I still recall Dileep’s stirring front page editorials after the Babri Masjid was demolished, almost 25 years to this day, his equally impassioned writing after the Mumbai riots and blasts. In his writings, you sensed the anguish of a law-abiding citizen, who was wedded to republican ideals of an India that was plural and truly inclusive. In a time when politics was becoming fractious and society more violent, he truly believed in the power of the pen to provide the healing touch. In that sense, he was one of the last editors who saw himself as an honest arbiter of the public dialogue, a true liberal, who valued the spirit of that ancient Indian tradition of ‘samvad’ rather than ‘vivaad’, where civility in language and a humane approach marked the discourse. Maybe, it was the Punekar spirit in him that shone through.
Let me give you an example of how Dileep ensured that the Times of India did not succumb to the ugly noise of the times. The Shiv Sena had dug up the Wankhede stadium cricket pitch in 1990 protesting against the visiting Pakistan side. I had written a strong editorial protesting the Sena action. The editorial seemed to attract the eye of Sena ‘supremo’ Bal Thackeray, who warned Times of India and me specifically of retaliation. When Dileep heard about it, he asked me not to worry and said that there was no question of backing off. ‘Just make sure that we don’t allow our personal opinions to creep onto the news pages.” I am told that Dileep did speak to Mr Thackeray and made it clear that Times of India would not change its editorial stance. We later even wrote a critical book ‘When Bombay Burned’ on the 1992-93 riots, once again exposing Shiv Sena’s role in the bloody violence.
Take the sound advise that Dileep had given me about ensuring that individual opinion be kept away from the news pages of Times of India and contrast it with what we see happening in news media around us. If you watch prime time on any news channel, there is almost inevitably a cacophonous gladiatorial contest that ensues. The news anchor is no longer a neutral umpire but a highly opinionated, self-obsessed individual who will choose to play judge, jury and prosecutor. In the process, the lines between news and opinion, between fact and propaganda are often blurred.
Watching such polarising debates, Dileep’s refined soul must cringe. He is, after all, a product of a gentler time, one where editors consciously avoided a shrill, discordant and caustic tone, where the focus was always on how to be reasonable without being ineffectual.
What might trouble Dileep and his generation of editors even more is the noxious echo chamber that the new animal in the media jungle -- social media -- has become. In an ideal world, social media can be hugely empowering, connecting people, building communities, speeding communication. Sadly though, social media has come to play a seriously negative role also in our lives. The well organised troll armies present a real danger to free speech since they seek to muzzle all contrarian opinion with a poisonous mix of abuse, slander and lies.
Just look at the way someone like JNU students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar has been attacked on twitter or the violent threats to women journalists on Facebook. The ghastly killing of Gauri Lankesh should have been a wake-up call for a society, which has allowed the mob to set the agenda. Instead, we now have Senas of all hues emerging with violence as their credo. Maybe, a section of the tabloid rabble-rousing media has chosen to play footsie with such elements, often providing them the oxygen of excessive publicity.
Sadly, instead of standing by the professional media, the political class has only seized the opportunity to push journalists who ask discomfiting questions of the establishment on the defensive: we are, in the eyes of the former army chief turned minister, Gen VK Singh, little more than ‘presstitutes’ while no less an individual than the prime minister has described us as ‘news traders’.
Sadly, mainstream media, especially news TV, instead of rising above the surround sound of social media, has fallen prey to its worst elements. News choices on channels and newspapers are often made on the basis of what is ‘trending.’ Truth is, a farmer committing suicide will rarely be a ‘trend’ but an outrageous, controversial statement made by a public figure will, a story on health or education won’t lead to a rash of tweets but one that takes up a religious issue almost always will. As a result, news priorities are increasingly skewed: ‘real’ news has been replaced by more than a dash of trivia and titillation, page three has slowly become page one for some.
Truth is, the social media challenge must be met not by mimicking its darker side but by finding ways in which we can raise the bar of what constitutes good journalism. Social media doesn’t investigate, rarely breaks down a story, which is nuanced and complex with hard data, often chooses to resort to sharp, clever word play instead of actually giving a human face to a story. This is where the editor must step in to act as guardians of the faith. This is an era where almost everyone could be a citizen journalist. But the worth of a story cannot be determined by how quickly it goes viral but whether it actually uncovers the truth. Which is why we need strong editors as gatekeepers.
I still recall my editors at the Times of India would diligently go through my copy with a red pen, often making me rewrite it more than once. I am not sure that news desks apply the same levels of due diligence in their rush to put the story out. There is now such an obsession with being first with a newsbreak that we sometimes forget that it is more important to get the story right rather than get it first.
There is another reason why the legacy of Dileep might be under strain. In 2010, Dileep was appointed to lead a committee of interlocutors on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Dileep and his co-members approached the task with a firm commitment to preserving the integrity of the Indian state while recognising the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Sadly, the fine report, which his team prepared has gathered dust, caught up in a predictable political tug of war. Instead of acting on the recommendations of the Padgaonkar committee, the media narrative on Kashmir has drastically shifted from one of inclusion to that of exclusion. When the media itself chooses to polarise society as ‘nationalist’ versus ‘anti-national’, then the space for any forward movement is reduced. Who are we to hand out certificates on ‘nationalism’ I ask? Should journalists become warriors of the state or should we be guardians of the truth? Is there no space for compassion or empathy in our reporting even when young children are blinded by pellet guns or is that to be seen as a sign of weakness in the times in which we live? Do Kashmiris have to constantly prove their patriotism?
The Padgaonkar generation of journalists and editors saw themselves as patriots but they didn’t wear their patriotism on their sleeve nor did they allow their journalism to be influenced by misplaced jingoism. Maybe, they lived in a period when media wasn’t caught up in the maddening pressures of TRPs, breaking news. As a result, it was possible to press the pause button and actually ‘think’ of an issue. Maybe, that is why the Padgaonkar generation had time to pursue other interests that went well beyond the news. I really don’t know of any editors today who could probably review a Fukuyama book, a Mani Kaul film, a Bhimsen Joshi concert, a French art exhibition, a Michelin chef meal and Sharad Pawar’s political moves with equal dexterity. Dileep is probably the only one I know who could, which is why he is so special. Which is why all of us who had the good fortune to know him will treasure his memories. And as a tribute to him, we should all hopefully strive to seek a better journalistic eco-system where news matters more than noise and push for a better India where compassion triumphs over hate. That was the credo that Dileep lived by and that is what we sorely miss today. Once again, thank you so much for inviting me to speak on this special occasion. I shall cherish my memories of Dileep forever.
(Concluded)
- RAJDEEP SARDESAI
