MxMIndia

Tag: Delhi gangrape

  • Conspiracies make for juicy gossip sessions. No one is willing to even accept the possibility that Singh may have simply killed himself in the dead of the night

    Anil Thakraney: The Ram Singh conspiracies

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    And so, as you would expect, the media (mass and social) is buzzing with conspiracy theories over rapist-cum-killer Ram Singh’s death. Every single bizarre theory is being propounded, but no one is willing to wait for the inquiry committee to do its job. Why? Well, because conspiracies make for juicy gossip sessions. No one, not even the Tweeters, is willing to even accept the possibility that Singh may have simply killed himself in the dead of the night.

     

    Think about this: The whole world is baying for your blood, you have been identified by the key witness, there’s no chance in hell of getting out of this mess. Every other day you are being forced to eat shit, or being sodomised by fellow inmates. And the jail staffers aren’t really keen on stopping the torture, they are, in fact, delighted at the free entertainment. Also, if it took them four long years to get rid of a hardcore terrorist like Kasab, you may have to live in this hell-hole for a much longer time. So what’s the best option? Get the bloody f*&k out. I or you would do the same thing in these circumstances; we would find crazy methods to eliminate ourselves. I can imagine Singh convincing himself every other day with this compelling logic: Katle bhaiyya, isi mein samajhdaari hai.

     

    In other words, it’s entirely possible the undertrial invented an ingenuous method to commit suicide. Therefore instead of indulging in wild conspiracy theories, the media should spend all its time and energy in questioning the Tihar officials for their gross negligence. Here was a man dying to kill himself, they ought to have known.

     

    One other thing: Once again the so-called human rights activists are out of the woodwork. All vociferously defending the rights of the scumbag called Ram Singh. It’s funny how these guys always rise for the rights of criminals, but never for the victims and their families. If you suffer from a low blood pressure problem, watch these folks in action. You’ll heal without any medical help.

     

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    PS: Spotted Arvind Kejriwal smiling at me from the back of a Delhi auto rickshaw. Poor man, guess he needs to find low cost avenues to fund his party’s promotions. Kejriwal certainly won’t be able to afford a full page ad in the TOI. Anyway, do hope the ‘aam aadmi leader’, while buying space from the rick drivers, convinces them to stop denying their aam aadmi passengers. After all, it is these dolts who, with their refusal to ply, triggered the horrific Delhi gang rape and murder.

     

     

     

  • One more 'Justice for Jessica Lal' moment has arrived for the Indian media. Now, only intense media scrutiny will put some pressure on the judiciary to follow the spirit of the law, and not its letter, at least in this case

    Anil Thakraney: Let’s go after Mr Juvenile

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Well, it’s pretty clear now that the man/boy who not only participated in the Delhi gang rape but played a key part in the torture will be out on the streets in a few years. Out to commit more heinous crimes. The Juvenile Justice Court has decided to treat his school certificates as gospel truth (the bone ossification test has been rejected), therefore as per the law, there’s no way this chap will get punished under the IPC.

     

    And so, one more ‘Justice for Jessica Lal’ moment has arrived for the Indian media. All journalists and proprietors of media companies will have to get after Mr. Juvenile with jihadic fervour. Now, only intense media scrutiny will put some pressure on the judiciary to follow the spirit of the law, and not its letter, at least in this case. Television debates and news reports have been done. The social media is active. But we need sustained, continuous, 360 degree pressure. Till full justice is done to the unfortunate girl, and till all the six criminals get their just desserts. I am convinced the destiny of this young rapist/killer is now in the hands of the Indian media. People, we have to rise and shine.

     

    And by the way, no, I don’t believe Mr. Juvenile wasn’t old enough to know what he was doing. Here’s what I was up to when I was 17 years plus.

     

    Furiously (but unsuccessfully) pursued a girl in my junior college class.

    Dabbled in stocks with my pocket money to earn some quick (albeit tiny) profits.

