– Vidya Bhushan Rawat
A terrorist fires at the peaceful protesters in Delhi as police watch silently, injuring a student from Jamia Millia Islamia. Protests have been organised all over the country to mark the martyrdom of Gandhi who was murdered by Pandit Nathu Ram Godse, the first terrorist of independent India. We might differ with Gandhi on his various approaches and need not to agree but but none can deny his pivotal role in the freedom of our country and uniting people against hatred.
Today, the sympathisers of Godse are in power but they cant ‘disown’ Gandhi and the reasons are obvious. They cant even claim to be a Godsewaallah except for the some Hindu Mahasabha ‘warriors’ who dont believe in our Republic and celebrate Gandhi’s murder as their victory and denigrate Gandhi and hold him responsible for India’s partition. No action has ever been taken against any of these ‘deshbhakts’ who refuse to celebrate our Republic day and openly eulogiging Godse. Even BJP’s spokespersons have not condemn Godse act. Whatever they do, it is a reality that the murder of Gandhi made him immortal and more relevant.
What is happening today is serious and has the blessings of the ruling leaders in Delhi. Demonise the dissenters or protesters, intimidate them, vilify them, find a link, provoke them to say something, show your ‘bahaduri’ in the presence of police by abusing and accusing the people protesting.
There was a time when journalists used to be part of the protests. They would report more of the people’s side and their issues. Today, they have become part of state propaganda and ‘original’ fake-news agents. Now, they dont report but they incite violence, create false narrative and victimise the victims.
Look at the events in Delhi. Today when the young man who fired at unarmed protesters, the Republic TV reporter was live reporting that anti CAA protesters brandishing guns and firing. If any one call these liars as news channels then I can only laugh at them. Calling them journalist is a disgrace. It will happen. Media today is just distorting information and on war with people. A few days back, two other fake news peddlers ‘joined’ hand and ‘visited’ Shaheen Bagh in police presence but could do nothing as people did not want to speak to them. They reported back : people are afraid of speaking to them as they will get exposed. To harass the opposition and all those who differ with the current regime, these paid trolls shove their mikes over unwanted people in the name of freedom and the champion of this kind of hooliganism is Arnab Goswami and his Republic TV. They are now told to shout at the opposition, call name to them, accuse and abuse them. So this is new ‘journalism’ with the blessings from Nagpur. Everyday, an issue is created and a ‘murga’ or ‘bakara’ has to be found for slaughtering in their studios where the paid ‘experts’ will mock and provide their ‘expertise’.
In in the past, people used to wait for newspapers, editorials and special articles whenever such things happened and despite all our complaints, media was ethical and saner but after 1990 and its Ayodhya campaign, media became Hindutva media abusing all the opponents or Ram Mandir campaign. Post 2014, Hindutva Media has become Manuwadi media spreading fake news and hatred. What they are promoting is ‘depression’. I am afraid, what can you expect of these youngsters who have no idea of what India is and who feel one community or person as a threat. The continuous justification of violence and portrayal of opposition as anti national and leaving all those foul mouths unaccountable who have been inciting violence and calling for ‘goli maro saalo ko’, the manuwadi media has exposed itself.
So an Anurag Thakur or a Pravesh Verma, Giriraj Kishor, Aditya Nath, Sambit Patra, or their followers in the manuwadi media can speak anything and can get away with it but if the other respond then they face the tyranny. If the reporters or editors speak like this or play the distorted news which can threaten peace and animosity among the communities and endanger unity and integrity of the country then they are anti national and criminals. They violate the law of the land. They are the real tukde tudke gang. More the politicians it is the media which has fallen as it continue to legitimise the crooked foul mouth politicians of the ruling party and ask questions from the opposition.
We have not seen any police FIR on any of the foul mouth ministers who incite violence. Election Commission’s banning is just an eyewash as it does not do anything. In a country, where police is using sedition laws against children just for participating in a play that question CAA, where people are often charged with sedition laws just for saying a thing or allegedly saying something without proper investigation of some one’s past antecedents but where those who kills a police officer on duty, are honorably released, where police does not act when the student call for action or when a terrorist fires at them. Look at ANI report just a short while ago, saying that this terrorist is a minor. How did they get the copy of his high school certificate so fast ? Should he be exonerated or let off without cases filed against him. What is Delhi police doing now ?
The image of the Delhi police was never that low as it is today. I can understand that police are under tremendous strain particularly when the ruling party is determined to play the polarisation game but then police also need to look at the broader picture. They are uniformed and not a private militia of any political party. They need to act according to the Constitution and act against all forms of activities that divide us. India will never be stronger if we have politicians with petty minds and criminal intent who want to ostracise one community or pitch one against other. Our constitutional forefathers did the hardest work to unite us and made the Common Minimum Programme for us which is the Constitution of India. We expect our institutions to show some spine and stand up for what is constitutional as that only will be national and nothing else.
