Chandrayaan-2’s landing module had gone silent after Vikram the lander was merely 2 KMs from the landing surface of the moon. At 2:40 AM, ISRO chief K Sivan announced “Vikram lander descent was as planned and normal performance was observed upto an altitude of 2.1 km. Subsequently, the communications from the lander to the ground station was lost. The data is being analyzed”.
During the media interaction after the mission had met with a glitch, an NDTV journalist was seen screaming at the ISRO scientist who was interacting with the media. Pallava Bagla, the NDTV journalist demanded that ISRO chief K Sivan be personally present for the media briefing. Not just this, he even went ahead to call the scientist a “junior scientist” in an effort to grandstand.
After widespread condemnation for the NDTV journalist’s uncouth behaviour, Pallava Bagla has now taken to Twitter to apologise for his conduct to ISRO scientist.
Pallava Bagla wrote, “My sincere and heartfelt apologies to Mr D P Karnik, for having inadvertently raised my voice to ask a question in the media room last night. I have sought apologies from him personally and this is to let the larger community know I have tremendous respect for ISRO”.
1/2 .. My sincere and heartfelt apologies to Mr D P Karnik, for having inadvertently raised my voice to ask a question in the media room last night. I have sought apologies from him personally and this is to let the larger community know I have tremendous respect for ISRO …2
— Pallava Bagla (@pallavabagla) September 7, 2019
He further said, “I have tremendous respect for ISRO which I have often described as an ‘Island of Excellence’. Sorry, guys, my behaviour did not conform with my own standards or the organisation I work for. It won’t happen again. Pardon me @isro“.
2/2… I have tremendous respect for ISRO which I have often described as an ‘Island of Excellence’. Sorry, guys, my behaviour did not conform with my own standards or the organisation I work for. It wont happen again. Pardon me @isro
— Pallava Bagla (@pallavabagla) September 7, 2019
However, most people were not in the mood to accept his apology. The scientists were visibly distraught after Chandrayaan-2 met with a landing glitch and for a journalist to scream at the scientists because he wanted the ISRO chief to interact with the media was the epitome of arrogance and entitlement, something NDTV journalists are no aliens to. Perhaps what was worse was Bagla calling Mr D P Karnik a “junior scientist” as if the whims and fancies of NDTV journalists could only be catered to by the Chief himself.
