Azazel
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2012
- Messages
- 2,088
- Reaction score
- 0
Where anonymity is bliss, and rial-ity harsh: Welcome to Tehran!
I was onboard the Prime Minister's Special Air India One to report the 16th NAM summit last August. As the plane began its descent towards Tehran, my first visit to Iran's capital, I was excited at the prospect of a glimpse into a country that is both modern and troubled. Iran is constantly in the news, mostly for the wrong reasons.This time around for the freefalling Rial, its currency,caused both by Western economic sanctions and mismanagement at home.A growing list of Sanctions on it's oil ,gas, petro chemical sectors as well as its central bank.Sanctions imposed to force Iran to halt its alleged uranium enrichment program .Sanctions that have led to Iran defaulting payments to the few international trading partners left , including India. (A recent Reuters report points out Tehran has defaulted on payments for around 2lakh tonnes of rice imported from India : Exclusive: Iran defaults on rice payments to India | Reuters)
A massive slip of around 40 per cent in the value of Iranian Rial saw protestors take to the streets last week (western media reported these as huge protests,while local contacts call them scattered and moderate) .Importantly, a sight not so common in this land of the Ayotollah.
Imagine this - when the Rupee hits a bottom low of 56 or so against the US Dollar -we in India panick.It points to the ill health of the economy. With the rupee back at 51.25 last Friday, there was a collective sigh of relief in the Newsroom. And now Imagine Tehran. One US Dollar equalled around 12000 Iranian Rials while I was there in August. And within a month it has now spiralled to being anywhere between 26000 to 30000 Iranian Rials (am informed last week it even touched 40000 ) Ouch!
The ever proud and defiant President of Iran ,Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced a crackdown on exchange manipulators rejecting the idea of impact of Western specially US sanctions on Iran's economy. While his opponents blame him for the domestic failures leading to embarrassment at the world stage, some political analysts believe he is being made a scape goat. Under the existing constitution, Ahmedinijad will not get a rerun for Presidency in 2013.And it is the Supreme Leader Khamenei on whose shoulders lies the responsibility for both policy failures and course correction. The fissures in the regime have now started to emerge in the open.
These reports took me back to the time when our plane touched down at Mehrabad Airport and we prepared to disembark. The women journalists adjusted headgears and scarves, a sight which got our male colleagues to snap the 'amusing' transformation.
Tehran is mesmerisingly beautiful with clean, sparkling roads, a mix of traditional and modern architecture .You are welcomed by the Tochal mountain range in the north- ia popular destination for rock climbing,sightseeing,eating out and skiing in winters. We were spared Tehran's notorious traffic jams because the government had declared a national holiday for the duration of the high profile event. But the infamous jaywalkers made me gasp in surprise and shock every now and then. Doubled up as my own cameraperson, I however, was not allowed to step out of the bus to capture the scenic beauty. So long as I was shooting from inside the media bus it was fine. And that was only the start of the restrictions and censor I would have to deal with for the next four days.
An hour long drive from the airport and we reached the Grand Tehran hotel booked for media delegations from across the globe.I saw smiling faces,men and women warm and welcoming. But business must be separated from friendly feelings and that meant the media delegates had to shell out USD 450 for rooms otherwise priced at USD80- 90 per night. The unofficial explanation given-Its the sanctions! However this did not mean that I was allowed to shoot even from a step beyond the hotel reception premise. An Indian private TV crew that tried doing so experienced the hospitality of the Secret Services for three hours!
Nevertheless I wanted to hear about the health of Iran's economy and its social fabric from the locals themselves. A tough task given that anonymity is both a precondition and bliss in Tehran. At the various media centres as groups of young Iranian interpreters sat sipping Coke ,if you got lucky and found someone to face the lens, you would hear of nationalistic sentiments attached to the country's controversial nuclear program. But switch off the camera and have a tete-a-tete and the narrative would change drastically.
