Comments on: Dalits and mainstream media http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/ Blog on to Indian Business Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:38:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: shailendram http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14822 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:05:26 +0000 http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14822 I am not sure which country Aditi lives in- does not seem to be India that I am living in for 4+ decades since birth. Aditi, is it the same country on the West of Bangla desh, Mynamar, to the South of China, to the North of Sri Lanka and to the East of Pakistan? What are you talking about? Dalits not covered by mainstream media? Which is this "mainstream media" in your opinion? The only thing that interests reporters in mainstream is Dalit and Muslim stories. Every story is twisted and reported to show why some one was a victim because he/ she is a Dalit/ Muslim. At times the gymnastics that the journos perform to present the story as such is quite amusing. In a sabji- mandi a person on a bicycle collides with a pedestrian, they have a fight and .... you report a "dalit xxx beaten up in xxx". A young boy of 20+ dies in Bangalore at 2.30 in the MORNING, because he jumps inside the army compounds to escape Police chasing him... this is just a week after 26/11... and whole media is jumoing up and down to prove the boy's innocence and military's barbarism. An "innocent" 20+ year racing bikes on the streets of Bangalore at 2 AM ! Why- because he is a Muslim! Practically every day news is twisted to show Dalits and Muslims as victims. In fact they have mastered the art of playing victims in these six decades thanks partially to media people like you and politicians like Rahul Gandhi/ Manmohan Singh/ Mayavati/ Mulayam and so on. I am not sure which country Aditi lives in- does not seem to be India that I am living in for 4+ decades since birth. Aditi, is it the same country on the West of Bangla desh, Mynamar, to the South of China, to the North of Sri Lanka and to the East of Pakistan? What are you talking about? Dalits not covered by mainstream media? Which is this “mainstream media” in your opinion? The only thing that interests reporters in mainstream is Dalit and Muslim stories. Every story is twisted and reported to show why some one was a victim because he/ she is a Dalit/ Muslim. At times the gymnastics that the journos perform to present the story as such is quite amusing. In a sabji- mandi a person on a bicycle collides with a pedestrian, they have a fight and …. you report a “dalit xxx beaten up in xxx”. A young boy of 20+ dies in Bangalore at 2.30 in the MORNING, because he jumps inside the army compounds to escape Police chasing him… this is just a week after 26/11… and whole media is jumoing up and down to prove the boy’s innocence and military’s barbarism. An “innocent” 20+ year racing bikes on the streets of Bangalore at 2 AM ! Why- because he is a Muslim! Practically every day news is twisted to show Dalits and Muslims as victims. In fact they have mastered the art of playing victims in these six decades thanks partially to media people like you and politicians like Rahul Gandhi/ Manmohan Singh/ Mayavati/ Mulayam and so on.

]]> by: Ab+ http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14215 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:14:44 +0000 http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14215 As an educated, non-discriminating guy from any caste (upper/lower), I want the following phrases banned from the media, in a similar manner that words like 'niger' is banned in American media. 'Dalit' word cannot be used as an adjective to describe a person/place. E.g. Dalit speaker 'Upper caste' or 'Lower caste' By using such words the media is reinforcing the divide in the society. If violence has taken place against a human it should be reported as that, not as 'violence against dalit', This has led to a section of population feeling victimised and subverted and hence looking for some or the other concessions from the society. These concessions further the divide and reinforce the discrimination. One does not need to worship Ambedkar to acheive equality, but follow Swami Vivekanad or Swami Dayanand. As an educated, non-discriminating guy from any caste (upper/lower), I want the following phrases banned from the media, in a similar manner that words like ‘niger’ is banned in American media.

‘Dalit’ word cannot be used as an adjective to describe a person/place.
E.g. Dalit speaker
‘Upper caste’ or ‘Lower caste’

By using such words the media is reinforcing the divide in the society.
If violence has taken place against a human it should be reported as that, not as ‘violence against dalit’,

This has led to a section of population feeling victimised and subverted and hence looking for some or the other concessions from the society. These concessions further the divide and reinforce the discrimination.

One does not need to worship Ambedkar to acheive equality, but follow Swami Vivekanad or Swami Dayanand.

]]> by: kalyan http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14214 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:28:24 +0000 http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14214 I am confused. So did the reporter who spoke about teenage kids in a dalit household expect them to be *not* normal kids? The reporter should kindly realize that the household is actually getting into the mainstream middle class. A hypothetical freedom fighter cannot expect his grand children talk about oppression of British. The era has passed [atleast for his family]. What media can constructively should provide now is on success stories of dalits as an inspiration. Show more examples of success than failure . This will not only help dailt families but everyone to alter their stereotype impression of the sections of the society. Please move on from retaliation mindset to aspiration mindset. This instills faith in oneself for better future. I am confused. So did the reporter who spoke about teenage kids in a dalit household expect them to be *not* normal kids? The reporter should kindly realize that the household is actually getting into the mainstream middle class. A hypothetical freedom fighter cannot expect his grand children talk about oppression of British. The era has passed [atleast for his family]. What media can constructively should provide now is on success stories of dalits as an inspiration. Show more examples of success than failure . This will not only help dailt families but everyone to alter their stereotype impression of the sections of the society. Please move on from retaliation mindset to aspiration mindset. This instills faith in oneself for better future.

]]> by: A. Venkateswaran http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14212 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:21:04 +0000 http://blogs.business-standard.com/aditi/2009/06/17/dalits-and-mainstream-media/#comment-14212 Good topic. Insufficient analysis. The "so what" question is not answered. But I do appreciate the author coming down from the ivory tower and addressing a crucial civil rights issue: afterall dalit/caste discrimination is a civil rights issue. And, this raises the question but doesn't answer why dalits do not get more media coverage. Maybe the rise of a dalit middle class will move advertisers to support media coverage of dalit issues. Of course it should be complete anathema for newsrooms to be taken over by reservations for a single caste/community/religion. Editors, however, should take pains to take up civil rights issues in ADDITION TO listening to the advertisers. Newsflash: people want to know not only what M.S. Dhoni has for breakfast but also real news that affects their lives. Good topic. Insufficient analysis. The “so what” question is not answered. But I do appreciate the author coming down from the ivory tower and addressing a crucial civil rights issue: afterall dalit/caste discrimination is a civil rights issue. And, this raises the question but doesn’t answer why dalits do not get more media coverage. Maybe the rise of a dalit middle class will move advertisers to support media coverage of dalit issues. Of course it should be complete anathema for newsrooms to be taken over by reservations for a single caste/community/religion. Editors, however, should take pains to take up civil rights issues in ADDITION TO listening to the advertisers. Newsflash: people want to know not only what M.S. Dhoni has for breakfast but also real news that affects their lives.

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