Magic of media mikes

That stack of mikes can make celebrities of otherwise ordinaries. I wonder if the faces in the photograph (The Hindu) had so many media microphones so poised at them, before their Team Anna avatar . It has helped Mr Arvind Kejriwal and Ms Kiran Bedi acquire, what could be termed, a paparazzi status.  But then it carries a flipside. You can’t keep your tax returns or travel bills from media reports and social networking sites.

Admittedly, these are trying times for these notables.  And when the media hangs on to  every word  uttered  some of us tend to speak  a bit much ,   saying things that may sound gibberish.  For instanse Mr Kejriwal would have one believe fudging travel bills by Kiran Bedi doesn’t involve corruption.  Says Team Anna spokesman, “It is a matter between Ms Bedi and those who invited her. If anyone felt wronged, they can demand the money back”
I wouldn’t have the temerity to say such a thing  even in a drawing-room chat,  let alone at a Team Anna press conference. Must say,  Mr Kejriwal says it with flourish,  even if what he says doesn’t carry conviction.  But then the likes of Mr Kejriwal,  enamored with his new-found status,  would  find a microphone held out to him only so long as Team Anna is seen as prime-time by TV channels.  Whether Mr Kejriwal and Ms Bedi keep things this way depend, in parts,  on how they conduct their personal affairs,  and what they speak for the camera.

When it comes to public exposure the law of diminishing returns sets in, if you don’t weigh your words before before they are uttered. Maybe Ms Bedi and Mr Kejriwal could consider emulating  leader Anna Hazare.  Take to self-imposed media silence for a while. I don’t suppose India Against Corruption is likely lose its voice because a couple of core members maintain media silence. After all, as  Mr Kejriwal himself put it,  ‘this is people’s movement, not the core committee’s’.

Kiran (TA) Bedi

She has had many middle names -  Kiran ‘Crane’ Bedi,  Kiran (‘Tihar’) Bedi;  and now Kiran ( ‘TA’) Bedi   (of  Team Anna). Some people say the  ‘TA’  refers to Kiran (‘travel allowance’) Bedi.  That is rather uncharitable because,  I believe,  Ms Bedi is  guilty of  what lots of others do as a matter of routine -  fudging expense accounts.  Babus manipulate  leave travel claims;  bureaucrats,  medical reps., and  journalists, fudge tour bills.

A confession here may be in order.  During my Times of India years (1980-90s) I have,  on occasions,  billed the office First-class rail fare and travelled in 3rd sleeper.  I was not entitled to airfare those days.  And I have claimed a  reporter’s daily entitlement (Rs.750), even on travels in a media group at the expense of organisers. This was standard operating procedure with many media persons in my days.  And accounts dept. passed our bills,  with no questions asked.  ‘Don’t-ask, don’t-tell’ was how we kept our affairs under the lid.

A former management consultant,  David Craig,  in his whistle-blower of a book – Rip-Off - speaks of his industry’s  seven deadly scams, of which the first one pertains to the deal  a business consultancy does with travel agents/airline to secure  travel rebate on business tours that  are paid for by clients. The consultancy invoices the clients for full travel/hotel costs. The resultant windfall goes to the bosses.

Ms Bedi,  invited to a speaking engagement in Mumbai,  billed her host ‘executive’ class airfare from Delhi. She,  however,  flew ‘economy’class,  from Pune.  Ms Bedi’s host – the Aviation Industry Employees Guild – paid Rs.31,578  by way of return fare from Delhi by Indian Airlines.   As a gallentry award winner Ms Bedi is entitled to concessional fare in Indian Airlines.

A multitude of white-collar folks merrily fudge expense accounts , with no one thinking any less of them. But then Ms Bedi,  as a person in public life,  can’t afford violation of the 11th Commandment -  ‘Thou shall not be found out’.  A flag-waving anti-corruption activist , Ms Bedi gets invited to TV talk shows every other day as spokesperson for Team Anna.  Wonder  if TV channels pay talk-heads fee for appearances.

Getting caught fudging travel bills was bad enough. What is worse,  Ms Bedi on TV sought to justify it,  saying the savings she made went to a trust account -  that of India Vision Foundation (IVF),  of which Ms. Bedi is a founder.  ‘Since when did saving become a crime ?’, said she, in an SMS exchange with The Hindu.  Far from admitting her guilt , over-charging her host,  she faulted them for lacking  in grace – ‘I did a favour by going to them (for) free,  not charging even speaker’s fee’.  Her host – The Aviation Industry Employees Guild – had invited Ms Bedi to be chief guest for an International Women’s Day function in Mumbai,  in March 2009.  This was the event  for which Ms Bedi said she didn’t charge a speaker’s fee.  I didn’t realize Ms Bedi expects payment for public appearances to promote a cause.