Reading the newspaper on Independence Day: Decoding the lessons of history

I read the newspaper today, as we all do with the usual combination of boredom, exasperation, resignation, and mild interest.  But this morning’s exercise offered unexpected revelations courtesy the Times of India, which rewarded its readers with a six-page reprint of its historic 15 August 1947 edition. Contemplating this mini time capsule over my morning cup of coffee, I asked myself: have we come a long way, baby? Or just the wrong way? Big questions to hang on flimsy pieces of paper that can offer at best modest answers, perhaps, but which are nevertheless revealing. Placing the two TOI editions side by side—separated by 64 years of history—I decide to play a little game of ‘Spot the Difference’. What jumps out first are the front-page headlines. TOI 1947: The top headline rings bold and clear: Birth of India’s Freedom. Vying for immediate attention are the other two: “Lord Mountbatten Greets Pakistan” and “Frenzied Enthusiasm in Bombay.” As expected, the entire front page is monopolised by news of this watershed moment. No surprises here. TOI 2011: I can’t see the front-page headlines. What greets me first is a full-age ad for Hero MotoCorp celebrating “a billion heroes” but oddly makes no mention of the date or its significance. I turn the page and voila! Actually, not quite….There isn’t a single headline to inform the reader that this is indeed our big I-day, except for one that coyly hints at the same, urging the reader to “Catch the full magic of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ today.” A closer look reveals it to be an advertorial for “a unique limited edition of these verses.. presented to the nation” by TOI. Clearly we are a nation of billion heroes who can’t be bothered to acknowledge our 65th Independence Day unless there is some money to be made. This is in turn brings me to the ads themselves which offer revelations of their own. [caption id=“attachment_61128” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Image courtesy Times of India.”]  [/caption] TOI 1947: Most of the advertisements celebrate this historic occasion, a number of them offering greetings to both India and Pakistan. More striking are the themes they favour. The Dalmia-Jain company advertisement underlines “the responsibility of large industrial and commercial organisations, upon which depend so much India’s future prosperity and prestige”. It goes on to promise: “We, Allen Berry & Co., Ltd., pledge ourselves to maintain, and, where possible, to better our own high standards of service, and to do all in our power to uphold the standards and integrity of Indian commerce and integrity.” Such inflated rhetoric is ironic in retrospect given the long, rich history of crony capitalism in independent India. But right below… running along the bottom of each page are colour ads for the very 21st century Colgate Pro-Relief toothpaste promising little more than “freedom to enjoy a chilled lemonade on a hot day”. Guess we aren’t even pretending to give a damn about the corporate responsibility any more – which explains none of the ads in the 2011 edition even mention the same. TOI 2011: Sixty-five years later, I-day marketing campaigns are all about you, the consumer, not we, the nation.  LIC promises insurance that offers “Freedom to live your way”. Aquagard urges, “This Independence Day ensure you child is free from water-borne diseases.” What could be a better moment to embrace good parenting.  TimesJobs.com assures me, “It took 200 years of struggle to ensure our freedom; it will take you just a click.” Freedom’s just another word…for something new to buy. That said, TOI circa 1947 doesn’t always come out smelling roses, especially in its questionable editorial choices. Continues on the next page **TOI 1947:**I browse through five pages of stories on the market, messages from various British leaders, even Pondicherry, until I spot them: three tiny items, each not more than a 100 words, buried at the bottom of page 16, below news of latest movie releases. They read: “Exodus from Dacca”; “Riots break out in Alwar town”; “Fires blaze in Lahore.” The unfolding epic tragedy of Partition reduced to a couple of line so as not to ruin the nation’s mood. [caption id=“attachment_61134” align=“alignleft” width=“620” caption=“Image courtesy Times of India.”]  [/caption] To the modern eye, they read as a striking  abdication of journalistic ethics. We now live in a world that understands that news is news – however inflammatory or unwelcome, it must be reported. TOI 2011: Except for the questionable decision to lead with Shammi Kapoor’s death—as opposed to anything of national import on this historic day—there are no serious editorial faux pas here. If there were riots underway in some part of the country, it is hard to imagine them not making the front page, irrespective of timing. Besides, a news blackout is near impossible in this age of fierce market competition, broad internet access, and the ascendance of social media. A lesson some media outlets learned the hard way during the Radiia tapes scandal. The passage of history opens up new, unimagined possibilities while entirely erasing others. And nowhere is this more apparent than on the issue of Pakistan. TOI 1947: As I mentioned, there is extensive coverage of political developments unfolding across the border, and with little rancour or anxiety. The most noteworthy is an opinion piece titled, “Interdependence of India and Pakistan: Long-term defensive pact inevitable”: “Notwithstanding the political division of the country, the facts of geography and the strategic requirements of the sub-continent will make the armed forces of India and Pakistan interdependent. Co-ordination of defence between the two States is, therefore, in the best and common interest of both.” The 6-page Times of India on 15 August 1947 The article goes on to call for a long-term alliance ensures a coordination of policy, training, weapons, an officer exchange programme, and even “a joint Defence Council and a unified command during operations.” The idea today may be amusing, poignant or repugnant—depending on your politics—but it is  unarguably, entirely impossible. The clues of a more dystopian future is hidden in the map of independent India and Pakistan shown in a separate feature at the top the page. The caption says the map does not take into account “the considered attitude of some of the states in the two Unions… Though they are shown as white part of the Dominion of India, it is not yet certain which of the two Dominions, if at all, they will join.” Of the numerous states, it mentions only two: Hyderabad and Kashmir. TOI 2011: There’s Kashmir, hovering in bold letters in the banner at the top of the front page, next to Prime Minister Gilani’s photo, with the headline: “Pakistan Prime Minister Gilani calls Kashmir the ‘Jugular Vein’, Ready to Resolve All Issues.” According to the PTI story , Gilani in his I-day speech says he “wants to resolve issues with its neighbour India through the process of dialogue so that both countries can get rid of the blights of poverty, illiteracy and backwardness.” But also this: “Pakistan will continue to provide unhindered moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris so that they can get their rights.” The more things change….the worse they become. Points of contention turn into bitter, bloody stalemates that consume all alternative outcomes/futures. So what did I learn from this little game of mine? Certain outcomes are hard-coded into history, others bring unexpected blessings, but a few can be averted with greater awareness of who we are now, and from whence we have traveled. Surely crass materialism is one of them.