Of newsroom buzz and breaking (off-centre) news

Mumbai newsrooms are usually a whole different story from those in the capital, with its focus on national politics, favours, making friends, ensuring you get invited to the right parties for “top ministerial” single malt, and attacking someone else’s enemies for some later benefit

There are times when I sorely miss the buzz, energy, excitement and action of a newsroom. This is obviously the case when there is a major newsbreak, but no less so when there is some really quirky development too.

One of the stories which are likely to make an impact in the near future is the P Chidambaram case where the former finance and home minister is in the snare of the Income-Tax (I-T) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) departments, but his fate depends on two occupants of Arthur Road jail – Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukherjea. (HT File)

Like justice Sarang Kotwal, heading Bombay high court’s (HC) single bench in the bail application of Bhima Koregaon case accused, questioning the choice of books read by Vernon Gonsalves, particularly ‘War and Peace’.

Everybody assumed this was the classic written by Leo Tolstoy. It’s since been clarified that the book referred to was ‘War and Peace in Junglemahal: People, State and Maoists’, not Tolstoy’s. Yet the court’s observation is no less bizarre for that.

The curious logic applied and the ramifications it carries for the accused as well as society can’t be brushed aside. It’s a story that demands 360% examination, including fun features and lampooning cartoons/comments to go with regular reportage.

Mumbai newsrooms are usually a whole different story from those in the capital, with its focus on national politics, favours, making friends, ensuring you get invited to the right parties for “top ministerial” single malt, and attacking someone else’s enemies for some later benefit.

Being away from the “centre” of power has a different excitement for a journalist in every other city in the country. In Mumbai, given the nature of the city, money, crime, civic issues, glamour and cricket, usually take precedence over national and even state politics, though that is admittedly changing with time.

Some might question why I’ve included cricket in this list. But ever wonder why so many politicians and luminaries are so big in the cricket world? Because it gives them proximity to money, which in turn gives proximity to more power and together the facility to stay in the news all the time.

This is not restricted to Maharashtra alone, but is true of most state cricket associations across the country. In fact, most sports federations – badminton, kabaddi, football, wrestling and boxing to name some – are helmed by politicians.

Might seem anomalous, considering few sports federations have the kind of money, which is available to cricket. I suppose in these cases, power in itself is the attraction. Of course, how much sport has benefited from politicians is moot.

My own assessment is very little. I am not complaining, mind you. Such issues’ matters are the staple diet of the media and which make newsrooms come alive!

Meanwhile, let me turn my gaze on some stories emerging from Mumbai, which are likely to make an impact in the near future:

1) The P Chidambaram case where the former finance and home minister is in the snare of the Income-Tax (I-T) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) departments, but his fate depends on two occupants of Arthur Road jail – Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukherjea.

The Mukherjeas are undertrials in a sensational murder case – the killing of Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora – but that hasn’t stopped the government from using “approver” statements from them to explore in the financial chicanery of the INX Media case – another crime in which they are the prime players – to indict Chidambaram. Which way this case will go is anybody’s guess.

2) Raj Thackeray, chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), is also being interrogated by the ED. The agency claims there’s prima facie case against Raj, but conspiracy theories abound as to why he’s been charged over a project from which he long exited. Is it because of his railings against Prime Minister Modi in the long run-up to the 2019 general elections?

Interestingly, Raj’s cousin Uddhav, an ally of Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has spoken out in his favour, in spite of the long-standing supposed enmity between the two. As state elections approach, will family ties show up stronger than political exigencies? Will the Shiv Sena still stand behind Raj?

3) How will Mumbai fare in cricket? This has implications for the city as well as nationally. Last season wasn’t gratifying and even before a ball has been bowled this season, there have been controversies galore.

What is astonishing is that a city that has produced the most Test cricketers for the country, and from where the chief coach for the national team, Ravi Shastri, comes, should struggle to find a coach in domestic cricket!

Dr Makarand Waingankar, who has done a thesis on Mumbai cricket, believes it is because of the “absence of leadership”.

This is a sad comment on a system that has produced the like of Gavaskar, Shastri, Tendulkar et al. (Vengsarkar being the honourable exception for the years of service he has put in after his playing days).

I’m waiting to see which cricket stalwart from the city is willing to take on the onus.