[Reader-list] Today's "media circus" at Jamia
shakeb ahmed
ahmed_shakeb at yahoo.com
Sat Sep 20 12:58:15 IST 2008
To all the friends.
In the wake of the Zakir Nagar Encounter thread a very funny stance being demanded of people who have a simple desire to enquire deeper into the complexity of the whole episode, and hence to make them suddenly feel a guilt that actually does not belong to them, eventually managing in a very subtle way to silence them if possible is that they should attach a coda to all their uncomfortable questions by attesting to "I 'should factor in that an honest cop has died' and I respect him (because he died, and my tv newswallah tells me the number of gallantry awards he won and the number he was about to win)" What I'll say and be very firm about is that I dont know who Inspector Mohan Sharma was and is (strange jingoist portraits of him on TV being now the only source through which I for the first time become familiar with his good work or bad exploits). What is more important in this case for me is that as somebody who lives very close to this ground zero, I am
increasing more familiar with the way the inefficiency and incompetence of our humdrum security forces(and their subsequent desperate and maybe very dangerous methods of saving some face!) and hair-brained media would eventually end up being very successful in routing the fragile dignity and self respect of this geographical locality. I am more worried about what motivations these encouncounter specialist, right or wrong, forced or unforced, work under or are made to work under; and very similarly what motivations these young boys (against whom nothing is yet proved and still the case is almost getting shut with a definitive verdict in the larger public imagination), right or wrong, forced or unforced, work under or are made to work under. I think we should be gravely concerned with the fact that the criminal absurdity that accompanies such incidents is left quite unpacked, unprobed, and unaccounted once the shameless larger media footsoldiers run
sweating to another more grotesque fare in an attempt to makebelieve their cut into the banal vestiges of reponsible journalism.
I categorically refuse to say I respect Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma just as strongly as I say I refuse to disrespect him - very solely for the reason that I dont know him! And all the blah media is feeding about gallantry awards etc...havent we been in knowledge of the decorations that Daya Naik and other encounter specialist have had before thier un-decorating begins.
Everybody who is asking the right questions should be encouraged to throw any demanded Apologist Behaviour in the face of the more ill informed tv-paper-net-magazine intellectuals.
Shakeb
--- On Sat, 9/20/08, Yousuf <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> From: Yousuf <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Today's "media circus" at Jamia
> To: "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" <shuddha at sarai.net>, rahul_capri at yahoo.com
> Cc: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>, "Peace Initiative" <peace_initiative at yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 1:02 AM
> Friends
> I wanted to make a clarification. When I wrote and posted
> my message about the media circus (at 8:25 m IST on 19th
> September), the news about the police Inspector Mohan Chand
> Sharma was not available to me – I saw it only in the
> morning. I am saddened by his unfortunate death as much as I
> would be on the death of other innocent people affected by
> terror attacks. But the inspector’s death would not make
> me change much of my message. Please read my mail again: I
> did not make a claim about this being a fake encounter – I
> was only expressing the public opinion here - which is writ
> large if you visit the area. But more importantly I was
> making two points: (1) the role our media plays in
> strengthening the version of the state and ignoring the
> public, and (2) how an area like Batla House has been left
> deliberately (by the authorities) to become a breeding
> ground for criminals which can be cashed when the time is
> ripe. Can anybody deny these two points?
>
> Yousuf
>
>
>
> --- On Sat, 9/20/08, Rahul Asthana
> <rahul_capri at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > From: Rahul Asthana <rahul_capri at yahoo.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Today's "media
> circus" at Jamia
> > To: "Yousuf" <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com>,
> "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" <shuddha at sarai.net>
> > Cc: "sarai list"
> <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 6:02 AM
> > Did you guys factor in the small detail that a
> policeman
> > has died?Was it to get more ratings for the
> "media
> > circus" ?
> > http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/sep/19del1.htm
> > Mohan Chand Sharma, inspector of the Delhi [Images]
> Police
> > Special Cell who was critically injured during an
> encounter
> > with Delhi blasts-linked terrorists, died in a
> hospital on
> > Friday evening.
