Politic/An Uncensored Diary: Is the Media a Mirror or a Shield?

To say that the mainstream media is the government’s protective shield is an oft-repeated cliché. Even the ominous spectacle of TV anchors pouncing on the critics and political opponents of Narendra Modi like ferocious hounds is a boring ritual now. They have already crossed the limits of decency and moral precept, itching to declare those who do not wallow in the mud of sycophancy traitors.

Nowadays, any reference to ‘Gen Z’ creates panic stations in the servility citadel of the fourth estate. Many popular anchors smelled a conspiracy to destabilise the Modi government when anybody mentioned ‘Gen Z’ in the aftermath of the Nepal turbulence. One of them bluntly asked, “Does Rahul Gandhi want civil war in India? Is he trying to grab power through a coup? Does he plan to consolidate his politics only by exploiting the sentiments of Gen Z?”

Why the imagination of a violent rebellion is troubling to Modi’s acolytes in the media is not difficult to guess but what’s the fuss about Gen Z? Is the younger generation a novelty in this great country? Most young boys and girls over a century ago had been passionate to get India free when certain forces were helping colonial rulers. What better illustration of a conscientious ‘Gen Z’ than Bhagat Singh? Who sustained JP’s movement against Emergency – Gen Z! Wasn’t the ‘Gen Z’ protest crushed in India when they erupted in anger against the Agniveer scheme? Haven’t we seen hundreds of demonstrations by our youth over critical questions like unemployment and paper leak over the last few years? Rahul Gandhi did not instigate the boys and girls of Uttarakhand, who screamed “paper-chor/gaddi chhod (paper thief, leave your seat)” earlier this week? These unrests were caused by BJP governments' incompetence.

Bias among journalists aren’t new. But journalists aren’t agents of the establishment wandering to annihilate truth and propagate lies. If TV anchors act like commanders of private militia to protect a leader’s interests, they become enemies of democracy. The media draws its strength and respectability because it works for society, not power. A journalist should get agitated when truth is buried, when humanity is massacred and when morality is violated, not when the rulers are questioned and criticised. The benchmark to judge what is right or wrong is constitutional principles, not political loyalty. Start barking when rulers spread poison, and when the innocent are denied justice, not when the powerful are cornered for accountability. If the Indian media doesn’t wake up now, it will be portrayed as a wicked villain who chose to become partner-in-crime instead of standing up like a watchdog. Media’s job is to search for truth, not to hawk ruler’s, the corporate’s or opposition’s lies.

Tutorial on vanity 

BJP president J.P. Nadda is grappling with a unique crisis. Nobody is paying even a modicum of heed to his repeated invitation to opposition leaders for “tuition classes” on political behaviour. Nadda extended this invitation to opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha in the last session, following it up in a TV interview. He singled out Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying, “Every movement of his is eroding the credibility of his party. Responsible opposition is critical for democracy. I am ready to give tuition to all the opposition leaders.” Nadda, who is seen as a rubber-stamp in the BJP because the real authority is vested in Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, is desperately seeking students but the spoilt brats of the opposition camp haven’t obliged. Aren’t they impressed by Nadda’s credentials as a teacher of political science?

Nadda, who was a minister in Himachal Pradesh and barely known in national politics, first came to parliament in 2012 when he was nominated to Rajya Sabha. Rahul Gandhi, though much younger than Nadda, won his first Lok Sabha election in 2004. Most other important opposition leaders in Rajya Sabha, from Mallikarjun Kharge to Digvijaya Singh and from P. Chidambaram to Jairam Ramesh are much more experienced than Nadda. But Nadda is itching to tutor them.

What lessons will he teach the opposition leaders to make them more responsible? To not make noise for a debate when China encroaches upon India’s territory? To humbly digest government propaganda on unprecedented growth, instead of fighting for discussions on unemployment and price rise? And not to utter inside the House the magical word that leaves Modi’s ear burning: "Adani?" Or, the BJP president, who might not have traversed a mile for the people’s cause, could teach Rahul Gandhi the tricks of mass contact, ignoring the fact that he man walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to highlight the real problems India is faced with. Above all, will Nadda teach the opposition leaders to never question why the democratic institutions are not functioning according to the constitutional mandate? Will his message be: If there are rampant electoral malpractices, grin and bear it?

Politics is fraught with outlandish ironies. The Modi-Shah regime came with the sinister agenda of “Congress-mukt Bharat” and now their aide wants to give them a tutorial on good oppositional behaviour. Jawaharlal Nehru yearned for a strong opposition and always supported critics. He wrote: “I am not afraid of the opposition in this country and I do not mind if opposition groups grow up on the basis of some theory, practice or constructive theme. I don’t want India to be a country in which millions of people say ‘yes’ to one man. I want a strong opposition.” On the contrary Adolf Hitler detested the “hotchpotch of oppositional forces” and asked everyone who wanted to contribute to the nation-building process to follow him. Nadda should ask Modi-Shah which model he should do a tutorial on.

Beyond Bachat Utsav

“Transfer the money to my phone”, pleaded the middle-aged man, refusing to accept cash after a day of hard work. “I have to send it to my wife in Bihar for some essential purchases,” he added. Within a few moments, he smiled and muttered, “Aa gaya! My balance was Rs 356 and now it's Rs 1,356.” The poor man had to rush to his village as his mother had died two months ago. He returned to the national capital after spending some time with his grieving wife. He hopes to repay debts over the next couple of months if he gets regular work during the busy Diwali season. “I will finally return and settle down there with my wife once I manage to save Rs 10,000.” That’s the dream ordinary Biharis are chasing.

People, grappling with wretched poverty, get little pleasure when ministers boast of India becoming the fourth largest economy in the world. They cannot decipher the logic of Bachat Utsav. When the global dataset shows India ranks 145 in the per capita income chart, it means much more than the cold statistics convey. It means there are millions struggling to keep the body and the soul together. When India is seen at the 130th position out of 193 countries in the human development index, it means a large section of the population still does not have basic amenities. The prime minister must know there is a world outside the realm of the middle class that will rejoice savings of a few thousands after buying a television set or a scooter. They expect their prime minister to do something more than chanting the hollow mantra of "fastest growing economy" and playing Lord Bountiful before elections.

Before the labourer from Bihar could gather his tools and exit, the mobile phone started showing stories about the poor state. Prashant Kishor, the strategist who is now in the election fray himself with a nascent party, was reeling out murky details about the ministers and leaders of the ruling party. Somebody bought property worth hundreds of crore, somebody concealed facts about his criminal past and educational qualifications, somebody purchased a flat with illegal earnings. These stories coming out of Bihar are not merely a sad commentary on our political culture. They tell us the most deprived, wandering for a few coins to fill their stomach, are governed by people who plunder millions to fill their coffers.

Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.

‘Politic: An Uncensored Diary’ tracks the many goings-on in the corridors of power.

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