Headline : The Most Important Line

“I don't want that to be the headline”.
Terrell Owens

So true indeed! Every reader always has an opinion on the headline of any story or write-up and hence, it is imperative that a well written article is ‘led’ by an impressive headline. Headline opens or closes the door for a writer to make people read his/her article.

Often than not, a well written story but with a poor headline fails to evince the required interest whereas a great headline albeit with a mediocre story has people still reading through the lines.

So, it is important that a writer pays adequate attention to the headline and it is not an easy task.

 To capture the essence of the whole story in few words is no mean task and here lies the ability of the writing skills.

As a writer and, more importantly, as an avid reader, I look at the following when I see any headline:

Ø      Simple but yet creative - News based stories solicit straightforward headline but an article or a feature, ideally, should have a creative headline. It always is an opening door.

Ø      Humour - Have some pun or satire in it. Basically, little humour is always a desired ingredient

Ø      Basis the subject, use of some common French or latin word too is acceptable. More so, in case of travel or food based write ups. It connects with the overall milieu!

Ø      Hinglish – In Indian context, of late ‘hinglish’ has evolved as a ‘new language’ especially amongst the Gen-Y readers. So may be, depending upon the story, use of a hinglish word here and there is not a bad choice.

Ø      Ratify -  It is not actually a bad idea to have the headline run amongst few of your friends. See their response. May be take feed back too (but not too much!) and if your headline is a ‘thumbs down” by all, then there is a serious need to change it otherwise you just go ahead. Your own conviction is the ultimate check point.

Ø      Think as a reader – Always think as the potential reader before writing the headline and the story. In other words, convince YOUR SELF dispassionately on the headline to become passionate about it.

Don’t struggle too much and don’t get too serious about it and still if you are not getting it, then like everyone says, just sleep over it. It will come to you.

Follow the principle of 3 C – Create(ive), Connect & Clarify. If we can follow these 3 Cs, I guess life becomes simple and writing becomes more simpler.

So what are you waiting for? Employ your grey cells (yes I am copying Agatha Christie here) and get to work. Write the headline and the story will follow. 

The Natural Leader and His Un-Natural Leadership

Our Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh, who by ‘Nature’ is a silent man, on 17^th or 18^th June exhibited an ‘Unnatural side of his’, when he suddenly discovered and more surprisingly, announced to the world that Mr. Rahul Gandhi is a ‘Natural Leader and should head UPA-III’. He actually spoke and used these words in no unequivocal terms.

Well, it was really brave of the PM, otherwise not known to have voiced strong opinion on any issue, to become so vocal about the ‘young Vice President of his party, the relentless crusader of the cause of youth’…but imagining the “UPA-III” was, frankly, a stretch of imagination, at least in today’s times.

So what prompted the PM to make such an impromptu remark? Is it because of the emergence of a man called Narendra Modi as the potential PM candidate of BJP/NDA? Is Rahul Gandhi really a ‘natural’ alternate to this man? Can Rahul really be a match for Modi in the Battle Royale 2014!

Apart from PM and his coterie of admirers, Rahul has not really evinced any element of trust or confidence in the larger populace of this country. He has always chosen to remain in shadows whenever the country or his own party has faced any major issue! Strange behaviour!

A quick look at very few ‘natural’ achievements of this leader :

Ø      Till date India never could decide if the “future head of future UPA-III” really passed out from Harvard! And in all probability, India never will.

Ø      No doubts, he created a new political fashion..he made eating at the homes of poor people really trend! He literally tasted the delicacy of hinterland across India but only to forget his ‘star struck’ hosts too fast. Kalavathi died a hungry woman but the man she fed, never ever did anything for her. In common Indian jargon, it is termed namak harami.

Ø      This natural leader’s name has been associated with the crime perpetrated upon a girl called Sukanya Devi. She was raped in a guest house in Amethi. SC ordered a proper investigation in this alleged crime. The victim was a die hard Cong and Rahul supporter. A Natural leader indeed!

