GROWTH OF ISLAMIC RADICALS AND IGNITED MEDIA

ARVIND K. PANDEY

The bomb blasts in Bangladesh , London, Ayodhya, the routine ones in Iraq, the Beslan tragedy, train carnage in Spain are enough to prove that perpetrators of heinous crimes are becoming bolder with each passing day.Sir V S Naipaul had sensed the change in mindset of the Muslim youths way back in the early eighties.But late realization has become order of the day.Today most part of the globe has turned into battle field of lethal jihadi operatives .Worse, selective approach of the US administration or the ‘racist agenda’ of Blair and his ilk do not give indication of better days ahead.Probably this is why Salman Rushdie is moved to express :” If it goes on being silent, then its culture and religion will be hijacked by the extremists and it will be very difficult to go on saying ‘that’s not us...You’ve got to speak.” In fact , ostrich act,on part of the Muslim intellectuals, would let the situation go out of the hand.In my eyes conscious role of the media would definitely rein in the derailment of Muslim groups.After all, why should innocent Muslims be butchered in in the name of war against terrorism? Why should the ongoing battle between Al-qaeda and US become the determining factor in survival of others?Against this backdrop, ignited minds in the media would play a huge role in re defining and re shaping the psyche of the Muslim world.Today, owing to doctored versions, we do not know the truth but America’s side of the coin in Iraq.The horizion of the Iraq is now prisoner of negative forces.To avoid unholy mess of this nature , a vigilant media resting on the ideals of ‘truth , knowledge , impartial and accrate information ‘has become the need of the hour.However, it would not be out of the place to take note of the falling standards of fourth pillar of the democracy.Sensationalism and obsessive fascination for “something different” has led to falling ethical standards in journalistic circles.Page 3 culture has given a huge blow to aspects like accountability and quality consciousness.In other words , yellow journalism has become order of the day. Media should not dance to the tune of government’s propaganda. Sadly, media likes to be dictated by the government machinery as that ensures them stability. Since most of the newspapers are apparently representing some particular ideology whatever they dish out is not truth but facts twisted to highlight their ideology in better light. Yes, ideal news item demands sincerity towards honest presentation of details. But going by the present age reporting and preferences of various media houses, the search for truth has given way to exaggerated descriptions catering to the needs of vested interests. Suppression of facts, projection of wrong image, delivering biased opinions and reducing to state of caricature all those who are doing good work in their respective fields but not adhering to their set of values are all what media houses doing these days. It might sound clichéd that to disobey ethical standards has become necessary to be ahead in the rat race and for them as well who are using these publishing houses for their own vested interests. Newspaper now no more exists as informative piece but as a commodity which should attract maximum profit. The wave of globalization has brought a sea change in our way of looking at things, reducing serious stuff to verge of extinction. Which is why newspapers are giving preference to those people who are more skilled in presenting pieces in glamorous way over those minds adept in analyzing issues in right way. So how can you expect these minds to reflect issues in true light. The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that those newspapers who are churning out saucy articles are constantly increasing their readership while those presenting news items in serious and dignified way are struggling hard to remain in the market. Whether they realize or not media groups are guilty of brain washing their reader’s minds with wrong set of perceptions and, in the process, hampering the growth of nation.