The NYT-Sisodia Controversy
By Nava Thakuria*
For some days, the well-wishers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia have flooded the social media space with appreciative messages over the “success” of the Delhi government in both the education and healthcare sectors.
Lately, it was added colour by a front-page news item in The New York Times, where Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s education minister, was lauded for his innovative initiatives.
The article entered into a controversy as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders claimed it was a paid feature. A number of AAP leaders criticised the BJP-led Narendra Modi government in New Delhi alleging that the saffron party could not digest a positive story in America’s largest newspaper on Sisodia and hence it engaged CBI and ED to harass him for ‘all wrong reasons.
They went ahead claiming that the Kejriwal-Sisodia-led AAP will make a big difference in the 2024 general elections where the Modi government would face a ‘defeat’.
It may be mentioned that NYT on 18 August 2022 in its international edition published a news feature titled ‘Our children are worth it’, with two photographs (one featuring Sisodia too), where it narrated the story of improving the government school education in the national capital. Along with the infrastructure, the pupils have been provided uniforms and mid-day meals there. The outcome is also astonishing as 100% of students passed 10 and 12th standard examinations, earlier which was below 90 per cent all the time.
CM Kejriwal, who was elected to the post in 2015, assured all possible support to the schools with basic minimum facilities. Moreover, a number of education experts have been engaged in designing new curriculums in those institutions. Unlike other parts of India, where students are leaving government schools (to enrol in private institutions), Delhi has now been witnessing a reverse process. AAP leaders claim that nearly 250,000 students left private schools in the last few years to join the government ones.
The Delhi government continues building new classrooms (if not the school buildings) with essential facilities for toileting, laboratories, sporting events, etc. Guardians of the students have also been engaged in the process of decision-making along with the teachers (who are regularly trained) and concerned government officers. In their monthly meetings, they witness serious discussions on various day-to-day affairs including the shortage of teachers in a particular subject, which are solved with convictions.
The critical voice of the BJP leaders against the news feature was so loud that the NYT had to clarify that the particular item was based on impartial, on-the-ground reporting. The influential newspaper, headquartered in New York, rejected the allegation of an advertorial arrangement to publish the news feature. Its management asserted that the journalism from NYT is always independent, free from political or advertiser influence.
The issue though was how the same article by same author appeared in United Arab Emirates’ largest daily Khaleej Times too. If it was a courtesy arrangement how could it come the same day considering the time lag? It does sound strange.
AAP leader Kejriwal in a recent tweet stated, “Delhi has made India proud. The Delhi model is on the front page of the biggest newspaper in the US. Manish Sisodia is the best education minister in independent India”. It may not be expected of Kejriwal to clarify why NYT did not publish the story on the front page of its New York edition, but in its international edition. Yet, he made the sweeping statement as if all editions of the biggest US newspaper published the news feature.
Questions may arise about why it is important to talk about an edition of a newspaper in the days of world-wide-webs. But if one talks about the front page of a newspaper, it should be clarified which edition (or was it in every edition) used the story. Pertinent observation remains and for reasons best known to the editor, NYT preferred the American readers not to get the story in physical papers, as it did not appear on the front page of the New York edition. The impressive front page story in the international edition was not given even a single column space in its local edition. Quite an amazing story!
*Senior journalist
Strange it may appear but publication of the same story in two newspapers the same day gave away Kejriwal’s bluff. The education achievement is not as exemplary to merit full page coverage. Even Indian newspapers have not done that. Even if it was.not paid some forces were behind it. The truth would be out soon. Those who see a PM material in him are blinded by their own obsession against Narendra Modi.
This is the same NYT that had sought to describe Modi in poor light while looking for its south asia correspondent. NYT also published hearsay story on Delhi riots. So not much authenticity is left.