Muslims let down by 'secular' media

The other voice: M Burhanuddin Qasmi (Pioneer, Dec. 22, 2007)


They riled Modi, practically demonised him for his 'communalism' , but ended up sharpening the division between Hindus and Muslims. It would have been better if they questioned his claims on development and exposed the suffering of the common Gujarati

I am afraid this time our national media has unwittingly helped Mr Narendra Modi consolidate Hindu majority votes on issues not in the interest of nation. Hordes of journalists and byte-reporters descended on Gujarat to batter Mr Modi as a "communal leader". But the campaign backfired. Today, the Muslims of Gujarat are wondering whether they need these so-called secularists after all.





A simple question should strike our minds, especially those in media: How did the Gujarat election campaign derail from issues of the common man and degenerate into a Modi versus Sonia affair? The so-called political analysts in their long columns and 24X7 'direct to home' channels did gross injustice to their professional responsibilities. They portrayed a common politician as either a filmy villain or as a hero- "Gujarat ka gaurav". In the process, they ended up helping that particular individual politically



It is notable that in the present globalised world, fame of any kind, good or bad, helps people. For instance, both American President George W Bush and American invention, Osama bin Laden, (let's not forget that he was "discovered" by the Americans as quite useful in the Afghan theatre against the Soviets) are enjoying the fruits of the fame game. Our Bollywood filmmakers are well aware of the prospects of getting free publicity by weaving one or two spicy scenes (or objectionable lines) into the script. Once the requisite hype has been generated (and enough cars burnt), they excise these scenes and laugh their way to the bank.



The 174-page State Government publication, Gujarat: Beyond the Obvious -- A Report on Initiatives for Inclusive Growth never became a serious issue for the national media. The hired agency, Ernst & Young, prepared the report to showcase the "successes" of the State Government over the past five years. The Gujarat Government published it two months ahead of the election. Very few of the national newspapers questioned the morality of hiring an expensive multinational consultant that eventually produced nothing more than a colourful compilation of daily press notes sent out by the state information department. But, none of the 'busy' channels, to my knowledge, organised a debate putting the report on the table.



Ernst & Young protected its reputation by putting a 'disclaimer' that it neither recommended nor endorsed any specific initiatives, projects or programmes mentioned in the publication. It also declined to assume "liability or responsibility for the outcome or decisions taken as a result of any reliance placed on this publication. " This caveat from the 'author' itself put a big question mark on the Modi regime's tall claims of development. The national media, with all its intelligent people, could easily have put Mr Modi on the dock over this. But, instead of alleviating the level of the discourse, they pandered to the lowest common denominator. Then, by supreme irony, the media started accusing Mr Modi of raising "emotive issues"!



The lives of ordinary people in Gujarat are plagued by environmental degradation. The Modi Government's reckless industrialisation based on chemicals and petrochemicals has ruined the environment. Thousands of people have been forced to migrate because of these polluting industries. While the rich are making billions, the common Gujarati is suffering. The Gujarat Government acts as if the environment is a central subject. The national media could have focussed on this issue given its importance in the present time when there is much talk of global warming and climate change. But they did not bother. They were content with sharpening communal divisions.



Mr Modi is undoubtedly popular. But, it is time to ask - who is responsible for this popularity? I would suggest that his popularity is rooted in his communal and emotional slogans. The media is so obsessed with this aspect that it allows him to get away with all the half-truths and untruths he produces. He goes to meetings of industry associations and claims things like "Gujarat leads the country in power generation". The State purportedly has more than 18,000 villages with uninterrupted power supply. When asked about in education, he claims that the dropout rate among children is down to three per cent. Water is supposed to have reached every village.



To my surprise, the national media does not find the time to make a serious examination of these claims of the Modi Government. The Gujarat media, meanwhile, acts like an extension of the State Information Department.



The mandate of the Gujarat election is now lying sealed in the EVMs. All exit poll surveys conducted by various media suggest that the BJP improved its performance towards the end of the campaign and is likely to return with an impressive performance in the second phase of polling.



Mr Modi is a formidable icon for Hindutva politics in India. His defeat or victory would have implications on national politics. This fact is known in the country's intellectual forums. It is the media that originally helped construct this fact. In 2007, we saw the media becoming part and parcel of Mr Modi's message for the country.





-- The writer is a Director of Markazul Ma'arif Education & Research Centre, Mumbai

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