When the entire nation mourns the death of the CRPF Jawans in the Pulwama terrorist attack, there is a section of media which finds the occasion as an opportunity to spill out all it has against the Indian Establishment, Army, and nationalists. Nidhi Sethi, Deputy News Editor of NDTV stooped to an abysmal low by glorifying the terrorist group responsible for the dastardly attack. In a Facebook post, mocking the number of soldiers killed, she posted, “Where a grisly 44 has been proven greater than the mythical 56 #HowstheJaish.
Following this, another NDTV journalist Radhika Iyer is said to have been hooted by some Indians while she was covering a protest march by Indians in London against the terrorist attack in Pulwama. The journalist claims that she was told by a lady to say, “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” if she were to prove her Indian identity. Radhika primarily is reported to have faced the ire of the protesting Indians because she works for NDTV.
I was at a protest march by some Indians in London against the terro attack in J&K. I was interviewing some people, when the crowd cornered me. Hooted me for being associated with NDTV. A lady said ‘you cannot be here’. One man said ‘ if you are an Indian, say bharat mata Ki jai’
— Radhika Iyer (@RadhikaIyer_) February 17, 2019
The question which looms large here is that who will either Radhika or NDTV shift the blame to for having such an identity of NDTV abroad or even in India itself? Obviously, when Burhan Wani will appears to you as “Headmaster ka Baccha”, your credibility as media will be tested, as has been done by some Indians in London.
At a time, when the nation is struck with grief and condolences are doing rounds, should not NDTV or any other crusader of ‘humanity’ suspend its activities for now and soothe the forty odd families which received bodies not long ago? If not, the response of Indians to Radhika Iyer appears to be a thing of normal discourse.
Apart from NDTV, there are other media houses which have upped the ante in the wake of Pulwama and went to the extent of inquiring whether the suicide bomber loved cricket of rugby. National Herald puts Adil Ahmad Dar, the bomber, as a cricket freak who would love Dhoni hitting sixes. Another crusader of ‘liberal’ causes Scroll, toiled and moiled hard to portray Dar as the one who just avenged the ‘nose-rubbing’ by the jawans in Kashmir. They cunningly forget to mention Dar’s connection to Pakistani handlers on the other side of the border and also omitted that the ‘innocent kid’ was hit by a bullet when another of his breed, Burhan Wani was being mourned upon.
NDTV, along with all those seeking ‘peace’ must concede that their reportings after Pulwama or even Mumbai 26/11, Pathankot and Uri have only deteriorated their accountability. The best thing they can plunge into is ‘introspection’.