By Ranjona Banerji
As some of Maharashtra’s farmers marched to Mumbai to demand their rights and that promises made by politicians be fulfilled, they were initially ignored by the intrepid television media. Print and web journalists were part of their journey as were some citizens, trying to understand why thousands of farmers were on a 180 km journey on foot, through heat and discomfort.
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/join-us-on-monday/articleshow/63251180.cms
As numbers grew and reports in newspapers and the farmers reached Mumbai, the discourse, as often happens in urban India, shifted from the march to the possible inconvenience to commuters and students. But luckily deflection was shortlived. In fact, there were numerous reports in various media about how Mumbaikars came out in large numbers to support these farmers, with water, food and even footwear.
https://scroll.in/article/871684/feeding-those-who-feed-you-how-mumbai-residents-welcomed-farmers-marching-through-the-city
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/maharashtra-farmers-protest-citizens-come-out-with-food-water-and-moral-support/19182194
It was only after all this that television woke up. Well, not all television. On the morning of March 12, almost every news channel had reports on the Farmers March, except, surprise surprise, Times Now and Republic TV. Both of those channels had greater news to discuss – the death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.
How embarrassing to be a journalist in either of these two channels. To ignore a massive peaceful uprising of anywhere between 35,000 to 50,000 people, from a community which is suffering openly in today’s India, just because it does not suit a political agenda is both shameless and shameful. Just as a journalistic exercise, it is worthwhile to follow such movements. You learn from the ground up rather than sit in a studio and spew bombastic venom.
As the day progressed, there were enough attempts to change the narrative from brave farmers to anti-national farmers, on Twitter as well as by BJP politicians. One news agency with close BJP connections put out tweets suggesting that there were only 7000 farmers in the march and not 35,000. In one world, serious news outlets would stick to reportage and leave the opinion for another day. Or, they could call out the hypocrisy of all this when the BJP-run Maharashtra government eventually agreed to all the demands made by farmers. In any other world, there would be all day and all night screaming matches on TV, between supporters of Poonam Mahajan who said the farmers were egged on by “urban Maoists†and supporters of Devendra Fadnavis who gave into their demands. Did it happen? It would have if it was any party but the BJP being held to account by India’s farmers.
What has really riled our patriots and their puppy news channels is that the Farmers March was initiated by Left parties. This literal red flag blinded many to what the farmers were actually saying, what they have been through and the hardship they suffered on the march itself.
Meanwhile, amidst many other excellent articles, there is this round-up of the events around the Farmers March from The Telegraph, Kolkata:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/blister-that-should-make-india-choke-on-its-coffee-215341#.WqdEK33r5Qw.twitter
And this, from Alka Dhupkar in Mumbai Mirror, on what has been planned for the future:
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/other/hunger-strike-jail-bharo-andolan-next/articleshow/63276892.cms
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In the other less real world, TMC MP Derek O’Brien did an interview session with senior editors of the India Today group at the recent India Today Conclave held in Mumbai. O’Brien did not hold back in his questions. He brought up tweets by India Today journalists and the company policy. Salute to India Today for allowing this. However. The reference was clearly to a couple of instances involving journalists from the India Today group. Angshukanta Chakraborty, political editor of DailyO was asked to leave because she refused to delete a tweet which asked for media owners to be culpable for sectarian hatred spread by their employees. Some of these employees are senior editors of AajTak, India Today TV and Mail Today. All of whom kept their jobs in spite of inciting hatred and openly lying. The person who pointed to it, without naming names, lost her job.
The answers and explanations were very defensive and worth viewing. This is our future in journalism.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-conclave-2018/video/derek-o-brien-grills-editors-of-india-today-group-1186282-2018-03-10
​Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia. The views here are her own.