> >
> > "We have lost our best man," Joint
> Commissioner
> > of Police (Special Cell) Karnal Singh told PTI.
> >
> > Forty-one-year-old Sharma, a highly decorated officer
> who
> > received three bullet injuries in his abdomen, thigh
> and
> > right arm in the gunbattle at Jamia Nagar in South
> Delhi,
> > succumbed to his injuries at the Holy Family hospital
> at 7
> > pm, doctors attending him said.
> >
> > A recipient of seven gallantry medals, Sharma, who had
> led
> > the police team against the terrorists wanted in
> connection
> > with the Delhi and Ahmedabad [Images] blasts,
> underwent an
> > operation to remove the bullets from his body.
> >
> > The profusely-bleeding officer was taken to the
> hospital.
> > --- On Sat, 9/20/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> > <shuddha at sarai.net> wrote:
> >
> > > From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> <shuddha at sarai.net>
> > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Today's
> "media
> > circus" at Jamia
> > > To: "Yousuf" <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com>
> > > Cc: "sarai list"
> > <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > > Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 2:01 AM
> > > Dear Yousuf,
> > >
> > > Many thanks for this post and for sharing your
> > thoughts on
> > > the 'media
> > > circus'.
> > >
> > > Watching the 'media circus' unfold on
> > television, I
> > > was appalled at
> > > the manner in which the 'spectacle' was
> > priming
> > > itself up through the
> > > day. A channel called 'News 24' for
> instance,
> > was
> > > repeatedly
> > > informing us that it 'was the first to
> transmit
> > > pictures of the
> > > encounter' etc, as if it had just won India
> yet
> > another
> > > sharp-
> > > shooting gold medal in the Olympics.
> > >
> > > A thought that did strike me was, "'how
> much
> > more
> > > disrespectful can
> > > the blood-lust of this spectacle of a hunt, get
> to all
> > > those who died
> > > in today's 'Encounter' , be they
> policemen
> > on
> > > duty, or 'alleged'
> > > terrorists ?"
> > >
> > > I think we need to give some serious thought to
> the
> > fact
> > > that these
> > > days police encounters are actually an extended
> part
> > of
> > > 'Reality
> > > TV' (which in any case, the entire genre
> should be
> > more
> > > appropriately
> > > called 'Surreality TV'). That seem
> scripted
> > well in
> > > advance. How else
> > > (as you so cogently point out) can one explain
> the
> > sudden
> > > appearance
> > > of large OB vans, with heavy duty equipment,
> battling
> > heavy
> > > rush hour
> > > traffic, in a congested area like Jamia Nagar,
> just at
> > the
> > > 'nick of
> > > time'?
> > >
> > > The TV commentators, throughout the day, referred
> to
> > what
> > > their
> > > 'sources' in the Special Cell, or in the
> Delhi
> > > Police, told them. I
> > > wondered to what degree the entire
> 'Operation'
> > was
> > > co-scripted,
> > > between these 'sources' and the newsrooms
> of
> > > Television channels.
> > > There seems something almost monotonously
> repetitive
> > in
> > > these
> > > situations. A strange feeling of Deja-Vu.
> Something
> > tells
> > > me we have
> > > seen this before. Or is it just that I have
> watched
> > way too
> > > much
> > > 'reality' ?
> > >
> > > regards
> > >
> > > Shuddha
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 19-Sep-08, at 8:25 PM, Yousuf wrote:
> > >
> > > > Friends
> > > > I have titled this message the “media
> > circus”,
> > > although I am
> > > > actually referring to this morning’s
> so-called
> > > encounter killing of
> > > > two young people referred to as
> “terrorists”
> > in
> > > L-18 Batla House,
> > > > Jamia Nagar, by the Delhi police. I call it
> media
> > > circus because
> > > > that’s what I think it really is, like
> many
> > more
> > > such incidents.
> > > >
> > > > The incident happened in my neigbourhood,
> about
> > 150
> > > meters from my
> > > > house. So I have the opportunity to see how
> > things are
> > > turning up.
