What Ravish Kumar’s resignation, exit from NDTV means for journalism, reaction of society and devotees?

By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

1. Good, unbiased TV anchors must get due respect. But don’t make demigods or form cult. Everything is not so simple either. Forget 2008 reporting or movements, not raising Qns on certain things, not showing other side’s view in past, channel’s role in getting victims, framed, is of course not one person’s responsibility.

2. Organisation have been used in a way to give impression of ‘functioning system’ and allowing certain things up to a point. One programme is fine but the content pushed throughout the day on its websites and channel is often different. If just recent past of one individual gives hope, its great.

3. But if a man did 80% things good, did not take stand on FIVE most crucial incidents of two decades that had huge bearing and led to demonizing of entire groups, were instead hushed up, how would you rate him? Okay forget past, recent past is great? Fine, let’s hail, do ‘jay jaykaar’. Look forward, what they do in future. Don’t be a devotee. All the best but no need to worship or wail.

4. Media doesn’t work in a transparent manner. You watch one programme and feel the group is doing great. You forget, how, the same group has been doing strange things through its website or Youtube channel that you never even bother to check or properly monitor or what other things it does because one programme covers up a lot.

5. Individual’s role different. If he stood up to those in power & allowed the victim’s parents to speak, show the real postmortem report when teenagers were shot dead after propaganda that forced everyone to believe their involvement in an act and allowed other side’s view, we will praise. Be just, get praise. In future too. But bhakti? No.

6. I will respect you because you are better than many others. But if a boy was killed in Lucknow and instantly your programme and reporter under your program, terms him ‘aa&anki’ without even a probe begun, trial or verdict, even before FIR filed, how can you be gold standard or 24 carat?

7. Its a masterly created system. It creates opposition too with an aim. It makes a professor appear criminal and no anchor raises question on police theory. That’s crucial point. Can you return the years he spent, the time in jail? That reporter later gets award for journalism. Numerous others too got framed and their family never given opportunity to speak up and tell about their woes or what they faced.

8. I can’t share media industry secrets but the guests you call for discussion, the diversity, the names and surnames, the minority community puppet propped up day after day, wearing two piece with a design to give clean chit to fascists, appears on your channel and his image created. Let’s see what happens next.

9. Change is the only thing that is permanent. We welcome change as it gives more opportunity to all. If one side gets powerful, other side too emerges in a different way. We’ve to see if you’ve commitment to resist and speak against real majoritarian beliefs at key junctures when you see emotion among ‘most’.

Not hinting at Pune case, Mumbai, Azamgarh, Batla House or Prof Gilani, many real crucial ones.

10. If you can’t allow people who were framed, remained in cells, whose lives destroyed and their kids couldn’t even attend last rites but in those circumstances you can’t take stand that because of this system, it’s fine. Nothing remains at peak, always. New resistance emerges.

I hope new & alternative, better media emerges. This traditional media has died a natural death.  Let all independent scribes do real journalism & speak truth to power. If they do that without any exception, no caveat, they will get total support and would be hailed. All the best. But, no bhakti.

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The views expressed are the author’s own. Originally published here.