As I quietly entered pantry with a cheerful morning behind on 6th of April, my attention was captured by flash news on NDTV – Naxalites kill 70 CRPF jawans. A tsunami of shock clubbed with anger hit me. 70 was a big number of jawans for India to lose but not for a 20:20 CRICKET Game which the entire crowd of intellectuals were discussing in the pantry regardless of what was going on the news channel.
A rapid round of questions surfaced in my mind as I sat there feeling disgusted about how not just enemies outside but inside also can kill us – whenever they want and where ever they want. And all we with the massive army at our resort can do is – condemn
Is a Jawan’s compensation less than what a cheer leader is getting to shake their bums for 3 hours? Is the widow of the brave man going to get a job? How much pension she would get? Is it matching with the rising inflation and sky rocketing food prices? Do widows get petrol pumps, they are promised to receive in massive political rallies prior to elections? And if they get any (I doubt completely) are they going to be trained effectively to manage it professionally?
Promises are plenty.
1) Rs 15 Lakh as Ex-gracia from the centre.
2) Rs 10 Lakh from CRPF risk fund
3) Rs 3 lakh as Ex-Gratia from State Government
4) Rs 10 Lakh from state government as part of scheme of anti-naxal operation.
5) Rs 60,000 from CRPF central welfare fund.
I expect the best talent in investigative journalism to work on to see if all the compensation reaches the people who deserve most and not on finding the truth behind an ordinary tennis player’s love for a disgraced cricketer who is from a country which is most definitely supreme enemy of the great nation that India is.
TOI is covering sania marriage issue giving a lot of space on the front page in past few days as if the marriage of Sania is the most critical SOCIO-POLITICAL issue in India and its success or failure determines the fate of Kashmir problem.
I see the whole coverage as no less than ordinary society gossip of how most stunning girl in the society eloped with the ugly looking boy in Flat No XXX.
Coming back to Naxal Attack- P Chidambaram probably made a box office statement in his visit to west Bengal before Naxal attack in his advice to CM of West Bengal about the growing Law and Order problem in west Bengal – The Buck stops at CM’S desk. It should not go beyond that.
Congress leaders were beaten and no wonder home minister was probably for a change doing a postman’s job for high command conveying its message to the CM.
See the link below
Probably home minister was following his fellow minister of Agriculture who after many random and contradictory statements, one fine morning said- Controlling food prices is the responsibility of the state government. I think PC is just a master in subject called “Holding Position without Performance”. Pawar holds a PHD.
And before the dust could settle down from the controversial use of language by the home minister, naxalites landed a deadly blow to operation green hunt killing 70 CRPF Jawans. As the media kept chasing the home minister P Chidambaram post naxal attack to know where does the buck stop now? P Chidambaram this time showed good sense of responsibility and accepted- Buck stops at my desk.
I hope honourable minister it really does. And compensation for slain jawans reaches where it ideally should as media moves in search of breaking news proving it is not just the public memory which is short but the media memory as well.
Jai Hind
Good article, the pblem does not start and end with Journalism –the pblem is we dont do what is prestinely IMP and we always do what is not so IMP.
This applies to me as well. applies to my job , my business, my personal life – everything.
At times it is necessary and at times people can/should avoid it . Most of the times commercial necessity gets over above everything. Balancing anything is very very difficult act . One should try as far as possible.
Mr. Naik , the article is splendid and very precise.
Naxalism is destroying the internal infrastructure of India and the Naxalites have set the target to overtake India by 2050. The present instability caused by them is quite disturbing and there is a possibility of their target getting accomplished not even before 2050. I contrite, but in reality, in this Dantewada’s “surprise” killings of CRPF personnel, total 75 CRPF sacrificed their lives and 1 police also laid down his life. The issue was hyped by every media , even by “idiots” of TV Journalism but now the trend changed by a stupid Pakistani and Indian muslim filling up the newshole of newspapers and slots of TV. It’s not media to be blamed, the audience in India is active and hence our Indian Media works on “Agenda-setting theory”.
Thankyou
Hi Kapil,
This is actually an eye opener article that you have written. Its really a disgraceful act by all the Indians to induldge in stupid gossips of Sania-Shoaib’s marriage or IPLs when so many familes have suffered such a massive blow to their lives. Indians should very well understand that we are able to enjoy the IPLs and the gossips because these men are facing the bullets not only the external enemies but from internal as well.. Not to forget all the mails that followed post Sania’s marriage, but not a single mail which saluted the CRPF jawans. Just one day and one column written for them. Its high time we give it a thought Indians. Lets join this league- Save India League…
Thanks Kapil.