Star of Mysore reports (July 28) that the Makkaji Chowk project promoters held, what the paper called, ‘a closed-door' meeting at the Institution of Engineers, with a group public-spirited critics and representatives of MGP and the association of ‘concerned’ and ‘informed’ citizens. (I have problem taking seriously, an association making rather immodest claims of speaking for the concerned and the informed of the city.)
Anyway, reading SoM I sensed something wasn’t quite right about the story. Since when has the Institution of Engineers (with well-earned reputation of holding open meetings) has started hosting ‘closed-door’ meets? One usually associate such 'do' with a private guest house or the privacy of one’s drawing room. Was it indeed a ‘closed-door’ meeting, Dr Shenoy, as SoM describes it? If so, I wonder who leaked the info. to the media.
I realize such meets serve a purpose in certain circumstances, particularly when sensitive matters need sorting out. One can understand that if in this specific instance the initiative for such meeting had come from the project promoters. And I have no reason to believe Dr Shenoy or any of the other public participants would neglect their public responsibility to share with the rest of the concerned citizenry the circumstances in which the reported meeting came to be convened, and also details of what transpired at the July 27 meeting.
Whatever the compulsions for the meeting, what is at stake here is the credibility of Institution of Engineers, with a reputation for promoting public forums, and MGP, which we know is open in conducting affairs, should also be seen to be transparent.
it was unfortunate that SOM used the word to express our meeting as closed door. It was not a closed door meeting. in any sense of the word. It was SOM who contacted us to find out if we were interested in meeting Maverick people and we said yes. Till the last minute MGP did not know where the meeting was to be held and also the timing. They wanted to have it at MGP office and we thought that it may not be appropriate since it may be misconstrued as "closed door" and we suggested a public place. Finally it was held at Institute of engineers. It is true that only few people came. As you know even if it is publicised only few people show up. For that reason having conducted many meetings recently we were getting tired of making announcements. Still we invited some who usually are interested to take part in such meetings.
Hope this will remove doubts you may have about the closed door nature of the meeting. At the meeting we tried to hear their side of the story and expressed our doubts. We have agreed to meet them again to share the economic model we have developed and to apprise them of our lingering doubts about MCC 's sweet heart deal with them.
Dr Shenoy's candour is disarming. That the project promoters took the initiative is understandable. That MGP has found an open door to put forward their eco. model for Makkaji Chowk area development, directly, to those executing the project is an encouiraging development.
One would like to see MGP and other concerned citizens group with concrete proposals holding such meaningful meetings with project executors in respect of Devaraj Market development, Mysore-Bangalore twin rail track, Mysore airport expansion and other projects that have long been in limbo. Maybe MGP, with other citizens groups, could think in terms of evolving an informal joint-initiative focus group that could seek strategy sessions with project implementors, in a bid to get things moving.
In the case of Makkaji Chowk, however, I can't help wondering why the Mavericks couldn't get through to MGP on their own, without seeking SoM's intervention. That's a lingering doubt I have about the July 27 meet. That the media should organise the meet, in the first place, and then dub it, tantalisingly, 'a closed-door' meeting is rather odd, wouldn't you say ?
Good that Dr. Shenoy clarified, to a lot of people, the words "closed door meeting" hints at some hanky panky business. Although I read the same words on SOM online, there were no doubts about the integrity of the MGP people who participated in the meeting because they (MGP) indeed consist of very good, honest, decent and well above average educated citizens.
Mr. GVK, it is not odd that SOM chose the words "closed door meeting" it is perhaps to sensationalize the same. Sensationalization sells, wouldn't you agree? Many newspapers, mags and definately most TV news these days sensationalize everything just to sell, as you know. This is where blogging, in future, has the potential of stealing the thunder from such media by keeping it real.
If you want a new system, throw the existing one out. That includes the media. It's a scandal. Tragedy is that for all their endeavours, MGP and such other agencies depend on the same old media. Either those that lean on the media don't know what is happening there or they don't want to acknowledge it. Since I know the integrity of most of those who are in the thick of things, I wouldn't say they want to perpetuate the scandal for their vested interest. Perhaps, they are helpless. My point is, can we expect anything dramatic to be delivered by those who feel helpless?
For those who are seeking media support for their noble cause, my word of caution would be that they are erring at the very first step. However, I would have no words if they countered me by saying, "We are setting a thief to catch another."
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Bhamy V Shenoy
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RE: Why a ‘closed-door’ meet, Dr Shenoy? an update
this is a good example of how an innocent story can create unintended problems to an NGO. Since I had been to Bangalore I could not respond to this exchange of emails.
I found out how this story developed. When we were meeting in an "open" place like Institute of Engineers, some one dropped into our meeting room. We did not know who it was. Every one present thought that he might have been invited. It turns out that he was a reporter from Vejay karnataka who happened to come there for some other purpose according to some source. Well we do not know that for fact. He might have been sent by some people. But the very fact he could attend the meeting without any one objecting shows that ours was not a closed door meeting. However he files the story calling the meeting as closed door meeting. It was a wrong choice of words. The reporter might not have realised the impication of using "rahasyada" meeting in Kannada which was translated into "Closed door".
SOM picked up the story from Vijay Times and published it.
Well this has created problems for MGP. But this is not the first time it has happened. As Vijendra correctly summed it up, when NGOs depend upon the media to communicate with the outside world, we should be prepared to face the problems that may be created by that "friendly" media. But thanks to GVK for having asked the fist question here on this closed door meeting.
