A Media Check, Mate !

Media has done it again. Sensationalism is one, while responsible journalism is another. The current spate of racial attacks on Indian students in Australia (or which seem like racial) are doing the rounds in all news channels. And with the burgeoning number of channels, it is not surprising that the Indian youth and telly audience alike is being overfed with information. There is no doubting that the attacks do seem racial. There is also no doubt that the attacks have been gruesome in nature, which makes it all the more worrisome. But do 4 attacks warrant stamping an entire nation as racist ? That would be going too far.

But our television channels are determined to mint the sentiments of the Indian youth and build a case against the Australians in general. No channel has spared to blame the entire country of Australia as being racist. Hence the attacks on Indians, they claim. Racism need not be confined to brown skins being attacked by white skinned. It can also be the other way round. If Indians treat fair skinned Australians badly, Indians too are racist.

When foreign students in India are attacked, raped and even murdered, there isn't as much coverage. The argument here could be, that being an Indian television channel, it is the Indian media's right to bring the audience to light of happenings to Indian immigrants elsewhere. Opportunism has been the buzzword for the media. It is no fun watching the same footage of an Indian being beaten up by Australians in a train. Who wants to watch them again and again. Is the objective to spread a wave of hatred ? Can we forget that the flames being fanned could lead to incidents on foreigners coming to India ?

With all due respect to those who have been attacked, there can be no sympathy to whoever did the crimes. The protest march in Australia today, was the right thing to do. In demanding justice, this is probably the right way to go. However, just on the basis of media sensationalism, one shouldn't shun away from pursuing education. The faith no doubt needs to be restored. But the concern here is the larger impact it has on an Indian's psyche. Will India become intolerant towards visiting foreigners as an act of retribution ? That would be disastrous for an India which is increasingly seen as a model of governance.