> > > > I had gone out of the area for some work
> while
> > the
> > > incident was
> > > > taking place around 11 am, but found it
> > impossible to
> > > reach back
> > > > home 2 hours later, because the road for
> about 1
> > and a
> > > half
> > > > kilometer (on both sides) was completely
> blocked,
> > not
> > > by the police
> > > > vehicles, but by the parked OB vans of the
> > countless
> > > TV channels,
> > > > some of which I never heard of before. Each
> of
> > these
> > > vehicles had
> > > > its generators on, and thick video cables
> jetting
> > out
> > > of them for
> > > > several meters to the other end where the
> > cameraperson
> > > and the
> > > > excited anchor were shouting how two
> terrorists
> > have
> > > been killed in
> > > > the fierce encounter. Most local people are
> > surprised
> > > at the speed
> > > > with which the TV crews arrived here and in
> such
> > large
> > > number.
> > > > Apparently, the Delhi Police had already
> told a
> > > section of the
> > > > press they are going for a raid in Batla
> House,
> > based
> > > > on the suspect Abu Bashir’s tip-off (I
> heard
> > this
> > > from a anchor on
> > > > Times NOW channel, although Police chief
> Dadwal
> > is now
> > > denying
> > > > there is any link with Abu Bashir), but they
> > didn’t
> > > obviously say
> > > > it was going to be an encounter. Its strange
> that
> > the
> > > local
> > > > residents got to know about the incident
> only
> > after
> > > the two people
> > > > had been killed – many in fact learnt it
> from
> > the
> > > Aaj-tak channel.
> > > > They claim they heard only the police firing
> and
> > no
> > > gunshots from
> > > > inside the flat, which the police claim have
> > injured
> > > two of their
> > > > constables.
> > > >
> > > > Most of you watching news TV in your homes
> may
> > have
> > > already heard
> > > > the cacophony of the TV anchors, each trying
> to
> > be
> > > shriller than
> > > > the other to prove that the local members of
> the
> > > Indian Mujahideen
> > > > have been killed. They now seem to have
> memorized
> > > their lines on
> > > > this issue well, since they have to repeat
> the
> > same
> > > thing again and
> > > > again. The graphics, animated logos,
> crawling
> > tickers,
> > > and dramatic
> > > > music/soundtrack to go with such coverage
> are
> > always
> > > ready in the
> > > > cans to be used at short notice. A cameraman
> > running
> > > towards Batla
> > > > House is nibbling at a burger while he holds
> on
> > to a
> > > camera in his
> > > > other hand. I saw two members of a TV crew
> > outside the
> > > Holy Family
> > > > Hospital (where the injured policemen have
> been
> > taken)
> > > fiercely
> > > > fight about which camera angle would look
> best
> > for a
> > > sound byte.
> > > > Everything looks as if planned and part of
> the
> > usual
> > > business. The
> > > > cops are happily allowing the media to climb
> any
> > wall
> > > to get the
> > > > best shot while they beat the local
> > > > rickshawpullers to leave the roads clean.
> The
> > message
> > > has got
> > > > across loud and clear: we told you – Batla
> > House is
> > > a haven of
> > > > terrorists.
> > > >
> > > > But many things sound fishy. I’ve been
> hearing
> > a lot
> > > of angry
> > > > conversations in the neighborhood: people
> are
> > asking
> > > that if the
> > > > police had only planned a simple raid (which
> they
> > did
> > > 2 days ago in
> > > > Zakir Nagar and Abul Fazl Enclave too), why
> did
> > they
> > > have to bring
> > > > battalions of police and encounter
> specialists
> > with
> > > AK-56 and other
> > > > deadly looking guns (that I myself saw) in
> > advance.
