It would be nice if our television anchors remain neutral or atleast appear to be so on the subject under discussion in their shows.It is their job to corner both parties in a debate on their inconsistencies, hypocrisy and political opportunism and not take sides. It should be left to the viewers to form their opinion.But that is not to be
Some of the TV shows seem like gladiatorial contests and some anchors come prepared as if they have a score to settle. The shows turn into shouting matches with lung power trumping brain power. And then we are told this isxall for TRPs. It is pathetic.
Your television channels are owned mostly by Ambani and Adani -- expecting anchors to be neutral when their paymasters are deeply embedded in the BJP is a bit much, no? They are there to carry out instructions from on high -- and since they can't have nuanced debates (because nuance means showcasing both sides of an issue), they reduce it to shouting matches.
Agree. The two anchors and one Aiyar journalist are so. They want to please the ruling, camouflage the truth, hyperventilate. How to correct? In politics one should be in power to correct. Make people conscious of facts is good but not good enough. Suppose, the opposition Congress, if it comes to power, this hyperventilation will be from the far Left. They ask for decimation of Hinduism, nationalism etc. Internationalism, appeasing minorities should be the norm. I don’t like far right and far Left. I used to read Arun Shourie’s columns. In the end he used to provide solutions in each article from his side. Hope you would also provide some, in stead of, asking us to decipher. Sorry if I have hurt. Thanks
I agree that those on the extremes of the left and the right go too far. I also agree that if the Congress comes to power, the present lot of hyperventilators will be replaced by those doing the exact same thing but from the other side. I don't agree though that we need to be in political power to correct. The answer to wrong information, disinformation, fake news etc is facts -- and each one of us can push back by collating and disseminating facts, as we find necessary. I might have ten people in my circle, but each person reaching out to ten can help. And no, no offense taken.
Do what you are doing to disseminate facts. It’s good. But it’s also true that people believe what they want to believe in, in this SM age, where it plays on their psychology. Anyway, as is said in Bhagwad Gita: Do your work/duty with utmost sincerity. The result will be there eventually. Thanks.
> When launching any air assault, the first principle is to neutralize the adversary’s air defenses. Left to itself, that is how the Indian Air Force would have begun Operation Sindoor.
That would have become a bigger problem for the Indian establishment with India being viewed as an unambiguous aggressor by everyone in the international community. It would have been an open declaration of unrestrained war.
Yes. The air force argument (not mine) is, IF you want to hit targets -- terrorist camps or otherwise -- deep inside Pakistan, you HAVE to budget for PAF counter. So the options are, either select targets that can be hit without that risk, or obviate the chance of PAF countering. They are not saying you HAVE to take out PAF bases in the first attack -- merely, if these are your preferred targets, then this is the risk. (And they were right, as it turns out).
As in any war scenario, the armed forces chiefs only lay out options and point out the gives and gets -- the final choice, and the go-ahead, rests with the establishment.
War seems a funny business. The ones who ask the right questions are branded anti national, and the ones who prevaricate on these questions are the patriots
That too. Too many battles to fight especially as it's hamstrung by lack of resources - money and foot soldiers. Oh well. Thank you for a fantastic essay.
This is by far the best report I have read on Operation Sind/hoor. Essential reading. But then who am I trying to convert?! It's the age of Propaganda and Optics. Jo dikhta hai woh bikta hai. And sadly, that's all a large number of Indians seem to be happy guzzling. Logic and reasoning be damned. What am curious about is why is the Oppn so slow on the counter attack? Their TAT will make a snail or turtle look good. Why can't they ask these incisive questions each time, every time? Rahul Gandhi says "to fight the BJP we must be aggressive", but aggression is not about personal attacks or being loud or creating noise - be in the ready, ask the Qs that we want you to and as you should, and corner them at every opportunity. But the BJP sidetracks them with their political machinations and then the plot is lost. So for some of us citizens it's just a hopeless and helpless feeling - watching the country slide into a quagmire that God knows if we'll ever be able to pull ourselves out of. Really.
Short, simple answer; the Opposition is in a bind because any questioning will be met by the BJP with loud cries of “anti national”, which the media will amplify. Plus, the BJP co-opted leaders from all major parties into those cosmetic delegations - how are they now supposed to turn around and ask questions. It was a trap and they walked into it eyes wide shut.
Since 2014, India seems to be caught in an endless web of a never ending Ekta Kapoor serial …
Yeah, appropriate analogy for a government that is all about drama.
