Of Parrikar’s ‘Tendlim Pickle’

Oh, what an eventful week it was last week here in Goa for journalists and journalism!
At the end of it, unfortunately, journalism hasn't really come out trumps, although a few journos may have ended up better favourites of their favourite politicos.
First things first... the big 'pickle story' that emanated from a Manohar Parrikar interview aired by the fledgling, Sandesh Prabhudesai-led Prudent Media. Parrikar, who throughout seemed uncharacteristically flatterred when reference was made to reports floating that he's the top contender for the BJP's top post, was interviewed by Prudent's trying-to-be-Rajdeep by trying-to-be-Sandesh who himself is trying-to-be-Rajdeep, Pramod Acharya.
And gosh, how this pickle-sounding Achar....ya got Manohar Parrikar to land in a pickle, thanks to a 'Parrikar Likens Advani to Rancid Pickle' story on the interview put out by the Goa correspondent of the Indo-Asian News Service, IANS for short, which got picked up by newsrooms all over and soon became national headlines. 'Blown out of proportion', 'misreporting', 'yellow journalism', etcetera, etcetera were some of the expletives used to describe that bit of reportage by the IANS correspondent.
In this tantrum, I'd like to skip how the controversy played out ball-by-ball. Instead, I'd rather focus on the response of the Goa press corps, after the story became a controversy -- an outright, overt defense of Manohar Parrikar to the extent of calling the IANS correspondent names. Some journos and the sections of the media they represent even went to the extent of describing the IANS Correspondent's effort as a 'conspiracy at the behest of a BJP faction led by the incumbent president Rajnath Singh. Another section termed it mis-reporting, as did Prudent Media itself! A third, actually made an appeal in its editorial to the BJP think-tank, that this whole 'Advani like rancid pickle' episode be discounted from Parrikar's report card, if he's in the race for the party's top post!
Parrikar himself denied that his 'rancid pickle' remark referred to Advani. He said, his rancid pickle remark was in the context of Sachin Tendulkar's cricket career rather than Advani's political one. What he did not say is that his citing of the Sachin Tendulkar example in the interview was itself in response to a querry on the longetivity of Advani's reign in the BJP.
But as much as it was dictated by this unusual craving among journos to intentionally or inadvertently be lackeys of top politicos, this Parrikar has-to-be-defended kind of a response from them seems dictated by this intense hate pervading among the Goa journo corps for Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, the IANS correspondent in Goa, whose impersonal style of journalism like in the case of the Pickle Story, is a thorn in the side of those who dish out 'lackey journalism' day in and day out. How many times haven't our Pratapsing Ranes, Dr Willies, Luizinho Faleiros, Sardinhas, Churchill Alemaos, Ramarao Desais, Dayanand Mandrekars, etc, etc, got away scot free despite their journalistically tempting foot-in-the-mouth remarks, simply because our 'lackey journos' refuse to report them because it would hurt their favourite politicos? And if by chance the gaffes get reported by a journo or two, how many times have these self-appointed guardians of Goan journalism, not rubbished these reports of the gaffes? If what's said on TV can be coloured, twisted, turned and even denied the way it is, pity those journos who work in the print media and want to report what is, rather than what those in power want it to be!
Mickky’s survival = Diggu’s exit?
Finally, the cops have booked the enfante terrible of Goan politics -- Tourism Minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco. Beats me why they didn't do it when the episode in the South Goa Casino was first reported in June, when all the evidence that they now present to the courts, was handed over to them in CCTV captured footage on a platter.
But this is politics, not criminal law or justice!
Mickky, meanwhile, believes attack is his best defence. And so, unmindful of how a TV interview landed his former mentor Manohar Parrikar in a soup...nay pickle, he goes on air on another TV channel known more for its tiatrs rather than news, and enacts the latest political drama by demanding a change in ministry's leadership. Diggu, he says, is only ruling because of his divide and rule policy. He is building up dossier's of criminal cases of ministers and holding them to ransom, he charged. Don't know if Congressmen here in Goa and in Delhi as well will take Mickky's outburst lightly, but his own bosses in the NCP are at wits end how to handle this most unpredictable politico from Goa. Busy as they are with the Maharashtra elections, which many political commentators believe could be the final battle of survival for the Sharad Pawar-led party, no leader of that party has commented on the unsavoury Casino affair of Mickky. The party here in Goa, however, is making discordant noises of 'backing' him. But if the words of its national general secretary, Gurunath Kulkarni, are any indication, Mickky has a whole load of explaining to do to his NCP bosses.
But round one in this latest Mickky v/s Diggu political bout seems to be going the CM's way with the sheer power of the latter's dignified silence.
KTC: Will it survive?
The great public transport elephant of Goa is 29 and getting whiter by the year. The youthful and talented Aleixo Reginald Lourenco at the helm, we thought would breathe in some life, but a year into his reign it seems he's only flattered to deceive.Can we have some 'corporate governance' in the KTC? Directors who will work like CEOs, instead of mere chelas of politicos? A Managing Director who will be worth every penny he draws from the Corporation's dried up coffers as salary and perks?
Live a week in the headquarters of the BEST, of course at KTC's cost dear Lourenco, and bring home some tricks of the trade to make travelling a little better experience than it currently is. First and foremost, 'nationalise' public transport across the state... not just a handful of routes as it currently is the case. The private operators are willing and have publicly urged it, provided it's done lock-stock-and-barrel. Which means KTC will not only have to buy all their buses, but also take on its staff the drivers, cleaners and conductors. It could be a boon for KTC, as the fatt-voch-fuddem-voch experts could instill some fire power in the men-in-blue who man the fleet of KTC's buses.
Are you up to it, Mr Lourenco? We are still hoping.