Please enlighten me

I woke up to a happy feeling; it was a friday morning ,i have an offical lunch party and my DH too was happy to eat in his office & so no cooking and hurry chores to be done, providing me the luxury of time to read the newspaper, without any interruption. And to my utter surprise i saw my DH already full awake (he usually wakes up only after me) and reading the newspaper with a frown on his face. I follow the same pattern of reading newspaper everyday until recently the Arushi muder case came up.In between my cooking, breakfast time, i hop to read the local edition, never missing the
page3 section , though i hardly know anybody appearing in that section.And then try to catch up the main edition at office or late in the evening.

We shifted to a new house recently and the couple staying next to us,are both sub-editors in prominent newspapers, all the more i need to catch up with the latest news to strike a conversation with them. So i seized the main sheet from my DH's hand to look quickly if there was any news on the Arushi case even though it was not even 12 hours that i checked for the same news on the net (I at times wonder if I am the CBI and have to answer the court and people).Right from the day of the incident, i kept analysing for myself as who might be the muderer, plotting some stories of my own, discussing with everybody and all. I dont know whether this may be the case with anybody here, but i dont understand if it was the influence of the media or i have a criminal side inside me.
And coming to the point of my DH's frown, he was reading the news of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw's death. I felt very ashamed of myself that i dont know a thing about the one who contributed so much to our Nation, was a captain during World War II, and played an important part in the the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 thus causing Bangladesh gain independence.I believe there are many others like me. I blame the media too for not enlighting today's generation about our legends, instead of always highliting filmy news & crime news. Come independence day or republic day, all the TV channels pick up some commercial movie (for exm, atleast one of the channels play either 'Roja' or 'Bombay', i see the element 'fighting against terrorism, fighting against communal madness & all' in these films and they can be played any day as it is a common situation in india now. Dont know how they relate to independence. Someone can enlighten me ). TV people can shoot a documentation film of our leaders/army leaders or atleat present a program reviewing their lives/achievements/contributions/efforts. I dont know how the Governement is paying homage to Sam Bahadur other than naming an army complex after him.
I heard one media reporter's answer to this question " People are more interested in learning where kareena-saif go or how brutually a muder has been done or how much a young cricketer has taken for acting in an ad and so we priorize programs accordingly " . Is this correct or it was the other way round?

hi sravanthi28,

This is india. we are more interested in cricket, movies, page 3 news.

I am a news buff. I always tell my DH, I don't need serials as all the circus is now catered by these channels.

I have heard about manekshaw before..but after seeing some of his interviews, his radio messages.."You are surrounded by air and land..if you dont surrender we will kill you unmercifully... " it is not exact verbatim but the voice my god....the more i saw the interviews of people who have worked with him and who knew him, my admiration has grown by folds.the government is contemplating on giving bharat ratna (??), maybe again they will give it to some movie director or some other person.

i am just trying to read more and more about the same to talk to my kids.

There are some very good articles that go to the back because of the media wanting to cater to the mass media.

I just had to step in here...

Hi sravanthi and shanthi,

Me too a news buff...

And yes, for sometime followed aarushi's case as if it was so very important for me to know...But it had much t do with the media..always "Breaking News" with this sensational stuff..

Coming to Manekshaw...I followed the news till he was laid to rest...here on those days there was a cable tv prob...got to see star news only...(not a big fan of the channel).... I always followed rediff news online...(The comments of the readers are funny mostly..I go thru that also).

It was not good that when Sam bahadur was laid to rest, our defence minister could not travel to be there..or at least send a cabinet representation....Was there any from the Central Govt?...no idea..

I am of the view that more coverage must have been done for him... and as it was common in DD channel, before the private channels flooding, all programs should be cancelled for the day...or atleast for some hours...just show the great leaders clippings or documentaries to enlighten the present generation about him..But I know it is asking for too much, considering todays revenue by way of advertisement ..

Lets salute the great soldier...Glad that we can share it here.

Bye

Hi saras,

You are right about the tv channels playing it like a simple news.
the more you read about him who played very crucial roles in the defence strategies of india, the more it looks bad.

The defence ministers and the commanders of the three wings of the Defence forces paid a formal tribute to the first Field Marshall of India in New Delhi. They also signed a condolence book in memory of Sam Manekshaw, after controversy erupted over their absence at his state funeral on Friday.

You know i was humbled by the small column that was placed in THE Hindu by his son..stating that my father has passed away and the rites will be performed as per Zoroastrian customs at coonoor. there was no big splash or something...

This is a video clipping of the tribute that was paid by a tv channel.

Face to Face with Sam Manekshaw - Truveo Video Search

Hey Shanthi,

I can't thank you enough for the link... would have missed it otherwise.....What a personality yaar...(Somehow I remembered JRD Tata while seeing him)

I just wish that I will get to see the whole interview someday..

Son had to state about his death and last rites in a small column?...wonder how many knew about that soldier....

The great man deserves much more than this for his service to the nation...

Thanx once again....

hi saras,

You are welcome. I think there is a book coming.

You know there were people mourning his death in bangladesh, than us.

The Bangladeshi owe him atleast that much, isn't it....

Shanti, the other day, I read this piece.....just go thru it....nothing too informative, but still read it.
Play it again, Sam!- The Week That Was-The Sunday ET-Features-The Economic Times

bye

Dear Ladies,
Thanks for starting this thread and posting those wonderful links. sitting out here i can't catch up with all the news in India. This thread absolutely salutes this wonderful personality Sam Bahadur"!. I too salute this wonderful person who had such a great life.
Thanks Shanti, Saraswathi for the links and Sravanthi, thanks to you for starting this thread, which is helping us sahre some moments together in this person's honor!

hi sravanti,shanti and saraswati,

thanks a lot for u girls to bring the news to us,i didnt see the news recently and iam too a news buff ......the links u have given r really very good to know more about him....i read about him long back ,but i dont remember now...by looking at his picture i recalled.
may his soul rest in peace.
thanku,
bye,
shashi.

Hi Sudha and Sashi,

Thanx....

Its good that Sravanthi started this...we can convey our salutation to the great soldier.

Bye