Kashmir on TV: Noisy Debates Are Further Alienating the Valley
In one of these ‘debates’, a BJP MP called the panelists “Kashmiri pigs” and the moderator applauded him.
advertisement
Primetime TV shows have been quite obsessed with Kashmir since last year. But there’s something about panelists, particularly those from Kashmir, that’s hard to miss.
The parameters for selecting panelists is not their intellectual capacity but their ability to yell their heads off. The primetime show, which they call a debate, won’t discuss the impact of militancy on the psyche of Kashmiris, especially the younger generation, or for that matter the reason why a young educated person who knows his fate joins militants’ ranks.
Instead, the debate on many television channels, as is evident, usually comprises some hardliner unleashing a war of words at his/her fellow panelists.
News Studios Have Turned into Warzones
The essence of a debate is to find solutions by pitching arguments from either side. A good debate is actually a civilised conversation where people from both sides put forth their arguments and listen to the other party patiently.
A nuanced debate is all about the opposition. It is about testing things against facts so that criticism can pave the way for more sound ideas.
But for Indian news channels, debate is all about a bunch of self-styled intellectuals trying to prove a point with their high-pitched sounds.
Mostly, a Hindu panelist is always pitched against a Muslim, a Kashmiri Pandit is pitched against a Kashmiri Muslim, irrespective of the debater’s knowledge (or lack of it) on the subject.
Also Read: Internet Shutdown in J&K: Creative Approach Needed, Not Blackouts
Self-Styled Panelists
Few retired army officers have emerged as “the great debaters” and more importantly, some known faces of Bollywood, who are jobless, have styled themselves as representatives of people on national television.
There is a serious problem with them trying to be the self-styled representatives of Kashmiri Pandits. These panelists have a solution for everything and the approach is so callous that it may incite violence.
This trend is quite dangerous as it is alienating the already alienated people of Kashmir.
Noisy Debates and No News
In fact, after the human shield row and Major Gogoi being lauded by the army, many news channels have started behaving like politicians as they have suddenly changed their stand and are justifying the action of tying a man to a jeep.
These noisy debates are actually dispensing less news and are giving entertainment channels a run for their money.
Sample a couple of recent instances: a moderator called his panelist from Kashmir ‘woh dhumb jo sidhi nahi hoti’; in yet another debate, a BJP MP called the panelists from Kashmir “the Kashmiri pigs” and the irony is that the moderator not only agreed with his viewpoint, but also applauded and thanked him for reprimanding and teaching his fellow panelists a lesson.
Sadly, these journalists and moderators have started playing the role of ringmasters.
Also Read: English TV Anchors Have Gone Mad. But What About You, Yes, You?
Disservice to the Nation
The purpose of these debates is not to find a solution to the problems but to assert to the viewer that they (media houses) are true nationalists since they given Kashmiri panelists a tough time.
In the short run, these media houses may entertain us, but in the long run they will prove detrimental as they are pitting one community against other.
They are creating an atmosphere of hysteria by subjecting to media trial those who have a different ideology than they do.
Besides this, these media houses are ruining the debating culture. The younger generation that continuously watches these debate-cum-battles will never come to know what a real debate looks like, nor will they understand what really ails the Valley.
(The author is Doctoral Fellow at the Center of Advanced Study Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University. He can be reached @Mintulone. The views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)