Activists role

We were never short of surprises and entertainments in Indian politics. We may also add the roles played in it by the so-called free, neutral, noncommittal media. Perhaps sometimes the media also wants to go easy on their virtues to relax and enjoy. 

The felicity with which they could emerge to the frontlines and convert themselves into committed or activist mode, one has to take notice of and wonder. They invariably get aggressive and spirited to fight against the ‘failings’ of Congress, a readily available punching bag.

This noncommittal liberal media became so committed to the cause that they stood shoulder to shoulder with ultra-rightists, fundamentalists, opportunists to fight a ‘great war’. This was before they were forced after 2014 to take an invisible avatar and went to ‘Vanvaas’.

These warriors of yesteryears who were outwardly fighting against corruption churned out the poison from the ocean. The ulterior motives of each of these comrades in arms were different. Some of their true colours were exposed by what followed subsequently.

Few of them are now fighting the ‘poison’ they generated. The noncommittal media, in general, is in a wait and watch mode and are concerned about their security and survival, as many of their colleagues who were smitten by that poison are getting hysterical, losing mental balance.

It is not that only they are suffering from the devil they created. The entire country and its people now stand devastated because of their ‘tragedy of errors’. Here lies a lesson for all to be thoroughly conscious to choose the right people, path, process to establish the truth.

Media and the independent warriors should not be blinded by their abstract, hypothetical, idealistic, and intellectual thinking and bias to get away from the process of truth and sense. They are not Krishna avatar to adopt any means to fight evils. They are just human.

Political fights for a cause should have avoided lies, propaganda, and agitations aligning with evil, opportunistic and disruptive forces giving them dignity and respect. Unfortunately, the media which is supposed to be the protector of democracy got into this gutter.

They were lying to the people and were dishonest when they carried out those dramas with the basic aim of defeating the Congress to serve their ends. Can anyone believe that these experienced media persons were unaware of the political scheme of BJP/ RSS and others?

What these media and other activists associated with their then commander-in-chief were doing then, are the same that are being carried out at a higher pitch openly and loudly now, by the committed media circus promoting and supporting the present rulers.

The era of manipulating, hoodwinking people and their perceptions; politically dividing them for short term political interests; compromising with criminal forces, hooligans, thugs to mobilize or threaten people to toe their political line for winning elections, should stop.

Dual role

Some are of the view that there are many good journalists, who are sincere and honest in their involvement with Anna’s anti-corruption crusade and their close association with opportunists, political parties were incidental and not predetermined or evaluated beforehand.

If any of these ‘good journalists’ believe that it was a mass movement with voluntary participation countrywide, it will be far from the truth. They were projected, overplayed by the media to make it appear so. If people were agitated, how it ended without a trace.

If someone now ventures to wear the same Trademark white cap reading ‘I am also anna’, it will produce derisive laughter not because it is out of date but because of what it achieved. It achieved nothing except the side effects. It was perhaps intended only for these effects.

If one still vouches for the purity of intention and path adopted; there were no motives on the part of many of its leaders to use it as a tool to usurp power, it will be another lie. It will be like Modi’s words ‘No one entered Indian territory, no Indian posts taken over’ 

They are dishonest in not criticizing Anna for stopping/ dropping his efforts before the creation/ functioning of an effective Lokpal. It should not be ignored as a rare incident of ‘satyagrahi’ misusing ‘Gandhian image’ mispresent truth misguiding gullible people. 

Further, are they adopting a similar approach to fight against evils now? Why have they not agitated or acted against lynchings, Delhi riots and biased investigations, and victimisations with the same fervour without fear or favour? Why are they stuck in this duplicity and failed to act? 

This differentiated treatment and means are adopted by the ‘noncommittal’ media even for ‘neutral’ issues where opposition parties did not have a direct role but people are affected abnormally and excessively due to misuse of power and authority by the ruling regime. 

The tokenism of few articles and speeches here and there are not of any materialistic value unless issues are gone in-depth to unravel the truth. It is not that they are incapable of such journalism and the efforts needed, investigative or otherwise to bring out the truth.

Our ‘free media’ is very liberal with dishonesty. It goes discreet with silences and whimpers when the truth is to be articulated deafeningly and pursued to its end. The question is, are they playing to their potential when their services are badly needed? 

They have some lessons to learn. Liberal media has to be liberated. A search for truth is needed. It should spread and percolate the minds and perceptions of people. For this, we need the services of liberal but truly liberated media. They should introspect and analyze criticisms.