Is media punishing Varun Gandhi for imaginary crime?

Much before legal eagles argue a case in a courtroom, media tries and condemns people. Is Varun Gandhi its latest victim? Is he being punished for imaginary crime? We study three FIRs in one police station in Pilibhit against him and investigate.

CJ: Arindam Roy, 5 hours ago Views:358 Comments:4


VARUN GANDHI, the BJP’s candidate from Pilibhit Lok Sabha constituency has been in the eye of storm for quite sometime. If sources close to the young MP-aspirant are to be believed, he is more sinned against than sinning.


In an exclusive talk with Merinews, a highly placed source, on conditions of anonymity, informed that the disputed CD, which shows Varun allegedly mouthing venom against the minority community, has 18 patches, which is clearly indicative of someone tampering and ‘doctoring’ the CD.


This scribe was also provided with copies of three FIRs against Varun. Strangely, all three FIRs were registered in police station Bar Khera, district Pilibhit, between August 1, 2008 and March 17, 2009. A deeper study and perusal of these three FIRs reveal mysterious similarities. But, we will get to these later.


Let’s sample these FIRs, beginning with the most recent one, on March 17, 2009. The case crime No is 255 of 2009. The FIR was lodged for an incident on March 8, 2009, nine days later.


Strangely, this FIR was not lodged by any media person, member of any political party or any individual of the minority community. Instead, the said FIR was lodged on the basis of a verbal complaint of the sub inspector (SI) of the same police station to his senior, the station house officer (SHO). This FIR also does not name the source that shot and recorded the disputed CD. No media channel or individual was named in the FIR.


A sentence on the third page of the March 17 FIR is important, as the crux of the entire FIR hinges on the sentence, “En tathyo ki pushti janch ke madhya LIU dwara prashit report tatha sambandhit CD dekhne se aaj huyi hai” (These charges were established during the investigation on the basis of LIU report and the concerned CD, today). The million dollar question is how did the ‘janch’ (investigation) begin before March 17 FIR was lodged? Also, can any FIR be lodged as an afterthought, after viewing the evidence (CD) nine days later? Can such a serious charge, which raised so much storm, be lodged merely on the basis of a junior official’s (SI) verbal complaint to his senior (SHO)?


The sections mentioned in this FIR are 155-A, 188 IPC and Section 125 of the Representation of People’s Act 1952 (it should be 1951, not 1952, as mentioned in the FIR).


“Prima facie, the said FIR is flawed. Further, according to the FIR, Varun addressed a meeting at about 2pm, on March 8, while the FIR was lodged at 12.05pm, on March 17, 2009,” confirmed Sikandar Bharat Kochar, counsel of Varun, in Allahabad High Court, in reply to a question.


It’s strange that no one, who attended the March 8 meeting complained. Was there not even a single member of the minority community in the market, where he addressed the public meeting, Kochar asked.


He added that Varun is an educated young man. He did his B Sc Economics from the London School of Economics and his M Sc Sociology, from the School of Oriental and African Studies, Harvard University. It seems to be a case, where he is being set-up and framed, possibly due to political motivation.


Interestingly, two earlier FIRs, dated August 1, 2008 (crime case No 712 of 2008) and December 16, 2008 (crime case No 1222 of 2008), were also lodged in police station Bar Khera district Pilibhit.


The August 1 FIR was lodged by Bharatveer Gangwar, who alleged that Varun Gandhi and others had beaten him up. He had stated, “Mujhe kafi chot ayi hai” (I suffered lots of injuries). But a medical doctor, on examining him, mentioned that there were no external injuries. An X-ray was also taken, which too did not show any evidence of internal injuries, informed sources close to Varun. The sections mentioned in the FIR are Sections 452, 323, 504, 506 and 352 IPC.


In the December 16, 2008, FIR, the complainant was Bechey Lal Maurya. It mentions that Varun Gandhi and 20 others tore off flags of one BM Singh (a distant kin on Maneka Gandhi and a small time leader of the farmers, from the Congress party) and threatened him. The sections mentioned in the December 16 FIR are 147, 148, 323, 504, 506 and 427 IPC.


A common pattern in the two 2008 FIRs were that Varun Gandhi and his accomplices were named for alleged crime. Though the police submitted the charge-sheets in these two cases, only Varun Gandhi has been framed, while all his accomplices in the alleged crime find no mention. The lacuna is startling!


Is there a practice of year-long or two-year long campaigning in any parliamentary constituency? Why were party flags displayed and put up as far back as August and December 2008? And how come Varun Gandhi was allegedly threatening and mugging up people, even before he was declared the BJP’s candidate from Pilibhit?


Meanwhile, attempts to contact Varun failed, as he was out of Delhi, said sources close to the young MP-aspirant.