> > > And why is the
> > > > media called in even before the residents
> are
> > told. Of
> > > course the
> > > > fact the this happens in the month of
> Ramzan, on
> > a
> > > Friday, and near
> > > > a large mosque where people were going to
> gather
> > in
> > > large numbers
> > > > later for prayers, sounds just too
> predictable
> > and
> > > clichéd for
> > > > anyone’s imagination. Some locals claim
> that
> > the
> > > police had been
> > > > visiting this place (and that particular
> house)
> > since
> > > last few
> > > > days, and the so-called terrorists and their
> > weapons
> > > were probably
> > > > “planted” last night for this encounter.
> This
> > > claim would obviously
> > > > find no takers in the presently
> > > > created euphoria (did you see any channel
> > showing a
> > > sound byte to
> > > > this affect?) I didn’t find a single local
> > resident
> > > who is not fed
> > > > up with this oft-repeated image of Jamia
> Nagar as
> > > harboring
> > > > terrorists. But none of the channels I saw
> aired
> > the
> > > public angst
> > > > against their portrayal.
> > > >
> > > > To be honest, one shouldn’t deny that the
> Batla
> > > House area has some
> > > > criminal and anti-social elements, just as
> Darya
> > Ganj
> > > or Shahadra
> > > > or Govindpuri would have. But most local
> > residents
> > > believe that for
> > > > Jamia to become a haven of such criminal
> > elements, the
> > > local police
> > > > and land-mafia are equally responsible.
> Jamia
> > area is
> > > one of the
> > > > rare localities of Delhi where the rule of
> law
> > > doesn’t apply in
> > > > most spheres. The land mafia openly indulges
> in
> > > illegal
> > > > construction; no rules of traffic apply
> here, the
> > > condition of
> > > > civic amenities is abysmal. Illegal shops,
> > factories
> > > (many with
> > > > child labour) and businesses operate here
> > actively
> > > with police
> > > > connivance. The local politicians (MLA,
> > councilors)
> > > are actually
> > > > part of the problem rather than the
> solution.
> > There is
> > > a full-scale
> > > > illegal ISBT (bus stand) running in Batla
> > House’s
> > > backyard to bring
> > > > hundreds of migrants everyday from small
> towns of
> > UP
> > > (you can see
> > > > the police openly accepting bribe from its
> > > > operators any day).
> > > >
> > > > There is no question of sealing whatever the
> heck
> > > business you may
> > > > run here, and most places stink with heaps
> of
> > garbage
> > > everywhere.
> > > > There are no RWAs or citizen’s initiatives
> to
> > > discuss the problems.
> > > > It is truly a manufactured ghetto of Delhi
> –
> > why
> > > don’t all these
> > > > problems happen in Lajpat Nagar or Kalkaji?
> I am
> > > positive that the
> > > > authorities are aware that criminals (or
> what
> > they
> > > call terrorists)
> > > > exist here. But they deliberately allow them
> to
> > thrive
> > > here – never
> > > > to be touched in the normal/peaceful times
> –
> > keep
> > > them for the
> > > > right time. It is as if Batla House is a
> > laboratory or
> > > breeding
> > > > ground where things are allowed to grow by
> > providing
> > > all the
> > > > required ingredients and safety. The fruits
> are
> > > plucked only when
> > > > they are ripe (or required). So today, they
> > simply
> > > came to gather
> > > > the fruit they had sown, and made a big
> > exhibition of
> > > it by calling
> > > > the media. The local people, frightened that
> the
> > next
> > > encounter may
> > > > happen in their house, simply
> > > > squirm and hide in their personal ghettos.
> > > >
> > > > In all this, a big responsibility lies with
> the
> > media,
> > > and I am yet
> > > > to come across bold and honest reporters who
> are
> > ready
> > > to go beyond
> > > > the obvious and investigate the truth –
> not
> > simply
> > > repeat what is
> > > > told to them by the authorities or their
> channel
> > > bosses.
> > > >
> > > > Yousuf Saeed
> > > > September 19, 2008
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _________________________________________
> > > > reader-list: an open discussion list on
> media and
> > the
> > > city.
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> > >
> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS
> > > Raqs Media Collective
> > > shuddha at sarai.net
> > > www.sarai.net
> > > www.raqsmediacollective.net
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________
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>
>
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