Wednesday, July 2, 2008

For Indian journos, April 1 comes 10 months early ...

 

For Indian journos, April 1 comes 10 months early

30 June 2008

Infallible Indian journalists have been spooked by a delightful Da
Vinci Code style hoax played on them.

On Sunday, almost every newspaper reported the arrest of Johann Bach,
an 88-year-old Nazi war criminal, in the jungles of Khanapur, close to
Goa, on Saturday.

A classified advertisement inserted by the "Waffen SS" fugitive to
sell an 18th century piano was supposed to have led Perus Narkp
detectives to the "senior adjutant" who reportedly had a role in the
"extermination" of 12,000 Jews at the Marsha Tikash Whanaab
concentration camp in East Berlin.

Bangalore based newspapers went to town with the news:

# "Hitler's stormtrooper held in Karnataka," headlined Deccan Herald.

# "World War II criminal arrested?" asked The Hindu

# "Cops stunned over Nazi man's arrest," said The Times of India

# "Antique piano ad leads police to Nazi colonel near Belgaum," said
the New Indian Express.

On Monday, the up-country papers went a step further.

# "Traced to Goa, Nazi war criminal tried to enter Karnataka, arrested
on way and flown to Berlin," said The Indian Express, Delhi

# "Goa piano 'thief' found to be Nazi war fugitive," said The
Telegraph, Calcutta, with a helpful graphic (above) of the flight of
the Nazi criminal.

Wanted by Interpol, octagenarian Bach, it was reported, had escaped
the Nuremberg trials and evaded justice for over half a century. On
the German government's "Most wanted list" since the end of WW II, he
had spent time in Argentina, Bulgaria, Yemen and Canada.

Apparently, the Israeli media had reported his sighting in Calungute,
Goa. But V.S. Acharya, Karnataka's home minister, denied any
knowledge. Hemant Nimbalkar, Belgaum superintendent of police, said he
was unaware of the incident.

But the papers said Bach had been picked up by detectives of Perus
Narkp who are part of the German chancellor's "Core" team in
collaboration with Indian intelligence.

Anil Budur Lulla of The Telegraph "exclusively" reported that "Berlin
also had information from Tel Aviv that an old German had bragged
about overseeing the genocide of Jews to an Israeli tourist couple in
Goa during a rave party a few months ago."

Deccan Herald quoted a press released issued by "Perus Narkp". Times
of India said the press note was circulated by email.

The Telegraph, quoting "sources", said that "after further
investigations in Goa, proceedings would begin to take Bach to
Germany, with whom India signed an extradition treaty in 2004."
Deccan Herald said he would "be facing trial at the International
Court of Justice at The Hague."

And on and on it went.

Well, it turns out, it was all a super prank, obviously played by
someone with some taste in western classical music.

churumuri bravely deduces that it was played/devised by someone called
Bhawana Shakti Sharma or by someone who knows someone called Bhawana
Shakti Sharma, because it is an anagram of "Marsha Tikashi Whanaab".
"Bach" is obviously a bastardisation of Johann Sebastian Bach, with
the piano thrown in for good measure. "Perus Narkp" is an anagram of
"Super Prank".

Considering that the story has Goa as its epicentre, churumuri also
sticks its neck out to declare that the "super prank" was played by a
Goan/ Goans who have had their axe for their local media for some time
now. Indeed, one Goan blog says "The Truth Behind Perus Narkp" will be
revealed tomorrow with the teasing tagline: "One of the most telling
stories on the Goan as well as Indian media."

Why the prank was played, is a long story.

Maybe to show how gullible journalists have become in this age of
instant news and even more instant analysis. Maybe to show how little
research and background checking goes into modern-day reporting
populated by greenhorns barely out of their teens. Maybe to show what
a bunch of cultural ignoramuses we are, with scarcely any knowledge of
music, Indian or western.

Or maybe to show how smart the prankster is.

Whatever the reason, it's a lovely prank for which all of us fell. We
have been had. Lie back and enjoy -- and spare a thought for those
stung by us.

Cross-posted on churumuri

Posted in A bit of fun, Newspapers | No Comments »
Tags: Bach, Da Vinci Code, Deccan Herald, Indian Express, New Indian
Express, The Hindu, The Telegraph, The Times of India, V.S. Acharya

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