Indian media "displaying" Brahmanical bias towards Backward class, Dalit leaders

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
A Hindi reporter of a Brahmanical channel has tweeted about former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi wondering whether she knows the spelling of 'tweet'. We all know well the background of Rabri Devi who was the chief minister of Bihar for two terms.
A few days back, another channel termed Lalu Prasad Yadav as 'Lalua' in a public meeting. Those who knows about Bihar's caste prejudices know well that the anchor speaking 'Lalua' was deliberate to hurt the OBCs and Dalits in Bihar.
The CBI in the Supreme Court speaking against Lalu Yadav has said that he is indulging in politics and must be prohibited from doing so. But the same CBI has now provided clean chit to all the criminals of Gujarat accused for 2002 massacre and other related cases. It is the same CBI, which is unable to pursue against Pragya Thakur, who is allowed to contest from Bhopal.
Indian media's caste identities are well known. The janeu that they wear even while claiming to be a 'progressive' has been exposed very well. This is an age of information and nobody is depending on these paid trolls of Sangh Parivar masquerading as journalists.
Media these days speaks deliberately the language of contempt towards those who challenge the status quo and are assertive, who refuse to surrender to Brahmanical hierarchical order. Lalu Yadav is one of the biggest political leaders in our political history since independence who challenged this order in Bihar and gave people a voice.
But the Brahmanical narrative on Lalu Yadav is that he is 'most corrupt'. They don't see corruption in Modi who, even if you give full proof, begin engaging in below the belt discussion.
Remember how media legitimised those who abused Mayawati and spoke about her in absolutely filthy language? Even today, read the comments section of any news item related to Mayawati, and you will find the hidden hatred of the janeudharis towards her.
Phoolan Devi was humiliated in a very similar way for long but all those who demolished Babri Mosque are heroes! The same media people are unable to remind BJP its absolutely filthy role in defending the rape accused of Unnao, Kuldeep Singh Sengar. The Kathua story of Brahmanical lies and crookedness is well known.
The savarna media is prostrating before the Maharajas of Hindutva. They can't do anything wrong. They are now the 'greatest' of our leaders. A leader who was despised by the media several years ago as criminal is today the hero of media, its Chanakya, and those fighting against his politics of hatred and divisiveness are being abused.
Why has media become a party in propaganda of hatred and contempt? They have lost their credibility. Frankly, they never had, and can only be said to be destroying the lives of millions.
Indian media lacks diversity in its newsrooms. It is blatantly casteist and racist in nature particularly the electronic media. Its Hindustan is twice born. Its nationalism is nothing but Brahmanical nationalism. It caters to these twice born, build up narrative as per their thinking. Today, the entire media is building up narrative to suit the interests of BJP and Hindutva, and for that it is going extra-miles. It is, however, afraid of the rise of the Ambedkarites and Dalits who have challenged the savarna narrative.
Mayawati, Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, Phoolan Devi, Akhilesh Yadav are the targets because they challenge the monopoly of the savarnas, are contested it and breaking their ego. More than 30 years after the Mandal Commission report was accepted, the savarnas still hate VP Singh the most, which explains their mindset and fear of losing power.
Fact is that you cannot hold on to this power for long. Hindutva or no Hindutva, the political power will have to be shared with India's Bahujans, who want to treated as equal partners in India's decision making bodies.
In the 21st century, this contempt and misuse of privileges will not work in long term. The Dubeys, Jhas, Chaubes, Tripathis, Chaturvedis, Guptas, Chawals, Aggarwals etc. will have to respect people's mandate as well as the Constitution to treat people in equality, and must be made to feel that casteism is as dangerous as racism.
In any other country, these party propagandists would have been thrown out of the organisations to protect the credibility of the institution, but in India, the media houses are 'bania kee dukan' (shops of banias) run by Brahmins, so they remain without any action being taken against their mischief and caste prejudices.
One hopes people will give them a good answer.
---
*Human rights defender. Source: Author's Facebook timeline

Comments

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

The curious case of multiple entries of a female voter of Maharashtra: What ECI's online voter records reveal

By Venkatesh Nayak* Cyberspace is agog with data, names and documents which question the reliability of the electoral rolls prepared by the electoral bureaucracy in Maharashtra prior to the General Elections conducted in 2024. One such example of deep dive probing has brought to the surface, the name of one female voter in the 132-Nalasopara (Gen) Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra. Nalasopara is part of the Palghar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. This media report claims that this individual's name figures multiple times in the voter list of the same constituency.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Proposed Modi yatra from Jharkhand an 'insult' of Adivasi hero Birsa Munda: JMM

Counterview Desk The civil rights network, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JMM), which claims to have 30 grassroots groups under its wings, has decided to launch Save Democracy campaign to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to be launched on November 15 from the village of legendary 19th century tribal independence leader Birsa Munda from Ulihatu (Khunti district).

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Morbi’s ceramic workers face silicosis epidemic, 92% denied legal health benefits: PTRC study

By Rajiv Shah A new study by the Gujarat-based health rights organisation, Peoples Training and Research Centre (PTRC), warns that most workers in Morbi district’s ceramic industry—which produces 90% of India’s ceramic output—are at high risk of contracting silicosis, a deadly occupational disease.

Govt of India "tarnishing" NGO reputation, dossier leaked selectively: Amnesty

Counterview Desk Amnesty International India has said that a deliberate attempt is being made to tarnish its reputation by leaking a dossier, supposedly made by investigating agencies, to media without giving it access to any such information. The high profile NGO’s claim follows a Times Now report about proceedings launched by investigative agencies, including Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the rights body for “violations” of rules pertaining to overseas donations.

Search This Blog