The high voltage dramatic world of Hindi television “news” is outside my comprehension as well as my mandate for this column. However, out of my commitment to you (ahem) and some insane curiosity, I dipped a toe into the muck, as Lok Sabha proceedings began.
And I was genuinely amazed. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I was slightly shocked. And confused. For instance, on a programme on ABP News, after Rahul Gandhi’s first speech as Leader of the Opposition, the guests seemed to actually praise Rahul Gandhi’s speech. Some pointed out that this was Gandhi’s moment of arrival, others felt his success was clear since three Government ministers stood up to counter him. And one made the suggestion that the Opposition should now create a shadow Cabinet, as is done in the UK.
And lo and behold, India Today has apparently called Gandhi the “Shadow PM”.
It is worthwhile to remember that many (most?) of the channels did not cover Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, and whipped up as much Hindu-Muslim hatred as possible and have consistently given Modi 1, Modi 2 a free pass. On Modi-NDA 3, well, it’s early days yet.
The possibility is that criticism of Modi-NDA 3 will be weak. But the India Alliance will no longer be wiped out, dismissed and ridiculed as much as earlier.
My reason for caution is this: as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was droning on and on in his reply to the Opposition, in an extremely lacklustre speech, reports started coming in of a terrible tragedy unfolding in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. People had been trampled to death in a stampede at a religious event organised by some godman. The casualties kept rising, but some of these channels did not shift from the PM’s speech to cover the news. Nor was the PM corrected on his most egregious assertion that his government had done a lot to “normalise” the situation in Manipur.
On the other hand, I did watch a young female Muslim anchor (I make the religious distinction deliberately) berate a member of the BJP for the BJP’s discriminatory and violent behaviour towards Muslims. This young woman did not hold back. It was most intriguing. Not so long ago another TV anchor listened to Modi claim he was not born from biology but had divine connections, and did not even ask a mild question.
The American media and some media across the world are currently debating the suitability of US President Joe Biden for another term. Most of the questions are based on Biden’s flat and fumbling performance in the first debate with Republican candidate Donald Trump. (“Why Joe Biden must stand aside”, is a headline in The Economist). Biden is still President. I can’t think of anyone in the legacy/mainstream Indian media who will question Modi’s many mistakes, lies and garbled speeches. O no. How dare I even ask such a question???
There have been reports of the Indian public resisting the snide and manipulative questions asked by what TV journalist Ravish Kumar termed the “Godi media”, as in sitting in the lap of the powers that be. A clip is doing the rounds of a reporter from India TV trying to trick the family of a young man killed in combat into admitting that they got Rs one crore as claimed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (in answer to Rahul Gandhi). Modi’s Agniveer scheme of short-term soldiering has been much debated.
Gandhi had stated that the scheme does not provide adequate compensation and that the family did not get the Rs one crore as claimed. The family got angry with the reporter for twisting their answers and threw him out. The need of channels to push the government line can put the lives of their staff in danger. But the need to promote Modi remains. Other TV people put out information about the claim of Rs one crore paid to the family as true. And yet their own documents showed that the family had received an insurance pay out. Not all the money the Central government had claimed. If you are so full of “Praise Modi Propagate Modi Karyakram”, you cannot even read your own information.
Meanwhile, Modi hooked off to meet the Indian cricket team after their fabulous win at the T20 World Cup.
And the Shadow PM went to meet the families of those killed in the stampede at Hathras.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.