A FRANKY PLEASE... WITH LOTS OF MUSTARD
We think Herald completely missed the drift in this story.
Perhaps even Franky Fernandes aka Gerard did not realise how big it actually was. Instead of publishing it in the Herald, we really think Frank should have pitched it to the NDTV. It was that big.
In the story we have reproduced below, Herald has preferred to use the Jamir-tata-Naga peg, but in doing so, they probably missed out on the big one.
Somewhere later in the story, Franky claims that his sources (check the story out, he has them all over the place, Raj Bhawan, Intelligence Bureau in Delhi, everywhere) told him that..
"...frontline Naga rebel group, the faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland headed by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah (NSCN-IM), began peace negotiations with Union Minister Oscar Fernandes and K Padmanabhaiah on July 30, for the first time in almost a decade of ceasefire..."
Now www.satp.org is the largest website on terrorism and low intensity warfare in South Asia, and creates the database and analytic context for research and analysis of all extremist movements in the region. (courtesy www.satp.org)
The site carries a chronology of peace talks the state has had with the NSCN-IM. According to this data former union home secretary K Padmanabhaiah has held talks with the IM faction of the NSCN around 15 times since 1999. Oscar Fernandes has held parleys four times since 2005. Hmmm... strike one... the Delhi source not up to the mark.
Then Franky's source drops the bomb. This other source Franky claims in nestled somewhere in Raj Bhawan. The source tells Franky that the Goa Governor S C Jamir called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to apprise her on Goa's political developments... These are his words...
In fact, Jamir did also show his willingness to the Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, when he called on her last month to apprise her on Goa’s political developments.
Since when did Governors drop by the homes of party heads to talk politics? In our form of democracy, a Governor is an apolitical constitutional authority, which reports only to the President of India.
If Jamir has at all done what Franky's source in the Raj Bhawan has alleged, this is a scandal. Someone copy this story to NDTV please... It would run as prime time's lead story at least for a day.
Or on second thoughts, maybe the source was just thinking aloud and Franky caught it and stuffed it in his pockets. Or maybe it was Franky thinking aloud and his gun-mike caught it. hehehe
Remember that impish weirdo Marcelius Dsouza who used to work for the Herald sometime back, whose 'eavesdropping interview' made history, when Maharasthra governor C Subramanium earned the ire of P V Narasimha Rao and had to resign... even wikipedia has a bit about this...
Hey Franky... tighten up buddy... too many cracks in it to hold any water...
C. Subramaniam was appointed Governor of Maharashtra in 1990. He transformed the Raj Bhavan into a beehive of activity by holding frequent meetings with leading academics, industrialists, representatives of non-governmental organisations and prominent citizens on issues crucial to the community. He had to resign after a newspaper reporter overheard and published an informal remark of his criticising the style of functioning of the then Indian Prime Minister, Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Perhaps even Franky Fernandes aka Gerard did not realise how big it actually was. Instead of publishing it in the Herald, we really think Frank should have pitched it to the NDTV. It was that big.
In the story we have reproduced below, Herald has preferred to use the Jamir-tata-Naga peg, but in doing so, they probably missed out on the big one.
Somewhere later in the story, Franky claims that his sources (check the story out, he has them all over the place, Raj Bhawan, Intelligence Bureau in Delhi, everywhere) told him that..
"...frontline Naga rebel group, the faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland headed by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah (NSCN-IM), began peace negotiations with Union Minister Oscar Fernandes and K Padmanabhaiah on July 30, for the first time in almost a decade of ceasefire..."
Now www.satp.org is the largest website on terrorism and low intensity warfare in South Asia, and creates the database and analytic context for research and analysis of all extremist movements in the region. (courtesy www.satp.org)
The site carries a chronology of peace talks the state has had with the NSCN-IM. According to this data former union home secretary K Padmanabhaiah has held talks with the IM faction of the NSCN around 15 times since 1999. Oscar Fernandes has held parleys four times since 2005. Hmmm... strike one... the Delhi source not up to the mark.
Then Franky's source drops the bomb. This other source Franky claims in nestled somewhere in Raj Bhawan. The source tells Franky that the Goa Governor S C Jamir called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to apprise her on Goa's political developments... These are his words...
In fact, Jamir did also show his willingness to the Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, when he called on her last month to apprise her on Goa’s political developments.
Since when did Governors drop by the homes of party heads to talk politics? In our form of democracy, a Governor is an apolitical constitutional authority, which reports only to the President of India.
If Jamir has at all done what Franky's source in the Raj Bhawan has alleged, this is a scandal. Someone copy this story to NDTV please... It would run as prime time's lead story at least for a day.
Or on second thoughts, maybe the source was just thinking aloud and Franky caught it and stuffed it in his pockets. Or maybe it was Franky thinking aloud and his gun-mike caught it. hehehe
Remember that impish weirdo Marcelius Dsouza who used to work for the Herald sometime back, whose 'eavesdropping interview' made history, when Maharasthra governor C Subramanium earned the ire of P V Narasimha Rao and had to resign... even wikipedia has a bit about this...
Hey Franky... tighten up buddy... too many cracks in it to hold any water...
C. Subramaniam was appointed Governor of Maharashtra in 1990. He transformed the Raj Bhavan into a beehive of activity by holding frequent meetings with leading academics, industrialists, representatives of non-governmental organisations and prominent citizens on issues crucial to the community. He had to resign after a newspaper reporter overheard and published an informal remark of his criticising the style of functioning of the then Indian Prime Minister, Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao.
posted by Pen Pricks at
22:53
4 Comments:
Hey Pricks,
I just remembered reading about a cease fire talk in Nagaland between NSCN-IM and the Union Govt in Frontline. Here's the link:
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2417/stories/20070907502103300.htm
It does show that there were talks on July 30th or 31st (whatever be the date...)
But Franky does seem to have his count wrong when he says "for the first time in almost a decade of ceasefire."
Secondly, I had a small comment about the following that you wrote:
"In our form of democracy, a Governor is an apolitical constitutional authority, which reports only to the President of India."
Don't you think Jamir reporting to The Prez, and the Prez then reporting it to Sonia is a too long process ?? ;-)
Anon 1: State of affairs my friend... state of affairs... well put
The last I heard about Franky was that he was doing some compering in some Gulf state. then he emailed from washington, maybe doing some more MCing there.
since then I guess, the news sense of Franky got a bit wonky or muddled or fuddled or was musically inclined than trying to figure out whether Isac Muivah met the top brass from Delhi, or was it the Delhi guys who initiated the talks; or was it that both parties agreed to forget the earlier meetings and start afresh.... u get the drift, it is a bit confusing.
Maybe the nagas have been having unfruitfull discussions since eons, that is why Franky turned them over to a new leaf.
conclusion: we do best what we are best at. trying to count many eggs in too many baskets will leave us with egg in the face.
Dunno man... but lets discuss this over a tandoor langoor dinner ;)
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