‘India vision’ a channel without a vision

One lakh Swayamsevaks altogether paid Pranaams to Sarsanghchalak for the first time in the history of Bharat’s largest and unique patriotic organization. Sarsanghchalak Dr.Mohan Bhagwat addressed more than two Lakh Swayamsevaks and sympathizers crowded in 40 acres of Ashram ground. The program started sharp at 5 pm and concluded at 7.30 pm. and obviously the Maha Sanghik turned out to be a very wonderful event. Also the Sanghik conferred the opportunity for Keralites to witness the discipline of RSS Swayamsevaks and their commitment to a cause. For over three and half hours about one lakh Swayamsevaks remained seated without a movement and that undeniably might have impressed even the rivals. A nationalistic organization like RSS was organizing a function in a crucial period as the state is becoming a hotbed of religious extremism. What is the role of media in this sort of social events are happening? While doing journalism course I had studied that Proximity is an element of news. But while deciding a news item in Malayalam channels proximity has no role. Here news is based on some vested interests.

But the question here is what the media in Kerala were doing when such a gargantuan event was going on? Let us have a look on how Kerala media handled the function?

Amrita telecasted the function live for 30 minutes, Asianet news also covered some time live. Manorama News, the channel owned by the Christians, showed live coverage of Sanghik for a few minutes. Obviously the channels Kairali, owned by the Communists and Jai Hind by the Congress were not expected to cover the function. 

But the great surprise is that the ‘unbiased’ Malayalam channel India Vision completely blacked out the mammoth event. When the Maha Sanghik was going on Feb 24, this channel was showing flash news ‘CPM is going to suspend Kollam Mayor Padmalochanan due to his presence at a function organized by RSS.’ Even the channel did not say a single word about the great event in their news bulletins. All of us know that the channel is showing extra interest in political events, but through this they had proved that they are interested only in petty politics not in the politics related to the development of nation. We can expect only this from a channel headed by an anti-RSS executive editor. But I would like to remember that just a few days ago, when a mass function of a caste based organization was happening in Kochi, the cameras of India vision were closely watching them. The event was known for their indiscipline and attack against Journalists. On the other side it is unfortunate that no media coverage is given for a well disciplined, socially committed function of an organization which is above caste, religion and language. Also some anti-Hindu forces functioning in every channel and they are behind the decisions of boycotting Sangh events. 

The TV channels are competing here to give live telecast of even Temple Pongalas. But the great tragedy in the media sphere of Kerala has been that they are even competing to air live ‘good for nothing’ events: dirty political word war between leaders, without any commitment to society, about the autobiography of sex worker, the unnecessary hullabaloos in Thilakan issue….   The anti-national news channels (without a news sense) turned a blind eye towards this kind of patriotic events. We must realize this grave situation and strive hard to have a channel of our own.

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