We as a nation rejoice in negativity. The press is no exception. For them if the dog bites a man it is no news whereas if it is the other way around then it is a hot selling news. With the satellite TV channels telecasting news 24 hours and competing with each other with about a dozen or so main channels and about a hundred or so minor ones catering to regional requirements, everything from a stray dog menace in a corner of the country to the shooting of the naxals or terrorists become breaking news for all channels irrespective of whether it is seen across the globe or otherwise. The speeches of the principal campaigners in the on going elections to the largest state in the country has thrown such negativity that one CM of the state is calling the PM of the nation as a donkey and another ex CM of the state is expanding the name of the PM in a highly derogatory manner. The prince in waiting, he can be compared to Prince Charles forever waiting for the post of PM of the country, is blabbering his way. The most attractive campaigner of all, albeit with the image of her grandmother in her make up and hair do, is also not far behind. There was a thread in the face book that the PM should not stoop so low in his campaign and leave such repartee to the second or third level campaigners.
In this context, if you look at what is happening around, one leader says he would visit a jailed ex MP in his cell. I don't know whether he meant he would be visiting him him in jail or he also would join him. In another thread there was a news item that the jailed lady from TN in a prison in the adjoining state is looking for ways to get back to the state though as the guest of the state prison department. There are lots of conjectures as to the reason behind such move. In the last month or two, the MSM including the TV channels had been busy with airing the highly negative news of what is happening in the state. Everything is speculated from money changing hands, to arranging women for the interested ones, liquor, food, a few kilograms of gold etc. Do anyone in his/her sane mind will be taking a side in a tussle just for these things overlooking the fear for his life. The media and the social media commentators very conveniently forgot that the other side is equally bad and was part of the larger group until yesterday. It appears to be a case of sour grapes or if you want to say apples,be it so. The power hungry persons behind these moves have wrought unthinkable distortions to the social and moral fabric of the state in the last two months. The fabric is almost at the point of getting torn completely thereby the state will fall into a bottomless abyss getting out of which will be a Herculean task for the future generations to come. The state was hailed as one of the stellar states in respect of social schemes, education both in local language and also in English, best higher education standards, industrial development etc. This was about a decade or so back. But today sadly the state can claim no such victories or trophies to take home. Repeated assault on social and moral fabric had rendered the state in producing people with education who can not be employed. Unemployable technical graduates galore.
Agriculture which is the backbone of the country in the last many millenium has given way to the industrialisation and is now relegated way below. There is no plans to improve the agricultural activity in the country or in the state which boasts of highest agri output (though in the years of adequate monsoon). Here if an agriculturist dies,may be due to any reason, then this news is picked up to project it as the failure of the policies of the government. If a person has died of heart attack in the hot sun, the prime time TV channels demand an apology from the PM of the nation holding him responsible for that. The recent failure of three successive monsoons in the state had seen that there is a crop failure and also the agriculturists who had gone ahead with planting had found the crop withering due to lack of water. The team from the center and also deployed by the state government had visited and also examined the claims of the people. The TV channels lost no time in showing the dead crop, dried lands, parched tanks and dry dams as visuals. The failure of the administration to store the water in surplus years had not been questioned by any one. All highlight only the negativity of the present.
Jai Ho Negativity. Long Live Negativity.
No comments:
Post a Comment