The question is why is Varun being framed in false cases? The motive is to malign his image and project before the people that he is a hot-headed, ill-tempered person. And that he is criminal and communal. If sources close to Varun are to be believed, there is much more than meets the eye.


Varun Gandhi’s case would be argued in the Allahabad High Court on Monday (March 23). Irrespective of the verdict of the honourable court, more drama will unfold in the political arena.

Link: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15756939

How 'sound' is your bike?

The challenge to understand the strange 'engine ki bhasha' goaded scientists of IIIT-A to develop an intelligent hardware and software tool, capable of diagnosing the engine's health on the basis of its sound quality. It's an amazing innovation.

CJ: Arindam Roy, 1 day ago Views:736 Comments:0

A VERSATILE, intelligent tool developed by scientists of the Indian Institute of Information Technology-Allahabad (IIIT-A) will decipher the health of your bike’s engine, just by the sound of its engine.

Allow me to digress a bit. A well known engine oil company has developed an advertisement campaign (beamed on TV channels), where a mechanic tells the customer the secret of understanding ‘engine ki bhasha’ (engine’s language).

Let me elaborate it a little more. You may have noticed what your neighbourly mechanic – he may be a Laddan Mistry, Raju Ustad or Ismail Guru, as these auto mechanics are fondly known in north India – do when you take your faulty bike to them. Whenever your bike has a problem with its engine, these mechanics listen to the sound of the engine carefully. Soon, these otherwise uneducated experts know more about the health of your engine, by the quality of the sound than the smart software engineers or MBAs that ride these swanky bikes.

The challenge was to understand the strange ‘engine ki bhasha’ that goaded the scientists of IIIT-A to develop an intelligent hardware and software tool, capable of diagnosing and deciphering the sound of an engine, by translating and processing the pattern of sound as the input and in spelling out all its trouble in detail.

The versatile intelligent tool has been developed, under the ambitious Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) project- Quality Assurance, Condition Monitoring and fault Diagnosis, using Intelligent Control Methodology, by IIIT-A scientist Dr Vrijendra Singh and a group of researchers and scientists working under his direction.

These scientists succeeded in developing an intelligent algorithm and hardware capable of detecting the faults in engines on the basis of the quality of audio, its pitch and the frequency.

“The unique and intelligent device has multifaceted operations and benefits. It will now help the manufacturer and mechanic to ensure the high quality and good health of the engine. Now, even a common person may understand the cause of the trouble with his vehicle’s engine without much technical hazards and equipments,” said IIIT-A director Prof MD Tiwari.

Prof Tiwari said that intelligent software and device comprise ingeniously designed software and equipments. IIIT-A scientists have successfully developed algorithm, which help in processing the audio data, followed by production of detailed inferences.

“The intelligent tool will reduce the mechanical operation required in detecting the faults in engines. This means longer life and efficient functioning of engines,” explained Prof Tiwari. He said that the project of the TIFAC-Core Group for Automotive Research, worth Rs 5.26 crore, was entrusted to Dr Singh of IIIT-A last year.

The principal investigator of the TIFAC project, Dr Singh said that ground work for the ambitious project was prepared in the first phase. This included the compilation of feedback from motor mechanics about the pattern of sound generation from engines in particular condition of fault. Profuse data related with engine’s sound was also provided by TVS Motors. On the basis of audio data, the team began working on developing algorithm and programmes for the software capable of processing the sound inputs so as to identify the problem and later give its details as the output.

The intelligent tool contains highly sophisticated and high-performance sensors, microphones and other audio data acquisition device Dr Singh said that indigenously developed software and intelligent tool that has been tested at laboratory stage will now be used and tested at TVS Motors’ plant, near Bangalore. The company will use intelligent methodology to test the engines of the factory’s bikes before final delivery.

Link: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15753665

Uma Bharti supports Advani as PM

Uma Bharti, the firebrand leader of BJS, said her party will not contest the general election in support of Advani. He has the capabilities of solving the grim crisis India is passing through by becoming its PM: Breaking News

CJ: Arindam Roy, 1 day ago Views:351 Comments:2


UMA BHARTI, the firebrand leader, who formed the Bhartiya Janshakti (BJS) Party, after breaking away from the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has come full circle. Talking to the media persons, she said that she reposed trust in the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani.

She disclosed that she has written a letter to ‘Advaniji’, as she wants him to the next Prime Minister of the country. Though her disclosure came as a surprise to the media, her intention was unquestionable.

She wrote in no uncertain terms that because she wanted him to become the prime minister, her party (BJS) was not contesting the 15th Lok Sabha elections.

Describing Advani as a ‘simple’ and ‘incomparable’ (bemisaal), she felt that he stood the tallest amongst all other contenders for the post of prime minister in the country.

Bharti added that she asked him, in the letter, to be the PM, as only he had the capabilities of solving the grim crisis that the country is passing through, at present.

