Crow, crow, crow all the way

BY Darius Nakhoonwala| IN Opinion | 18/05/2014

The Pioneer said that far from being a divisive figure, Narendra Modi had actually united a very diverse set of voters. And the Hindu preached to the PM elect.

DARIUS NAKHOONWALA on the editorials papers wrote. PIX: The Hindustan Times edit

You don’t say!
Darius Nakhoonwala

In the old days, before the EVMs came along, the challenge for edit writers was the same as on budget day – how long to wait, how much to write and of, course, what to write. Now, with the overall outcome becoming known by noon, the time challenge has vanished. Edit writers have as much as eight hours to pour out their wisdom. The problem of how much to write has also vanished because edits can easily run from top to bottom, which they do. But the challenge of what to write has become infinitely worse because of the continuous coverage of television.

Everything that is there to be said has already been said by the hundreds of talking heads, even though only some of them know what they are talking about. What worsens the problem is that many of the editors are themselves on TV saying things which, rightfully, they should be saying only via their edits. After all, the company pays them their salary not the TV station.

Consistent with what's written about, the Pioneer wrote a 1100 word edit. Being a supporter of the BJP one would have expected it to start with the BJP's victory and devote more words to it. Instead, it started with the Congress and wrote 521 words about it. About the BJP and Mr Modi, it wrote only 465 words, that too after it had vented its spleen on the Congress. It did not, however, make a single memorable point except perhaps that far from being a divisive figure, Narendra Modi had actually united a very diverse set of voters. Apart from that there wasn't even a clever turn of phrase. It was crow, crow, crow all the way.

The Times of India after a hyperbolic start about extraordinary moments and shifting of tectonic plates etc settled down to more earthy prose as befits edits on very important topics. But towards the end it stole a line from the outgoing finance minister, P Chidambaram, namely, "An important takeout from this election, therefore, is that rather than being a petitioning or an envy-ridden society, 21st century India is evolving into an aspirational society that desires growth." Tsk, tsk.

The Telegraph, unable this time to postpone the edit to the next day, made the point that no one has emphasized adequately so far, namely, that "the people of India have... expressed their utter dissatisfaction with coalition politics. They have given to the Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Mr Modi an absolute majority in the 16th Lok Sabha. Mr Modi will thus not be tied down by the blandishments and ransom demands of coalition partners… The point is important from another angle as well... Mr Modi is free of the possible pressures that can emanate from not only an older generation of BJP leaders but also from Nagpur. Mr Modi is thus free to make policy without fear or prejudice. He will be the first prime minister since Rajiv Gandhi was elected in 1984 to be given this privilege.He will have no alibis for failure." Slamdunk, or as they say in Hindi – brace yourself – tappu!

The Hindu's edit was titled ‘Preserve the Idea of India'. Coming from a bunch of editors who wear their Hinduism on their sleeves all the time, this was a bit rich. Still, no one can stop ordinary minds from being pretentious. Like the Telegraph, it made the point that the BJP "will come to power, free from the pressures of coalition politics, giving it unfettered space and scope to govern." It then turned to its familiar tune of Hindutva. "It is also discomfiting that the election campaign that Mr. Modi conducted in the Hindi heartland States, especially Uttar Pradesh, drew heavily upon Hindu cultural nationalism, invoking as he did Hindu sacred geography in Varanasi and using Hindu cultural idioms, not really imagery suitable to the public space in democratic India...there is a huge trust deficit with the minorities, especially the Muslim community, which must be addressed…Mr. Modi must ensure that the idea of India as a pluralist and inclusive landscape in which all citizens have equality before the law as constitutionally decreed, is upheld consistently and transparently, while he is in office as Prime Minister." Why the hell won't he? It then went on to give more gratuitous advice – that has become its editor's forte these days – to the incoming government.

The Hindustan Times started off with a line from an Abba song (my eyebrows can't stretch any higher) that says "The winner takes it all/the loser's standing small/besides the victory/that's its destiny." Abba, for heaven's sake?

It then got down to business. "The challenge before Mr Modi now is to live up to the huge expectations of him." Ok, thanks for telling us that.

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