The Great Indian Media
By Justice Markandey Katju
Former Judge of Indian Supreme Court
Mumbai, India
The Indian media’s focus is not on India’s massive poverty, massive unemployment, appalling level of child malnutrition (every second child in India is malnourished, according to Global Hunger Index, and the situation has deteriorated in recent years, India slipping from position number 101 to 107 of the 125 countries surveyed https://www.downtoearth.org.in/health/global-hunger-index-india-slips-to-107-from-101-behind-all-asian-countries-except-war-torn-afghanistan-85483 ), skyrocketing prices of food and other essential commodities, almost total lack of proper healthcare and good education for the masses, etc.
Its focus is on irrelevant issues or trivialities like the recent death of Karishma Kapoor’s ex-husband, or Kareena Kapoor, or her husband Saif Ali Khan’s injury.
https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kareena-kapoor-shares-favourite-picture-of-karisma-kapoor-saif-ali-khan-accepts-its-been-a-tough-year-for-us-10087163
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https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/actress-karisma-kapoor-arrives-at-sunjay-kapurs-prayer-meet-10081733
https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/karisma-kapoor-recalls-when-kareena-kapoor-spoke-to-her-hanging-upside-down-on-the-sets-of-tashan-9556428
The Indian media deliberately diverts the attention of the people from the real issues mentioned above to non-issues like lives of film stars, cricket, modelling, astrology, petty politics (which has sunk to the lowest level), etc.
https://m.economictimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/indian-media-promoting-superstitions-and-backward-ideas-markandey-katju/articleshow/12983000.cms
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/interview-with-chairman-of-press-council-of-india-markandey-katju-91064-2012-01-26
https://www.newslaundry.com/2012/05/05/katju-on-world-press-freedom-day
The Indian media is largely sold out and has lost respect of the people. It uses its freedom to deceive people, spread communalism, casteism, superstitions, and jingoism (as in the recent Indo-Pak conflict), and seeks to divert the attention of the people from core issues like price rise, poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare, etc. to non-issues like lives of film stars, petty politics, cricket etc.
https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2019/05/03/opinion-most-indian-journalists-are-sold-out-hardly-do-duty.html
https://www.hastakshepnews.com/2023/11/justice-katju-is-telling-how-to.html
The Indian media thrives on ‘mirch masaala’ and sensationalism, often with scant regard for truth, and plays an anti-people role, instead of serving the people’s interests
What has happened of late in India is that the economic situation has taken a sharp nosedive, with steep decline in manufacturing and mounting unemployment.
https://indicanews.com/justice-markandey-katju-the-truth-behind-indias-explosive-gdp-growth
https://indicanews.com/justice-markandey-katju-there-are-two-indias-in-india
https://justicekatju.com/the-reality-of-india-47bc215df9ee
The Roman Emperors used to say, “If you cannot give the people bread, give them circuses”.
Similarly, the Indian media says, “f the Indian people cannot be given jobs, healthcare, cheap food, etc., give them lives of film stars (like Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan etc.) fashion parades, cricket, astrology, etc. and polarize society, by spreading communal and caste hatred”.
Long live the Indian media!
(Markandey Katju is an Indian jurist and former judge of the Supreme Court of India who served as chairman of the Press Council of India from 2011 to 2014)
