The red carpet was laid out, the cameras planted, the ceremonial lamp lit. Stage lights came on and danced as the expansive convention hall of Ashoka Hotel in Delhi hosted a celebration of 75 years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s mouthpieces Panchjanya and Organiser. The highlight of the show: a conclave called Media Mahamanthan to survey the state of the media and recognise journalistic “excellence, depth, quality, and impact”.
The celebration would last 11 hours and see seven chief ministers shuffle in and out, hear the hatemongering BJP leader Kapil Mishra, and cheer a parade of journalists, state and corporate, collecting awards. And select ‘art and culture’ mavens. (Yes, that was news to us too.)
