Media in India has majorly been dominated by a group of select elites. These elite groups of journalists, born out a perpetual quid-pro-quo with certain political parties have been controlling the major part of narratives for long. However, the advent of social media and the rise of political forces contrary to their political overlords had put a major disruption to the ‘custodianship of truth’ claimed by this media nexus.
Following the trend, in a foul incident Rajdeep Sardesai, senior journalist of the India Today Group had made slanted comments about another senior journalist of the India Today Group, Anjana Om Kashyap.
This sequence of events only indicates the deep divide that has been lurking behind the scenes in the India Today Group. However, India Today Group is not the only media group experiencing this venting of frustration by these redundant journalists. Rajdeep Sardesai’s comments just add a link to the long chain of meek attempts by this media lobby.
In a video, Rajdeep Sardesai is seen giving ‘advice’ on asking questions while referring to Anjana Om Kashyap. Rajdeep Sardesai’s comments come after media nexus had cried foul over PM Narendra Modi not taking any questions in a press conference which was supposed to be addressed by BJP chief Amit Shah.
However, Anjana Om Kashyap taking note of Rajdeep Sardesai’s meek attempt to pass out slant advice to other journalists, gave him a befitting reply over social media platform, Twitter. She tweeted:
एक पत्रकार हैं। ऑन एअर सवाल पूछने का कोचिंग सेंटर खोल लिया है। एक बार मशहूर इंटरव्यू में सास बहू से आगे वो सवाल पूछ नहीं पाए। सबको सर्टिफ़िकेट देना इनका काम है। दरवाज़े के बाहर खड़े होने की छटपटाहट !
— Anjana Om Kashyap (@anjanaomkashyap) May 18, 2019
(There is one Journalist (who) has opened a coaching centre for teaching how to ask questions on AIR. In one famous interview (he) couldn’t ask questions above the relationship of ‘saas’bahu’(in reference to Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi). Now his job is to give out certificates to others, this is just the desperation of standing outside the door.)
Rajdeep Sardesai during a TV Debate had made these remarks against Anjana Om Kashyap; however, ghosts of Rajdeep’s past biases have been put out on his face. A short clipping from his famous interview with Congress matriarch Sonia Gandhi, where Rajdeep Sardesai is seen asking Sonia Gandhi questions about ‘saas-bahu’ was posted by a twitter user.
RT iAnkurSingh: Rajdeep Sardesai giving lectures on how to ask questions to anjanaomkashyap.
I agree, Anjana shld learn taking interviews from sardesairajdeep, like the tough questions he asked from Sonia Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/YzD6CfpY4Q
— Ranjitsinh Chudasama (@bk_chudasama) May 18, 2019
With their political overlords out of power and more importantly devoid of any credibility, these groups of select journalists have been facing an existential crisis. This desperation to protect relevance has been seeing these journalists taking to desperate measures, unsuited to this noble profession of being a messenger.
This desperation has now even translated to personal attacks on other fellow journalists who do not agree of their ‘elitist’ view. However, these attacks are evidently just venting of the frustration that has been building up for some time, and carry with them no or even deserve a response. However, history has been a witness if repeated lies are not countered firmly they take the form of pseudo-truths which are then again used by these elitist’s to harm objective discussions.
Noushednoushed