India: The Media Question

India occupies a very low rank on the World Press Freedom Index: 150 out of 180 countries. In 2002, the rank was a passable 80. Now India enjoys the company of countries like Turkey (149), Sudan (151), Tajikistan (152), Belarus (153), Azerbaijan (154), Russia (155), Afghanistan (156), and Pakistan (157). The ranking is worked out on the basis of political context, legal framework, economy, sociocultural context and safety. India’s rank fell consistently year after year especially after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister.

The latest assault on media by the Modi government is what is euphemistically called “survey” of the BBC offices. Everyone knows that the raid (which is what it is) is occasioned by the documentary that the media house produced recently about Modi - India: The Modi Question. We have seen ample examples of media houses being targeted by the government for being critical of Modi. A well-established channel like the NDTV which was doing a remarkable job of journalism with integrity was brought to its knees by Modi. The shocking irony is that an utter chiseler like Gautam Adani became the boss of that channel. A lot of other media agencies have been victimized by Modi recently: Dainik Bhaskar, The Quint, News Click, The Hindu, Greater Kashmir, Alt News, and many other publications and TV channels were assaulted by various government agencies in different ways for refusing to kowtow to Modi.

India is on a dangerous path. There is no opposition worth the name. When the opposition is so effete, the press becomes all the more important. The press should act as the spokespersons of the citizens. The press should ask the questions that the citizens would love to ask. But Modi does not want a free press in the country. He has not even cared to give a single press conference so far. He gives Mann ki Baat instead. What the country wants are not facile platitudes, however. A leader who talks smoothly and acts vindictively is the ultimate national fraud. The least one will expect from a leader is harmony between his creed, word and deed. The question here is: is it about fraudulence or dictatorship?

Modi’s close friend, Mukesh Ambani, owns over 70 media outlets. Imagine Gautam Adani owning an equal number. What kind of information can we expect from such media? What is the use of such media which will do nothing more than propaganda work for the government?