This is apropos a Business Recorder editorial ‘Travails of Indian media’ carried by the newspaper recently.
The fact that India has regressed immensely and unprecedentedly cannot be overemphasized. Not only are independent-minded journalists harassed and intimidated by government’s agencies and Hindutva proponents, they are demonized on television by ultra right media anchors led by Arnab Goswami day in, day out.
Highly respected Ravish Kumar, author and media personality, is one of those professionals who was literally forced to quit his job of senior executive editor at a major media house.
Let me take the opportunity to quote from Le Monde in this regard: “Attempts to suppress the media, harassment of opponents and minorities, manipulation of the justice system, educational revisionalism: Modi’s record speaks for itself.
This makes it all the more regrettable that countries that claim to defend democratic values prefer to remain silent, so as not to upset a regime that is asserting itself in the new global geopolitical order.”
This brings me to the words of a noted journalist of my country, Karan Thapar. According to him, he always considers Narendra Modi as his prime minister, adding that “but I wish he were not my prime minister”.
Thapar enumerated the reasons, which are too well known, including growing marginalization of Muslims. Nervous and embarrassed, Narendra Modi walked out of an interview with Thapar in 2007 when BJP was in opposition. The party has shunned Thapar ever since it came to power in 2014.
P.K.R. Nambiar (Dubai)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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