Oops, they did it again!
The Indian Federal budget has been announced, and like with many things, it has become a hot-button topic with the general public far and wide. And typical of an Indian feast, the budget has piecemeal things that affect almost anyone with a decent income.
One of the biggest controversial issues has been the decision to levy a 0.1% tax on cash withdrawals of over Rs 10000. As the Indian English media called it, it is either the ten-buck-scheme or the ten-for-ten-thousand scheme.
It is one thing indeed to critique the terms set forth in the budget. It is indeed one thing else to try to crank out a comic situation out of the whole lot. And it is something else altogether, to try cracking a joke and falling flat on your face whilst trying to do it.
This latter feat has been coming rather easily to the English news media in the country lately, and the venerable Times of India fell victim to this virus in their editorial of March 01, 2005.
In that peerless editorial, ToI mocks the proceedings in the parliament as the budget was being presented, feels smug in telling people that they can hoodwink the hoodwinkers (a la pickpockets) out of Rs 10 when they try to steal your Rs 10000. And the winner-take-all line is the elevation of the middle class to the criminal class, or so it seems.
The mainstream English media seems to be relishing their cessation into oblivion by churning out such crap as editorials. It does seem like the Murdoch-ization of the Indian media is complete.
3 comments:
most of the english dailies in India are useless. they have long forgotten their duties and limits as well. Instead they would do better by reporting cinema gossip.
I doubt if they can take their head out of their own a$$es long enough to report anything good, let alone cinema gossip. From the sounds of the newsbites these days in the English media, it seems they love their own voices/writing capabilities than the actual news itself.
I think the key for the editorials is to sound intelligent and elite, without really making much sense and logic. Newspapers for long have aimed at pandering without letting people know they do.
And yes, they are pro-english speaking anything if it makes the press. Conversion issues, anyone ?
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