Political observers feel that with Bharti’s support would act as fresh blood for the BJP, as some of its senior leaders are not in good terms.

Link: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15752242

Who pays for the government’s jingoism through ads?

The traditional hulla-gulla (noise and din) that was associated with electioneering is passé now. The focus has shifted to ads in major national dailies. But there is a catch. GoI ministries are not loosening their purse strings for these ads.

CJ: Arindam Roy, 7 hours ago Views: 164 Comments: 2



THE CONGRESS-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has been splurging full page and half page advertisements in major national dailies in New Delhi and Mumbai.

“Though all political parties have every right to speak of their achievements, they also need to be sensible about the plight of the masses,” said Eshna, who works with an event management company in Mumbai.

She added, “The government is screaming about its achievements from rooftops, despite recession and economic slowdown. There seems to be a total disconnect between the political parties and the people.”

These ads are released by various ministries of the government of India. The peg seems to be Bharat Nirman. Sample some headlines:

• Coal - the mainstay of India’s energy security, issued by the ministry of Coal
• Five glorious years of growth, issued by the ministry of New and Renewable Energy
• Foundation stone of new integrated terminal building of the airport at Vadodra, issued by the Airport Authority of India
• Inauguration of new terminal building of the airport at Surat, issued by the Airport Authority of India
• Five years of sunrise sector
Needless to add these ads feature photographs of the respective ministers, local MPs, MLAs, other than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

There is a major catch. Though several ads are appearing on behalf of the ministries, the payments for these ads are not being made by any ministry, informed two senior bureaucrats, on conditions of anonymity. They are working with two ministries, in New Delhi.

In a telephonic interview, one of them said (ministry’s name withheld on request), “Our ministry received complaints under the right to information (RTI) from some applicants. The complainants asked questions like, with whose permission these ads are being released, who finalised the designs, who decided whose photographs must be published in these ads, etc.”

He added that the complaint was possibly a protest against publishing Sonia Gandhi’s picture, as one complainant even mentioned her name. “The process of reply would take its time (all RTI complaints have to be dealt within a fixed time-frame), but the fact is that no ministry is making any payment for these ads.”

When asked to clarify, he just mentioned, laughing, “Sorry, you are being too nosey.”

The second bureaucrat, after initial hemming and hedging explained that he would give a hint. “All economic ministries (which have PSUs, etc under them) are asked to ‘arrange’ these ads. If you look at the Civil Aviation ad, you may see small inserts of various private airlines in it. Rest I leave for you to decide....”

Thus, it’s clear, from his oblique admission that PSUs and private players pay for the government’s achievements. He clarifies, in a matter of fact way that these PSUs and private players have been funding elections, one way or the other, all these years.
Meanwhile, the Congress MLA from City North, Allahabad, Anugrah Narain Singh, in an exclusive interview, explained that ad war is a common feature in the run up to the election, as well as during the polls. In the recent past, the ad spend of major political parties has been on the rise.

“The traditional hulla-gulla (noise and din) that was associated with electioneering is passé now. Ever since the election commission (EC) has tightened its noose, banned rampant postering, defacing of walls – a welcome change, certainly, the focus has shifted to the media. Press conferences, space selling by newspapers have replaced the tamasha on the roads,” he explained.

Singh added that the EC allows the government to speak of its achievements. Party manifestoes too find a place in the ads. Defending the UPA government, he said, “There is nothing wrong with such ads. Congress does not twist facts.”

Replying to the possible date of the model code of conduct coming into force, he informed, “Thursday (Feb 26) is the last day of the 14th Lok Sabha. The EC may announce the model code of conduct, coming into force, from any day, in the first week of March, this year.”

He pointed out a full-page write-up with photographs, published in a local Hindi daily, speaks eloquent about a Brahman Maha Sammelan, at KP Ground, of Bahujan Samaj Party, on Wednesday (Feb 25).

The full page matter is a cross between an advertisement and an editorial report. Though a little shabby, it’s nothing short of an advertisement. It’s worth pointing out that while Times of India mentions such insertions as advertorials or ‘Response feature’, several other newspapers, including large publishing houses, often flout these norms with impunity.

(Link: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15714242)

My chapter in a book on Communication Management

Religious Events as Tools of Communication: A Case Study of Kumbha Mela at Allahabad , By Arindam Roy (chapter 4.7, pp 331 to 336)


Title : An Introduction to Branding & Marketing Communication Management

Author : Ujjwal K. Choudhary & Rupak Ghosh etc.

Publisher : Manak Publications Pvt Ltd, Delhi

YOP : 2007

Pages : 361

ISBN : 81-7827-153-2

Price : 700.00


(Link: http://www.manakpublications.com/book.php?catid=70&bookid=803)