Bill Gates told Prannoy Roy: "India is an IT superpower without knowing it".Did he say this because of the way Indians received him? Consider how The Times of India(toi) reported his arrival.
The toi is India's oldest English language national newspaper. Its editions arethe most, its reach the widest. It is "among the 10 best newspapers in theworld".
Two of its previous editors said that the toi editor was the second most importantperson in the country. That rendered the prime minister the third most important person.Presumably, neither editor claimed to be more important than his boss, the paper'sproprietor!
The paper reported the arrival of Bill Gates in the country in its issue of September14. The first lead on the front page was about Bill Gates. Four of the five main items onthe front page were about Gates. The main newspaper carried 53 news and feature items. Ofthese 13 were about Gates. More than a quarter of the entire newspaper was about BillGates.
The leading editorial dealt with Bill Gates. A computer-generated photograph of BillGates shaking hands with Prime Minister Vajpayee adorned the front page. The PM himselfwas in the US.
That very day the Supreme Court banned thousands of industrial units from Delhi'sresidential areas. Maharashtra debarred candidates having more than two children fromcontesting polls. Dalit women were tortured and burnt as witches...
None of these items found place in the toi on September 14. Next day the paper'sfront page gave three times more space to Bill Gates than to the PM's address in theUS Congress. A dozen reports and half a dozen pictures of Gates were spread in otherpages.
One could ask: who am I to bother about what toi publishes? Well, toi is not just anewspaper. It is a national institution. Newspapers are not just an industry. They are apublic service. Journalism is not just a career. It is a profession. This makes the papernot just the concern of its directors, shareholders and employees. It concerns also thereaders and the public.
To prevent foreign dominance, the paper vigorously opposed publication of foreignnewspapers in India. The cause was supported by many intellectuals like Kuldip Nayar. Nowlet them tell us why.
We must save our sacred land
And turn away the foreign hand!
Why need they work in our land
When to slave for them is our stand?