Maghrib, 26-something, (name changed ) an IT professional, told me the sanctions were pinching them hard. Was the nuclear programme really worth paying such a heavy price for? He went on to add, '"You know, It will be some time before it snowballs into a hand to mouth crisis for Iran-thanks to our oil reserves ,but yes the food inflation and high costs of basic items are hurting us. We want to buy homes, properties- we cannot afford that. Unemployment is on the rise. It is frustrating for the youth."
Maghrib's sentiments were echoed by another young man(we shall call him Shirzad) ,the next day- as we travelled from Parisian Azadi Hotel to Esteghlal Grand -high security hotels where the Indian and Pakistani leaders were staying . I was trying to strike a conversation with him in the car. After some nudging he finally gave in and said"Look I cannot speak to you on camera. Is this off the record strictly?'' I assured him it was.Shirzad carried on: "No one will accept on the record that these economic sanctions are hurting our economy. But on the ground you see prices of food items have doubled, even trebled. Just a loaf of bread is so much more costly now. "' The young translator took a pause, his thoughts straying somewhere before he resumed ""We do want to travel abroad. But there are very few countries now that give us visas and welcome us. Despite wanting to really visit my friends in America, I am not even considering to apply for a visa. It could take months and yield no results. Forget it! "
There was irritation and a tingle of despair in his voice. I tried switching to a different topic and asked him- "So, is it easy dating here? '" He looked at me, a sheepish smile spread across his face and he quipped,"'We get asked that frequently. Yes we party and party hard,pretty often, and we do everything that you guys do. But all behind closed doors. Sshh!'"
Later at night as I walked back to my hotel after an official dinner, I saw a young couple stroll in the dark shadows of the service lane, holding hands.They heard footsteps and unknotted their hands.
At the NAM convention centre the next day, I met Hasna. A a professor of English, she was attached as a translator for the summit. Hasna felt blessed that she was married to a man who allowed her some freedoms, they go abroad for holidays every year. She has exposure of the outside world. Hasna was not shy of the camera, but the moment she tried giving me comments her superiors emerged from nowhere and advised her against speaking to international media. End of story.
Iran today is at cross roads. It can continue to beat its chest against western sanctions and carry on with the pariah nation tag. Or it can chose the path of diplomacy as it pursues its dreams. There is an entire generation born after the fall of the last Shah,Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in January 1979 .This generation without social -political freedoms is beginning to feel disillusioned in a theocratic state whose economy too is now failing them. There are also those who speak fondly of the pre 79 era. They prefer the erstwhile dictator to current religious dictators. This elderly generation is hoping that people and leadership of Iran will make their own sane choices and soon at that. Lest choices imposed externally by some Tel Aviv-dictated, DC-led initiatives might push this ancient beautiful country to the brink of destruction .
A senior Iranian producer with CNN explained to me - "Look for Ahmadinejad and Khamenei, it's not just about the nuclear programme. It's about standing up to Western dominance. They feel today if they give in to US demands and go soft on nuke issues, tomorrow they will be dictated upon vis a vis the sociological setup and then the cultural fabric will be attacked. They look at it as an existential identity threat. They are not willing to allow that."
As the political landscape changes over the coming months in Tehran, and economic sanctions begin to take a toll upon the average man on the street more than their preachers, I am starting to worry about the many Maghribs and Hasnas I met. I called up Shirzad to check on him. He preferred video chat to talk freely. I asked him ,"Any plans of visiting New Delhi in near future?" He replied,"I would love to but that would mean spending Dollars.We are all saving up on Dollars and Gold."
So what lies in store ahead?
Shirzad says,"The sanctions are breaking our back now.Khamenei is unwilling to give in.But he will have to relent eventually.Just as Ayotollah Khomenei while signing the peace treaty with Iraq had said-"I drank the cup of poison and accepted peace." Similarly Khamenei would also say "Man jaam-e zahr ra nooshidam."
