While covering PM, CM and IIM

Covering the Prime Minister’s event is not just another assignment for those journalists working outside Delhi and I am one such journalist. Then the assignment becomes more interesting when the Prime Minister is going to address youths, that too in IIM Ahmedabad, India’s Mecca of management education.

Invitation card was a key to unlock security cover

I could enter the IIM campus easily with my vehicle after showing invitation card and Identity card to a security person and couple of policemen on one of the gates of campus. They checked dickey of my vehicle. Parking was just near the function venue inside the campus. One more checking point followed. I could smoothly go to the journalists section.

Before Modi and PM it was Media’s domination

Media persons are now too much in number that they are difficult to tackle. At today’s IIMA function there were about 100 journalists(including camera persons, photographers and reporters). As enough chairs were not there for them within press enclosure, they threatened to boycott the function. Majority of TV reporters boycotted, but all print reporters attended and reported the function in spite of pressure and calls of TV reporters. Before the function started, one senior photographer of national magazine attracted attention of entire audience by shouting loudly raising issue that why IIMA had not offered drinking water to press photographers who were there standing from 4.00 pm. After about five minutes of shouting, drinking water bottles were provided to him and some other photographers. IIMA had arranged drinking water on the back side of sitting arrangement, however the photographer was complaining that he should be offered water by IIMA right into the press enclosure. A day will come when polished people would not invite media at all to cover their events to avoid such disturbances. Too much media persons is really a problem. There are now tones of channels and newspapers. Couple of years back IIMA had called exclusive press meet for only print journalists, that too from selected press. It was a great experience, and the Director had said at that time that such peaceful press conferences were happening in the campus in 60s, 70s and 90s until TV media came.

And then they arrived dressed in convocation gowns

At 6:10 we heard sirens and could confirm that the PM had arrived along with the CM and Governor. Then at 6:15 they appeared on stage, dressed in convocation gowns. Modi ofcourse brings energy to any stage, the Prime Minister lacks ‘X’ factor, that’s what I felt.

And then some formal speeches happened followed by Chief Minister’s speech and Prime Minister’s speech, and then thanks giving, memento presentation, and Jana Gana Mana …

Traditionally in IIMA convocation ceremony, each and every student passing out gets his/her diploma from stage in presence of Chief Guest. The Chief Guest also walks in procession, and also sit for group photo. However the Prime Minister neither walked in procession, not he obliged for group photograph. Due to tight schedule, the institute called only Gold medalists to stage and they only could shake hand with the Prime Minister while receiving medal. The students received their diplomas only after the Prime.Minister, Chief Minister and Governor left the campus at 7:15 pm.

Reader vs Leader

While ‘reader’ Prime Minister delivered his address reading out a written copy, the ‘leader’ Chief Minister spoke extemporaneously like he always does. While Prime Minister’s speech was in difficult English, the Chief Minister spoke in common man’s Hindi. While Prime Minister’s speech was like a professor’s class, the Chief Minister’s speech was like a patriotic person addressing public. While Prime Minister’s speech was elite and NGO type, the Chief Minister’s speech was rooted and leader type. While Prime Minister cited examples of C.K. Prahalad and Michael Porter, our Chief Minister quoted Taitariya Upanishad more than once. While Prime Minister spoke about the present state of affair of the nation as per his observations, the Chief Minister spoke about path of future of the nation. While Prime Minister talked for 20 minutes, the Chief Minister talked for 10 minutes. While Prime Minister addressed the audience, the Chief Minister communicated with them, and lastly, while it was the Prime Minister who actually delivered convocation address, at the end of the event, while passing through occupied chairs, I heard one jeans-t shirt dressed young girl telling her mom “mama Modi’s convocation address was good naa?” And this was perhaps a larger impact felt in the audience. One former IIMA employee having spent about 30 years serving the institute also felt that it was like Modi delivering convocation address rather than the PM.

After the speech

Friend journalist asked me to give him my note that I penned down during the Prime Minister’s speech. He said the speech was difficult to understand. I said I had digitally recorded audio too with me to make exact copy. Other journalists were discussing that there was no news in either Singh or Modi’s speech, but Modi’s speech was atleast concrete. As soon as IIMA Public relation office guy started offering written copies of addresses, journalists rushed there. One journalist friend told other, “thanks God they are giving copies, I couldn’t grasp PM’s speech and it just passed over the head, if this written copy was not there, I could loose my job today,” the other journalist replied: “same for me.”

However when journalists opened a file containing text copies of speeches, there was a copy of Prime Minister’s speech at ISRO, but IIMA address text copy was missing. Thankfully the Public relation office sent PM’s address via email. I was smiling remembering that journalist ki uski naukri bach gayi. But at the end of the day I feel, kyaa desh bachenga? If this nation does not elect Narendra Modi as PM in 2014, it would be this nation’s misfortune, and not Modi’s or BJP’s misfortune. Mask Manmohan Singh should come again at IIMA but he should come here permanently as a professor with his original face. As a PM, I don’t find him much interesting. I doubt whether there’s truth in Gujarat Congress’s complain that, too much capitalism has disconnected Modi from root, but I have no doubt about my judgment that too much academism and typical Delhi based elitness has disconnected Manmohan Singh from root.