Open letter to Barkha Dutt

-In response to  http://home.technoguru.in/barkha-dutt-argue-your-case/

It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence. : Mahatma Gandhi

Shakespeare or any literati or philosophical figure of history can be great quote for a fanciful piece of writing. But in the age of electronic and photonic communication, fanciful and farcical write-ups eventually fail their abject motives. Bigoted classification of genuine concerns and reactions as “HATE” is nothing but playing fiddle while Rome is still burning. When journalists start to become NERO themselves, than it does prove that Rome is actually burning. Indeed social media has democratized debate and helped the wider populace to assert that there exists a VOICE different from the mechanized and orchestrated drama happening in the studios of news channels. And if it’s difficult to stonewall that VOICE, it is equally difficult to malign that VOICE. You can always use the adjectives that it is the VOICE of Chaddiwallas, Hate-monger, BJP-Walla, non-secular, Killer or of a Criminal etc etc. But you need to remember you cannot ignore that VOICE. “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” – Woodrow T. Wilson.

For you the liberals, scuffle with Prashant Bhushan is as abhorrent as those VOICES on twitter, but have you ever bothered about Nation? To promote views of dividing the country is not an insult of widows of those soldier who die daily to save our borders? You can slap on the face of nation and if someone reacts you hide behind the words like Intolerance. Have you ever tried to define the limit of tolerance? Can Tolerance be allowed to become impotence? And the bigger question is why double standards? We are so tolerant that we do nothing when Govt attacks peaceful protesters in the Capital, but such a big lecture on intolerance when few idiots attack a traitor.

I personally appreciate your thoughtful description of social media usages. In the age where Indians do have cerebral energy marching leaps and bounds, Twitter is godsend gift to us all. Sea of comments travelling at electronic speed flooding our TL, does enthrall us all. And we do wish to get more and more followers, unlike you known fellas, who get followers in hordes. But what makes social media truly remarkable is that we don’t need to pay 500Rs for each tweet. The overpaid journalism of India has fallen to such low levels, that it is shame to even comment about it. The lost credibility of Indian media has been the real reason of success of social media. When you watch a TV debate and openly deduce that Anchor is not debating but furthering an agenda, you come up on twitter and expose the Anchor. That is not Hate but obvious and instantaneous reaction.

Be it Bhusan incident, Rajbala Incident, Radia tapes, Scams etc, every news channels has set line to take. Same faces, same tones and same people, just different words. This drives the exploding grey matter to cast an imprint on social media. And obviously this VOICE is hard to digest by actual POLICMEN of media, so shamelessly invent names for this VOICE. Very easily you reject it as TROLL. Yes you are true, they have grouses against you people and they may be fixated to talk to likes of you. They may be abusive, anonymous online ghosts- But VOICE is real. These are thoughts vibrating inside grey matters. It may be hate, venom, love, aspersion, logic, doubt or aggression, but it is the VOICE. The VOICE, journalists sitting in glass studio never bother to listen. And if you actually examine the anatomy of that VOICE more intuitively, you will certainly get the reason for the voice – PEEPLI LIVE JOURNALISM.

It is certainly a great idea to examine that VOICE. And if it is just rants, best to ignore it. And if it is a platform of far right dogma to flourish under its hoods, your concerns might be valid. But have you ever wondered what if it is actual VOICE of the masses which if ignored can have fatal consequences. Perhaps, an early indication of anger and frustration waiting to explode? I can say with certitude that people are frustrated with obfuscated lines between liberal and anti-national, secular and minority appeasement. The subliminal fault lines need to come out from the terrain of nuances and insinuations and be orderly defined. The very quarter, journalism, which is an epitome of bipartisanship, is so lopsided in India that it would be foolish not to infer real reasons of debate. There are no real public discourses happening. And in such circumstances when people vomit out their frustration, the so called champions of public voices are threatened.

The Indian media is so used to one sided reporting that they have long forgotten the need to take cognizance of real voices. One way discourse of an IDIOT box has given sweeping powers to electronic media, which unfortunately has been exploited for all wrong reasons. And when social media is openly throwing the people’s VOICE, there is an obvious air of recalcitrance.  The very idea that people have got power to express is abhorrent to media walas. The very channels that run riots for Kashmir graves never bother to report plight of Kashmiri Pundits. For you attack on Prashant Bhusan is such a soul stirring event but Killing of RajBala is just a passé. When you are so singular in your selection who gave you right to label others non-accommodating?  The self proclaimed ability to see the shades of truth on either side doesn’t really prove it. You need to show it in actions. Internet Hindus, TROLLS, TROOPERS, whatever you call them but these are the VOICES which intently reflect your deficiencies.

You may be right that Anna Hazare movement got its energy from the engine of the social media. And those very people who supported Team Anna against corruption are against Team Anna now. But does that mean anything? Do you want to say if someone supported Team Anna for anti-graft crusade should be blind against any wrong doing of Team Anna? In fact I see this as cerebral creativity of the tweeting minds which saves them from being cult followers. If someone criticizes Kiran Bedi for supporting S Bhatt, what is wrong in that? Why so much intolerance for genuine criticism? In 2008 one Rahul Viad was arrested for abusive comment against Sonia Gandhi.  Why can’t people demand action against Prashant Bhusan for abusing the nation?

You are more concerned about the sweeping generalizations and exercises in character assassination. But no tears for real issues of so called TROLLS.  As a nationalist patriot, I want to ask how long we can bear paid journalism and personal agenda of NGOs in the name of liberal, progressive, pluralistic ethos. For 10 years media is running malicious campaign against the democratically elected CM of Gujrat but no words for Kashmiri Pundits. Is this called pluralism? People created mass movement to stop sardar sarovar dam, but no media documentary to show how same dam make Gujrat electricity surplus state.

Posted by Amit Agrawal on October 16, 2011

https://marchingonthesand.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/open-letter-to-barkha-dutt/