By Ranjona Banerji
Judging by reactions on Twitter, The Telegraph, Calcutta is India’s most anti-national newspaper. Not only that, it is also misogynistic, sexist and who knows, some may even find it seditious!
Am I joking?
Let me put it to you this way: The Telegraph, Calcutta is currently India’s most courageous and witty newspaper. It is also India’s most in-your-face newspaper when it comes to the current government in power at the Centre.
Of course, almost all Indian newspapers has taken the BJP government at the Centre to task on the issues that have torn us apart over the last few months. Completely unlike most of our news channels which have bent over backwards to say to the government, “Look at me, look at me! See how loyal I am to you!â€
The Telegraph, with its front-page headlines, has taken dissent to another level. But let’s start with the headline that upset everyone the most, the misogynistic and sexist one. After Union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani gave her impassioned speech in Parliament, where she offered to cut off her head and put it at BSP leader Mayawati’s feet and kept calling Rohith Vemula “a childâ€, most news channels went into paroxisms of ecstasy.
The Telegraph the next day however ran this tagline “Mother India, at your service and ready for the supreme sacrifice, comes†above the headline, “Aunty Nationalâ€, with a picture of Irani looking suitably dramatic. From BJP supporters to women, social media went into a frenzy of rage. To call a woman aunty! How dare! So sexist, blah blah blah.
To me, it was quite funny. I have been called aunty for decades and I am an aunty and I do not see it as insulting. It is true however that trolls and BJP supporters often use the term “aunty†when they want to abuse people on social media so it is not surprising that they found the term aunty offensive.
In all fairness, I share this article from NewsMinute which objects to the auntification of Irani:
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/why-telegraph%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98aunty-national%E2%80%99-dig-smriti-irani-needs-be-called-out-39384
The Telegraph, the next day, carried a more serious headline, referencing the tweet put out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the day after Irani’s speech. He just said “Satyamev Jayate†and a link to the speech.
So The Telegraph’s headline went “Satyamev Jayate†and proceeded to list all the lies which Irani gave in her speech. Perhaps our gaga news channels might have gone into the specifics of her speech before applauding her dramatic prowess.
Incidentally, since sexism and misogyny is all the rage in the accusations being thrown back and forth, I have a complaint. In Irani’s speech, she said that that no mother can kill a child, presumably discussing the allegations against her in the suicide of Rohith Vemula. Not only does this comment reek of patriarchy, it also implicitly implies that childless women are more likely to be murderers. As an aunt and a woman without children, I am deeply offended.
**
On February 18, The Telegraph’s front page said, “The Nashun†with a photograph of the prime minister’s back. This is what happened, the paper said, when those in power shun responsibility.
On February 16, the day after those lawyers at Patiala House Court beat up journalists, JNU students, teachers and activists, the headline was the strongest: “PATRIOT†it said, with riot in red. The police had watched while these lawyers went on a rampage.
One of its best headlines also targeted Irani and her past as a TV actress in Hindi soap operas, with “Kyunki mantriji kabhi student nahi thiâ€. This was very clever because “Kyuni Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu thi†is the soap that made Irani famous. And Irani is also famous for changing her educational qualifications in various election commission affidavits.
**
In today’s climate, it takes chutzpah and courage to take on our rulers. I salute The Telegraph. You may argue that they may not always get it right and that they have hurt your sentiments but they have also held up a mirror to the worst of us. Congratulations!
Comments
3 responses to “Ranjona Banerji: The Telegraph… India’s most anti-national newspaper?”
Sheena Bora’s murder would seem to undermine that piece of conventional wisdom.
Ronjona, I think you are reading too much into that one sentence of Smriti Irani – No mother would kill her child – and honestly, you saying that ‘childless mothers could be murderers’ is really stretching it to the point of banality. I am neither a Smriti nor Yechury fan but look at the way the opposition (as you have affirmed) and others are clawing at the current government. The congress reeks, please read, reeks, of corruption, – DLF, Bofors, CWG, Operation blue star, killing of sikhs, exploitation and have looted the country for ten long years. How on earth can you or anyone else expect the new government to clean their crap in just two years?? Is that possible? Releasing Rajiv Gandhi’s murderer, and Rahul Gandhi playing the victim card everytime with brother-in-law, the terrrible Vadra-ji – these are low tactics indulged in by the congress – always have and they will continue to. Everyone wants to rip Smriti Irani apart because she does not hold an ‘elitis’ degree – oh please, could any american do this in the USA? They would be put behind bars. Lincoln wasn’t highly qualified but look at the goodwill he has left behind, the work he did to emancipate the African American slaves – commendable. I think it was very, very, very humbling of Smriti to address Yechury and affirm that she was not as erudite a scholar as he is but she knows what she talks (perhaps, am not quoting the very same words). Trying to hit back at someone is what makes India full of petty people and I think everyone should give a chance to the BJP – Mr Modi has made the globe sit up and notice India – something which has never happened in the past -.
sab chaltha hai.. india mein….. enjoy and leave it