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| Diary |
Magazine | 13 Jul 2009 |
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| Delhi Diary by Vinod Mehta |
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Till not very long ago, the Editorial Page constituted the heart of the morning paper. If a good newspaper, as Arthur Miller observed, "is a nation talking to itself" then that conversation is held mainly through the eyes and ears of its editorial page writers. Now, like most things in our shaky print media, the edit page is up for grabs. Proprietors/brand managers/editors question its relevance in today’s trivialised, celebrity-mad culture. One proprietor told me the page was "pompous and preachy". Partially true. When the late Girilal Jain was editor of the Times of India in the 1980s, he claimed he wrote only for the education of two individuals—the PM and the FM. Those days, mercifully, are past. Unfortunately, we are in danger of throwing out the baby with the bathwater!
The confusion regarding the relevance of the edit page is best reflected in the constant changing of its format. Those dailies which carry it are forever redesigning its look, adding or subtracting elements, mucking around with the Leaders (The Times, London, has shifted its editorials to Page 2, a move for which it has taken flak), truncating readers’ letters, thus truncating the only forum where they can be part of the aforementioned conversation.... The demolition continues relentlessly.
I have no delusions about the sacred space’s popularity. It is certainly not the page readers turn to first. (W.H. Auden confessed he picked up his morning paper, read the headlines to see if some crazy had blown up the world and then went straight to the sports pages.) Nevertheless, it is the page which binds the paper; it is the "centre" which "holds" the other sections. In short, it is the soul of the paper. In a fiercely dissenting press, how is the reader to decide what the stand of his favourite paper is? Mr Kumar of Chandni Chowk needs to know what to make of Kapil Sibal’s ideas on education when there are several conflicting views on his proposals. By all means, create a modern, reader-friendly edit page, but don’t deny readers necessary and thoughtful insight.
I would much rather have a newspaper without an edit page than one which is printed for the benefit of the inestimable Kareena Kapoor!
Rants and Raves
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The Congress ministers in the UPA seem to be running for a 100-metre dash, or shall I say, a 100-day dash. Kapil Sibal, Veerappa Moily, Jairam Ramesh, Kamal Nath, Prithviraj Chavan are moving at a frenetic pace. I sometimes think these ministers believe the government won’t last beyond 100 days! While the race to get the roadmap started and completed is commendable (it has even shaken up the babus), some of the sprinters are learning the hazards of overspeeding. Mr Moily’s backtracking on Section 377 is the most glaring example. Naturally, if the choice is between slumber and hyperactivity, I’d go for the latter with all its attendant pitfalls.
But why the rush? The UPA government is as safe as 10, Janpath. And while ministers will be assessed on performance and not loyalty, the country and Dr Manmohan Singh will forgive small delays if the job is done without ruffling too many feathers in the party.
So, relax gentlemen. If the 100-day programme takes 101 days, you will not lose your Lutyens’ bungalow.
Rants and Raves
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The bedroom antics of Silvio Berlusconi have attracted much adverse attention, although Silvio himself claims Italians admire him for his active libido at 72. In the unfolding soap opera, two things stand out. One of Berlusconi’s closest friends, while admitting to the PM’s weakness for high-class call girls, justified Mr Berlusconi’s carnal desires as necessary in the interests of the state. "If he does not get lots of sex, how do you expect him to govern properly?" This is the first time a prime minister has included sexual satisfaction as part of the job description. It reminds me of what Jack Kennedy told Harold McMillan: If he doesn’t get sex every day, he gets a headache!
Second. Mr Berlusconi vehemently denies having ever paid cash for a lady’s favours. He would never do it. Why? Because like most Italian and non-Italian males, sleeping with a woman without the feeling of "conquest" has no meaning. The second argument may not stand up in court, where Berlusconi’s romps have taken him, but it is a powerful defence, especially if it comes from the land of Marcello Mastroianni.
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Editor joins me in denouncing the trend of turning man’s best friend into a piece of drawing room fluff. The rich and noveau riche are dressing up their loved one in Versace coats, diamond necklaces, sunglasses, ear-rings and pink shoes. I am all for spoiling your pooch, but please don’t rob him of his dignity. Editor has a nice collar, a nice leash and a serviceable winter coat. He seems perfectly happy. I am sure he would be very upset if I put a fancy tie around his neck!
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