Paris in flames...

Paris was in a tense mood today. No I’m talking about the end of campaigning for the French elections but rather of the more important Paris Hilton. Once again the wheels of justice have rolled over the super rich “Ms. Hilton”, who was sentenced to 45 days in jail for driving with a suspended driver’s license. Los Angeles mayor Antonio Viallraigosa, in retaliation to accusations about the severity of the sentence said “Well she better be happy that she is alive. You know the LAPD cannot distinguish the driver’s color especially when the car has tinted windows. Ms. Hilton was very fortunate.”

Ms. Renuka Choudhary, the women’s and child welfare union minister of India, called this sentence an outrage against all women. She also said “I hope women all over the world rise up against this atrocity. Men must suffer the consequences of their actions. These pigs need to be put back in their pens. How can they punish a woman for driving with a suspended driver’s license when it was a MAN who made the rule that women need licenses to drive? Moreover it was a MAN who invented the car. So men are responsible for all the problems of women.” Considering Ms. Choudhary’s infinite intellect and compassion for men this is a very meek reaction.

(Check out her new law. I did not write a blog about this because I’m still awestruck by her stupidity. No not Paris Hilton’s. www.youtube.com/watch?v=in_4QhWQaq4)

The dramatization of news in India

I was very proud of most of the national news sources in India not only for their journalistic values for what their comprehension of news was. The print is still following this trend but the advent of 24 hour news channels has changed the concept of news. If one were to watch a 24 hour Indian news channel, it would be a lot more representative of a day time soap rather than a news channel. These channels seem to focus on Human Interest stories filled sadness and wretched people and present them to the viewers. There is a very high possibility that most people would assume these kinds of incidents are common place in India - which they are not. I think national news channels must focus universal issues and how our leaders are working towards solving them.

I understand news channels need to fill air time but India does not have a dearth of issues. Instead they tend to hone down on appealing but relatively low priority stories. I think this is a practice they have borrowed from the American Media but it can really impact the Indian image outside the country and the locals as well. My biggest fear is that watching this rare incidents the politicians might try to pass laws while ignoring what truly needs to be done. Every one knows that one becomes a politician if one lacks any sort logical reasoning capacity. Based on what they consider populist issues (Since it is on TV so many times) our fearless leaders might try to pass laws.

Lets hope for the best
Peace