What follows here is my greatest learning as a Journalist.
Its a simple story about people who are unaware of their own job, their jurisdiction and basically ignorant people.
So I had to make a news feature on the flyovers that are coming up in the city. And this news feature was to be made in the audio-visual format. So as a normal person would, I guessed that if I stood at a juction on the road with a camera on a tripod, it would attract eyeballs and I may also create some problem in the flow of traffic. So, I contacted the Asst. Commissioner of Traffic Police. Now this man was nice enough to give me an appointment at eleven at his office. When I landed up there at eleven, he was out on rounds and said he would return by twelve. How I spent one hour is another story. When I returned at 1230 to the police station, the man was not back. I then found out from some police officers that the man I was looking for was stuck in a meeting that would go on till 1330 hrs. I waited patiently. Some activity on the traffic police floor began around 1300 hrs. So I guessed that the man should be here soon. And he did arrive by 1345 hrs. I met him as soon as he entered his room. And he listened to my need for the third time and said that he was 'nobody' to grant me permission to shoot on the roads. I had to take permission from the Commissioner of Corporation.
I did not get his point, I wanted to shoot on the roads of Madras. The traffic may be hindered because of me, if he is not the one I should be talking to, the who! Anyway, I headed to the Rippon Building.
The Rippon Building treated me real good. I met the commissioner, and all he meekly muttered was, 'go to the Bridges Department'. Duh! Like he was the biggest guy there, and he did not deem himself to be the right person to grant me the permission I needed. Anyway, I was sent to the SE Bridges. Excluding the corrupt government official who tried telling a lie to a well informed citizen, the bridges department was a cool place.
Now the bridges SE, thought that he did not have the authority to grant me permission! He directed me back to the Commissioner; I explained that the Commissioner sent me to him and that I cant go back to that guy.
Finally, he gave me the telephone number of the AEE who is in-charge of the construction the flyovers. And he also added that he cant give me a written permission. Whic basically meant that I can do whatever I want. And that I wasted my time trying to get permission.
Morons.
Now, tell me, if the AEE(an engineer) gives me permission to shoot the construction of the flyovers, but what if some two-wheeler collides into some four-wheeler because I suddenly jump onto the road with my camera? Do I tell the traffic police guy that an Engineer gave me permission?
How pointless.
Anyway, yesterday I did the shooting, with no problems at all. At the Kathipara Junction though, one guy did catch us and wanted to know who gave me permission to shoot. I finally said I would not use the footage. LOL, he trusts me.