In actuality, it was a storm in a tea-cup. However, it now streams across social media for all and sundry to comment upon. A not so well known journalist, Helle Lyng, asked PM Modi a question at a ‘press briefing’ (held along with Norwegian PM Store) while he was leaving and did not receive an answer. The media had been invited to be present, but no question and answer interaction was scheduled. She wanted to know why ‘we should trust India’, and ‘whether he would take critical questions from the Indian press in the near future’.
She was later invited to a press interaction by the Indian Embassy and her question about trust was addressed by a Foreign Ministry official, Sibi George. The long and rambling explanation that he gave was more in the nature of an answer to a UPSC exam question rather than appropriate to the occasion. With this, he failed to give the response that would have either satisfied the journalist’s query, or diplomatically put her in her place.
Going by general practice, humour is the best way to counter loaded questions. He could have simply said, “If you don’t trust us, it’s your loss!” As for the question on the state of press freedom in India, it would have been better if he had praised her for the concern and declared her the next ‘media Greta Thunberg’, and invited her to visit India to see for herself what the situation is. She would not need to arrive in a boat, but would be provided a visa for the visit. Instead, she was given a lecture on Indian civilisation, diversity, et al.
This has provided fuel to India’s distractors at home and abroad regarding PM Modi’s relations with the media. It may be recalled that, before Modi, a section of the media in particular enjoyed many perks, including travelling with then PMs on foreign trips. They had access to an extent that they even offered to arrange ministerial posts for politicians. This privilege has been ended and it hurts.
However, another aspect to be noted about the Norwegian trip is that a prominent newspaper displayed a racist cartoon of PM Modi as a ‘snake-charmer’, and made derogatory personal comments about him. This animosity towards India is becoming common in many countries. The most likely reason is negativity towards the Indian Diaspora, which is doing much better than the host communities. This matter should be addressed and solutions found so that greater problems do not emerge. Helle Lyng is only a blip on the screen in comparison.
