Starved is too mild a title for today's topic. Famine-d (though there's no such word!)could capture at least a bit of what I feel right now...
Mumbai terror attack and the aftermath !! Hv been going thru' the network - channels and internet for updates since 26/11.. Media - esp the national English channels has been on top of it ever since, and it's culminated into media vandalism to say the least..
Right now, NDTV is airing a talk show infront of Taj (not again!!) other channels have also been doing this ever since.. Looks like the nation has finally woken up to terrorism... bombings... mass killings... etc., but for the wrong reasons! The elite with loads of money are shaken out of their slumber of false security they felt in five star settings in the midst of luxury and security guards.. They've always been protected by body guards and security gates and thought bombings at least in India happened in railway stations, bus stands and local trains... Now they're shaken out of their sense of security and out there talking nine a hundred about safety and security.. American intelligence report says that if you take stock of bombings and lost lives in the past 4 years around the world, India is in a not so flattering second position next to Iraq. A nation as such is famined!
The sad thing is that our focus has gone all awry... 'beat the politician up' has become the mantra... 'attack pakistan' was another forward doing its rounds by mail... the pseudo patriotism promoted by the network is scary ! the superficial unity showcased by all and sundry is based on hatred towards pakistan, indian muslims, and the minority in general. It stems out of the apolitical mindset of the urban elite. Is it the real India speaking? And the saffronites are out there for shop-looting promoting Hindutva for their political gains.. where're we heading to? Is it to tackle terrorism with fascism?!
The media focus is on Taj and Taj only, when the majority of people who were killed in Mumbai terror attack were at CST and not at Taj.. Is it because those who died at Taj were the urban upper class elite including a Greek multimillionaire, whereas those who lost their precious lives at CST belong to working class and thus deemed as lesser mortals? Sad these channels waste precious airtime bragging about hairline escapes at Tajs & Oberois, when we've lost many an ordinary citizens, some still unidentified at other sites of terror attacks. Sad to see focus being shifted to trivia like (a) slip of the tongue or insensitivity of a home minister and a chief minister and (b) an unwanted member of another chief minister's entourage to terror site, while there's a long and uncomfortable pause or silence about those ordinary citizens and policemen who have sacrificed their very lives for us.. Could you ever call this media vandalism as the true Indian spirit?.. Is it what Indians are thinking?.. Is the country famined of original thought and real patriotism?.. where's the charismatic leadership who could influence a nation? a generation?.. where's that one personality who could change the course of our lives? nation?. I'm starved as the nation is famined...
Shaji Ramachandran
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what u said was correct about the focus of the media, but during that days it was like a war going on at taj, obroi nd nariman house so we cannot blame the media for focusing on these places.
If the so called politicians or beaurocrats are really concerned about the nation's security, they would be alert after the past incidents of mumbai and other portions of india, but it seemed like all were sleeping.
may be it is b coz of the presence of the elite class that this incident got more consideration. but we cant ignore onething, if places like taj and so on which is not approachabel by an ordinary indian citizen, hw the terrorists managed to enter? It is not easy as entering a rly stn.
And i think TIMES NOW is doing a more good work than NDTV, they conducted more relevant discussions.
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