The Hindu : Karnataka News : No escape

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Tuesday, Apr 08, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

No escape

The increase in the number of television channels has been causing strange problems for VIPs who address press conferences and, Bangalore Police Commissioner Neelam Achutha Rao is one of these VIP victims.

Before the start of a press conference recently, Mr. Achutha Rao explained how the television cameramen have made life difficult for him. In their eagerness to shoot pictures from a better angle, the cameramen just jostle everyone around them. Mr. Achutha Rao said that on several occasions the cameramen had not spared him too. “I am of a lean build and how can I bear this treatment,” the Commissioner, jocularly, asked the mediapersons.

To offer some solace to Mr. Achutha Rao, a reporter explained the advantages enjoyed by the people of lean build. In a crowded bus, fellow commuters do not mind sharing the seat with lean people. Such people can easily sneak through a mob.

“Yes. I can give a slip to the elbowing cameramen. But they do not allow me to escape as they want me to pose with the accused or the seized articles,” Mr. Achutha Rao remarked.

‘Strong man’

A pro-Kannada leader and a former MLA, known for his protesting ways, staged a demonstration against Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad recently. Soon after the speech, the protesters planned to burn a poster of the Railway Minister, and provide a photo opportunity to the lensmen covering the event. The photo-journalists too were eager to leave the venue after freezing some frames.

As soon as the leader finished his speech, one of his followers tried to help this seasoned protester to set the poster on fire by handing a newspaper that was lit. To his dismay, he was unable to set the poster on fire as it was thick. The already anxious photo-journalists were forced to wait for the “photograph.” Meanwhile, attempts to set the poster on fire also went in vain.

A member from the media then remarked: “Sir, the poster will not catch fire easily. It is just as strong as the portfolio he is handling.” The leader smiled and ordered his associates to bring petrol to burn the poster of the “strong man”.

At the ‘receiving’ end

Lokayukta N. Santosh Hedge continues to receive calls on his mobile phone despite the launch of the Lokayukta Helpline.

“There will not be any change in the number of calls made to my phone,” Mr. Hegde said during the launch of the new facility when asked if the calls would now be diverted to the helpline. “People still will continue to call and hear my voice,” he said just as he got a call. The caller hung up after confirming that it was indeed Mr. Hegde answering the call.

“Once I got a call asking for my identity. The caller had stored my number as Lok,” Mr. Hegde said.

K.V. SUBRAMANYA,

T. MURALI, RAGHAVA M.

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