India’s claim of being world’s largest democracy is a very contradictry one. This claim of largest democracy has become limited to speeches and white wash. As Modi took the parliament India is seeing a seesaw between Republic of India and Hindu Republic of India. In this cruel seesaw Indian Muslims are fighting identical crises. Their fight has given them a unique type of identity they are identified as Anti national! These days almost every Indian is being seen as Anti national. To get the tag they have to do nothing just questions any action of Modi government and then the paid Indian media will do the rest. In present India more than NDA the media is doing the damage. The most recent “UPSC jihad ” Is a well versed example of how worstly the Media fraction is helping the Government to get up to their agenda of making India ” Hindu Secular ” from “Secular”. But his show wasn’t allowed to be telecasted by the Supreme Court. It drew much Crticism from many spheres but many were okay with it. As It must be noted how openly RSS has made it clear that they are on their way of making India a Hindu secular. And to justify it they quote Pakistan being Islamic Republic. But they have forgotten that Pakistan was exclusively made for Islam but it has been made in such way that they can easily speak about it and get out without being questioned. The question still remains who will question them? Those who have the duty of asking questions are lip locked in turn of Government funding. They help the government clean up the image which is getting dirty day after day by Economy falling, Human rights leave them aside , fundamental rights being clipped, health system collapsing with Corona and now the farmers law. But it seems as if everything is going very well and how’s that possible when things are crippling it’s all because of this media. Who have been doing PR for the government? Some journalists are asking ” Modi ji log jana chatay hai kaya ap Wallet rakhte hai”? Tell me for the sake of ethics of journalism who asks these questions to the Prime Minister of any county. Instead the question should have been ” Modi ji logu kie jaeb mai wallet to ha lakin ab usmei pansa nahi hota”. But sadly they wont ask it because if they did the bakhts will start calling them names and if they have landed in such situation it will only because they have created such environment by their own actions. The recent Tablighi jamaat episode where media made them looks as criminals and then was scolded by the high court of Mumbai. The Mumbai high court criticized the role of media. The media made whole India concentrate on Tablighi jamaat while the government got away with the failures. As the matter reached to the court one after another got acquitted by the court. But none of the media covered the court proceedings where those held guilty were made all clear of all chargers and allowed them walk free many of the foreigners were fined and were allowed to walk free. The whole scenario was never as big and important as was present by the paid. It was unnecessarily made a big castle just to gain PR which created an environment and helped the government to get away with failures. I still fail to understand why wasn’t FIR registered against all these channels under 153-A. For creating a division between two religions. I have written an article on the role of Media in Criminalizing Tablighi jamaat which has been published in a Magazine ” prime post ” . And on the immature role being played by media in India which has been published in ” Kashmir Horizon ” . Recently a new incident happened in india which made top court a laughing stock. Which has become an Institution which people unfortunately don’t trust. It happened when a person who has been making fun of journalism since he owns his channel ” Republic” . It’s name is the contrast of how it works. What happened is Arnab was arrested by mumbai police in a case where there was sucide note was written and it had mentioned Arnab as the reason for sucide. The case is of the years 2018 where the daughter first killed her mom and then attempted suicide. Leaving back a suicide note naming Arnab who’s well known for his support to BJP and justifying their each and every action. Before the arrest Arnab was seen giving open challenge to CM of Maharashtra and daring him and the Mumbai police to arrest him. And when he was finally arrested after the Charge Sheet No. 58/2020 dated 6/11/2020 was filed by the Investigating Officer JA Sheikh, who is the Police Inspector Local Crime Branch, Alibag, Raigad.
The arrest of Arnab became a meme. When the police tried to enter his flat he tried to close the door so that the police doesn’t enter but police is police and that too Mumbai police they gave a push to the door entered but Arnab being Arnab tried to use his tactics that he uses in his news room. Which is news room less and fish market more. While all this was happening his wife was live. Showing to people what’s happening. As Arnab tried to use his tactics the officer catagorically told him. That they have to take him as they have clear orders to arrest him and they won’t go without him. As he didn’t agree he was dragged out of his house and was put in the police van. While he was being arrested his wife and son tried to prevent the arrest later a case was registered against them . When Arnab was arrested whole BJP cabinet started to tweet in solidarity of Arnab the irony is that BJP cried for upholding the journalism values. Without even considering what damge they did to ethics of journalism. The irony of irony is that Amit Shah the Home Ministry of India is calling for upholding the ethics of journalism. While Arnab was presented in Mumbai High Court he didn’t get any relaxation and was sent for remand. While he was in jail no News Channel spoke for him except his own news channel that just kept the single news day and night. Kept running hashtags for Arnab called it massive support for Arnab. Two people sitting were termed as massive rally in support of Arnab. The jokes kept going on and the Arnab kept waiting in jail. Finally “Every dog has it’s day” and his day came. Finally his case went to Supreme Court. Here we must think something. People are waiting for dates to come up for hearing but for Arnab it was done in fast track manner. In a very short span of time date of his petition came and he was granted bail. What the justice Chandrachud said is very interesting we must send a message to the high courts’ as well “Please exercise your jurisdiction to uphold personal liberty”. As the judgment came it triggered provocations. They started asking questions in regards to personal liberty of other journalists and activists. The most wondering thing is how it took just 7 days for Arnab’s liberty and 70 days for Safoora Zargar who was 4 months pregnant. And not a single BJP minstry uttered a single word. Moving on there are people who are still in jail but still their personal liberty isn’t being found or they don’t it to be found. Sudha Bharadwaj has spend more than 800 days and counting but still personal liberty is not found, Sharjeel Imam has spend 286 days and counting but still his personal liberty isn’t found, just like them Meeran Haider, Ishrat Jahan & Khalid Saifi, Aasif Tanha, Devangana kalita & Natasha Narwal, Umar khalid, Kishore chandra, Aasif sultan and many other are yet to find their personal liberty. Obviously many people including me are wondering how fast track the judiciary worked for Arnab. More than that who rasied allegations on the Mahrastra government for arresting Arnab. I don’t understand what was to be questioned arrest of Arnab or the government that arrested Arnab. If he’s involved in anything that attracts arrest he should be arrested and must be held accountable. I know these people themselves know that they are doing something that’s wrong. But in the times of TRP and the scenario of present times they have been left with no other option. But for the present times they are doing a great damage for the future.
Advice To Media, Other Institutions Of India : The Present times no doubt are a challenging times. From Media to all other institutions all have been held in hand. And this shouldn’t have had been happening. The government that swears in the name of Constitution of India is duty bound to let institutions work free. But the government has completely forgotten it’s duty and is doing whatever they like. They are creating problems for themselves. One day or the other this government will go. They will no doubt be cursed but the institutions will have to face much more criticism. The Media must take lesson from USA media. They must remember how a journalist possed a question to Donald Trump which made him uncomfortable and they had some heated arguments. This can never happen in India. The journalists who ever dare to do something like such with Modi government will either land in jail or will fly out of the world? Example Gauri lankash after whose death RSS person said it open that if she hadn’t spoken against RSS she wouldn’t had faced such faith and by her death they warned others. The killing of another Journalist must shake up the journalist fertinarty but they aren’t ready to wake up. Either they are afraid or money has made them blind. But even in these tough times people like Ranna Ayyub, Ravish kumar, Karn thapar, Karvait karshin etc are doing a an appreciated job. Why can’t the others take some inspiration? It’s high time they media and the institutions wake up or be ready to regret for whole of their life.
(The author is a freelancer. Views are exclusively his own) [email protected]