Indian Media Bash Blog

This is “controversial” or as the media is loath to believe it. On similar grounds, the Government is molly coddling with the “captains of the industry”;media has been remarkably muted as to the coverage and bringing about a healthy debate. I don’t see any overdrive from NDTV for petition campaign (just the way they did it for one model who was serving in an illicit watering hole and involving the f***ing page 3 wannabes). President can’t be petitioned on a serious societal debate?

The problem with the media is that they remain stooges to the powerful interests. A simple phone call to the “top honcho” ( the term favoured by financial dailies and none of my creation), and remind them gently about the power the Govt. weilds. Hence, go slow on the coverage.

The hyperbole media who would otherwise flesh out details about the “latest romance”, cry buckets over a child prodigy running, “break news” about the PM’s viral cold, yet would hesitate to be a platform for a social debate. Something that would concern their kids in the future.

Reservations per se are not bad- only if the basic purpose behind them is solved. Those asking for reservations are becoming sitting ducks for exploitation. Their competitiveness would be eroded to an extent that they wouldn’t be able to stand up to the market forces. Assuming that they do get the reservation benefits, they would need the “comfort” from the Government at every step. With miniscule job openings and almost nil pay hikes coming in the way, I believe that medical profession (and for that matter any other) would suffer from brain drain.

This isn’t the reservation issue per se in the Post Graduate Medical Education (which over the years has become a farce). The jury is still out there to decide the merits of being a “specialist” in a developing country when we need “social doctors”. However, that is the subject of another debate and I wouldn’t venture in the same. The matter at hand is that ethically, legally, morally, logcially and economically the reservations don’t make any sense.

The basic problem is that we all refuse to get up and ask for our rights. We all refuse to wake up and vote for our aspirations. If the politicians are in power, it’s because it serves them to cater to their narrow vote banks and extend sops to them while in power. At the cost of the “silent suffering majority” (the so called “civilised and “educated”) who would otherwise sit back and crib in their drawing rooms. Indeed, it is a self perpetuating vote bank which extends to generations. Which explains the unique phenomenon in Indian Politics- “hereditary seats of power”.

The voice of the people cannot be crushed if we are determined. However, the biggest barrier to approach this mindset is to shed our cynicism. I don’t see any grass roots activism/ political awareness to bring about this “social change”. Which over the years has shifted it’s focus to professional heart bleeders from JNU and the “vocal left” leaving no stone unturned for protest for all the wrong reasons. I find a stunning silence from People’s Union For Civil Liberties, Shabana Azmi, Teesta Setalvad (of Communalism Combat) and the host of others who crow about “where the Indian Society is heading to”! The latest addition to these bunch of jokers is our very own Aaamir Khan who seems to have taken everything head on with gusto.

Over a period of time, the more sinister grand plan to bring about a lateral division in a Hindu Majority nation. Well, Hinduism per se has never propped up system of caste; Vivekananda spoke out vehemently against it. This was a “degeneration” of the existing system where the elites chose to entrench their interests. It has been roundly opposed by one and all. The existing societal set up favours the chosen few who seek to exploit the presumed and apparrent divisions. A general category would not be pre disposed towards the one who gets his seat due to the Government’s largesse. All set up from taxing us. The benefits of the existing infrastructure don’t flow to us; this being our constitutional right.

The consolidated message, from a common platform, should go to the people of India that it concerns their kids too. Tomorrow when they step out to seek admissions in the hallowed portals of the medical/engineering/other professional colleges, they would come up against an entrenched system that favours someone because he/ she has that “lucky caste”. If the existing 50% isn’t bad enough, 77% would make it worse. Increasing seats isn’t the idea- inferastructure has been strangulated for the past 25 years and nothing can be expected overnight.

Merit is of course the looser- but too difficult to extrapolate in the real world. Per se, it would be difficult to claim that OBC’s candidates cannot stand up to the rigirous schedule. Yet, coming from a “humble background” where English is a second language and regional languages have been preferred mode of passing examinations, it would be hard to explain the otherwise dilution of the medical education standards.

Hence, the opposition to the reservations.

I hope that you find it meritorious enough to circulate it. The next “battle” against the Government ought to spill out on the blogosphere too. When the mainstream media finds enough reasons to articulate the concerns for their kids/ children; the middle class joins us, the salaried people speak out against reservations and all of One India raises it’s voice, it would be hard to ignore the booming majority. This change has to be brought about in a radical manner and in a hurry. We dont have time to suffer the idiots in power. I hate to see a re jig of Mandal 2 nd edition; I hate to even think that the self immolations (a sorry act) would go up in waste. The sacrifices of the seniors ought not be pushed under the background.

Education system has made us impotent. Or this is what the people in power think. They have extremely narrow vote banks and its time that we assert ourselves together to make them realise that there is no legal sanction to their actions. That we as the majority demand accountability in the system. 60 years and it’s enough. I cant bear that someone cannot be made accountable for his/ her actions at all. Or else democracy is a farce.

Media has to communicate THIS.