Ø      This Natural Leader of a country beset with terror threats suddenly realized and announced that India is 99% terror free…only that so many more incidents have happened since that pronounciation.

Ø      The Natural Leader, supposed to lead the country, faced a lot of protests in his own bastion- His constituency, Amethi…he was gheraoed by students and alike. This was an un-Natural reaction to the legacy of this Natural Leader. So if this Leader could not get the respect of few lakhs from his own backyard, a big question remains on his acceptability as far as larger role is concerned.

Ø      This Natural Leader has definitely shared “his own opinion” in Parliament as and when he chose to attend its sessions. By the way, he is a ‘Natural leader” who has very low attendance in parliament sessionorporate India.…no doubt, Amethi chose to shun him.

Ø      Does ‘reading from a sheet of paper’ actually subscribe to ‘sharing one’s own opininon’..his dependence upon speech/points written on a paper was highlighted during his recent interface with corporate India at a CII sponsored meet. His papers got mixed up and so did his ‘flow of speech’…in fact he said “I lost it”.

Ø      At the same meeting, calling India a beehive, he said India is complex…but may be he forgot that his own family, having ruled this country for larger years, made it so.

Ø      This “Natural Leader’s” political prowess was much on display when he was chief campaigner in UP, lead the campaign in Tripura, Gujrat and everywhere his party lost. Some Leadership indeed! Other scions in the party like Jyotiraditya Scindia or Sandeep Dixit have shown more maturity than this “Natural Leader”.

Ø      This “Natural Leader” has often said that he does not want to be PM but his party thinks so…and in the process leaves the country thinking about its future.

This “Natural Leader” has not exhibited or shared any road map for the country, its economy or social sector. He has been catapulted to the dizzying heights of political echelons by an over grateful party and its other leaders who could never learn to see any “Natural Leaders” beyond Gandhis!

Not all those who wander are lost. Not Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for sure!

The headline of this piece is actually a quote by the famous J.R.R.Tolkien on travel. I just added the second line!

And this quote definitely does NOT apply on Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of UPA. She was drawn into the headlines, this week, after a much charged remark by Mr. Narendra Modi that Govt. of India had incurred an expenditure of Rs. 1880 crores on the foreign trips of Mrs Gandhi. Expenditure directly coming from normal taxpayer’s hard earner income!

The remark was made in the poll bound state of Gujrat already in mid of a pre electoral frenzy involving exchange of words between ruling BJP & opposition Congress. Against such a set up, the remark of Mr. Modi naturally shook the entire nation.

Lot has happened after that! The original RTI applicant Mr. Ramesh Verma from Hisar went on to say that he had not yet got any reply from the Govt. and that Mr. Modi had misquoted him. For records, Mr. modi had quoted this amount from a Gujrati Newspaper and in all probability, news of similar overtones had been carried in other newspapers too.

Whether it was correct or not correct, Modi had made a remark. In fact, he went on to ask the central Govt to correct him by providing the exact figure. And, very surprisingly, the Govt did NOT retort back with exact figures. This left the country wondering, as UPA run central Govt in the past had never left any opportunity to tarnish Modi.

Why did the Govt keep quiet? Why doesn’t it give answer to the nation? After all, Rs. 1880 crore is not a very small amount. To quote Mr. Modi himself, “This clearly means that more than the total yearly budget of Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Rajkot Municipal Corporation combined has been spent only on the foreign trips of Sonia Gandhi and on her luxury hotel stays,"

And then all of a sudden CIC said that NO LOSS had been incurred over the medical expenditure of Mrs. Gandhi (whatever it means!) and went on to say that Mrs. Gandhi never gave any bills for reimbursement. Hello there! the question is on her foreign trip expenditure. Of course, world’s 4^th richest politician (as per Forbes) can foot her medical bill.

While we shall see if the Govt. ever shares the exact figures incurred on the foreign trips of Mrs. Gandhi, but I question the very need for incurring any amount on her foreign trips.

Ø      What official post does Mrs. Gandhi hold? So as to entail her for trips abroad!

