thevigil.in: public scrutiny of news media

Rahul Gandhi gave the right to ask the first question to JNU students who shouted slogans at the campus last night against the Congress’ role in the 1984 Delhi riots. “Let us first give voice to the opposition,” he said (The Hindu, pg 1). Even if that was tokenism, how many politicians would risk that in India? Well done, Rahul.

 The BJP is ready to fight the Haryana elections. Its manifesto is out: The party will ban western music and “indecency in the name of culture”. The next big promise: It will set up a Cow-care Commission, “Gau seva aayog” (The Hindu, pg 5). Cow and Culture. Yessir, that’s what Haryana needs the most. Go, win the elections with that.

By Bikram Vohra

Rahul and I have had a subliminal sharing experience. After I read about his trip by train I was so moved by guilt at travelling only by air that I promptly took a Business Class Air India flight to India (which is about a level less than a cattle car seat on a low budget airline) and then dropped my pretentious lifestyle by booking a train ticket to Dehra Dun. continue reading…

This article first appeared on exchange4media.com on May 8, 2009, even as the polls were on.

By B V Rao

As the first family of Indian politics let the cameras get up close and personal, it was Rahul Gandhi who stunned me with his manner and maturity. For years Rahul has had to live with the tag of the prince who didn’t deserve his heredity. But in three press conferences in three weeks (the last in Delhi on Monday), Rahul showed he has emerged out of the shadows of his family to be his own man. That prompted me to write this open letter to his mother imploring her to end his political internship. It’s a lament of a voter who thinks the Congress has passed up an opportunity to project somebody fresh, energetic, idealistic and engaging in this election of non-choices. continue reading…