Can a society turn barbaric in modern times? Indian society can. Pity is that media is the driver.
Villagers were brutal when they lynched nine thinking they were thieves. The act was brutal because they were not sure whether their targets were real robbers. Had they been in their senses they would have handed them over to police even if they were culprits.
Look at the way the chilling drama unfolded, on Tuesday, near Chintamani, a 60 km drive from Bangalore. A gang of suspected thieves attacked a woman in a field. Since she didn’t have any valuables, they tied her to a pole before leaving.
The villagers launched a hunt for the gang whom they thought had come in an auto rickshaw and in an SUV. Spotting an auto with five people, they started beating them up. By the time police were seen, three were dead and two were grievously injured. They caught six traveling in an SUV and beat them to death. No confirmation that the dead were the thieves, police are yet to identify.
Why the incidents of public taking law into their hands are on the rise? Police point figure at the TV channels enjoy airing such visuals counting on them for TRP. Many a time, cameramen insist people to beat properly so that they can record it conveniently. If the target is an eve teaser or a stalker, then there is a special treatment for him. Women beating an infidel woman is the most sought after. A case of fighting husband and wife is not a private affair so long as it is an enjoyable drama on screen.
The attackers are shown as the heroes, no word of caution or no reminder of law of the land. And people waiting for the opportunity call up the TV crew before embarking on the heroism.
The media turned inhuman when a group of truck drivers caught a man strayed from a mental asylum near Ramnagar and beat him up suspecting he was a wheel thief. A TV crew arrived late at the spot requested to repeat the act because they had missed the visuals.
Brutes are rarely booked as they are supported by the media, leave alone punishing the mastermind- the news creators behind the camera. Police tried to make TV channels party in the Ramnagar case, but they had to withdraw the case. Can the poor chaps take on the mighty media?
Who actually enjoy medieval scenes on TV? The national channels did not gain much in terms of TRP ratings despite their repeated shows on a bike rider dragging a thief tied to his vehicle in Bihar. The reaction to the orchestrated visuals of ‘operation majnu’, in Lucknow, or to the pub attack, in Mangalore was a public outrage towards the brutality, but not an overwhelming response to the entertaining drama as many channels believe.
Supposing there is evidence to say people like these clippings and their interests can be tapped for gaining TRP, there is nothing wrong in doing it. But, can we call these viewers a civilised society? If they are not civilized, is it not the duty of the media to show them a way to be civilised?
If you say media is a part of the society and it is just mirroring what it is, then there is no hope.
A triumphant glee was evident, when a lady reporter was harping on how she could beat the rival channels in breaking news of a rape case. She said, “We were the first to reach the spot where a teen-aged girl was raped just now.” Pointing to the spot, she insisted, “Right here.”
Thank god, she missed the visuals.
1 comment:
Sir,
It is true that electronic media do sensationalise such events. But, that doesn't mean that people can take law into their hands. Think before ink is the best policy. But our people think less before inking. It is just like a Kannada saying 'huchu beduva tanaka maduve agola, maduve aguva tanaka huchu bedola'. So I think in this aspect even media, be it print or electronic are helpless.
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