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Journalism of Courage
As India and Pakistan bridge the trust deficit,why does the media remain so off-message?
A press conference addressed jointly by the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan,Ranjan Mathai and Jalil Abbas Jilani,descended into an arena of accusation and hostility. The media took it upon itself to attack,ignoring the stated boundaries of the talks and the painfully constructed equilibrium of the last few years. Both Mathai and Jilani were entirely reasonable,and it was clear that the longstanding disputes between the two nations were off the agenda,apart from a discussion of confidence-building measures. This has been a deliberate decision. After ties between India and Pakistan sank to a new low following 26/11,it was agreed that bilateral talks would resume without mention of the event and its investigation,which would carry on separately. This was a magnanimous gesture by the Manmohan Singh government,building on Atal Bihari Vajpayees example,to work with Pakistans civilian government,despite provocation from the terror apparatus it has little control over.
This media belligerence is markedly at odds with the larger bilateral endeavour,and changed circumstances. India and Pakistan do not harp on the core issue,be it defined as Kashmir or terrorism. Both have inched towards greater economic engagement. Pakistans civilian administration deserves credit for investing in these moves,and managing the army to make this cooperation possible. What then does the media think it is achieving by savaging a couple of hapless diplomats?
