This is a letter that was sent to Rajdeep Sardesai, currently of CNN-IBN today. Of course, he was informed in the letter that it would be posted on theBekku. The only alteration is that Sardesai's blog post in question has been hyperlinked below and not in the letter.
Dear Mr. Sardesai,
Ref: Your blog post and your program State of Bangalore
I read your blog post on ibnlive Southern Discomfort, how you have a way with words, sir!) and I thank you for taking the time out to think of us poor third-class citizens you call South Indians. You say news channels by leaving out cities out in their coverage are “breeding a growing sense of resentment and even anger at being left out of the news hierarchy.” Let me clarify sir.
Ref: Your blog post and your program State of Bangalore
I read your blog post on ibnlive Southern Discomfort, how you have a way with words, sir!) and I thank you for taking the time out to think of us poor third-class citizens you call South Indians. You say news channels by leaving out cities out in their coverage are “breeding a growing sense of resentment and even anger at being left out of the news hierarchy.” Let me clarify sir.
We neither feel no anger neither resentment at being ‘left out’ as you put it, especially if that channel happens to be CNN-IBN. We have our local channels that speak to us in our own language, thank you. Speaking for myself, I have ETV Kannada News and Udaya News to see what’s happening in Bangalore and Karnataka. And these channels (who you leave out when you say ‘news channels’) also report national news if you did not know it already. Likewise, I’m sure that the people of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala have their Sun News, Asianets and ETV to keep them up to date with what’s happening in their backyard, their state, the world and everything in between. In some areas, much better than ‘news channels’ (by which you mean national, English news channels) ever can or hope to. And yes, if your version of news means hours spent discussing fashion weeks, I’m sure we can live without that. We do not, I repeat, we do not, need you to get all righteously guilty and sob over us folks south of the Vindhyas. I appreciate your concern though.
So it was in this context wasn’t it, Sir, as you say in your blog, that you did the Eye on Bangalore series. State of Bangalore programme in front of the Vidhana Soudha. Well, I was one of the viewers of the programme and I do think I will share my thoughts with you.
Bangalore you say is more ‘cosmopolitan’ than Kannadiga. Thank you sir. First insult. Why an insult? Here’s why. Going by your behaviour and your views (stated and implied) during the programme, your idea of cosmopolitan came across or rather your definition of ‘cosmopolitan’ was:
• do not rename Bangalore to Bengalooru
• people need not (or was it should not?) make an attempt to learn Kannada when they relocate to Bangalore
• bars and pubs should be kept open till morning, or even better, should not be closed at all.
Sir, you have perverted the idea of ‘cosmopolitan’ and by saying Bangalore is more ‘cosmopolitan’ than Kannadiga, you have just insulted all us Kannadigas. I took a look at your face when the poll results came out. When 74% of the respondents said that they supported the renaming of Bangalore, you were shocked weren’t you? So what did you do? Tried to say that this couldn’t be right and turned to the eminent panel of Bangaloreans you had assembled and asked them, almost saying, “C’mon this can’t be right?”. When a majority of them also said, yes they did, you played a masterstroke. Turned to the people in the carefully chosen audience and asked, “Is that what YOU want?” and before we could see or hear more, you cut away to something else. Clever editing or cheap manipulation. And here I was thinking that the poll was supposed to reflect what the people felt. I did not know that when you meant ‘people of Bangalore’ you meant those people who were sitting as your audience.
One more thing, it’s not funny when you invite people on stage as part of a panel and muck up their names. Arundhati Raja should be called Arundhati Raja. Not Arundati Roy (or rai or whatever).
By the way Mr. Sardesai, Bengalooru is pronounced Bengalooru, not Bung-galore. But then you wouldn’t know. You are cosmopolitan. Who considers that learning a native tongue is anti-cosmopolitan. That closing bars at 11 is anti-democracy. You wouldn’t understand. You say future lies in ‘localisation’ and even in the context of news, you will always report it in English. How can you even say ‘localisation’ when what you want to say is ‘cosmoplitan’? Please sir spare us.
And yes, you’re lucky our Chief Minister is such a nice man. And you could get away with how you treated him. If it was anybody else, sir, I’d rather not think about it. Ok. So he’s not as conversant as you are in English. You in the role of an arbiter should have taken that into account, and not treated him like you did. He may not have felt bad. But I did. Have you heard him talk in Kannada? He would’ve taken you apart. But then, you wouldn’t have anyone speaking in their native tongue in your ‘cosmopolitan’ channel now would you?
So that’s that for now, Mr. Sardesai. I could go on. But I have better things to do than spend more of my time on a lost cause. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
A proud Kannadiga,
Shenoy
Bengalooru, Karnataka, India.
PS: Again, a copy of this letter has also been posted on my blog at http://schrodingersbekku.blogspot.com
So it was in this context wasn’t it, Sir, as you say in your blog, that you did the Eye on Bangalore series. State of Bangalore programme in front of the Vidhana Soudha. Well, I was one of the viewers of the programme and I do think I will share my thoughts with you.
Bangalore you say is more ‘cosmopolitan’ than Kannadiga. Thank you sir. First insult. Why an insult? Here’s why. Going by your behaviour and your views (stated and implied) during the programme, your idea of cosmopolitan came across or rather your definition of ‘cosmopolitan’ was:
• do not rename Bangalore to Bengalooru
• people need not (or was it should not?) make an attempt to learn Kannada when they relocate to Bangalore
• bars and pubs should be kept open till morning, or even better, should not be closed at all.
