The brutal killing of Indian Army officer Lt Ummer Fayaz and the recent statement of Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Zakir Musa triggered a debate, which once again highlighted the deep polarisation within the so called mainstream media and the country’s intelligentsia and the ever-shrinking space for objectivity—much to the disappointment of readers and viewers who desire to know the ground realities.
Outrageous comparisons were sought to be made between the funerals of the young officer and the slain militant Burhan Wani. Allegations of stone pelting during the funeral also flew thick and fast. On the other hand, there was an attempt to project Lt Fayaz as an exception, the odd one out, which is contrary to facts. Fayaz was among the thousands of Kashmiris who aspire for a career and peaceful life, and travel across the length and breadth of the country to pursue further education and their dreams.
Many have done extremely well in the civil services and other prestigious examinations in the past notwithstanding the closure of educational institutions and disruption of normal life back home almost routinely. But a sizeable section of the media loves the “Kashmir on boil” or on the “edge” as normalcy does not make headlines. This is not to state that everything is normal in the Valley. There is disenchantment, disillusionment and hopelessness, anger, frustration but it is the vocal minority which is grabbing disproportionate media space at the expense of the silent majority.
The fact is that even today in downtown Srinagar, the students want smart classrooms. The fact remains that large number of youth are queueing up to join the security forces, far higher in number than those joining the militant ranks despite all allurements. The truth is that local recruits can still be counted on finger tips and the enemy is still heavily dependent on foreign mercenaries for executing its nefarious agenda.
As for the uproar over Musa’s assertion that Kashmir was in reality witnessing an Islamic struggle, one fails to comprehend the naivety of the Indian media. The so-called freedom struggle which began with the genocide of the Kashmiri Pandits and their mass exodus was a religious crusade right from day one. Pakistan always viewed the Kashmir issue as an unfinished agenda of the partition of the Indian sub-continent on religious lines. The call for right to self-determination was always a façade to cover up Islamabad’s narrow agenda in the aftermath of the creation of Bangladesh, which was a tight slap on the two-nation theory.
Let us face it. If the Palestinian Intifada was the only inspiration for the Islamic radicals in the 80s, the new generation is being nurtured on the exploits of Islamic State, Boko Haram and Al Qaeda across the globe. The intelligentsia, including media, should learn to call a spade a spade or at least take a cue from our immediate neighbour Bangladesh, which is dealing with such forces with an iron hand.
Sadly, objectivity has gone the way of the dodo, only relevant in the answer sheets of media schools. It’s high time we pursued the middle path, the Madhyama Marga, enunciated by the great Buddha. Media needs to draw that delicate balance between sensationalism and propaganda. The truth lies somewhere in between.
K G Suresh
Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication
kgsure@gmail.com