Smita Sharma's Blog : Where anonymity is bliss, and rial-ity harsh: Welcome to Tehran!
I was onboard the Prime Minister's Special Air India One to report the 16th NAM summit last August. As the plane began its descent towards Tehran, my first visit to Iran's capital, I was excited at the prospect of a glimpse into a country that is both modern and troubled. Iran is constantly in the news, mostly for the wrong reasons.This time around for the freefalling Rial, its currency,caused both by Western economic sanctions and mismanagement at home.A growing list of Sanctions on it's oil ,gas, petro chemical sectors as well as its central bank.Sanctions imposed to force Iran to halt its alleged uranium enrichment program .Sanctions that have led to Iran defaulting payments to the few international trading partners left , including India. (A recent Reuters report points out Tehran has defaulted on payments for around 2lakh tonnes of rice imported from India : Exclusive: Iran defaults on rice payments to India | Reuters)
A massive slip of around 40 per cent in the value of Iranian Rial saw protestors take to the streets last week (western media reported these as huge protests,while local contacts call them scattered and moderate) .Importantly, a sight not so common in this land of the Ayotollah.
Imagine this - when the Rupee hits a bottom low of 56 or so against the US Dollar -we in India panick.It points to the ill health of the economy. With the rupee back at 51.25 last Friday, there was a collective sigh of relief in the Newsroom. And now Imagine Tehran. One US Dollar equalled around 12000 Iranian Rials while I was there in August. And within a month it has now spiralled to being anywhere between 26000 to 30000 Iranian Rials (am informed last week it even touched 40000 ) Ouch!
The ever proud and defiant President of Iran ,Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced a crackdown on exchange manipulators rejecting the idea of impact of Western specially US sanctions on Iran's economy. While his opponents blame him for the domestic failures leading to embarrassment at the world stage, some political analysts believe he is being made a scape goat. Under the existing constitution, Ahmedinijad will not get a rerun for Presidency in 2013.And it is the Supreme Leader Khamenei on whose shoulders lies the responsibility for both policy failures and course correction. The fissures in the regime have now started to emerge in the open.
These reports took me back to the time when our plane touched down at Mehrabad Airport and we prepared to disembark. The women journalists adjusted headgears and scarves, a sight which got our male colleagues to snap the 'amusing' transformation.
Tehran is mesmerisingly beautiful with clean, sparkling roads, a mix of traditional and modern architecture .You are welcomed by the Tochal mountain range in the north- ia popular destination for rock climbing,sightseeing,eating out and skiing in winters. We were spared Tehran's notorious traffic jams because the government had declared a national holiday for the duration of the high profile event. But the infamous jaywalkers made me gasp in surprise and shock every now and then. Doubled up as my own cameraperson, I however, was not allowed to step out of the bus to capture the scenic beauty. So long as I was shooting from inside the media bus it was fine. And that was only the start of the restrictions and censor I would have to deal with for the next four days.
An hour long drive from the airport and we reached the Grand Tehran hotel booked for media delegations from across the globe.I saw smiling faces,men and women warm and welcoming. But business must be separated from friendly feelings and that meant the media delegates had to shell out USD 450 for rooms otherwise priced at USD80- 90 per night. The unofficial explanation given-Its the sanctions! However this did not mean that I was allowed to shoot even from a step beyond the hotel reception premise. An Indian private TV crew that tried doing so experienced the hospitality of the Secret Services for three hours!
Nevertheless I wanted to hear about the health of Iran's economy and its social fabric from the locals themselves. A tough task given that anonymity is both a precondition and bliss in Tehran. At the various media centres as groups of young Iranian interpreters sat sipping Coke ,if you got lucky and found someone to face the lens, you would hear of nationalistic sentiments attached to the country's controversial nuclear program. But switch off the camera and have a tete-a-tete and the narrative would change drastically.
