Lets clean our own house first

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is a belief or ideology that all members of each racial group possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or racial groups.

The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular racial group, and that it is also the prejudice based on such a belief.

Google trends tells me that ‘racism’ is one of the most ‘googled’ words in the recent times – thanks to the recent racists attacks on Indian students in Australia. All the news channels have suddenly got another ‘breaking news’ soon after the elections got over. Arnab Goswami, with his new found confidence of being the Number-1 English News channel, has been discussing these attacks with different guests on “Newshour debate”. Other channels are also following the story regularly and the whole racism saga has managed enough media attention in the last couple of days.

It seems that the whole country has come together to condemn these attacks on our citizens. Angry reactions are coming from all parts of the country, including the normal citizens as well as the politicians. Newly appointed External Affairs Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna wasted no time in talking to his Australian counterpart and even PM Mr. Manmohan Singh condemn the racists attacks on the Indians in Australia.

Everyone seems to be accusing the Australians of being racists. They are racists because few of them hate the Indians (for whatever reasons) and want them out of their country.

Now compare the situation to that in our own country. I could take many examples but I’ll take the most recent one. Australians are racists because they don’t like Indians and want them out of their country. There are few in Mumbai who don’t want ‘North Indians’ in Mumbai and want them out of here.

Australians are racists because few of them attacked Indians. What about those who have been using violence against the North Indians in Mumbai?

Australians are racists because few of them make ‘racist comments’ on Indians. What about those who make ‘hate speeches’ against the North Indians in India?

We Indians, with our new found confidence, thanks to our growing economic power, have this habit of condemning everything that happens against us in other countries. We leave no stone unturned to make sure that no injustice is done to any Indian abroad. All of us are accusing the whole of Australia of being a racist nation. But what about our own country? Are we not a racist nation?

According to United Nations, the term “racial discrimination” shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

Well, going by the UN definition of racial discrimination, we are one of the most racist Nations on Earth. How many times we discriminate our own countrymen based on race, color, descent or ethnic origin? Its everywhere in our country.

The Australians don’t want us there and are trying to throw us out of their country. Aren’t we used to such behavior in our own country? We do face discrimination and we do discriminate, based on caste, religion, regionalism etc.

So, do we have the right to brand a whole country (in this case Australia) as racist when we also practice the same? I think we need to clean our house first before accusing others. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘ There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self’.

 

Guru and his proteges

 “A teacher’s purpose is not to create proteges in his own image, but to develop protéges who can create their own image.” – Kahlil Gibran

The other day, I was watching the “NewsHour Debate” on Times Now, where Arnab Goswami was discussing the situation in Pakistan with diplomats and journalists from both the countries. I try not to miss the NewsHour Debate, specially when its about Pakistan, which I guess is Arnab’s favorite topic.

During the commercial break, I noticed Dr. Pranab Roy discussing his favorite topic – elections, on NDTV. And if it wasn’t enough, we had Rajdeep Sardesai on CNN-IBN discussing his favorite topic Gujarat.

For almost an hour, I kept flipping channels trying to catch maximum of all the three programs. Three of the biggest names in the News genre, all debating their respective favorite topics, and at the same time – it couldn’t get better then this.

Pranab Roy, needless to say, is the Grand Old Man of Indian News channels. Almost everyone in my generation has grown up seeing him first on Doordarshan (that was very long ago though), Star News, and then finally, NDTV. I must admit that I’ve always been an admirer of his passion and values.

Both Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswami were loyal foot soldiers of Pranab Roy just few years ago, when they quit NDTV and joined rival organisations. Once upon a time, Rajdeep was the hottest journalists and anchors at NDTV in terms of public perception along with Barkha Dutt. And Arnab, despite his excitable tenor, was a rising star.

Hence, it was great to see all three battling it out on their respective channels. For years, I had believed that Pronab Roy was way above anyone else in that space (and I had reasons to believe that – both emotional and rational), followed by Rajdeep (he was always the second – in – command to Dr. Roy), and then Arnab (to be honest, it was only after his move to Times Now that I started counting him in the same league).

 

 

But that day, watching all three in action, confirmed what I knew, but didn’t want to believe. Pranab Roy looked suave no doubt, but he also looked like an ageing war horse. The natural flow, which came naturally to him, was missing. At times, he looked confused and indecisive during the debate (very unlike him).

 

 

Both Rajeev and Arnab, on the other hand, were amazingly impressive. They seemed very much the new faces of Indian News channels – fiery and aggressive but witty at the same time. They always looked to be in control – people who believe in journalism with valid arguments rather than creating noises and scandals, which makes them the current faces of emphatic and matured Indian journalism.

 

 

But I must admit, somewhere inside, I prefer watching Arnab over Rajdeep (maybe because he was always the underdog). Though, both of them have come a long way from their NDTV days where they used to be Dr. Roy’s proteges. I’ve absolutely no doubts in my mind that they have finally overshadowed their mentor. As Thomas Carruthers once said, “ A good mentor is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.”

 

 

At the same time, according to an old Irish saying, “ A Mentor affects eternity. He can never tell when his influence stops.” And nobody will agree to it more then the two proteges. Both Arnab and Rajdeep openly acknowledge the role played by Dr. Roy in their professional lives and careers, as they perform their now immensely successful role as de facto leaders.

 

 

Pronab Roy, for so many years, has been the face of Indian News genre. But I guess the time has come for him to hand over the baton to his proteges. And even he will agree that both Arnab and rajdeep have come a long way. And I’m sure somewhere inside he knows it too and is very proud of his proteges.