The foremost duty of the media is to INFORM, EDUCATE AND ENTERTAIN people. This picture in the local newspaper prompted me to write about the utter disregard or any sense of respect the media has for our police.
It left me flummoxed as to what message this rag of a newspaper is trying to impart to the citizens? Does it want to announce to the world that – “look, our police is so completely impotent, that even a senior officer can be made to bite dust in a scuffle with a rioter “! What confidence will anyone have in the force after having seen such a picture?
This is just a single point in study to assess how irresponsibly the media works now!
Whether it's the print or the electronic media, it is the TRP that makes their world go round. If the news is about SRK's or Ashvarya's birthday, all TV channels go berserk reporting about it.
However when some time back, the Naxalites gunned down 15 policemen in an ambush in Maharashtra, it was not an ordinary incident but still it didn't affect most of us including the media and the masses. All of these slain policemen lived in harsh conditions in jungles, amid deadly mosquitoes, and without the comforts of city life.
No interviews with their family members appeared on TV or in the print. Do you think these policemen will get any posthumous rewards or medals? I very much doubt.
No demand for honours was raised from any section.
They lost their lives fighting the Maoists who are fighting the Indian state and want to overthrow the government to establish the 'people's republic'. But there was no outrage. I don't know the reason why this massacre didn't get due attention.
Our police is mostly armed with old weapons and have to save themselves not just from the bullet that can be fired from anywhere in the jungle.
There are also landmines to be considered, be it the jungles of Bengal or the mountains of Kashmir that can blow up anytime. These policemen fight for this nation and do not carry sophisticated arms like the ones provided to the – NSG/SPG or say - encounter specialists in Delhi or Bombay.
But when these policemen, who are our first line of defence, die, the media is not to be seen anywhere close except probably to print a picture in this undignified manner!
They live in sub human conditions in the police lines, away from their families, working long hours and on a salary which is peanuts when one compares it to any developed nation.
The print and electronic media have become an essential part of our lives and hence enjoy a magnitude of the importance as never before.
However in this scenario, media should have a greater responsibility and accountability than ever before! For in absence of the two, media will only end up harming the society.
That media is controlled more by its monetary motivation is a well known truth. In the list of oldest professions if I could add a third one following that of prostitutes and lawyers, it would definitely be the media today!
They can make or break a person/actor/politician/a corporate house, it's an endless list.
So much so that they have completely forgotten the basic manners and courtesy even while addressing senior politicians/ educationists etc. Very often news readers, just out of masscom courses, in designer executive suits, address, Ex Pm as “Bajpayi decides to stay back”! As though he was her classmate who did not turn up for her party! Or Sheila bans use of plastic. It wasn't a many years ago that an appropriate title was used to address people, but then like McDonalds, all things Americans need to be imitated.
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We know why our traffic situation is so chaotic. There simply aren't enough policemen to control the traffic. And there isn't enough to hire and pay anymore policemen for we are 'broke'!
We have one of the lowest police to population ratio -one policeman per thousand people when in most European countries; this ratio is almost three policemen to a thousand people. Even this inadequate ratio for India is declining over the years and hence the percentage of cases investigated by the police is declining steadily. They are also a highly stressed lot. An indication is the growing number of suicides amongst the policemen. But we the people never cease to demand more and more.
Media should use its powers in a judicial and impartial manner and not bring down people, organizations even the state, and of course the forces who work for us against all odds. And more importantly exhibit some sensitivity towards our forces as well as common people and VIPs! Must say it is a great equalizer, it doesn't discriminate in pulling anyone down!!
