So, Government of India succumbs to media pressure. The one-day ban on NDTV India, has been put on hold by Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu. This comes after NDTV moved to Supreme Court against the ban and the Apex Court agreed to hear NDTV’s appeal.
So who comes across as a fool in the NDTV Ban episode?
Is it NDTV? of course not because they managed to tilt the favor in their support.
Is it the Media fraternity of India? of course not because they did whatever they could to stop the government from enforcing the ban.
Is it the opposition? not at all because they threw all their weight behind NDTV.
Is it the commie-congress fan army on the social media? No, they were pivotal in turning this around in favor of NDTV.
Is it the government? Well somewhat, but they tried, they failed.
Who is it then?
It is us, the ‘silent’ majority of the nation. NDTV Ban was probably too much to ask. Media can make and break governments, media can create, demolish and resurrect leaders, media can tarnish a government’s image whenever they want. This probably was too much to take for a government overly conscious of its image and how people perceive it.
Let us be very clear that the silent majority welcomed the NDTV Ban as the onset of disciplining of Main Stream Media which has become totally crooked as far as presentation and content of news are concerned. The country has been raised on a potion of concocted views presented as news and chastising the news traders was the need of the hour. The famous twitter poll by Indian Express correctly reflected the mood of the nation where an overwhelming majority of people voted in favour of the NDTV Ban. But the government went ahead an undid whatever it was trying to achieve with the ban.
The Ban episode and subsequent stay on it sends a very clear message to the news traders of India, that this government can be bullied. And the glee can be gauged from the following tweets:
कहा था ना, जब आप डरेंगे तो ये आपको डराएंगे, जब आप इनसे नहीं डरेंगे तो ये आपसे डरेंगे। सत्ता ऐसी ही होती है। https://t.co/XKdVzhv5rG
— ASHUTOSH MISHRA (@JournoAshutosh) November 7, 2016
सूचना प्रसारण मंत्रालय ने NDTV इंडिया पर एक दिन के बैन लगाने के अपने आदेश को स्थगित किया
— Sharad Sharma (@sharadsharma1) November 7, 2016
Thats people's power. Govt forced due to strong public uproar. Never take injustice lying down. Shout, scream, resist, fight. Congrats NDTV https://t.co/DySJvU7t1l
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 7, 2016
Suspended means nothing either the #ban should be withdrawn or @ndtv should make SC tell GOI #emergency won't work!
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) November 7, 2016
The charges slapped on NDTV were grave and there was no reason for the government to put down its arms.
Ultimately it is the loss of the common citizen of India who stood strongly with the government in their moments of crises, the common citizen who bravely fought with the intolerance faction, the award returning mafia, the mourners of Vemula and supporters of Kanhaiyya.
We thought that the government which gave Pakistan a befitting reply in the battlefield and pummeled opposition in elections will crush a news fabricator too. But the meek surrender of the government is tragic, to say the least.