    Took a train ride to Nagpur all by myself for a med entrance exam. And successfully negotiated a deal with a low cost hotel.

    Went on a road trip to Jaipur and Ajmer, all by myself.

    Had beer with college pals. Many times.

    Stole dad’s cigarettes. Many times.

    Got involved in a street brawl.

    Got an ageing neighbour admitted to a hospital.

    Lodged a written complaint against a BEST conductor for refusing to give me change.

    Cheated in my chemistry exam.

    Cheated in my physics exam.

    Screamed at a driver in our residential apartment, because he would habitually ‘eve tease’ the maids.

    Argued with a professor at a private tutorial class on his faulty teaching methods.

    Learnt to ride a Bajaj scooter.

    Had heated discussions with dad on the Partition.

     

    And these few memories are still fresh in the head. Yup, I knew exactly what I was doing, as also the ramifications of those actions. And would have felt enormously insulted if someone called me a ‘juvenile’. Hope the Indian law makers are reading this post.

     

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    PS: Speaking of the rape and murder, we simply have to quit this ‘Nirbhaya’, ‘Damini’ and ‘Amanat’ nonsense. Perhaps a PIL needs to be filed in a court for this. We must remember, respect, honour and cherish the girl by her real name. She’s sparked a massive change in this nation, and history needs to record that.

     

  • How long will we allow ourselves to get fooled by these frauds? How long will we allow the world to laugh at our expense? How long will we let these charlatans use us?

    Anil Thakraney: Block the gas bags

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Every second day, since the Delhi rape and murder, a deranged neta or a phony baba rears his ugly head. And lets off a wind blast that smells pretty foul. It’s okay, I guess. The Constitution allows every individual the right to free speech, and that includes farting, one might presume. The problem is: I am now beginning to suspect these dolts aren’t really crazy, they are using the gassy opportunity to acquire instant infamy. And notoriety sells too, we know that. It’s much more valuable than oblivion.

     

    So, the familiar pattern unfolds: The man farts. The social media goes into a tizzy. The news channels go ballistic. Arnab Goswami and gang find juicy fodder to feed on. Screaming and jostling happens on TV debates. Next day, the newspapers do cover stories on it. The international media now gets interested; anything that makes Indians look like medieval fools sells like hot cakes in the west. On the weekend, the news mags dutifully carry forward this trash. And Mr Gas Bag, within a single week, turns into a huge celebrity. Phony babas acquire more followers. And opportunistic netas get quick OTS. And this sequence repeats itself.

     

    How long will we allow ourselves to get fooled by these frauds? How long will we allow the world to laugh at our expense? How long will we let these charlatans use us? In fact, I must add here that some of the farts belted out by these buggers are criminal in nature, they abet rape. The media needs to ponder on this subject. My own view is that it’s time to put a stop to this crap. These gas bags must be banned from the mass media. Not able to air their stink, these sods will quit farting. As simple as that. That indeed might be the best way to stop this weekly nonsense.

     

    And all the media time and space must be devoted to the rape trial itself. Even if it’s being held in-camera. We take our eyes off the ball, and the rotten system will slowdown once again.

     

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    PS: I couldn’t stop sniggering at this one. It appears the western world has decided to ape our desi ad guys. This is Brad Pitt endorsing Chanel No 5. Don’t miss the usual ad clichés, the ultra boring script and zero brand relevance. We get to watch this sort of rubbish celeb advertising all the time. People, our ‘talent’ is spreading far and wide.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF8NAyqxGfk[/youtube]

     

  • I am fully with the rest of the journalists who believe that Zee did the right thing. Even if the case is in court, the janata has every right to hear the man's version

    Anil Thakraney: Zee News’s coup

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    There are two distinct points of view on whether Zee News did the right thing with their one-on-one interview with the Delhi rape victim’s friend, who accompanied her on the bus. The Delhi cops are naturally pissed off and have threatened legal action against the channel. That’s because the cops came out quite pathetically in the said interview.

