NDTV Big Fight on "Gurgaon Violence"

Yesterday's 'Big Fight' on NDTV was an offshoot from the Gurgaon violence over the week since Monday 25th in which dramatic pictures on television only of policemen mercilessly beating up factory workers had been depicted. This had incited passions to a pitch for the matter to be discussed even on the floor of the Nation's Parliament where the Government's own coalition partner the Communists, accused the authorities (and the ruling Congress govt) of mishandling the whole issue, and wanting the Congress Govt in Haryana to be dismissed and its chief minister changed.

For the Communists who had a stake in the whole thing, trying to make Trade Union inroads into the labour intensive industrial belt of Gurgaon on the Delhi border, the incident was a god-send… which they used to the hilt to fan adverse sentiments against the police and therewith the demand and discussion on Police Reforms in the newspapers, on all television channels, in some of which my participation was sought.

For the Big Fight on New Delhi Television, I believe it was an unfair panel. Though they had invited the most fiery of them all – Gurudas DasGupta from the Commie ranks, who had been mentor plenipotentiary and agent provocateur for the agitating factory workers and himself gone to town dubbing the police action most brutal, fascist, and so on..... and asked for the chief minister's head; the NDTV had pitted against him two of us – from the police, out of police, whatever…. – that's me, and Kiran Bedi, whom most analysts and viewers necessarily considered to be a formidable team to contend or mess with.

Had I known that Kiran was also called, perhaps I would not have accepted – more perhaps not to be overawed and overshadowed by her popular presence, than for other reasons. But it was too late to withdraw, and I thought let me this time take the whole thing head on, be it DasGupta or be it Bedi (...however silly it may seem), preferring to mentally consider both as adversaries whose combined strength I'd need to counter. As it turned out, despite Kiran's presence, the anchor Vikram Chandra gave me what was viewed by many as the no.1 slot, DasGupta the No.2 and Kiran to come up as rearguard, the No.3 slot. And the strategist that Kiran was, she found me in the attacking mode and on the warpath, and in her own very lucid and articulate manner just picked up strings from where I left, built on them, pontificated in support of what I said – and finally when we emerged after the show, declared "Between u and me Maxwell, we made mince meat of him" – meaning DasGupta was right royally trounced.

I was flooded with calls and sms-es in the bargain, from all over. The recording of the show was on Friday, and the telecast on Saturday 8pm. And Saturday I was flooded with social engagements – starting at KK Jajodia's do for Ambassador Arne Walther the Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (operating from Riyadh – Saudi) and his Indian wife the former Time and CNN India correspondent (very well known to me, even if I didn't really consider her among my friends'circle). The next do last evening was at Peter Hassan's for Geoffery amd Michelle Marginsson, the latter the Dy Australian High Commissioner who after her three year tenure in India is returning to her country. And Geoff sang Bass with me in the Capital City Minstrels.

And the last port of call before I was to return to Gurgaon and home was at Moira and Ambi Singh's at Vasant Vihar, where the dinner was for Noni's visiting sister Essie from Indonesia (a little backgrounder here..... Noni also sings with the Capital City Minstrels. The stunningly attractive fair and tall elegant white-haired lady with mild chinky features who stood out in the front row always. Noni is also very well known to uncle (Brig) Stan, because when he fell in love with his would be wife Dorothy, she was working as a house companion to the then Indonesian Ambassador's daughters here in Delhi, having been recruited and employed straight from Holland. A companion to Noni and Essie, both daughters of this Indonesian Ambassador – who ultimately gave away the bride and walked Dorothy up the aisle when she married Stan).

I could not, amidst all these engagements, be near a TV to watch the 8pm show of the Big Fight and was constantly disturbed at the Jajodia party; and later, with calls pouring in… Among the first ones, was one from Anil Chowdhary, who told me that he found the initial content and my handling of the whole thing so interesting and gripping, that he just rang up Home Minister Shivraj Patil on the RAX and asked him not to miss the Big Fight.

For some idea of the responses and reactions of a cross-section of people from all over who took pains to make contact either during or after the show, here are a few extracts:

"…stupendous! Mum and dad wr wondring wr u were! We must meet. Pls let me know whn ur free" – Juhi Kaul

"Well said, that remark on nobody wanting police reforms is the sad reality" – Suman Dubey

"I'm watching the Big Fight. It's a sweet war" – Seby Fernandes, Goa

"Hi Sir, Good to see u in full flow in the big fight" – Sanjay Pinto from Chennai.

"Good show.... You came out clear" – Alwyn Noronha

"Wow Mack, enjoyed the show. Keep it up! You did a good job. Looking forward to bigger fights. Take Care" – Marita Coelho from Bombay

"Rape of the commie by two 'gentlemen' cops. Fantastic" – Vincy Mathias, Pondicherry.

"Gr8 show, Maxy" – Veronica Peris

"You spoke very well. Congrats" – Saurabh Khosla from Dubai

"Grt show! Wish there are many more Maxys in our country" – Ravi Wahi