Ø      What powers have been vested in her to sign any accord with any foreign country! So why the foreign trips?

Ø      What major decision has been ever taken by Mrs Gandhi internally so as to expect her to take one with regards to a foreign country! So why foreign trips

Ø      Chairperson of a ruling coalition is not officially the head of the state! So why foreign trips.

Of course, her private trips are her private affair. She is free to travel to Zug (banking capital of Switzerland) suddenly in mid of the huge protest by Baba Ramdev for bringing back the black money or she is free to make sudden mysterious trips to US for check up (which our great investigative media could not or did not investigate). BUT, when a statement by a senior leader is made on her foreign trips being paid out of tax payers money, she can not keep quiet. Govt. can not keep quiet.

And it is the same lady who had called Modi a “maut ka saudagar” but in midst of such a major, if I may call it, an allegation, she decides not to answer it and I am afraid, it can not be seen as a mark of humility or greatness…it leaves a lot to the imagination of public, perhaps yet another feeling of let down unless Govt clears the stance

An open letter to Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt

Dear Mr. Bhatt

Recently you once ‘again’ wrote a letter to Mr. Narendra Modi but I am not sure if you got an answer yet and whether you SHOULD ever get! You know, a Chief Minister of any state is a busy man and he should never reply to a letter written out of personal vendetta and bagful of lies.

I, of course, understand that every human being wishes to get his two minutes of fame and you are no exception, assuming that you too are a normal human being. Your craving for fame is well known.

In your case getting ‘fame’ has not been much difficult as we all know that you have enough friends in media, bureaucracy and a particular political party who are in opposition in Gujrat now.  In fact you are so popular that they offer and you ACCEPT costly mobiles as ‘token of friendship’ while you are on duty.

And I must congratulate you that some ‘reputed’ media houses are in the habit of letting you capture their prime time basis only your unproved allegations. What else can I say when SIT has actually nailed you on what you do the best- spreading nefarious claims but still you are on media. You are a very lucky man, Mr. Bhatt. Ohh yes, being a police officer, I hope you have full faith in SIT.

How strange it is Mr. Bhatt that in your letter you ask Mr. Modi to “introspect his true self concealed behind a meticulous imagery created by his media managers”, well before I move on, a big  WOW to you, kudos for your choice of words. In fact I seriously feel that you should become a novelist, now after all you are too good in conjuring STORIES. We all know that and with your powerful friends, you might as well win a Booker’s prize. Try it!

Coming back to ‘introspection’, do you yourself know the meaning of this word? I doubt because had it been so you would have resigned for the custodial deaths that you ordered while you were the SP in Jamnagar.  Since you are concerned about humanity, I wonder if a human being was killed in custody or an animal! And to think you also shared your ‘valuable unsolicited views’ on Sohrabuddin encounter!

In fact you were ASP then, right but you arrested people baselessly under TADA and successfully murdered a man in your custody. Now please don’t get offended when I use the word ‘murdered’…you too have been using this word too often. You killed and yet you got let away! You sure have brains and why not? You are an alumni of IIT-B.

Tell me Mr.Bhatt, you were also involved in a mega recruitment scam, isn’t it. At least some reports say so though your friends in media never highlighted it. Don’t worry, they will not too.

Another feather in your cap was how you unsuccessfully tried to implicate a lawyer in a fake narcotics case (straight out of a bollywood movie, you watch too many of them?). A criminal case was filed against you and it is still on and you talk of morality in your letter. Had you been moral, you would have resigned.

Are you a late riser, Mr. Bhatt? I am asking so because your ‘conscience’ woke up a bit too late with respect to 2002 riots. I wonder why? What kept you silent for some years?

You kept harping that you were in the meeting but seven senior officers refuted your claim? Why should NOT we trust the other officers? In fact it is a folklore now that how you pressurized your driver Mr. Panth to falsely testify against SIT but he later told the truth. He said how you put pressure on him. Why, Mr. Bhatt? Why put pressure to prove that you were in a meeting while actually you were not. And yes, Mr. Panth has a conscience, learn from him.

