I can never be a television news anchor. There may be many technical reasons for this decision but there is a very personal one. I can never smile placidly if someone makes a stupid or insensitive comment. I will smash the person up, even if it is telecast on national TV and even if the person in question is the CM of Delhi!
While the entire city fumes at CM Sheila Dikshit’s “adventurous” comment on journo Soumya Vishwanathan’s murder, I was one of the first ones to hear it, other than the reporter at the TV station and the show’s anchor.
The live talk show was being aired on Headlines Today on Wednesday night. I was just a viewer till they flashed a telephone number and asked people’s opinion about feeling safe in Delhi. As a print journalist who has always had “odd” working hours, I decided to call up. The voice at the TV station asked me to hold as they were “going into a commercial break. The anchor will talk to you in a minute.” I held the line, practicing what I wanted to say on national TV, as I heard the anchor introduce, “And this is what chief minister Sheila Dikshit had to say…..” a few seconds before the actual footage was on TV. And even before her comments were heard by all, I heard it from the news room, “at 3 am at night, she was being adventurous!” I blew my top, blinded by anger at a CM’s immature comment. So when the anchor asked for my opinion, I forgot my rehearsed lines and said, “I surely don’t want Sheila Dikshit as my CM again. It’s time she retires to an old age home…”
The anchor cut me off but I could have gone on and on about how much money and manpower are wasted in the CM’s security and that Soumya wasn’t partying at 3 am on that fateful night. In all probabilities, she was working harder and with more honesty than our respected CM!
If it had been a man in Soumya’s place, what would our respected CM have advised?
Damage control: The honourable CM will pay a very publicised visit to Soumya’s house and “assure her parents of every help.” Adventurous indeed!
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