The lack of serious debate in Indian media
Basu Ka Bakwas
First for the uninitiated
Jackass is an show on Mtv which really pushed the envelope on reality TV. The
show involved participants doing acts which by any standard can be considered
outright dangerous, painful and demeaning. Then again it was well received;
viewed and inspired a unending series of spin offs and is continuing to this
day.
Sounds familiar lets go a
bit further. This is the age of information explosion Utube,Vice News ,Face
book and an unending streams of information anything you want you have at the
blink of a nano second. Hence too much compition for traditional brick and
morter News channels sensation is the name of the new game.Hence debates are
more of a street corner fight where the loudest and not necessarily the most
logical downgrades everything into a cat fight.
After the last general
elections every body else are short of agenda,credible leaders and listning
ears.Hence comes the Jackass if they cannot listen to arguments they can always
react to abuse. The more impending elections the more shrill the drama and lo
and behold it generates enough fear psychosis among the target audience the
vote banks and you live to loot another day.
Last time it was Dadri realy I am yet to
stretch my imagination enough to connect a grisly murder in a non bjp ruled
state having regular law and order issues to prime minister Modi.What was Akhilesh
Yadav doing was he realy killed for beef there are contradictory reports. How many
muslims got murdered in UP was it ever investigated that whether Modi or rising
Intolerence was responsible. If Akhilesh is so power less in his own state shouldn’t
he request emergency to be imposed.This things didn’t got discussed instead the
beef debate ,returning of who is he recipient etc.Then there was enough drama
to convince a section that Lalu is still worth it let time have the last
opinion on that.People aught to learn from their mistakes but in a democracy
you have the privilege not to.
Now it has started again do
something incredibly offensive in country where the average people have little
more than beliefs to sustain themselves and are quick to take offense.
Get bombarded virtually in
the social media where everybody is judge jury and executioner and physically elsewhere.
Get on national Tv who expectedly wont or cant find audiences
for debates on real issues of degrading of law and order,health or education are most
complaint play the victim card .I think both have to mature a Jackass show runs
on Jackass audiences.
I am reminded of the former
cabinet minister who now has doubts on the conviction and consequent hanging of
Afzal Guru.Realy? why did you not get at least the President to commute the
death sentence to life.
I had hoped that when former
national party giants loose the goodwill ,introspect raise better issues than a
suit and a boot. Then no such luck in reality TV land where we wont discuss Malda but we will discuss
JNU.Producing such illustrious debtors or at least hyper lime lighting them
that everything else is on the back ground. So fantastic that having a debate
with them is akin to explain not to chew
everything in reach to an infant their
reaction stay glum silent, force decibaly their repotire of limited idea and vocabulary
when all else fails kick,roll on the ground and rupture eardrums. While cute to
watch my kid do so when adults on whom national resources are invested do the
same sadly hard to call it cute.
Elections are coming and in states
where the parties have failed abysmally and are propped up by rabble rousing
mullahs with dreams of puritan utopia.Should we as a nation relegate serious
news hour to Mtv Jackass grade entertainment?only time will tell.
