“Covid 3rd wave is postponed as all media houses are behind Afghanistan.”
This single-line circulated as a joke sums up the ‘tragic state’ of fourth pillar of our democracy.
A dramatic ascension of Taliban on to the throne of Afghanistan is the new piece of cake with our media. India with its “Operation Devi Shakthi Programme” rescued 800+ Afghans with open arms. Albeit the wounds created with the passing of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is still fresh.
In the current backdrop, famous poet Robert Frost makes a flash in front of the eye. Frost says, “There is something that do not like the wall”. Frost in his Mending Wall is sad on the concept of wall built between two neighbours.
There is a virtual wall created within the hearts and minds of Indians. Religion when gained political essence reaches the height of Communalism. Red thread and Tilak, Skull cap and scarf which are religious indications have turned out to be the indicators of terror.
In spite of what our Former President late. Abdul Kalam dreamt “achievement encouraging ideal media”, we today, possess and embrace ‘Fire igniter’ as our fourth pillar. Legislature-encouraged communalism in the form of CAA too was no less in rubbing salt to the wound.
First time ever in the history of Indian law, Religion was used as a criteria for Citizenship. Post independent India witnessed a women-led protest. In the nook and corners of the country, the voices seeking abrogation of law echoed. Number of men laid their lives to police bullets.
In spite of these when government continued to initiate with its detention camp plan under the ambit of the Act, Covid crept in and once again lines by Robert Frost seemed true: “There is something that do not like the wall.”
Failure of the Central Government in framing rules and regulations for implementing CAA has turned the act a “toothless snake”. But, the question on the Future of Afghan refugees in India, creeps in. Do we Indians foresee the generation of current Afghan refugees in “Detention Centres”? Will the government decide to segregate the refugees on religious line to grant them benefits? If so, do India really have to save the stranded ones, only to push them back into fire? There indeed is a need to introspect.
May be good fences not always make good neighbours.
Indeed, it is high time that the Indian media woke up and acted responsibly. In a federal system of government where Legislature, Executive and Judiciary are independent of each other, the media houses should be the power house for rational analysis and discussions. And if so, a major step towards free India which is communally harmonious will be easily achieved.
