Yesterday (17-05-15), I watched one of my favorite programs, ‘Appki Adalat’ on India TV, hosted by Sri Rajat Sharma for the past 21 years. I have a lot of respect and appreciation for him. Despite being a staunch supporter of the BJP, he makes a genuine effort to remain objective and neutral during his interviews.
However, I was somewhat shocked to see our President and Prime Minister, along with many cabinet ministers and other political and public figures, including film stars, staying to watch the performance of the three famous ‘Khans’ of Bollywood actors.
I have nothing personal against these actors. I also understand that the Prime Minister and President attended the program on Rajat Sharma’s invitation to felicitate and commend him on the successful completion of 21 years of his show. I genuinely enjoyed the addresses given by both the PM and the President.
What followed was a performance by the actors. Shahrukh Khan asked Rajat Sharma about the number of girlfriends he had in his college days. Sharma humorously responded that Arun Jaitley, during his college days, was known for his moral policing, which prevented anyone from having girlfriends or falling in love.
It is within the actors’ rights to ask such questions and act in this manner on stage, and Rajat Sharma has the right to host such an event. However, it puzzled me why the PM and President, along with numerous cabinet ministers, chose to watch this performance.
Finding it rather uninteresting, I switched back to my regular program, unsure if the PM and President stayed until the end. Do they extend this level of attention and courtesy to all long-running programs, such as ‘Nee Ya Nana’ by Gopi Kumar on Vijay TV?
Although I am not an expert on the protocol surrounding the PM and President, as a common citizen, it disturbs me to see them participating in such events. I am not against their right to relaxation and entertainment, but their presence at such public events involves significant security arrangements and other services, which can inconvenience the public.
If they had left after felicitating Rajat Sharma, their participation could be justified. However, their decision to stay until the end of the program diminishes the respect associated with their positions as our representatives and sets a concerning precedent.
Indian democracy often involves interactions with and favors for famous media personalities, especially given the broad reach of electronic media. However, the actions of the Prime Minister and President in this context merit scrutiny.
Dayanand Bharati, 18-05-15
Gurukulam
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