‘There may be a God’ - IndianExpress.Com

‘There may be a God’

Karan Thapar is a veteran journalist, television anchor and columnist

Nadine Kreisberger

Posted online: Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 1638 hrs IST

Karan Thapar is a veteran journalist, television anchor and columnist

What does spirituality mean to you?
A belief in something bigger than myself, in a factor that guides me, in a spirit that exists, symbolises hope and comfort.

Do you believe you are guided and protected by a superior force?
I believe there may be a God. When I was younger, maybe because I was less sure of myself intellectually or embarrassed, I would deny the existence of God. But the truth is that even at that stage, I did believe in Him. It was mostly a form of superstition, but still I did not want to offend Him in case He existed. Especially at times of exams, I would get into deals with Him: I would give up things I loved in exchange for an excellent result. When I grew older, I realised what intellectual hypocrisy this was. I was escaping from the fact that I felt the need to believe in what you may call God, or a force. And I have had this need to this day.

Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life?
I do not believe in any form of predestination. I think it is a question of talent and luck. I ended up in this career by a series of accidents. While in Oxford, I decided to be a journalist, and wrote to six British newspaper editors saying pompously that I was the right choice for them. Four did not reply, one told me off, and the sixth actually rang the number I had given. It happened to be Charles Douglas-Home, foreign editor of the Times of London. We had lunch and a week later I was hired. He played an incredibly inspiring role in my life, of course not one I would call spiritual, but definitely that of a traditional guru, much more in an Indian sense that in a British way.
Today, when I look at what I do, I love it but would wish to shed more light through my programmes than generate heat. Heat-generating shows are like thrilling spectacles but they do not take the argument further. My commissioning channels see a certain aggressiveness and argumentativeness as my USP. They believe the audience’s concentration span is very short, that if you demand too much from them they’ll switch to another channel, so one should keep it at the level of a fight. I personally think it is not right and that current affairs should not be compared or transformed into entertainment.
I could have been tempted by politics, if only someone like me could succeed in it: without compromising on my beliefs, without being the heir to some famous political dynasty. Those doors are closed for now in India.

What is spirituality for you in your day-to-day life?
My sense of God is not defined by any religiosity, but I do have one ritual. I keep on my bedside table a few miniature statues of Gods given by my mother. I always take them when travelling, along with a small photograph of my wife Nisha. Once though, I was travelling to Sri Lanka and I forgot them. While on a brief stopover in Bombay, a friend gave me instead a tiny crystal Ganesh. On my last day in Colombo, the hotel was bombed. I was lucky to escape with only a few stitches. The room was destroyed, the ceilings were falling apart—-the only thing that survived intact was the wee little crystal Ganesh. I have not forgotten those statues ever since again.

What is the role of spirituality in your life as a journalist?
Five seconds before an interview begins and when a show is about to start, I tell myself “God help me”. I know it is like superstition, but it is enough to give me a sense of assurance, comfort and courage, as if looking at something greater than me that somehow determines and guides me.

Can you tell us about a unique experience that changed or shaped your spiritual beliefs?
In 1989, my wife Nisha suffered from encephalitis, a viral fever attacking the brain. She fell into a coma and died a month later. With my habit of bargaining with God, I made the biggest promises ever during that month, ready to give up everything. But that one time, the bargain did not work. And I finally told myself it was a stupid way of behaving: I could not spend my life making deals with the Lord, hoping He will keep His side of the bargain, just because I do. I can still express the need to believe in Him, or some force, but not be that stupid and make those deals. And I have not made one ever since. So in a way, Nisha’s passing away helped me grow up. It did not make me doubt the Lord altogether though. I accepted it as something that had to happen.

If you were to be reincarnated, what would you like to be?
Reincarnation is not something I ever think about.

If there were one question you could ask God, what would it be?
Do You exist? Or are You a manifestation of an inadequacy we all feel?

What is your idea of happiness?
Happiness, or contentment, are about a number of things working out properly —- enough money, achievement and personal fulfillment, happiness of the cherished ones around. No matter what though, I do not get depressed or pessimistic for long. I see the silver lining regardless of how gray or black the clouds are.

