SOMEONE
SAYS & NATION PAYS
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
11/VI/2022
What state have we reached in
this country? Riots, Arson, stone pelting, massive Police deployment, Sec144
being slapped, what the hell! I didn’t even know this was the consequence of
what was said by someone about somebody and on someone’s debate. Sentiments
were hurt, which should have been avoided. Now what?
“Corrective action” by suspending
someone from some party was done. Imagine the consequences of participating in
a debate. One utterance and a counter utterance led to protests across India at
this massive scale. Suspension means nothing, once things subside, this person
will return in a different avatar.
My simple point is that TV
debates need to be totally banned. “Na nau man tel hoga, na radha nachegi”, is
a famous saying. News yes, views yes, but debates, an absolutely NO. It is
crystal clear which channel is “supporting” whom. It is also absolutely clear
on whose side is the ‘conductor’ of the debate. In the garb of ‘false freedom
of speech’, anchors think they can go to any extent. What also is disliked by
many is their tone & tenor of asking questions.
I read a quote somewhere, that
“Truth always exist; only lies are invented”. That is what we see being
‘blatantly generated’ on all news debates. The most ‘hot headed’ are female
anchors running interrogation centres, on both English & Hindi news
channels. They should rather debate with the anchor of the ‘nation wants to
know’ instead.
Wilful provocation, needling,
goading, aggravation and inciting is done by anchors deliberately. It shows.
‘Speakers’ who can twist any argument on its head are brought to these debates.
They don’t care about the rules of debating. Woof! Woof! Woof! Out shouting is
‘encouraged’ by the anchor. Good that they are on a virtual mode, otherwise a
few noses would bleed.
‘I am right, rest all are wrong’,
then where is the debate? My way or the highway is the style of conduct. If you
tend to agree to the anchor, you get a patient hearing. One sentence said
against the ‘line to be towed’, faders are lowered, or that person is not
allowed to speak. Result is noise.
A time comes in every debate when
control is lost. Once that thin line is crossed, it is free for all. Words once
fired reach so many ears. Anchors of course are always ‘holier than thou’. Then
things backfire on ‘Cesar’s wife’. Therefore, such anchors also need to be
under ‘scanner of investigation’ for airing such content.
If one does the root cause
analysis of what is happening in the country today, politicians will blame each
other. No one has the guts or the gumption to face things straight.
Enough nonsense has been
tolerated from this ‘fourth pillar of democracy’. This medium spreads things
like wild fire on purpose. Instead of dousing it, it adds fuel. One spark and
then we wait for a Lathi charge, Hawai firing & tear gas to deal with the
mobs. “Kare kaun, bhare kaun”.
If there is an exchange of ideas
in a debate, it is understandable. If we agree to disagree is also fathomable.
Invariably all debates turn into a ‘Machhi Market’.
Politicians know very well that
they can use ‘this’ platform to further such agendas, but ‘who will bell the
cat’. How ‘dare’ channels take pangas with the rulers. It is a different issue,
if the ruling dispensation changes, the media is the first one to ‘shed their
skin’. They know which side of the toast to lick. Rather what all they lick
should not be discussed here.
Media houses have their “sources”
everywhere is well known. Trends which have to be set, tweets that have to be
selectively made viral are pre-decided through a network. Then those four or
five faces are called for a debate on every channel. What impression these
media houses are leaving on today’s generation, needs to be questioned.
‘Current affairs’ is a favourite
topic of mine. I guide children preparing for competitive exams. If one had to
suggest a news channel, there wasn’t one, except DD and I used to recommend the
same, which was boring at one point of time. That is the impression these
‘noise makers’ make.
Our nation has very firm roots
and all of us can live in peace without these ‘news channels’. If TRP is the
only thing that matters, then God alone can save this country. Feel sad that
such a situation occurred and so many people had to be arrested to make a
scapegoat for an issue which started during a news debate. I wish certain words
wouldn’t have been spoken.
Will the government take action
against conductors of such low-quality debates for this country’s sake? I
wonder!!!!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
© NOEL ELLIS
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