Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
The following is the transcript of INTV’s Primetime News Debate on August 15,
2009. The day was quite eventful. A group of LeT terrorists surrounded,
Pulwanpur, a border village in J&K holding its entire population hostage.
Indian security forces launched a counter attack to free an estimated 500
inhabitants of the village. After a fierce gun battle lasting more than twenty
four hours, the army finally succeeded in doing this but in the operation,
Major Pritam Singh, Capt. Harish Kumar and nine jawans were killed.
As a discussion on the subject was under way news about Shah Rukh Khan’s
detention in a US airport filtered in. The channel was able to switch debates
with great alacrity. It was able to rope in pop sociologists, quack historians,
and charlatan celebrities of the film world at short notice - for the more
momentous of the two issues, to wit, Shah Rukh Khan’s detention.
The debate was moderated – as usual - by INTV’s popular news presenter Rani
Bansal. With characteristic élan, Rani Bansal led everyone up the garden path
to steer the discussion in a direction that is in line with the channel’s political
philosophy and worldview.
Rani Bansal: Welcome to Primetime News Debate! The incident is in some ways
comparable to the siege of Mumbai last November which is still green in our
minds. Viewers would remember that it was this channel – and only this
channel - which scooped the news about Indian government’s clandestine
negotiations with the terrorists who held the city hostage, although the
government disowned it.
Is the current siege, which has mercifully ended, another instance of failure of
the intelligence agencies or of the security forces? Would we ever be able to
secure the country from terrorist attacks that seem to have become such a
constant feature of our lives? Or do we meander from one incident to another
after routine condemnations and futile discussions?
In order to discuss the issue and its implications we have with us in the studio
Ramesh Kumar, Spokesman of the Congress, Shiv Shankar Spokesman of the BJP
and Farah Khan, political commentator and columnist. Maj. Gen. Bahdur Singh
former GoC-in-C, Northern Command of the Indian army and A. S. Sharma
former IB Chief will join us on video link in a little while.
To begin with, Farah, we have had a peaceful election in J&K which has seen
the largest turnout in recent years; even the separatists did not call for a
boycott. J&K’s young and dynamic chief minister seems inclined to reach out to
the exiled Pandits. Viewed against this backdrop, do you think elements from
Pakistan want to keep the cauldron boiling, as it were, in the current incident?
1
Or is it a feature of the twenty first century global phenomenon called jihad
which of course does not have any religion?
Farah Khan: The issue of the Pandits has been highly romanticized. Over the
years, they seem to have settled down to a steady rhythm of life in the camps,
prospering as cooks and cleaners with the more enterprising among them even
hawking samosas on pushcarts.
Shiv Shankar: To me, the remark about the Pandits seems gratuitous…
Ramesh Kumar: I speak for the Congress party and not for the government,
(a), and (b) having said that I must say that the government’s handling of the
issue has been exemplary. Under the guidance of the Congress president,
Shrimathi Sonia Gandhi - and of course the prime minister - our security forces
have launched a swift counter-offensive and Pulwanpur is now freed.
Shiv Shankar: (In sotto voce, for he knows he would no be allowed to make
the remark anyway) Does the Congress president guide the security forces?
Rani Bansal: (Ignoring Shiv shankar) Farah, do you think the government has
adequately countenanced the views of the Kashmiri people in handling the
siege?
Shiv Shankar: Rani, you talk of Kashmiri people as if they are distinct from
Indian people. There are no more Bengali people, Bihari people or Tamil
people than Kashmiri people. Aren’t we all Indian people?
(Poor Maj. Gen. Bahdur Singh and A. S. Sharma who have been waiting in the
wings to have their say have now been stood down without ceremony. And
Major Pritam Singh, Capt. Harish Kumar and the nine jawans that were killed
in Pulwanpur were dumped on the wayside.)
We have on the phone line Pramod Nadkarni the famous sociologist from
Mumbai, Krishna Pahad, historian and author of several historical works from
Delhi and also the award winning, ‘celebrity’ film director Suresh Karat from
Mumbai to discuss the subject with us. We’ll begin with Pramod Nadkarni…
2
Rani Bansal: Pramod Nadkarni, Rani Bansal here. If you can you hear me, what
do you deduce from Shah Rukh Khan’s detention in the US?
Rani Bansal: Krishna Pahad, if I may turn to you, why would America, arguably
the most liberal society in the world resort to intimidating someone like Shah
Rukh Khan?
Rani Bansal: Suresh Karat, you have directed Shah Rukh Khan in several films;
if you have been following the discussion, do you see in the incident a streak of
racial profiling?
3
Rani Bansal: I am afraid we have completely run out time. Thank you, Pramod
Nadkarni, Krishna Pahad and Suresh Karat for joining in the debate and sharing
your views. Until next time then…
N.B: The transcript is based on an imaginary interview. All the events and
characters mentioned in it are fictitious and any resemblance to real life
persons or events is coincidental. The only exception is Shah Rukh Khan’s
detention by the immigration authorities at the New Jersey airport in the US,
which was widely reported in the media.