Maghrib, 26-something, (name changed ) an IT professional, told me the sanctions were pinching them hard. Was the nuclear programme really worth paying such a heavy price for? He went on to add, '"You know, It will be some time before it snowballs into a hand to mouth crisis for Iran-thanks to our oil reserves ,but yes the food inflation and high costs of basic items are hurting us. We want to buy homes, properties- we cannot afford that. Unemployment is on the rise. It is frustrating for the youth."
Maghrib's sentiments were echoed by another young man(we shall call him Shirzad) ,the next day- as we travelled from Parisian Azadi Hotel to Esteghlal Grand -high security hotels where the Indian and Pakistani leaders were staying . I was trying to strike a conversation with him in the car. After some nudging he finally gave in and said"Look I cannot speak to you on camera. Is this off the record strictly?'' I assured him it was.Shirzad carried on: "No one will accept on the record that these economic sanctions are hurting our economy. But on the ground you see prices of food items have doubled, even trebled. Just a loaf of bread is so much more costly now. "' The young translator took a pause, his thoughts straying somewhere before he resumed ""We do want to travel abroad. But there are very few countries now that give us visas and welcome us. Despite wanting to really visit my friends in America, I am not even considering to apply for a visa. It could take months and yield no results. Forget it! "
There was irritation and a tingle of despair in his voice. I tried switching to a different topic and asked him- "So, is it easy dating here? '" He looked at me, a sheepish smile spread across his face and he quipped,"'We get asked that frequently. Yes we party and party hard,pretty often, and we do everything that you guys do. But all behind closed doors. Sshh!'"
Later at night as I walked back to my hotel after an official dinner, I saw a young couple stroll in the dark shadows of the service lane, holding hands.They heard footsteps and unknotted their hands.
At the NAM convention centre the next day, I met Hasna. A a professor of English, she was attached as a translator for the summit. Hasna felt blessed that she was married to a man who allowed her some freedoms, they go abroad for holidays every year. She has exposure of the outside world. Hasna was not shy of the camera, but the moment she tried giving me comments her superiors emerged from nowhere and advised her against speaking to international media. End of story.
Iran today is at cross roads. It can continue to beat its chest against western sanctions and carry on with the pariah nation tag. Or it can chose the path of diplomacy as it pursues its dreams. There is an entire generation born after the fall of the last Shah,Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in January 1979 .This generation without social -political freedoms is beginning to feel disillusioned in a theocratic state whose economy too is now failing them. There are also those who speak fondly of the pre 79 era. They prefer the erstwhile dictator to current religious dictators. This elderly generation is hoping that people and leadership of Iran will make their own sane choices and soon at that. Lest choices imposed externally by some Tel Aviv-dictated, DC-led initiatives might push this ancient beautiful country to the brink of destruction .
A senior Iranian producer with CNN explained to me - "Look for Ahmadinejad and Khamenei, it's not just about the nuclear programme. It's about standing up to Western dominance. They feel today if they give in to US demands and go soft on nuke issues, tomorrow they will be dictated upon vis a vis the sociological setup and then the cultural fabric will be attacked. They look at it as an existential identity threat. They are not willing to allow that."
As the political landscape changes over the coming months in Tehran, and economic sanctions begin to take a toll upon the average man on the street more than their preachers, I am starting to worry about the many Maghribs and Hasnas I met. I called up Shirzad to check on him. He preferred video chat to talk freely. I asked him ,"Any plans of visiting New Delhi in near future?" He replied,"I would love to but that would mean spending Dollars.We are all saving up on Dollars and Gold."
So what lies in store ahead?
Shirzad says,"The sanctions are breaking our back now.Khamenei is unwilling to give in.But he will have to relent eventually.Just as Ayotollah Khomenei while signing the peace treaty with Iraq had said-"I drank the cup of poison and accepted peace." Similarly Khamenei would also say "Man jaam-e zahr ra nooshidam."
Smita Sharma's Blog : Where anonymity is bliss, and rial-ity harsh: Welcome to Tehran!
