Author: BK Verma
Publication: Pioneer
Date: October 31, 2007
This refers to the articles, "Will stingers
be stung" by Chandan Mitra, "Gujarat has outgrown riots" by
Swapan Dasgupta, and "Half truths don't help Muslims" by Kanchan
Gupta (October 28). For full two days certain television news channels, whose
propensity to demonise the BJP and anything connected with Hinduism is well
known, went to town claiming to have discovered the "Gujarat Dangon Ka
Sach" (truth behind the Gujarat riots), in their "sansanikhez khulasa"
(sensational exposé).
These programmes made snide remarks on Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi's "direct involvement" in engineering
the post-Godhra violence and shielding the culprits. In the event, the screaming
headlines at the bottom of the screen proved to be longer than the sketchy
visuals. The flavour that they served was insipid and flat. The 'evidence'
that they so bombastically presented, turned out to be the statements of some
windbags, who simply bragged about their misdeeds. It was at best a hearsay
evidence, which no court would take cognisance of in the absence of collaborative
or documentary evidence.
The programmes showed nothing new. Not an
iota of evidence was proffered that would prove the Chief Minister's involvement
in the post-Godhra violence. The three articles referred to above have ripped
apart their claims of clean and ethical journalism. From the analyses in the
above articles motives of the stingers become amply clear.
First, a reporter who was sent to mount an
operation on Mr Modi's involvement in "fake encounters" has admitted
that it was after that attempt failed that Tehelka fell back on the 2002 violence
in Gujarat. Second, these 'shocking revelations' do not add to the bulk of
what has been alleged earlier and the accused are already facing trial. Third,
the revelations were aired within days of the Prime Minister calling the violence
"Holocaust". Fourth, the timing of the revelations also is questionable
-- just prior to the Assembly election in the State. Last, the matter is already
sub judice so the evidence should have been presented in the court.
It was sad that journalism has now become
an instrument of political manipulation. Now, hidden cameras are used, call
girls are employed, liquor served, cash offered and interviews are managed
on false pretence. The much touted "Operation Kalank" has further
maligned this profession.
