The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Reporter's Diary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 12, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Reporter's Diary

Black cats? No problem!

PICKPOCKETS in Bangalore have once again proved that neither the police nor elite Black Cat commandoes can prevent them from carrying out their job with utmost ease.

When the Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani recently addressed a public meeting at the National High School grounds to mark the 30th anniversary of the Emergency, a huge posse of policemen was deployed at the venue. In addition to the local police, gun-totting black cat commandoes were guarding Mr. Advani.

After the public meeting, a reporter from a news agency shouted that his wallet was missing. Someone had stolen his wallet which contained Rs. 1,500!

Too enthusiastic?

SOME GOVERNMENT agencies believe in overkill when it comes to disseminating information to the media just as others try to guard information as though it is taboo to be free with the media.

The Bangalore Development Authority had a delayed event on Monday to display to the public its revised comprehensive draft Master Plan 2015 for the metropolitan area. No reporter or photographer missed this much-publicised event, but the BDA public relations team still thought it necessary to issue a press release late in the day, making reporters frantically go through their reports once again to check if they had left out anything.

Preparing for rain

CLOUDY DAYS bring cheer to farmers but gloom to city dwellers. In fact, sudden cloudbursts are called spoilsports by many of us living in cities, especially reporters, who have to rush from one assignment to another. The wet and sodden experience is "enhanced" when the reporter has to sit through an event in an air-conditioned hall. Reporters with more foresight and experience have learned over the years that it is wise to keep a waterproof jacket with a hood ready. Some even keep an extra pair of socks and a spare shirt in their lockers for rainy day emergencies, which happen all too frequently in July and August.

K.V. Subramanya and

K. Satyamurty

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