Skip to main content

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

TRENDING

The making of a self-made woman: How eighty sheep changed everything for Kalawati Ninama

By Vikas Meshram*  About forty-two kilometres from Rajasthan's Banswara district, in the tribal heartland of Ghatol block, lies the small village of Ubapana. This is where Kalawati Ninama, her husband Dhulji, and their four children make their home. Their days unfold much like those of their neighbours—bustling mornings, long hours of farm labour through the afternoon, and evenings spent tending livestock. For this family, farming and livestock were once simply a means of putting food on the table. Today, they have become the sturdy foundation of something far greater: genuine self-sufficiency.

Ahmedabad world’s least climate resilient major city: AlphaGeo study

By Rajiv Shah  A new study has ranked Ahmedabad as the least climate-resilient major city in the world , highlighting a dangerous gap between the city’s extreme physical vulnerability to climate hazards and its capacity to adapt. Cited by The New York Times , the analysis, conducted by geospatial artificial intelligence firm AlphaGeo , places the Indian city at the top of a list of global urban centres most exposed to climate risk.

India has spent billions on skilling. Where are the jobs?

By Vikas Gupta   India loves the photograph of a certificate ceremony. A minister on a stage. A banner bearing the word “skill.” Young people holding folders that promise a future. It is a reassuring image because it tells us the problem has a manageable answer: train the young, make them job-ready, and work will follow.