India's obsession with permissions

Working as a journalist in India, particularly for a foreign broadcaster, can be exciting but also ridiculously frustrating.

My Dutch correspondent and I went to a college affiliated to Delhi University. It was the first day of the new admission season; thousands of students were out to register themselves for Delhi University’s 70,000 odd seats.

We wanted to do a radio story about college admissions: the enthusiasm of first time college goers and the competiveness of India’s education system. It was a simple, light and positive story on students - we wanted to interview them to learn about their aspirations.

As we entered the college gate with my tall European looking correspondent, the security stopped us. I explain that we just want to do a radio interview. Half convinced he tells us to follow him, and soon we find ourselves in the principal’s room!

 

The principal welcomes us warmly, and asked us if the programme is going to be telecast in India. We tell him that we are a state broadcaster of Holland and it is for the Dutch audience. He says: “ I don’t think there is a memorandum of understanding between any university in Holland and Delhi university”

Unable to really comprehend his out of the blue statement, I clarify that we are a news organization and not a university. Then he says: “ Well, I haven’t heard about you (NOS) and since you don’t broadcast in India, it’s difficult to grant a permission.”

We tell him that this is just a simple students’ story, nothing political and that we are a resident journalists with a proper bureau in Delhi. “Well, that’s alright, but you are not registered with Press Trust of India”, he says.

We realize that he had no idea of what he was talking about and was hell bent in making things difficult for us. Without buying into his argument, we explain politely but firmly, that in a democracy it is not really desirable that journalists should be stopped from performing their duties.

He responds by saying: “ you can take an official view from me but can’t ask the students about the system." We understood that he wasn’t convinced about our story and presumed that we are there to expose something about the administrative affairs of the university.

To make him happy, we decide to do CI (our code for courtesy interviews) We ask him very general questions. Pleased with the interview, he allowed us to go and speak to the students, who had come to register for admission into new academic session.

We almost wasted one hour dealing with an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle – something that we face at all levels right from the security guard to the top boss while doing stories in the Indian subcontinent.

India’s obsession with permission and the inability of the people to say ‘no’ is simply amusing. People  love to exercise their power in whatever way they can within their limited scope.

While permissions are required for even little things, the reason for not granting a filming permission can be mind blowing.

We were filming a special series on Delhi. We decided that the story should end with a shot of the presenter eating Indian food and exclaiming how great the food is!

We walk into a posh south Delhi restaurant for a good lunch. We tell the waiter that we want film for a a couple of minutes (a shot of the presenter munching the first bite). Immediately we are directed to the manager, who instantly refused to allow us to film.

The manger tells us that if we film, the competitors might just copy the recipe!  Amused by his reason for denying permission, we go on an offensive mode. We tell him that people take videos on mobiles while in a restaurant; we are only journalists and going to praise his food.  Finally he tells us to wait, disappears for while (pretending as if he had to consult someone) and returns to say  ‘no worries’! 


Please say 'no' if you cannot 

On one occasion, we went to a posh south Delhi school to seek permission for filming the school building for a special programme. One of the official told us that she would get back to us after discussing the matter with the principal. We kept calling her for the next four days. She kept on reassuring us that she would sort it out. On the day of the shoot, while we waited outside the gate, she told us on phone that she still haven’t had a chance to speak to the principal! We were appalled by such callous behavior, especially, coming from a teacher of an apparently a very affluent school.  A proper refusal would have been much appreciated rather keeping us in a limbo!

Recently, we had to wait almost two and half s to get journalist visa for Bangladesh. Since we didn’t pursue it, the visa never came. It is only when we spoke with a number of officials in the foreign office in Dhaka, we were granted the visas a week later from the date we requested for. The reason: ‘procedural delay’!

It is absolutely justified to ask if we have  a requisite permission, and as journalists we understand that. However, creating  unnecessary obstacles  even when we explain that we mean no harm, and it is only a general news story is indeed frustrating.

In an age when secret filming is rampant, nervousness with cameras is well understood. But it's disappointing when people express apprehension when we show our press cards and establish who we are. 

The overwhelming belief that foreign broadcasters tell negative stories is unfounded.  India has come-off an age, and India’s reputation abroad is really good, and there are a lot of positive talk about the country.

Yes, there are certain stories that  journalists have to do because they are newsworthy, and in many cases are shocking.  The purpose of such stories are not to demean a nation. They are human interest stories for which global awareness and collective action are required.

Recently, I worked on a BBC documentary on human trafficking. It was a strong story that exposed the suffering of young girls. Some viewers came forward to help the charities that were highlighted in the documentary. A Dutch pharmaceutical company, in fact visited a shelter home in Calcutta. It is now planning to raise thousands of dollars so the rescued girls have access to quality education. I am sure this will change a few lives.

Journalism is a noble profession, it’s objective is to inform and show the realities of a society based on in-depth research, observation and analysis. Clearly a ‘permission raj’ doesn’t really help the cause of anyone and is largely self defeating for a democracy.