     

    Some media folks believe that Zee should not have carried this story. One, because the case is sub-judice and the friend’s (he’s the key witness) testimony in public may affect the trial. Two, they believe it wasn’t morally correct to exploit an injured victim for TRPs and make him relive the tragedy all over again, that too just a few weeks after it happened. While there might be a point in this line of thinking, I smell something burning out here. Because this was a journalistic coup for the channel.

     

    I am fully with the rest of the journalists who believe that Zee did the right thing. Even if the case is in court, the janata has every right to hear the man’s version. Because he had lived that very unfortunate situation, he knows better than anyone else on what exactly transpired that night. And what he said is pretty alarming. It was not just the criminals who did the rape victim wrong, the hangers-on who stood and did nothing and the cops who took their sweet time to react are also party to the girl’s death. These issues have to be exposed and discussed in public, because only then will real change happen. It won’t happen just by punishing the culprits.

     

    I also liked the way the anchor handled the interview. It was professional and to the point, minus the hysteria (unusual for a Hindi news channel). And the anchor very rightly kept away from the rape itself. In fact, the victim wasn’t discussed much, and this we must appreciate. All in all, full marks to Zee News. This was a much needed effort after the channel’s senior personnel had been accused of trading news for money on another story.

     

    And Zee News should ignore the nay-sayers. Every single media brand in this nation would have killed for this interview.

     

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    PS: I am a little confused on why the media chose to keep the rape victim’s identity a secret long after she had passed away. This not only doesn’t make sense, it’s unfair to Pratibha Murthy, Nayana Pujari, Jyotikumari Choudhary and many others. And if you are wondering who these girls are, then that saddens me. It is the loss of public memory that one finds most depressing.

     

  • The Delhi tragedy should serve as a major turning point for us in the media. Despite all the good work, one thing we have lacked in so far is doggedness. We must demonstrate it this time

    Anil Thakraney: Media’s New Year resolution: Not to move on

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Make no mistake about this: Had the crowds not revolted and had the media not kept up the pressure, for sure the horrific Delhi rape case would have become just another sad statistic. The case would have languished in the courts for years and years, exactly what happens in most rape cases. In fact, the cops wouldn’t have demonstrated the urgency to nab the culprits.

     

    However, the real struggle begins now. As the crowds thin out, as other stories take centre stage, the rape case will turn into one more story to be covered. That is in the nature of the media. This must not be allowed to happen. Each one of us journalists, whatever be our field of specialization, must take a solemn oath to not take our eyes off this tragedy, and to keep the relentless pressure on till justice has been delivered to the dead girl and till real change happens in the laws and, more importantly, in their implementation. Till special courts are created all over the nation and till all rape cases get dealt with inside six months. This is going to be a long struggle and we must be prepared for it.

     

    In that sense, the Delhi tragedy should serve as a major turning point for us in the media. Despite all the good work, one thing we have lacked in so far is doggedness. We must demonstrate it this time, and it will become a precedent for the future. The government’s desire has and will always be that the media will forget about stories with time. We must show them that it will not happen on this occasion.

     

    What’s the fear? That the viewers and the readers will get bored with the continuous coverage of the same story? Well, let’s give it a shot to check if that will indeed happen, or if that’s an unfounded notion we in the media harbour. Perhaps the problem lies in our heads. To my mind, the Delhi rape must be used as a lesson to change the way we function. It should not be business as usual. We owe it to the women and to the children of this nation.

     

    Every single one of us in the media must make this change our New Year resolution. Personally, I have taken an oath not to ever move on from this issue. Even at the risk of boring you to death.

     

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    PS: Yesss! Exactly my feelings, because India is swarming with stinky, sweaty people. Partly because of the weather, partly because of the over-crowding and partly because of poor self-hygiene. This is one desi ad accidently created abroad.