As a crusader of truth, I fail to remember if you ever asked any media to interview Mr. Rais Khan who was a colleague of your ‘very dear friend’ Ms. Teesta Seethalvad? Now if you are a champion of truth and morality, you should have demanded but you did not. Well you must have had reasons!

Mr. Bhatt the whole nation has seen through you and we know where you come from. A man who is himself maligned should first prove his innocence rather than point finger at some one else but being the intelligent man you are, you indulged in policy of  “offence is the best defence” but it has not worked. The cases are still against you.

Now Mr. Bhatt the onus is on you to become a role model. Clear your name, if you can, in innumerable cases against you. Once you do so, then introspect on the career that you should follow. My advice is that you can perhaps contest elections on Congress ticket but don’t contest in Gujrat. It won’t work.

I also hope and sincerely pray that you can ‘introspect’ and find honest and truthful answers to some of these questions during your  lifetime.

Warm Regards

Jaideep Bhattacharjee

MODIvated India!

Since the time I got my senses & started using my limited mental faculties, I have been hearing about the famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech made by our first PM from the parapets of Red Fort on the midnight of 14^th/15^th August 1947. Mostly, I have heard about the speech from the media who do not forget to air it every 15^th August, 26^th January and 14^th November. Of course, he was blessed with the Gift of the Gab.

But only gift of gab doesn’t always work…it is the substance in the person and his/her ideas/vision, which make people sit up and take notice of the person. India has seen its share of leaders ever since and many will remain immortal for us.

In the last decade, India has seen a transition. The biggest change was noticed in the behaviour of the Indian public. It had become aware and concerned to the political class of India. May be it was because we saw Governments of two extreme ideologies and Indian public has become smart enough to make the difference in terms of the ‘deliverables’.

While the last decade has created a sense of pride and despondency both, it also would be known for the emergence of one man who has time and again been ‘COVERED’ by media. I am referring to Narendra Modi. When I say covered, media covered Modi MOSTLY in the context of 2002 Gujrat riots. It tried to create a demon out of a man (thanks to its neutral interviews of known Modi bashers like Teesta Sheetalvad but amazingly it never interviewed people who questioned Ms. Seethalvad).

Did the media succeed? I guess not, because had it been so then media would have forgotten him after a while but they simply could not. Every discussion on democracy continues to be linked to Gujarat and Modi. What made the matters worse for the mainstream media was the relentless unequivocal unsolicited support of Indians from across the country for the man. This is not a sheer illusion. It can be verified on social network sites like Twitter, FB etc. May be this was also one reason which made the UPA government embark upon its ambitious initiative to quell democracy by banning these sites. It did not succeed!

Modi is a rare politician. Rare, not because of his devotion to serve india or not rare because of the kind of support he gets BUT he is rare BECAUSE despite media not highlighting his achievements in the state, the country still knows all about it. Isn’t it rare to be a politician,  not supported by mainstream media, to enjoy support from across the country?

Here social media came to his rescue and being the techsavvy that he is, he utilized the benefits with open arms and who benefited the most?-our country and we the people. This is simply because we too could start DREAMING of a strong nation under a strong leader.

Nation wants a road map. It wants successful case studies which can be replicated across. In such a background, Mr. Modi “faced The Nation” on 31^st August, 2012. Popular as Modi Hangout, it created a wave of excitement amongst people. The man was there himself ready to take on questions of people and answer them.

Which other politican has done so? In fact the current PM, if I can say so, literally shied away from the call of Mr. Advani to participate in a public debate on the eve of 2009 election! But then Modi is head strong and different.

Of course, during the Hang Out, the questions varied from secularism to Manesar and then back to Gujrat and Modi answered them ( the writer attended the session little late only to hear his comments on Gujrat but good old twitter came to his rescue with live tweets of people during the session). Now many people will raise the question that Modi used the platform as a election propaganda. So be it, what’s wrong in it?

