Wrong to Mock Modi’s Teleprompter Gaffe
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s teleprompter gaffe at the World Economic Forum where Modi seemingly struggled to deliver his speech after the teleprompter stopped working is being trolled on social media. These trolls contend that the Prime Minister cannot make a speech without looking at the teleprompter, which according to them is a weakness, and are using this incident to attack Modi. When the repeated blunders that Modi has made so far are before us, how right is it to project the teleprompter gaffe as a major problem and thereby the country’s failure? Adopting the Sangh Parivar’s strategy of repeating a lie till it becomes the truth would be akin to looking away from the real issues. Public discourse should be about presenting the real issues that the country is facing, not mocking at the Prime Minister’s colour, language, or his eloquence or lack of it.
First, the veracity of the fact that Modi stopped his speech midway due to the glitch in the teleprompter needs to be examined. Initially, when the Prime Minister was struggling for words people, assumed that the teleprompter stopped working and several websites were quick to share the videos. But the reality was something different. Modi had apparently stopped speaking not because of the teleprompter but because the event organizers had asked him to stop as the audience was unable to hear him that caused him to stutter a bit. But the initial misconception spread like wildfire in social media. True, if an incident like this had occurred when Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, Sangh Parivar’s karyakarthas and trolls would have celebrated it. Even if we were to assume that Modi stammered due to the teleprompter’s malfunctioning, then the criticism should be directed against the quality of the teleprompter and the irresponsibility of the organizers, not against the Prime Minister.
Moreover, the question is whether it is absolutely necessary that a Prime Minister must be eloquent. These days, it appears that the more eloquent a leader is, the more dangerous it is to the country. Prime Minister Modi is an example. Good speakers mesmerize people through their words. The country has rarely found good, eloquent speakers who are also seasoned politicians. Of these, Jawaharlal Nehru stands out. With his words and programmes, Nehru contributed immensely not only to the country but also to the Third World. At the same time, although Manmohan Singh was not a great orator, the entire world respected his words as he is one of the tallest economists in the world. Prime Minister Modi has so far entertained people through his speeches but Modi’s bhakths are coming to know where the country has reached today. That Modi cannot deliver a speech without a teleprompter is not the issue at all. What needs to be discussed is whether, regardless of the presence of the teleprompter, his speeches have a vision. In the entire teleprompter fiasco, the lies that Modi delivered at the World Economic Forum about the state of the country were not discussed at all.
More than the appropriateness of a Prime Minister using a teleprompter, the compulsory use of a teleprompter by someone occupying a top position such as the Prime Minister’s office must be emphasised. Speaking from such a responsible position, it is important to ensure that words are used carefully as otherwise, words that are misunderstood or misconstrued could lead to dangerous situations. It is therefore important that the Prime Minister is well aware of what he is talking about, and he uses the help of different media to read his speeches. This is a good time to note that Modi’s blind followers are responsible for pushing him to this situation. They projected Modi’s speeches as the greatest gifts for the country instead of focusing on his administration. The behaviour of his followers is also responsible for the discussions around the teleprompter. It is high time Modi bhakths who are always focusing on the ‘positive energies’ in his speeches realize that the Prime Minister’s job is not only to deliver speeches but also to take the country on the path of development and start critiquing Modi’s administration.
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Centre in SC 'strongly' opposes setting up ex judges panel to monitor stubble burning
New Delhi, Nov 22: The Centre on Friday opposed in the Supreme court a proposal to form a committee of former apex court judges to oversee the implementation of measures to curb stubble burning, a key contributor to Delhi-NCR’s air pollution.
The suggestion was put forth before a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, hearing a case related to the rising pollution in Delhi-NCR, by senior advocate and amicus curiae Aparajita Singh.
She sought to leverage the expertise of judges as part of the proposed fact-finding committee.
The amicus said the judges had previously dealt with air pollution and stubble burning issues.
A bench headed by former Supreme Court's Justice Madan B Lokur had heard pleas related to pollution and the role of stubble burning as a contributing factor in the past.
In 2020, a bench headed by the then CJI Justice S A Bobde set up a panel headed by Justice Lokur to deal with the issues relating to stubble burning. The order was later recalled.
On Friday, the amicus curiae proposed that a committee of these judges could monitor and hear all stakeholders, including farmers and government authorities, for a comprehensive approach to address the crisis.
"A committee of experienced judges familiar with these issues could efficiently oversee the situation and hear individual grievances,” said Singh.
The proposal, however, was met with strong resistance from Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre.
Bhati asserted the Centre and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) were taking adequate measures and that adding another oversight layer would be counterproductive.
"We strongly oppose this suggestion. There is no need for an additional judicial committee as your lordships are already monitoring the situation. We are answering all concerns, correcting shortcomings, and making progress,” said ASG Bhati while opposing the creation of "any more tier".
The amicus clarified her suggestion was for a fact-finding committee, but Bhati countered the statement, saying the government was already working with the available data and frameworks to address the issue effectively.
During the hearing, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan highlighted that changes in the timing of stubble burning, coupled with seasonal wind patterns, had worsened Delhi’s air quality.
The amicus curiae further flagged discrepancies in data reported by the CAQM and other sources regarding burnt areas in Punjab and Haryana.
"The burnt area in Punjab has increased to 19.1 lakh hectare from 15.1 lakh hectare in 2021, a 24% rise. Similarly, Haryana’s burnt area rose from 3.5 lakh hectare in 2021 to 8.3 lakh hectare in 2023. This contrasts with CAQM data, which claims a reduction in farm fires in Haryana,” Singh said, raising concerns about the accuracy of official reports.
The ASG defended the CAQM’s methodology, arguing that reliance on unverified sensors would undermine the process.
The amicus curiae, however, emphasised the need for scientifically validated protocols involving experts, with Punjab and Haryana also participating in the efforts.
The bench observed that while satellites could detect farm fires, burnt area showed their exact extent.
"We would like to have that data," it said.
In an order on November 18, the top court directed the Centre and the CAQM to procure farm fire data using geostationary satellites, as opposed to NASA’s polar-orbiting satellites, to ensure real-time monitoring.
The court noted that existing data from NASA satellites was limited to specific time windows and directed the involvement of ISRO in utilising stationary satellites for comprehensive day-long monitoring.
The court will review compliance with these directions and the latest developments on stubble burning measures in its next hearing.
