We are very glad to hear from you Mr. Markandey Katju
“...all this is largely ignored by our media which turns a Nelson’s eye to the harsh economic realities facing upto 80 per cent of our people, and instead concentrates on some Potempkin villages where all is glamour and show biz. Our media is largely like Queen Marie Autoinette, who when told that the people have no bread, said that they could eat cake”
This just one of the paragraph from Justice Katju Chairman, Press Council of India.
Aren’t we so very glad to hear from him? What makes it much charming is that he holds an important position. Though this blogger wouldn’t go for generalization but yes (and that is a resounding yes) Indian media is overwhelmingly mediocre. And one Delhi based media group (HT i guess) had the temerity to pass it on to “vernacular” media. Maybe she should spend some time to watch Malayalam media, the discussion herein are far better and nuanced that probably her market blinkered eyes ever noticed. Anyway Delhi based demagogues (moon walking as celebrities) are known to have national (in most case international) aspiration. They have a strange affliction of ‘representing India’, it’s intellectual version of trade fair in pragathi maidan.
It goes without saying that Indian media in most cases (with very rare exception…and its getting rarer) is blatantly crass and self serving. They lack understanding or contexts of serious issues, its fly by night operation…I don’t want waste my time explaining but yes this blogger fully agree to what Mr. Katju has said. It’s high time these neo-brahmins are put in place. There is very urgent need for laws on privacy, slander or manufactured news. Indeed popular people themselves are fair game and news are created by small timers (likes of Crude Woman & her fixers – though high on freedom of expression, I am aware their ilk expertise in creating fake news to be in the news at others expense, its called competition. in reality these are manipulations of crony capitalism), particular in this case is Bachchan family. While on the sideline a coterie pretends as protector of culture (some amazingly mediocre people), the fact is these self appointed guardians are worst offenders and given a chance they can do severe damage, they are hanging in the sidelines for big lick, that’s all. Values are ruse.
The problem here seems to be that the Indian society’s framework of morality is rather weak. This is because the so called Brahmins were on the helm for more than 5000years and they created amazingly crude system defined by self serving logic. Morals and values were subservient to their selfishness. You will note that theoretically they had answers to almost anything and everything. Their world views were generally grand (and in some case rather valuable, I do admire some aspects of it). This grandness hid the immediate poverty of conscience and compassion (Buddhism sought to mitigate this gap). This is the framework of morality/ethics they created and perpetuated, and so the latter claimants to power/elite section tried to emulate/follow this regression (some even audacious to call it sanskritisation, it’s unfortunate …Sanskrit is a beautiful word that is misused by boys with fancy ideas on world). There are umpteen examples of kings and nobles trying to see themselves as closer to god thus gain acceptance and so on. This manipulative behavior became the reference point for social mobility.
This thousands of year old framework is what we inherited, so its very much expected that the neo-brahmanism finds its expression in modern India. Media -the new center of power (indeed many in the top of this field are actual inheritors, so no pretensions!!) is an excellent instance. The fact that they propose to consider themselves beyond any criticism or law, and as is the tradition, gang around to curse anyone who questions. They have positioned themselves as our benevolent guardian; it’s our fault to criticize them. Indeed we are told to be grateful. We are sinning against values of freedom and liberty if we question neo brahmins. It’s another of the old brahmin spin we have inherited.
Add to this the crass world of market. Where every action and inaction is justified with money. We have ready made script for Indian media. Since India has more population –meaning more lick -this becomes rather severe.
Justice Katju has a view on “introspection by media”, this blogger differs rather significantly. Whether this bunch does some introspect or not, we are not particularly bothered, but yes there should be strict laws against any transgression of people’s right and should be severely dealt. Get this straight in market driven world nobody is doing any savior’s work, these grand positioning cannot be substitute for laws that punish the guilty and those who are criminally negligent, that definitely includes media. Neo-brahmanical ploy will not work.