Isn’t Congress going all over the place with their promise to Gujarat electorate and media covering it too? But the same media conveniently forgot to mention Modi’s highlights. This is wrong and unethical to people!

While world wide from US congressional Committee to Japan has woken up to the sheer persona and VISION of this man, but back home , many like Nitish Kumar, other ‘secular’ politicians , think tanks and media,  do not think so. They have not been able to move on from 2002 (not because of any humane thoughts but rather address their own objectives).  In such a situation, such hangouts are required!

In view of rampant corruption & loot of tax payers’ money as evidenced in last 8 years, India needs motivation! it needs a new “Tryst With Destiny” and may be the road map will emerge from Gujrat. May be it is time to rephrase the word Motivation with MODIvation, at least million in India think so!

Loyalty Redefined – The 10 Janpath way!

Loyalty is a very strong word and exudes stronger emotion…it is both individualistic and holistic. When I say individualistic, it can be like loyalty to friends, loyalty to family, spouse, fav singer/actor etc but the loyalty on a holistic level is loyalty for a larger cause or an ideology. Plainly speaking, I mean loyalty to nation and its people.

But, in both the cases, the basic fact remains that it takes a long time to deserve or get the loyalty of someone. Especially so in the case of politicians who have to go back to electorate after every five years.

A politician spends ages to get loyalty of his people, people who trust him and send him to power. We have seen leaders across parties who had earned loyalty of the people because the leaders were loyal to the country and its people.

But having said so, Congress party in last few years have redefined the meaning of loyalty. It has treated those people with higher regards & rewards who have remained LOYAL to 10Janpath ahead of the party, forget being loyal to state, electorate and nation. Though it has been a tradition within the party, this LOYALTY to 10J & getting rewarded for the same has assumed blowing proportions in last few years

Two glaring examples in last 31 days-

Mr. Tarun Gogoi – Mr. Gogoi is an experienced and cunning politician. Man who grew under the shadows of Late Hiteshwar Saikia, has always been known as 10J Loyalist and the inhabitants of 10J came to his rescue when he was targeted by one and all for his callous handling of riots in Bodo areas. Riots which continued for almost a week saw over 1.5 lakh people getting homeless apart from loss of life and property. The reason for the riots has been systematic pogrom of allowing Bangladeshi illegal immigrants who have moved over to the state and acted as precious vote bank for the Congress regime in the state. Gogoi did not do anything to control or contain the problem.

Instead of him being immediately replaced for not being able to control the riots, 10J showered all its blessings and support to ensure he remained the CM.

Mr. Ashok Gehlot – He is the CM of Rajasthan and a known loyalist to 10J. While he achieved nothing great but during his tenure, Rajasthan was in the news for the murder of Bhanwari Devi, a murder in which Congress leader Mr. Maderna, close to CM, was involved. CM did not take any action until media upped the ante and he could feel the heat.

This was followed by Bharatpur riots where again he was found acutely missing in action. Some 13 people lost lives.

In the last three days, Rajasthan has been severing under heavy rains which has already claimed 37 lives but what does the CM do? He refuses to visit the effected areas since  he found it more important to organize the welcome party for Ms. Sonia Gandhi and now he has also refused for a all party meet (demanded by BJP) to address the problems caused by the rains.

Both the CMs continue but did Congress party and 10J think even for a minute about the loyalty of the people of two states who voted them to power? Do they even consider the feeling of the people who feel cheated since they empowered these two people who did everything except delivering their promise to the people of their respective states.

But who cares since Congress has redefined the meaning of Loyalty!

Khamosh – Quiet India

So at last our Government does it!

I am sure soul of Joseph Stalin & Joseph Goebbels, must be very happy today, wherever they are.  Our country which basked in the glory of “Freedom of expression” has now made its citizens yearn for “expression of freedom” and sadly enough not much choice is being given. What else can be said when the Government is trying to gag its citizens.