It would be nice if our television anchors remain neutral or atleast appear to be so on the subject under discussion in their shows.It is their job to corner both parties in a debate on their inconsistencies, hypocrisy and political opportunism and not take sides. It should be left to the viewers to form their opinion.But that is not to be
Some of the TV shows seem like gladiatorial contests and some anchors come prepared as if they have a score to settle. The shows turn into shouting matches with lung power trumping brain power. And then we are told this isxall for TRPs. It is pathetic.
Your television channels are owned mostly by Ambani and Adani -- expecting anchors to be neutral when their paymasters are deeply embedded in the BJP is a bit much, no? They are there to carry out instructions from on high -- and since they can't have nuanced debates (because nuance means showcasing both sides of an issue), they reduce it to shouting matches.
Agree. The two anchors and one Aiyar journalist are so. They want to please the ruling, camouflage the truth, hyperventilate. How to correct? In politics one should be in power to correct. Make people conscious of facts is good but not good enough. Suppose, the opposition Congress, if it comes to power, this hyperventilation will be from the far Left. They ask for decimation of Hinduism, nationalism etc. Internationalism, appeasing minorities should be the norm. I don’t like far right and far Left. I used to read Arun Shourie’s columns. In the end he used to provide solutions in each article from his side. Hope you would also provide some, in stead of, asking us to decipher. Sorry if I have hurt. Thanks
I agree that those on the extremes of the left and the right go too far. I also agree that if the Congress comes to power, the present lot of hyperventilators will be replaced by those doing the exact same thing but from the other side. I don't agree though that we need to be in political power to correct. The answer to wrong information, disinformation, fake news etc is facts -- and each one of us can push back by collating and disseminating facts, as we find necessary. I might have ten people in my circle, but each person reaching out to ten can help. And no, no offense taken.
Do what you are doing to disseminate facts. It’s good. But it’s also true that people believe what they want to believe in, in this SM age, where it plays on their psychology. Anyway, as is said in Bhagwad Gita: Do your work/duty with utmost sincerity. The result will be there eventually. Thanks.
Agree with most of the opinion here, except
> When launching any air assault, the first principle is to neutralize the adversary’s air defenses. Left to itself, that is how the Indian Air Force would have begun Operation Sindoor.
That would have become a bigger problem for the Indian establishment with India being viewed as an unambiguous aggressor by everyone in the international community. It would have been an open declaration of unrestrained war.
Yes. The air force argument (not mine) is, IF you want to hit targets -- terrorist camps or otherwise -- deep inside Pakistan, you HAVE to budget for PAF counter. So the options are, either select targets that can be hit without that risk, or obviate the chance of PAF countering. They are not saying you HAVE to take out PAF bases in the first attack -- merely, if these are your preferred targets, then this is the risk. (And they were right, as it turns out).
As in any war scenario, the armed forces chiefs only lay out options and point out the gives and gets -- the final choice, and the go-ahead, rests with the establishment.
War seems a funny business. The ones who ask the right questions are branded anti national, and the ones who prevaricate on these questions are the patriots
War in an authoritarian regime seems et cetera.
Those who prevaricate are “liberals”.
Those who unabashedly purvey propaganda are patriots.
That too. Too many battles to fight especially as it's hamstrung by lack of resources - money and foot soldiers. Oh well. Thank you for a fantastic essay.
This is by far the best report I have read on Operation Sind/hoor. Essential reading. But then who am I trying to convert?! It's the age of Propaganda and Optics. Jo dikhta hai woh bikta hai. And sadly, that's all a large number of Indians seem to be happy guzzling. Logic and reasoning be damned. What am curious about is why is the Oppn so slow on the counter attack? Their TAT will make a snail or turtle look good. Why can't they ask these incisive questions each time, every time? Rahul Gandhi says "to fight the BJP we must be aggressive", but aggression is not about personal attacks or being loud or creating noise - be in the ready, ask the Qs that we want you to and as you should, and corner them at every opportunity. But the BJP sidetracks them with their political machinations and then the plot is lost. So for some of us citizens it's just a hopeless and helpless feeling - watching the country slide into a quagmire that God knows if we'll ever be able to pull ourselves out of. Really.
Short, simple answer; the Opposition is in a bind because any questioning will be met by the BJP with loud cries of “anti national”, which the media will amplify. Plus, the BJP co-opted leaders from all major parties into those cosmetic delegations - how are they now supposed to turn around and ask questions. It was a trap and they walked into it eyes wide shut.