Opinion Which Side Are You On?
I am on the side of little schoolgirls....
Everyone who watches Times Now,said Times Now,knows Times Now is nobodys agent. But,Times Now pointed out,we (Times Now) believe in the tricolour. Deep down,this was Times Now telling two of its panellists on a debate on Maoists,you must also believe in our democracy. If you were a Martian and were reading this,you might have concluded I am writing about what must have been a climactic moment in a sublimely serious debate that illuminated every aspect of an issue of momentous national importance. But you are not a Martian,are you? And maybe you didnt watch that Times Now show. In that case,dear earthling,you missed out on a sublimely entertaining exchange of surreally vacuous epithets that kept in darkness every aspect of an issue of momentous national importance. In other words,it was such fun.
Are you with India or against it,Times Now asked the two Maoist sympathisers (the broadcasters description,not mine) on its panel. Time has come,Times Now said,to say which side you are on. Yes! To a panellist who said Maoists must be taken on forcefully,Times Now said the entire nation is with you. Yes,yes! The same panellist later in the debate called Times Now the countrys largest TV station. I have no idea what he meant. But so what? Dont try to find meaning,okay? Just watch and listen,and chuckle.
You are getting your questions from imperialists; you are a corporate agent,said one panellist to Times Now. Do you want to throw an atom bomb on Maoists,asked another. Did Times Now cower,did it lose nerve? You bet it didnt. This is not the time for little school-girlish essays (on the Maoist problem),the largest TV station in the country said. Allow me to parenthetically observe that little schoolgirls watching what grown men were up to on news TV (the show was all male) may want to point out that their essays arent so bad in comparison.
Times Now also said the show is a serious national debate. I think the broadcaster was being unnecessarily modest. The show was serious national entertainment. I think I have the whole nation behind me when I say this.
Thats why I did a double take when I watched NDTVs story on Maoists (War Without End) from beginning to end. I cant usually manage that with most news TV shows; maybe its the essay-writing little schoolgirl in me. It was a good story. No,really; a good story. I have issues with it,but they are issues that belong to a national debate,not national entertainment.
The NDTV story had interesting visuals there was actually a camera inside the conflict zone forest. It was professionally edited and narrated; the reporter didnt hyperventilate even once. The story travelled from Chhattisgarh to Jharkhand to Delhi. It tried to frame the issue the states battle against Maoists by doing what journalists are supposed to do,asking a number of thoughtful questions.
I have just re-read the last paragraph,and I am asking myself,which side am I on? I want to be on the side of good news TV,like this NDTV story,except that you rarely get to see that side,including on NDTV.
So,ah,the luxury of seriously engaging with a serious news TV story. My issues with the NDTV story: 1. The average cop on anti-Maoist duty,doesnt his story merit a mention,just as the average conflict-afflicted villagers does? The state is not a giant abstract,the cop sent out to fight Maoists is not an invulnerable robocop. 2. NDTV seemed to say Maoists have the support of the people (in the conflict zone). This is a big claim,and the story can of course make that claim,but it needs reportage,not editorialising. 3. Activists were quoted as saying big business projects are a land grab. Why not talk to big business,and why not research business projects in the conflict zone to have a better idea?
I end by starting a serious national debate. When todays little schoolgirls grow up what kind of news TV will they get to see?
saubhik.chakrabarti@expressindia.com
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