While in the recent past, we saw, if I can call it. monarchies like Egypt which gave in to the voice of its citizens, but here in our own backyard, things are different.  Here, the Government of the “so called largest democracy of the world” is leaving no stone unturned in doing everything undemocratic. Why is it doing so?

The most important and undeniable fact is that Government is well aware of the power of the opinion and how, in the current date, this opinion is very much against its working , its ethos and its existence. And why not! What has this Government done to alleviate this feeling of despondency, disgust and betrayal from the minds of its citizens.

While this Government, since its first day left no stone unturned in breaking all records in corruption (though our brave smart and “witty” PM had assured nation that it will eradicate corruption in first 100 days-well yes this government knows how to joke) but then that killed the financial health of our nation which was known as Sone Ki Chidiya but UPA got all its motivation from British concept of “drain of wealth”.

BUT, the recent incidents which shook the social fabric of the nation were the final blow that this beleaguered nation could take.  These incidents manifested, yet again, the intent of our Government in NOT resolving key isues which can break our nation.

It yet again manifested the short sightedness of this government which can literally put our peace and unity at stake, for its mere survival.

While UPA had already shown its non-tolerance to Public angst on the midnight of 4^th/5^th June 2011 at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi which resulted in the death of a 51 year old Rajbala who was a “THREAT’ to the nation oops the government perhaps. But that is past!

The recent Assam riots which was a conflict between Indians and Illegal immigrants was ignored. Of course it resulted in over 70 deaths and millions going homeless but it did not register any urgency in the government.

If it was not enough, there were “incidents of small violence” at Azad Maidan, Mumbai on 11^th August. The violence happened at a ‘protest’ movement by a muslim organization Reza Academy which protested against Assam riots (but didn’t B’deshi muslim illegal immigrants take part in it) and so called violence against muslims at Myanmar! Reza academy is perhaps more concerned about incidents involving community members form other nations!

And the final crusher came in the form of mass exodus of NE Indians which was evidenced at Bangalore, Pune & Mumbai . The exodus happened after a SMS based threat created panic in the minds of NE Indians settled in these cities. Government quickly called the entire SMS a rumour which perhaps it was but fact remains it made thousand flee from one part of their own country to another. And case in hand is the Maharashtra Government which did nothing during the exodus from Pune but now is offering “chartered planes” to bring back the NE Indians. Hasn’t the maharasthra Government heard of something called Train which is more economical?

What did the UPA government do? Nothing? What did the “newly rewarded” Home Minister do? Nothing! Of course no media described the efforts of RSS to help our citizens from NE in all the cities. But it is a different story.

And if it was not enough, we got to know about the “father” of all scams- COALGATE which directly involved the PMO. It was but natural for all the citizens, who are also tax payers, to feel angry and vent their feelings?

And here comes the big question? How could people vent their angst when many and more think that many of the media fraternity (both print & TV) are not doing their desired job diligently. It is not sharing the news. In such an event, it was but natural for people to resort to social media to share their anger. What’s wrong in it?

But here our Government was “proactive” (maybe it is too inspired from Mr. Rahul Gandhi who thinks he is active for politics) to immediately ban some sites and taking this proactiveness, even further, it also banned some popular twitter accounts namely Mr. Kanchan Gupta & Mr. Shiv Aroor (both are eminent journalist, By the way). So is the Government so insecure as to get threatened by two people? Where is the equity of the Government, if it had any in the first place?

But the same Government was very quiet when people like Ms. Arundhati Roy vented her ire against our forces deployed in Kashmir, when she almost raised demand for free Kashmir? Why was Ms. Arundhati Roy NOT banned? Wasn’t she or rather ISN’T she a threat to our social and internal peace?

It is a time for a serious introspect for the Government. If it has to improve its image in the minds of the people, it should not just believe in placating those 500+ people inside the parliament but rather millions outside it. It should send right signals which encourages a public debate, it should take views in the right ernest and address them. Whether it does so, remains to be seen.

But till then, let it be Shotgun Sinha’s famous rhetoric for all o us – KHAMOSH because our government wants it so