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:: Current Affairs |
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De-Manufacturing Consent: Mamata Banerjee's Attack on Media
The so-called ‘change’ in west Bengal has really brought a series of happenings which are not good signs for democracy. There is a rally of farmers’ suicide due to debt related problems, which is again a result of an increase in input prices and non-remunerative prices; the Left Front workers are under tremendous attack; examination system is on the verge of collapse and security of the women is under serious threat. All these were more or less predicted as outcomes of TMC’s victory in the state. It is very unfortunate for the state that the forecast is identical with the present scenario of the state. Even the High Court has stated in a judgment that the state is burning. The most recent of all these massacres is attack on the journalists. Surprisingly enough, even the image builders of TMC before the Assembly poll are not being spared. The chief minister has developed expertise in staying beside the attackers by saying such incidents are minor or cooked-up, instead of taking action against the culprits.
The honeymoon period with mainstream media and TMC is seemed to be over. The performance of the new Government islacking any direction, the law and order is deteriorating fast and the mask of administrator Mamata has gone off. Under such context the media fraternity had no other option but to cover at least the tip of the iceberg. That unmasked the authoritarian face of the CM. She almost declared war against the media who actually managed her image before and during the Assembly poll. Her caustic remarks about few channels directly influenced her cadres to beat the journalists ruthlessly in broad day light when they went to cover ransacking of CPI(M) party office in Jadavpur on 28th February, the day of the general strike. Luckily the channels could manage the footage of the incident which also identified the local TMC goons associated with the misdeed. The channels repeatedly transmitted the footage since the morning but the CM denied any such happening in the evening and nonchalantly termed the incident cooked up. The Broadcast Editors’ Association has expressed serious concern on such activities and noted ‘with a sense of outrage’ the subsequent reaction of the CM.
The Park Street rape incident was instrumental to unmask media-hyped administrator Mamata. The lady who faced horrifying incident got no support from Park Street Police Station and when media filed the story once again the CM, like an astrologer, remarked the incident as ‘sajano’ (cooked up). Not only that, she compelled the Police Commissioner to issue a statement in her line. All these were done to influence the investigation. Her indication percolated rapidly and even some ministers and TMC intellectuals openly defamed the aggrieved lady. Ultimately the allegation was proved due to commendable service of some Police personnel. But the stance of the CM not only became naked example of irresponsible governance but huge humiliation of the women by the woman chief minister! Her stance was criticized by almost all mainstream media. The Chief Minister shamelessly presented her same theory of cooking-up when a rape incident allegedly happened in Katoa. The Telegraph nowadays sarcastically call her ‘sajano Banerjee aka CM’. But before the Assembly election they devoted their front page to measure how many kilometers Mamata walked in the rallies. Do they realize within nine months that they projected such a person who does not care for democracy? Bartaman, the well known anti-CPI(M) Bengali daily, has published numbers of editorials and articles with the bottom-line that this morning is darker than the night. Desh, the well known Bengali periodical, almost regularly published cover story on Mamata and compared her with goddess Durga after the Assembly election. They also could not arrange any shield for the CM.
One should recollect what Mamata Banerjee did with the journalists even before coming to power. Leader of her party charged a lady television reports as ‘supari killer’ when she went to cover a secret meeting. Mamata, during her so-called fasting, herself ordered a lady reporter to leave the place. She did this things to those who did not gave their nod to all her activities. But then the mainstream media did not highlight these attacks on freedom of expression because they were sponsoring Mamata to dismantle the Left Front Government. Like all authoritarian leaders Mamata could not tolerate crticism. Now the tendency is becoming amply visible. She has not even spared the house which offered her full support. The mask has gone off and the intolerant authoritarian face has appeared. Not surprisingly, the media is also under gunpoint. |
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