(An open letter to Ms. Smriti Irani, Honourable I & B Minister -Government of India)
Madam Minister Ji,
History has witnessed several turbulent times. Gory events that terminated anarchy as well as ended tyranny. A few ghastly episodes snatched away some giant figures like Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln to name a few. Nevertheless, of all the many revolutions in the modern era, there was but one personality, Adolph Hitler, who surpasses the ‘one-man army’ tag, over every other adored and disliked leader, the world over. Why?
Hitler utilised a single weapon known as -‘propaganda’. Posters were put up across the countrysides and pasted over the doors of schools and hospitals; churches and offices; factories and cemeteries – denigrating the very existence of a most powerful clan of people who actually ruled the economy of the era. So much of hatred was spread and spitefully spread that the targets were demonised as being ‘beasts’ , ‘anti-human’ and ‘worse than animals’. There was mass paranoia cultivated, cultured consciously and with such intensity and volatility that the hoi poi and the masses blindly believed what was being said, repeated and distributed so generously by the hate-machinery of the man at the top. Net result, frenzy resulted in mass frenzy and that was the reason all his men and women heartlessly butchered the targeted class of human beings. So very mercilessly and in a most wicked fashion including gas-chambers.
And, everyone who owns a mobile handset is considered literate and a sitting duck for all the propagandists. Hence, we are living in a more fragile era of easy infiltration, bombardment and bullying by economically and a socially powerful coterie of monopolists in our societies.
These MSM pundits and high priests of media enjoy as well as bask in the glory of being a clan akin to Gods – seemingly above the dictates of constitutional prosperity and action under law for malicious propaganda. Just as the so-called ‘Harijans’ were children of God because they weren’t taken into account by those who were ruling societal systems in the era of pre-independent India!
So, who bells these fat cats now?
Other ministries might shy away on the excuse of ‘lack of jurisdiction’ ( sic?). But, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting would most definitely rise to be the conscience-keeper of a society riddled with a plethora of defamatory statements and apologies rendered by men placed in high offices of public duty?
‘Fake the news’!
This is the methodology adopted by frenzy factories behind television studio doors and printing factories. Destroy credibility and sow seeds of aspersions, doubts and ugly comments unilaterally in order that gullible, or less knowing members of the general public and those clustered around these forces of fissiparous tendency begin to isolate or distance themselves. Social-boycott is the stigma all citizenry dread in the age of popular social-media.
More importantly, the nation itself is being much maligned through distorted reports of crimes and media-trials conducted by mischievous elements in the gentry of the fourth estate.
A recent measure made by your ministry was rudely stashed away. This speaks volumes for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and about the collective responsibility of a cabinet headed by one strong patriot. In the eyes of the masses!
Can not few other measures be taken in the best interests of National Integrity, Unity & Peace of Society? Such as requiring reporters and editors passing these newscasts or reports to get published for consumption of the general public.
TRP is notional; never rational!
Licensing the entry of cubs and seasoned veteran liars to the new regime of currency linked media ethics could be another sobering measure required to be taken urgently.
Be that as it may, it is of paramount importance not to clamp down on all these frenzied mobsters that have hijacked sovereignty of India – apparently, in collusion with foreign paymasters.
The recent years have witnessed foreign correspondents overseas and desi reporters getting published overseas indulging in spiteful propaganda aimed at tarnishing the image of India.
The ultimate aim is undoubtedly to further reduce ratings of India’s banks in world trade and financial market besides tearing apart the fabric of one nation so well knit by the Constitution.
Clamp down on news outlets which have been acting as factories which foment violence, hatred and depict one large section of the nation as being fringe even whilst the other four minority-classes of the cross, the skull cap, the red sickle and the unknown outlaws are eulogised as upholders of laissez-faire policy of bohemian ‘above the law’ lifestyles!
To set the mockingbird free, you must cage the canaries of treason!
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