian Express Op-ed page (August 13, 2013) carries a very very rationale argument “A Competitive Pseudo-Patriotism”  by Rtd. Lieutenant General  V K Nayar  reiterating that there are laid down procedures for the armed forces to deal with whatever happens at the front, which need not become fodder for competitive newshounds and political spokesperson to make war on TV, to be beamed to millions who do not know of how the Armed Forces operate;  and have been operating for the past 66 years to keep the country safe, except when politics overtakes defence needs.  

The full glare of media, at all times, with its damaged integrity and blatantly incomplete reporting  may end up negative for India’s national interests.  If everyone is always looking over the shoulder to wonder how some action may appear to a novice reporter unaware of the nuances of the situation, very little would be actually done in national interest alone.


Is it not time that we accept that there is a role away from media coverage for operations at all levels in matters that have to be conducted with some confidentiality, whether defense or diplomacy?  





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Deepika Vs Madhuri

The music channels are full of the  “Deewani Mastani” song. It takes one back Madhuri Dixit’s so many kg ghagra kothawali dance in Devdas.  Pet obsession? Chitpavan women would never be caught in public watching such a performance, as Priyanka Chopra is seen, with perhaps the most authentic expressions crossing her face as she looks on at the interplay between Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. Deepika, in   her pale gold avatar in a net outfit reminiscent of flamenco dancers, with many   co-dancers, seems to inhabit the same Madhuri  space.   She dances in a huge ornate space, more European than Peshwai in design.    Peshwai architecture was noted for its long, perhaps narrow halls and tall distinctively fluted and carved wooden columns based on stone to prevent damp and   insect damage --- all topped with intricately carved wood ceilings and all polished black in color.   Noted examples are the Mastani resurrected palace at the world renowned Kelkar Museum in Pune and the
Read more

Age-old Patriarchy??

  All our Puranas n mythologies are basically stories created to propagate concepts that the writers were promoting. and every subsequent re-writer gilded the previous -- the whole system elastic enough to accommodate differences and flavors to cater to different cultures, North, South, E ast, West, etc. So how about Our (2021) interpretations? They said Parvati created Ganesh from her own body.  Doesn't every woman fashion babies in her womb; nourished by her intake, the fetus becomes a baby in 9 months. No Immaculate Conception --  perhaps Shivji slipped away from his boisterous pals for a romantic rendezvous.  Voila! Baby boy Hua! Could have happened?? Hai an! Did that make Shivji n Parvati first human parents?   Kya khayal hai? Another conundrum: That solid wall of Patriarchy of ancient times. Was it really so solid? Why was Vidur called Daasi Putra when his father Ved Vyas also fathered Drithrashtra n Pandu too? Why was Krishna called Devaki Nandan? His father was King Vas
Read more

Where do we go? Pitralok Congames?

What is the meaning behind Hindu last rites?   Mental rifling and Google Baba on death show     our ancient Vedas have lyrical hymns to Man’s relationship with Nature, plus ways and means of dealing with it,   that were unfortunately overpowered   by   Brahminical platitudes and money-making practices, but the essence has   survived. The soul/Atman is immortal. It is released at the Antyeshti rituals that return the body to the five elements, air, water, fire, earth and space…denoted in the Rigveda, section 10.16: “Burn him not up, nor quite consume him, Agni: let not his body or his skin be scattered, O all possessing Fire, when thou hast matured him, then send him on his way unto the Fathers.When thou hast made him ready, all possessing Fire, then do thou give him over to the Fathers,   When he attains unto the life that waits him, he shall become subject to the will of gods. The Sun receive thine eye, the Wind thy Prana (life-principle); go, as thy merit is, to earth or heaven
Read more