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‘There may be a God’ Karan Thapar is a veteran journalist, television anchor and columnist Nadine Kreisberger Posted online: Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 1638 hrs IST Karan Thapar is a veteran journalist, television anchor and columnist What does spirituality mean to you? A belief in something bigger than myself, in a factor that guides me, in a spirit that exists, symbolises hope and comfort. Do you believe you are guided and protected by a superior force? I believe there may be a God. When I was younger, maybe because I was less sure of myself intellectually or embarrassed, I would deny the existence of God. But the truth is that even at that stage, I did believe in Him. It was mostly a form of superstition, but still I did not want to offend Him in case He existed. Especially at times of exams, I would get into deals with Him: I would give up things I loved in exchange for an excellent result. When I grew older, I realised what intellectual hypocrisy this was. I was escaping from the fact that I felt the need to believe in what you may call God, or a force. And I have had this need to this day. Do you believe you have a special mission or purpose in this life? I do not believe in any form of predestination. I think it is a question of talent and luck. I ended up in this career by a series of accidents. While in Oxford, I decided to be a journalist, and wrote to six British newspaper editors saying pompously that I was the right choice for them. Four did not reply, one told me off, and the sixth actually rang the number I had given. It happened to be Charles Douglas-Home, foreign editor of the Times of London. We had lunch and a week later I was hired. He played an incredibly inspiring role in my life, of course not one I would call spiritual, but definitely that of a traditional guru, much more in an Indian sense that in a British way. Today, when I look at what I do, I love it but would wish to shed more light through my programmes than generate heat. Heat-generating shows are like thrilling spectacles but they do not take the argument further. My commissioning channels see a certain aggressiveness and argumentativeness as my USP. They believe the audience’s concentration span is very short, that if you demand too much from them they’ll switch to another channel, so one should keep it at the level of a fight. I personally think it is not right and that current affairs should not be compared or transformed into entertainment. I could have been tempted by politics, if only someone like me could succeed in it: without compromising on my beliefs, without being the heir to some famous political dynasty. Those doors are closed for now in India. What is spirituality for you in your day-to-day life? My sense of God is not defined by any religiosity, but I do have one ritual. I keep on my bedside table a few miniature statues of Gods given by my mother. I always take them when travelling, along with a small photograph of my wife Nisha. Once though, I was travelling to Sri Lanka and I forgot them. While on a brief stopover in Bombay, a friend gave me instead a tiny crystal Ganesh. On my last day in Colombo, the hotel was bombed. I was lucky to escape with only a few stitches. The room was destroyed, the ceilings were falling apart—-the only thing that survived intact was the wee little crystal Ganesh. I have not forgotten those statues ever since again. What is the role of spirituality in your life as a journalist? Five seconds before an interview begins and when a show is about to start, I tell myself “God help me”. I know it is like superstition, but it is enough to give me a sense of assurance, comfort and courage, as if looking at something greater than me that somehow determines and guides me. Can you tell us about a unique experience that changed or shaped your spiritual beliefs? In 1989, my wife Nisha suffered from encephalitis, a viral fever attacking the brain. She fell into a coma and died a month later. With my habit of bargaining with God, I made the biggest promises ever during that month, ready to give up everything. But that one time, the bargain did not work. And I finally told myself it was a stupid way of behaving: I could not spend my life making deals with the Lord, hoping He will keep His side of the bargain, just because I do. I can still express the need to believe in Him, or some force, but not be that stupid and make those deals. And I have not made one ever since. So in a way, Nisha’s passing away helped me grow up. It did not make me doubt the Lord altogether though. I accepted it as something that had to happen. If you were to be reincarnated, what would you like to be? Reincarnation is not something I ever think about. If there were one question you could ask God, what would it be? Do You exist? Or are You a manifestation of an inadequacy we all feel? What is your idea of happiness? Happiness, or contentment, are about a number of things working out properly —- enough money, achievement and personal fulfillment, happiness of the cherished ones around. No matter what though, I do not get depressed or pessimistic for long. I see the silver lining regardless of how gray or black the clouds are.