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It’s not often that established TV news anchors get their comeuppance – yaani ki, a taste of their own bitter medicine. But so it came to pass this week, when not one but three prominent TV news personalities, Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami, Zee News’ Sudhir Chaudhary and News Nation’s Deepak Chaurasia, found themselves face-to-face with ‘tukde-tukde’ of what they define as the Left-liberal Lutyens’ lobby and discovered what it was like to be badgered, berated, bullied – and silenced. (If this sentence doesn’t win a prize for alliteration, what will?)

In a way, they came face-to-face with themselves: for once, they were the targets, not the firing squad. And from their responses, you could tell it wasn’t a very pleasurable experience.

Goswami’s ‘encounter’ occurred off-camera but was captured on a mobile phone camera and spread far and wide by social media: during a verbal assault by comedian Kunal Kamra on an Indigo flight, he studiously studied something on his lap, behind dark glasses. He maintained a stony silence, seemed unmoved by Kamra’s attack. Nor did he refer to the incident on his Wednesday or Tuesday shows.

I did this for my hero…

I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo — Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020

Chaudhary and Chaurasia, Monday, visited the latest heritage site in India, arguably more famous than even the Taj Mahal right now – Shaheen Bagh. They were escorted by Delhi Police and by their camera crews up to a police barricade — on the other side, were the women of Shaheen Bagh, shaking their hands from side to side in a gesture that said, so far and no further, those who trespass are not welcome. They then sang the national anthem.

Despite requests from the two TV anchors, the Shaheen Bagh protesters refused to engage with them. The rejected suitors were understandably dejected: it’s not every day that their advances are so easily spurned — after all, people are only too eager to visit their TV studios.

However, Chaudhary and Chaurasia are made of stern stuff and so they stood their ground: they talked to each other on camera and criticised the lack of social grace displayed by the women of Shaheen Bagh (at least they could have been offered some biryani!).

Also read: Kamra-Goswami saga: from Wright Brothers to ‘lowly pest’, Kunal Kamra is a Twitter legend

Shows that go on

Later in his nightly show DNA, Sudhir Chaudhary sounded very much like a man scorned: he alleged that Shaheen Bagh was “Dilli ka Kashmir” where Article 370 was still in place. “If you are not part of the tukde tukde gang you are not allowed in,” he complained, adding that he felt he was entering “another country”.

That would be Pakistan, of course. If Zee News does not spend at least 30 minutes every evening attacking the neighbouring country, it wouldn’t be Zee News. Monday, it showcased ‘Operation 40 days’ in which the Indian armed forces would take back Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK); on Tuesday, it was ‘240 hours’ in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan for PoK would be executed (Zee Hindustan).

But we digress. Back to the anchors and their opponents. In both cases, the anchors were given a mouthful – something they do daily to others, on their TV shows.

Also read: On JNU violence, video war on India’s news channels: Times Now aired 10, Republic TV had 7

Bad choice, Kamra

That, however, doesn’t justify Kunal Kamra’s outburst. It was ill-advised – it shouldn’t be excused on the grounds that he was simply doing what Goswami does on air – you can’t employ the same means that you criticise in others.

Kamra is a comedian who appears on live gigs; he is also very active on social media. So, there was no need to accost Arnab Goswami, in person. Had he stuck to his jokes at the anchor’s expense, he could have made him the laughing stock of TV which would have yielded far more satisfying results.

As it is, the encounter ended up harming Kamra more than Goswami.

@MoCA_GoI @HardeepSPuri In light of the recent incident on board 6E 5317 from Mumbai to Lucknow, we wish to inform that we are suspending Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with IndiGo for a period of six months, as his conduct onboard was unacceptable behaviour. 1/2 — IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) January 28, 2020

The latter emerged from the incident smelling of roses, praised for his forbearance in the face of provocation — and with the full backing of the Modi government after Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted his disapproval of Kamra’s “offensive behaviour” and recommended that airlines boycott him — which, of course, they all too obediently did immediately, barring Vistara.

Offensive behaviour designed to provoke & create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers safety of air travellers. We are left with no option but to advise other airlines to impose similar restrictions on the person concerned. https://t.co/UHKKZfdTVS — Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 28, 2020

#FlyAI: In view of the incident onboard @IndiGo6E, Air India wishes to inform that conduct of Person concerned is unacceptable.With a view to discourage such behavior onboard flts, Mr Kunal Kamra is suspended from flying on any Air India flt until further notice. @HardeepSPuri . — Air India (@airindiain) January 28, 2020

SpiceJet has decided to suspend Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with the airline till further notice. @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @HardeepSPuri @IndiGo6E — SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) January 29, 2020

GoAir has suspended Mr. Kunal Kamra from flying with the airline till further notice @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia @HardeepSPuri @IndiGo6E — GoAir (@goairlinesindia) January 29, 2020

In fact, the airlines did Kamra a favour by declaring him persona non grata so hastily — everyone could sympathise with him for being victimised without even a complaint against him.

Also read: Zee News, Times Now, Aaj Tak must perish in 2020. India’s TV news needs to go back a decade

Shaheen Bagh

As for the protesters of Shaheen Bagh, they ought to have allowed Chaudhary & Chaurasia into their parlour, offered them hospitality, a cuppa tea, and sent them about their business.

By refusing to entertain the two anchors who they consider ‘godi media’ when others like Ravish Kumar (NDTV India) are welcome, they missed an opportunity to engage with those who disagree with them.

If you must take people to task, follow the example of Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s chief minister. He has appeared at town hall sessions telecast live across news channels – and he didn’t pick favourites.

And so, there he was at NDTV 24×7 and at Times Now. Rahul Shivshankar hosted him at Times Now and did his best to patronise Delhi’s CM, corner him with tough questions. Arvind Kejriwal kept his cool and then at an opportune moment, launched a counter-attack in which he told Shivshankar that his channel promoted the Hindu-Muslim divide, that it didn’t have the courage to question the Modi government on India’s economy — otherwise it would be shut down, etcetera, etcetera.

The audience applauded and Shivshankar, at least momentarily, was silenced.

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