April 2003: US in Iraq, Vajpayee’s Pak initiative
and Worldview India
Saeed Naqvi
Dated: 16-04-2021.
April,
2003, was the cruellest month for the people of Iraq, a month of reflection on
Pakistan by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and a rare opportunity for
Worldview India, a dedicated group of Indian journalists who helped lift the
mist from the historic events that month.
Americans
had occupied Iraq, by April 3. Vice
President Dick Cheney, the real author of the operation, was eager to declare
victory on April 9. It was to be a spectacular media event. After all, Cheyney
had embedded 300 plus journalists with the forces.
The
choreography was audacious. In a prepared statement Dick Cheyney would declare
victory on Global Media. This statement would be interspersed with images of an
ecstatic, popular upsurge pulling down the statue of Saddam Hussain at Firdous
square. Cheyney’s talking head would alternate with the slow fall of the statue.
Cheyney would never have dreamt that all the back channel tricks that had gone
into the manufacture of the memorable spectacle would be exposed. For the first time in the
history of Indian journalism, Worldview India had posted camera units/ cum
reporters in Baghdad, Najaf, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Amman, Lebanon. Some of these
reporters happened to be in Palestine hotel, witness to the real story – the one
the world was not supposed to know.
Contrary
to the narrative of a popular uprising toppling the statue, the Americans had
to think on their feet: they had to improvise the iconic images because the
popular upsurge had simply not materialized. US marines were mobilized to “lasso”
the neck of the statue and have it pulled down by cranes. CNN, premier
cheerleader for the occupation, has to this day incorporated a video of the
statue as a lasting symbol of Americans replacing a “brutal” dictatorship with democracy.
As
we know from the experience of various “colour revolutions”, camera angles can
amplify a handful of people (in this case the workers of Palestine hotel) into
a revolution on the march. True, the sole super power can arrange for a statue
to be pulled down, but how does it show images of crowds celebrating Saddam
Hussein’s fall?
1991-92
Shia uprising in Najaf and Karbala encouraged by operation Desert Storm was harshly
put down by Saddam Hussain. The only images of the damaged shrine of Imam
Hussain was brought to the world by a TV crew led by this reporter. The Shia
refugees from this almost unreported conflict had been settled in a vast ghetto
on the outskirts of Baghdad. It was named, like much else in Iraq those days,
as Saddam City.It dawned on Cheyney’s team that one group of people thrilled at
the “fall of Saddam were actually the
inmates of the nearby ghetto, teeming
with disgruntled Shias.
A
deal was struck with the controversial cleric, Muqtada Sadr. Saddam city was
renamed “Sadr” city. That is when celebrations erupted on the streets of
Baghdad. Crowds from Sadr city trampled on posters of Saddam Hussain and beat
it with their Sandals. American romance with the Shias of Iraq burgeoned. On
March 20, 2005, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times recommended Grand
Ayatullah Ali Sistani for the Nobel Prize. Sistani remains the blue-eyed
Ayatullah because he differs with Tehran on the clergy’s role in governing the
state.
Cheyney’s
contrivance of a quick victory in Iraq was matched by the energetic diplomacy of
the US embassy in New Delhi. They persuaded South Block to participate in the American
victory by taking over the administration of Iraq’s Kurdish North. Powerful
cabinet Minister like Jaswant Singh found the American blandishment tempting.
Prime Minster Vajpayee, as much a statesman as a skilful politician, rather
than rubbish his cabinet colleagues, went into one of his extended spells of
deep reflection.
He
called up his friend A.B.Bardhan, Secretary General of the CPI. ”Are you
supporting Indian occupation of Kurdish Iraq?”. Vajpayee taunted. “Not at all”
exclaimed Bardhan. “But I see no protest”. Vajpayee continued. The Prime
Minister was looking for signs of street restiveness on the issue to
cite in opposing the idea.The source for this exchange was Bardhan.Vajpayee did
not deny it.
This
was a period of extraordinary tension between India and Pakistan. After the
2001 December 13 attack on Indian Parliament, the two militaries were in an
eyeball to eyeball confrontation. On April 18, Vajpayee landed in Srinagar and,
without a hint to his cabinet colleagues, held out his hand of peace to Pakistan. “An
awesome power has arisen”. Regional quarrels have no meaning now. Conflicts in
the region would have to be composed. The January 4, 2004 Indo-Pak summit in
Islamabad followed.
Vajpayee
found the “sole super power” moment forbidding. Hence his quest for regional peace.
Narender Modi’s crawl towards a regional entente is dictated by a different set
of circumstance. The burgeoning China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan togetherness in
the vicinity makes a friendly US look too distant.
Journalists
of Worldview India remember April of 2003 for the kind of journalism Indian
journalists have never practiced before or since. The idea was to cover the war
and the occupation of Iraq from an Indian perspective.The western media would
ofcourse cover the occupation comprehensively, but from its own perspective. Indeed
the embedded journalists would be part of the war effort. This would not be the
Indian perspective, unless New Delhi accepted the proposition that it was India’s
war too. Indian media houses are stone deaf on such issues. For coverage of
foreign affairs they have deals with Reuters, BBC, CNN, FOX News and so on -- so much for atmnirbharta or self sufficiency.
A word of gratitude is owed to S.Y
Qureshi, Director General of Doordarshan, for having grasped the significance
of the project. He fought the resistance in the system. The standard argument
against covering foreign affairs was familiar . “Foreign affairs have low TRP
ratings”.
Let
Qureshi bear witness. Amitabh Bachchan’s Kaun Banega Crorepati (who will be the
millionaire) had the highest ratings until Worldview India’s one hour prime time reporting from the gulf by
dedicated reporters pipped it to the post.
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