Stay strong, stay inspired
May 30, 2006
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article against reservations and sent
it to a trusted journalist friend (TJF). The article was in the form of
an open letter to the prime minister. TJF replied that even though the
article sounded heartfelt and the arguments were valid, she could not
use it. The reason, she said, was simple. She told me a lot of what I
was saying had already been said. The case for merit, equality, Indian
competitiveness was already out in the open. Her newspaper would not
repeat the same argument again.
'What more do the upper castes want?'
I took her point and withdrew the article. However, it struck me that
in many situations, the media will not cover something relevant just
because well, it is not entertaining enough.
I had a call with another senior journalist friend (yes, I have
journalists as friends -- I have no life, I know). We discussed the
reservation issue -- on how it was practically more relevant to middle class
Indians than any other issue. While the issue does get coverage, it has not
ignited minds and galvanised the middle class. Somehow the issue is not
getting as forceful a treatment. Fanaa's ban in Gujarat attracted far
more media space for instance.
"The reason quite simply is the lack of a dramatic event. Ten years
back, kids were burning themselves. Nothing of that sort is happening now.
And the media is so immune now, to get them interested young people
need to do more", was what she told me.
I am not here to do moral posturing. And I do respect her opinion. So I
will not go into the "Media these days" rant. I will only take some
lessons from a senior person in the media and try to give some tips to the
activists to make sure their protests are more effective. After all,
the point of making a noise is to be heard. And to be heard, one doesn't
have to burn himself -- that is foolish and a one-time flash in the
pan. If you want to do an effective protest, learn from the past masters
-- and who better than Mahatma Gandhi.
In photographs, Mahatma Gandhi is a frail, saintly figure. However,
what is often ignored is his magical ability to make a point and attract
attention. He had no advertising budgets or PR managers. There were very
few media outlets then. And he had only one, constant -- freedom. Yet,
he dominated media space for decades and ultimately won. There is no
reason why we cannot learn a few tips from him, some of which I list
below. And you can get these checked by any media professional; they would
tend to agree that this is a way to get yourself heard.
1. Keep a visual -- This is vital in today's multimedia world.
Newspapers need to be colourful to compete with television, and a television is
not a television without a visual. Gandhi kept a visual -- salt march
(everyone remembers the scooping of salt), burning British made clothes,
operating the charkha and more. Placards are boring. Do something else
-- a huge bonfire, human chains -- be creative, make it easier for
NDTV. They will come, I promise.
2. Emotions more than Reason -- Whenever activists talk to the media,
always keep emotions in the forefront. Brooding anger, tears, banging
fists is far more interesting than statistics on caste based
demographics. Tell people what you think about the issue -- you are on the
editorial page. Tell people what you feel about the issue -- you are on the
front page.
3. Intentions more than Action -- This is a trick most used by our
politicians even today. In reality, actions alone matter. However, our
politicians keep saying 'our intention is to lift the backward castes', and
they almost sound reasonable. Of course, the actions only divide the
country and kill merit -- but they hide in the garb of purported good
intentions. Protestors can do the same. They may be blocking traffic --
but harp on the intentions: 'But this is for Saraswati mata -- knowledge
should decide'. (Think about it -- the politicians will be scared to
take on Saraswati mata or if you mix any religious sentiment in your
favour). Alongside, attack the other party's intentions -- 'they are only
doing reservations for selfish political gain' (which is probably true).
4. Don't hurt yourself -- Burning yourself or even hunger strikes are
very dangerous tools. There is no guarantee they will be effective. If
they don't work, you will be seen as weak. Gandhi used a hunger strike
rarely, and only after he had decades of experience.
5. Find a simple, interesting slogan -- Gandhi always had a simple
slogan. It gives two benefits -- one it makes it easier to pass through
word of mouth with minimal distortion. Secondly, it fits into the limited
headline space in newspapers. In media terms, this is called 'the
hook'. The reservation movement has no slogan yet. Find one. My suggestions:
"No suck-up politics" OR "India on Merit only"
The above points are important to make your cause heard. Ignore them
and the world will ignore you. Play them right and the media is on your
side. Trust me; the reservation issue has bothered a lot of people in
the media too.
I personally feel very strongly against reservations, and I wish the
agitators all the best. I give the above tips as my small contribution
towards tackling this monumental issue that will take effort from all of
us. I am writing this article for an online site so that you can
forward it to all friends who feel the same about reservations.
You are standing up for fairness, God will be with you. Stay strong,
stay inspired.
Chetan Bhagat is the author of the bestselling 'One Night@the Call
Center' and 'Five Point Someone'
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