Sir, you have perverted the idea of ‘cosmopolitan’ and by saying Bangalore is more ‘cosmopolitan’ than Kannadiga, you have just insulted all us Kannadigas. I took a look at your face when the poll results came out. When 74% of the respondents said that they supported the renaming of Bangalore, you were shocked weren’t you? So what did you do? Tried to say that this couldn’t be right and turned to the eminent panel of Bangaloreans you had assembled and asked them, almost saying, “C’mon this can’t be right?”. When a majority of them also said, yes they did, you played a masterstroke. Turned to the people in the carefully chosen audience and asked, “Is that what YOU want?” and before we could see or hear more, you cut away to something else. Clever editing or cheap manipulation. And here I was thinking that the poll was supposed to reflect what the people felt. I did not know that when you meant ‘people of Bangalore’ you meant those people who were sitting as your audience.
One more thing, it’s not funny when you invite people on stage as part of a panel and muck up their names. Arundhati Raja should be called Arundhati Raja. Not Arundati Roy (or rai or whatever).
By the way Mr. Sardesai, Bengalooru is pronounced Bengalooru, not Bung-galore. But then you wouldn’t know. You are cosmopolitan. Who considers that learning a native tongue is anti-cosmopolitan. That closing bars at 11 is anti-democracy. You wouldn’t understand. You say future lies in ‘localisation’ and even in the context of news, you will always report it in English. How can you even say ‘localisation’ when what you want to say is ‘cosmoplitan’? Please sir spare us.
And yes, you’re lucky our Chief Minister is such a nice man. And you could get away with how you treated him. If it was anybody else, sir, I’d rather not think about it. Ok. So he’s not as conversant as you are in English. You in the role of an arbiter should have taken that into account, and not treated him like you did. He may not have felt bad. But I did. Have you heard him talk in Kannada? He would’ve taken you apart. But then, you wouldn’t have anyone speaking in their native tongue in your ‘cosmopolitan’ channel now would you?
So that’s that for now, Mr. Sardesai. I could go on. But I have better things to do than spend more of my time on a lost cause. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
A proud Kannadiga,
Shenoy
Bengalooru, Karnataka, India.
PS: Again, a copy of this letter has also been posted on my blog at http://schrodingersbekku.blogspot.com
That was that then. The whole letter. Now, moving on to related news, my friend Jubin is of the opinion (and I agree) that CNN-IBN (and i paraphrase) manages the impossible task of being the worst of CNN and the very worst of NDTV. Couldn't have put it better meself. And by the way CNN could stand for Chicken Noodle News. Check out this blog, read the comments, and follow the links embedded in the main body.
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9 comments:
You are merely frustrated and successful indviduals like Rajdeep frustrate you more. Think that explains your ranting.
theBekku considers it beneath dignity to reply to a rajdeep-lover who wants to get into cheap ad hominem arguments. frustrated. bah!
Anyone who trots out that old 'jealousy' argument needs to have his keyboard confiscated. The Shenoy is apparently quite succesful enough by his own lights, anyway.
Sure JP, I cannot agree more. Anyways, If my guess of who the great JP is correct, then I am sure that your Keyboard skills (which BTW translates to your intellectual skills) automatically makes you a good candidate for the profile of a keyboard confiscator. I think you would do the world a good deal more that a way. Whatta boring comment. Sir, If you wanna be nasty or critical, Please do it the right way. I for one spoke my mind out; you are merely sucking up to shenoy.
Suck mine, anna mouse. Come out from behind your peeboard and register with your real name like a man. Or a woman. Or a eunuch.
'Sides you evidently do now know the right way to be anything except a scaredy-cat maksed man. Who doesn't evenblow up the Vidhana Soudha. I've killed you before and I'll kill you again. With love and a kiss.
Dear Jayprakash, "Ha Ha Ha "Now please listen to that in the Gabbar style soundtrack. Feels good when I frustrate someone and especially you. However, I really need to admit your perceptive skills, How did you know I was a Eunuch. BTW The literal translation of "An-Knon” in a Sub Dialect of saharan africa means "A Frustrating Eunuch". Well, I am making a statement here and a original one. Unlike you, who mooches off others ideas and thoughts, like a perpetual parasite (Example, Bedbug, Mosquito, Leech). The reason One other point, I addressed you as Jayprakash is because the acronym JP was used to identify a great Indian. I and several others think that calling you with the same acronym would be one of the biggest insults to the Great JP Narayan. So one small request, I would like to appeal to whatever is left of your patriotism to change your acronym to something which goes with your character. I personally refer you with a name and would like to suggest it, "PJ". Now its up to you to use it, however I would be recommending this as your name going forward.
Ultimately the great An-Knon saying “Refrain from scratching the balls of others. You might think you are doing them a favor but the fact is that your hands would get dirty"
See ya around
Hey An-Knon, who likes the V-for-Vendetta movie, theBekku should not be used for sling fests. I think I will start a Fight Club and would have personally invited you if only you were Knon, which in Sub Saharan Africa means non-frustrating man. And by your own admission, you’ve felt good by frustrating this guy(especially this guy) you targeted in your comment above. You know. That’s actually a compliment to JP. Bet you didn’t think of it. Eh? I leave it to JP now to answer the rest of your comment.
Dude, get your skeleton out of the closet and let us take a close look at you. I don’t know what you have against me and JP. Or is it that you actually don’t like ME primarily? And JP is merely guilty by association? Because looking up at the trail it all started by you calling me frustrated and jealous. And your comments against JP only started when he spoke about yours truly in answer to your comment. So which is it? Who are you? Stop with the personal attacks. Cease and desist!! Or else…
you seem like a guy who knows us both. and that doesn't say much for the people we know...to think an 'original' guy like you could be among them
wonder if sardesai likes his scratched by a frustrating eunuch?
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