Poor Barkha, having often dragged others over the coals, she found herself in the dock, in a bizarre reversal of roles. Seasoned journalists like Dileep Padgaonkar, Manu Joseph and Swapan Dasgupta lampooned her over Radiagate. This was a reportedly “unedited” NDTV debate, which may have been Barkha’s own idea to exonerate and extricate herself from the leaked Radia tapes. Accustomed as she is to besting others, she was herself severely tested, admitting to an “error of judgement”, not amounting to misconduct or corruption.
I also read Vir Sanghvi’s spirited defence in HT of his conversations with Niira Radia. Strangely, I read his defence before I came to know of his “offence”! Sanghvi’s “Counterpoint” has since been “encountered” and is now off the ticker. NDTV has since become a pay channel so I don’t know what is now raining on Barkha rani. Does she still reign, rain or rule the waves? I empathise with both these journos. Have they been framed and victimised in a greater conspiracy that is yet to be leaked out?
Rival channels and columnists are rubbing their hands in glee at the embarrassment or downfall of their fellow journos, with a “Holier than Thou” halo. They should beware, their leaks could be next. As Padgaonkar said, “No journalist is lily white”.
What of Wikileaks, which has no pretensions about leaking? The most powerful democracy, right from Richard Nixon’s Watergate (the original gate) has been leaking so much. Whose hat will bail out all that water? Is it coincidental that America, the most powerful democracy, and India, the largest democracy, are vulnerable to leaks? Why don’t we have leaks and floodgates of info in Russia, China, Pakistan and Myanmar? Because they are not democracies. Leaks and gates, like dissent, will be ruthlessly suppressed, or in police jargon, “encountered”.
Why are we so alarmed at these leaks? We should infact take them in our stride, as an indicator of a vibrant democracy, and emerge even stronger. Experienced diplomats were also not surprised by the Wikileaks, because they know that every country plays its own games, and calls others names.
Not so long ago, when one had to put pen to paper, and repeatedly retype a manuscript, there was time for a rethink. Hard copies were always signed and dated, and therefore impossible to retract. However, in this era of Instant Insecure Information Technology (IIIT) there are really no secrets. There are no cupboards to hide the skeletons in. It is therefore a wake up call to all – journalists, politicians, students, employees and spouses. Beware of what you mindlessly write and say on email, telephone, Facebook or Twitter. Your leak may be showing, for somebody’s big brother somewhere is listening!
3rd December 2010
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