Arnob Goswami was expelled from Times Now. After the incident he joined Republic TV where large number of intellectuals discuss the day today affairs of country. The issues in the countryside and the problems in front of nation. Every time the debate stretches to an extreme end with “Take it or leave it attitude”. Whenever the debate on Kashmir issue is brought with participation of local personalities it is dragged to an inflexion point. The erratic behavior and the harsh language at times doesn’t behove the media fraternity. Once he called MLA Engineer Rashid the grandfather of another participant. The debate indicates only two things about the anchor. Either he is unaware about the history or he turns blind towards it. He must trace the historical significance of dispute for any discussion on the topic. Wasn’t Nehru the PM of India ? Hasn’t he promised to hold plebiscite? Infact the genial genius in Nehru compelled him to resolve dispute through UNO. And the repetition and rememberence of same historical fact by MLA isn’t a extremism. When the democracy and rule of law is in place , the freedom of expression is fundamental right it’s no more strange to express oneself within parameters of law. If the law doesn’t guarantees sedition it even doesn’t provides license to defame and insult an elected MLA.
Extremism in Arnab Goswami is anti thetical to secular nature of society. The harsh tune towards whole minority on basis of exceptional cases isn’t fair and impartial. The miniscule numbers in extremism groups isn’t a general ideal in whole society. Law serves the due through equality. An inhuman and brutal act performed by any citizen shall not be generalized as similar feature of whole citizenry.The extreme ideological orientation in last three years has its repurcussions already inshape now. It dramatically reversed the gains on majority of attributes. The anchor proved incapable to read writing on wall. He oft repeats the extremist tune in serious debates and tries to impose the minority opinion on intellectuals.Some commentators have criticized Goswami for his style of TV panel discussion. Kavita Krishnan, a Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) (CPI-ML) affiliated activist, criticized Goswami’s stance on sensitive issues and stated that “When channels and newspapers brand terror accused as “terrorists”, or rape-accused as “rapists” and orchestrate the chant for the death penalty for them; when they act as stenos or loudspeakers for the police or investigative agencies in terror cases; are they not doing grievous harm and endangering people’s lives and safety? Are they not conveying allegations as guilt.
Caravan magazine editor Hartosh Singh Bal referred to Arnab Goswami’s anchoring as “scripted drama and he’s often happy to a play a role.Outlook running a cover story titled ‘The Man Who Killed TV News’. “Newshour is where Arnab plays judge, the audience the jury”, the report stated, adding that “On key news events, Arnab has emerged as The Great Polariser, his acid tongue stripping complex issues of all nuance”. The points of criticism raised by numerous publications at repeated times is a cause for concern to this heated ideology. He downplays the original and basic principles on which the foundation of country rests. To accuse protest as terorrism and to assume every criticism seditious reminds the grand old days of British Raj. In fact the decades of time remained unsuccessful to change the penal codes framed by Colonial Rulers for their vested interests. Although career of TV anchor flourished in recent years but the majority seems in harsh tune towards Arnab.
Shahid Majeed Mir
Misribehak Machil, Kupwara
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