The partiality of Indian media and news channels

By Nirmal Laungani

When Narendra Modi had won a very convincing victory in Gujarat, despite being declared “enemy number 1” by the media, secular establishment, NGOs/human rights groups, and even party rebels, channels did not feel compelled to express similar feelings on him being the “ideal leader”, as they did for Sheila Dikshit.

I was watching Zee News all the day, against the backdrop of the assembly elections to the four states, and one could literally feel the anti-BJP feelings in the interviewers/commentators. It was almost as if Congress spokespersons were asking questions. Just a short time after the counting commenced, we learnt that the Congress was going to “crush” the BJP in Rajasthan – right until the time that final election results were declared, and it was found that in reality, the Congress had failed to even reach the half-way mark (96 out of 200), this feeling of them having received a “massive mandate” was not moderated.

Then, Sheila Dikshit was made the new “poster-girl” of the media, having performed a hat-trick and that too against the BJP. Our learned Congress spokesman, Abhishek Singhvi, never correct with either his facts or judgement, claimed that Sheilaji was the only CM outside West Bengal who had won more than two times in a row. I think Pawan Kumar Chamling, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, who won the elections in 1994, 1999 and 2004 in a row, ought to sue Abhishekji. For that matter, Congress’s Gegong Apang also held the Congress flag high in Arunachal Pradesh for 19 years non-stop till 1999. Anyway, for the meantime we can ignore this claim, and continue with how Zee News went wild over Sheila Dikshit. In fact, in his interview with Sheilaji, the anchor Prasoon Vajpayee put her forward as the “Ideal Chief Minister”, someone whom every Chief Minister/politician should emulate.

No doubt, Sheilaji deserves to be commended, after all this victory is her’s and not the Congress’s. But, exactly a year ago, when Narendra Modi had a very convincing victory in Gujarat, despite being declared “enemy number 1” by the media, secular establishment, NGOs/human rights groups, and even party rebels, Zee News did not feel compelled to express similar feelings on him being the “ideal leader”, as they did for Sheila Dikshit. Opinion polls/exit polls had virtually said that the Congress would give a very tough fight to the BJP, and many claiming that the BJP was on its way out in Gujarat. Yet, despite their best efforts, nothing of that sort happened, and Modi had the last laugh. In fact, the BJP in Gujarat has been winning non-stop in all the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections held from 1991 onwards. Last year, he won with an astounding 49 per cent majority, way ahead of any of the current victors of the present state elections.

But alas! Narendra Modi’s fault, 1) He belongs to BJP 2) He is perceived a Hindu hardliner, and 3) He is not going to appease the media people to further his interests.

Anyway, coming back to the current state elections, the media reports that the Congress, buoyed by its “successes” in these elections, are thinking of bringing forward the Lok Sabha elections, taking a leaf out from a similar scenario 5 years back, when BJP’s clear victories in 3 states ruled by the Congress saw the Lok Sabha elections taking place earlier than usual.

But, of course, nobody thought it wise to tell the media or the Congress that, at that time, the BJP wrested 3 out of 4 states ruled by the Congress; in the present scenario, BJP failed to wrest Delhi, Congress failed to wrest Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Only, in Rajasthan, they scored some semblance of a victory.

In totality, out of a total of 629 seats (including Mizoram), BJP is in the 1st place with 294 seats, and Congress with 279 seats. If one does not count Mizoram, then BJP stays at 294 seats, but the Congress is down to 247 seats. Not a very good basis for calling early Lok Sabha elections.

The way Prasoonji, the anchor of Zee News asked questions from Tarun Vijay, were astounding and shocking. They were all provoking, so much so that when Tarunji gave his opinion that he didn’t believe that the Delhi elections were won by the Congress on the strength of their performance, Prasoonji was the one to get provoked (wonder why!), and started accusing/taunting Tarun Vijay that perhaps he (Tarunji) was recommending that democratic values should be given up and even the Constitution should be burnt! What a link, and what a connection?

So, for the BJP to even hint that Sheilaji did not win because of development is blasphemy, because it goes against what Zee News was trying to portray, but when Digvijay Singh claims that the people in Madhya Pradesh were angry with the BJP and that the BJP did not win for development, it was considered a reasonable comment!

“Terrorism as an election issue failed completely” so said our media analysts. However, none of these news channels bothered to point out that in Chhattisgarh, right in the heart of Naxalite/Maoist stronghold of Bastar, the Congress won just 1 out of the 12 seats over there, while the BJP won 11. This, in a place, considered their stronghold. Nobody bothered to connect these results with the fact that the soft spoken Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh had matched words with action in dealing with the Maoists, through his “Salwa Judum” campaign, in which Vanvasis themselves were armed to fight against the insurgents. Ajit Jogi had promised to scrap this campaign, and ‘go soft’ with the Maoists, but the Vanvasis, having enough of Naxalites and Ajit Jogi, voted handsomely for the BJP.

Isn’t there a lesson in this for the Congress, that acting tough on terrorism is important? But, then who could blame our ruling party, when the news channels were convincing them that the most important news was Sheila Dikshit’s win and Vasundhara Raje’s loss.

It is therefore, very important that Hindutva groups get their act together and establish their own English-language newspapers, and news channels. It is the need of the day. Otherwise, many laymen Hindus, not having another medium, will believe in the trash that these people speak and write. We need to have our own voice for those English speaking Hindus, and those who are accustomed to watching these 24/7 news channels.