TVNZ's Corazon Miller Reports on India's National Election

Thanks to funding from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, 1 News’ Corazon Miller was able to go to Delhi with cameraman Paul Morrisey. Alongside local producer and journalist Rajesh Joshi they reported on the outcome of India’s mammoth election.

Here Corazon reflects on the importance of being able to report, first-hand on the outcome from the Indian capital.

On the teeming streets of New Delhi, it was hard to deny the enthusiasm for Narendra Modi. A third-term Prime Minister in the world’s most populous nation of 1.4 billion people.

Even as it became clear on June 4 that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) much vied for “super-majority” would remain a distant dream, hundreds converged in the heart of the city.

Chants of “Modi”; drums thrumming, handmade effigies, coloured powder, music and balloons filled the air outside the BJP headquarters as the election results came through. The fireworks kicked off at dusk and continued well into the evening.

The humid but (relative to the previous week’s near 50 highs) balmy 41 degrees, was no deterrent to the ardent supporters who gathered en masse.

The muggy auditorium where Modi was expected to give his victory speech filled as thousands held out for a glimpse of the man of the hour.

Our tiny crew of three joined the media throng crammed into a small area in front of the main stage. The lack of space, heat, and sheer amount of people made it a test of endurance, that I’m not in a massive hurry to repeat.

But discomforts aside, the thrill of being right in the thick of India’s political heart was undeniable. This was without doubt a highlight of my career.

Sadly, opportunities like these are rare in an era where NZ journalism budgets are shrinking.

Outside of our stationed hubs in London, New York, and Sydney, and our roving Pacific Correspondent, TVNZ’s foreign content is largely sourced from reputable news agencies, like Reuters and the Associated Press.

They provide valuable content, that enables journalists like me to tell important stories when travel is simply not possible.

It's what I relied on as the visual framework, supported by expert interviews, for some early stories I crafted from New Zealand as India’s election kicked off six weeks prior.

But without making the 20+ hour journey across the Pacific and Indian Oceans these stories are still largely second-hand.

The absence of any first-hand experience made it difficult to push back at any criticism which suggested I had no understanding of the reality on the ground.

Going to India gave me that opportunity, as I meet with people who helped inform and shape the reports I filed from Delhi.

There was the hotel security guard who said he was “happy,” and that it was a “good day” for India.

Then, just around the corner from where he stood, on the streets of Connaught Place, I was approached by an ice-cream wielding pair of Modi supporters, as I was setting up for a live.  

They were intrigued to see the small foreign crew, and questioned how I could doubt India’s democracy, after all I’d seen?

Outside of the city, there was the group of women farmers in Greater Noida. Unlike their husbands they had voted for Modi. Not a day went by where they didn’t question if they’d enough to feed their families – but still they held out hope of Modi’s promise to bring about economic prosperity.

In Delhi’s North, in the student burb of Mukherjee Nagar, there were students who didn’t like their Prime Minister’s divisive rhetoric, but still believed in his plans for India’s economic and global growth.

Seeing their obvious joy, and hope, at the cumulation of a six-week election period - it’s clear they believe democracy has prevailed in India.

But there are many others who believe the contrary.

Among them the imam responsible for the group of Muslim orphans forced to relocate after their home, an old mosque in one of Delhi’s medieval towns was demolished.

Or the 86-year-old Muslim activist, Bilkis Dadi, who through a translator, shared her sadness at how divided she felt India had become under Modi. She described his decade in power as one marked by a Hindu nationalist agenda that had polarised society and marginalised minority groups.

It’s an agenda, that’s seen its fair share of criticism – largely through the foreign press.

But locally, press freedoms locally appear to have weakened over Modi’s term – the Prime Minister has not hosted a single press conference himself in the last decade.

And when local reporters raise any concerns or critique, they can face significant pressures.

One local journalist described being told to stop writing his regular political column, while others have lost jobs, faced threats or had visas cancelled.

Then there’s the fact that while India’s facing rapid political and economic growth on the global stage, domestically that spread of wealth remains unequal.

On one hand you have, resplendent wide boulevards, immaculate gardens, enclosed compounds and five-star hotels selling meals and drinks at prices that could rival many a local’s daily salary.

On the other hand, there’s the dusty streets, blaring horns and flying tuktuk’s in areas, full of cheap eats, children begging, and people haggling for a better deal.

A better deal – Modi’s supporters say will come under his third term. But there are signs that the people’s faith is dwindling. While, the BJP has retained its hold on power, its majority share was reduced, creating a slightly weakened mandate.

And that, others tell me, could be a sign, that in five years' time there could be different story to tell about how India’s complex and colourful democracy plays out.

Check Corazon Miller's 1News story list:

India’s Mammoth election explained: Close to a billion of those people have been eligible to vote in the world’s largest democratic exercise – India's general election, an event that began six weeks ago.  

India’s Farmers seek pay boost as Modi’s on track for third term: The majority of farmers who keep the sector going own small plots of land and struggle on low incomes, despite their vital role in the country's prosperity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has long promised to boost their incomes, but as he sits on the cusp of a third term many of those farmers are beginning to question when that will happen.

India’s religious unity in spotlight as Modi set for another term: Muslims in India have described feeling alienated as a result of rising Hindu nationalism, and official policies they say discriminate against them.

Analysis: What Narendra Modi’s narrow election-win means. India’s election results were met with surprise as the incumbents won fewer seats than expected.

NZ government pins hopes on free-trade agreement with India within first term. New Zealand first identified it as a nation of priority back in 2011. But despite this it's still far from coming close to our largest trading partner — China.

Butter Chicken: A taste test of the curry at the centre of court case: The origin of Butter Chicken is subject to a legal dispute in India, so we tried one of the original dishes – one that’s very different to the butter chicken most New Zealanders know.

Immigration New Zealand warns of trend duping un-suspecting migrants: Immigration New Zealand says an increasing number of migrants are being duped into believing they are legally allowed to travel to New Zealand, as third-party agents take advantage of the new electronic travel authority documentation required to travel here.

-Asia Media Centre