I first noticed this trend during Mumbai attacks.
When a hunt for suitable scapegoat started after the attacks, media started focusing on Shivaraj Patil (and his dressing habits)
Now when there appears to be no end to price increase of basic commodities, media has started ganging up on Sharad Pawar.
Can you notice what is common in both cases?
Yes, absolute free pass given to UPA President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by the media! It is as if these two people who literally run India today, have no responsibility at all for appointing useless ministers such as Patil and Pawar.
Agreed, there is issue of coalition partners and keeping region/caste balance in the ministry. But as leaders who appointed these persons in the first place why media is not asking any accountability on part of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh?
Why is media being soft on Sonia and Manmohan? Why is no one asking Sonia or MM "Why did you appoint these useless people to these posts"? In any company those who hire bad employees are taken to task, why not with Govt? Or is this an example of excellent media management by Congress?
Any government which allowed attacks like 26/11 - where someone could use a boat to beat our bluewater Navy and Coast Guard and land undetected on our shores - would have been shown the door in any democracy. But Congress with media's help, nicely diverted all attacks towards Shivaraj Patil painting him as a villain. Job well done because Congress won both Loksabha and then state elections in Maharastra.
Congress party's handling of media then and today when common man is upset against price rise is excellent example of how media can be manipulated by those in power.
Rakesh Mathias
6 February 2010
rakesh.mathias AT gmail.com
